Runesong42
First Post
Hey all,
First of all, this is not a sexual innuendo.
I have been wanting to try a new rules variant for d20, but lack the time or the players to properly test it. I was hoping someone could guesstimate how, or even if, this plan of mine would be feasible.
Also, this thread has been cross-post to Mortality.net as well.
Essentially, the house rules I am creating are largely inspired by the injury and death rules from the GURPS role-playing system and applying it to D20. I do not intend to publish this information, but I wll present it here.
d20 HardCore
1) Characters created using these rules do not begin play with their regular Hit Dice. Instead, their HP is determined by their CON score. (Ex. A PC with a CON of 10 has 10 HP).
2) Upon gaining a new level, PCs do not gain additional HD. Their HP total remains static. HP can be increased by any other feats designed to do so (such as Toughness) or by increasing their CON score.
Injuries:
3) Once a PC reaches 0 HP, he becomes staggered as usual. Should a PC drop to a negative HP total, he no longer automatically falls unconscious. He is now allowed a FORT saving throw, with the DC modified by the total damage suffered. Should a PC succeed, he can continue to function, althouhg the PC remains staggered until he gains a positive HP total.
4) Upon reaching negative HP, the character bleeds for 1 HP damage a round until treaed by Treat Injury or by magical healing.
5) If the PC has a negative HP total and should lose additonal HP (incuding that caused by blood loss), the PC must immediately make a new saving throw at the newly modified DC to remain conscious.
Dying:
4) The PC no longer automatically dies at -10 HP. Instead, he is given a window equal to his current CON score. (Ex. A PC with a CON of 12 may now survive up to -12 HP).
5) Upon reaching neagtive HP equal to his CON score, the chatacter does not automatically die. He receives a FORT saving throw, again modified by the PCs current damage total. Should the PC succeed, he must then make an immediate FORT save to remain conscious, as usual.
6) This can continue up to 3x the PC's CON score. Each time the PC falls below his CON score, he must roll for his life, and each time the PC suffers damage, he must roll to remain conscious.
The BIG EXAMPLE:
Skar has a CON of 12, and thus has 12 HP. He suffers damage from a hail of arrows and is reduced to -3 HP. He rolls a FORT save (DC to be determined) with a +3 modifier for his negative HP total. He succeeds.
Now at -3 HP, he is staggered, allowing for only one move or atack action, and he begins to bleed. Next round, he remains untreatd and drops to -4 HP. He must again roll a FORT save to remain conscious, now at +4 DC. He succeeds, and takes the time to bind his wounds. He is now stabilized at -4, and remains staggered.
The arrows continue, and he is peppered for 10 more damage. He is now at -14, and now must Roll For His Life. The DC is modified at +14, and he'll probably want to use Action Dice (or Hero Points, or whatever) to help. He rolls, and succeeds. He is alive, but now must roll to remain conscious. By some miracle, he's still kicking...
An enemy mage sees poor Skar, and unleashes a volley of Magic Missiles. Skar suffers another 14 damage from the missiles, and now drops to -28. Because he has dropped to twice his CON in damage, he must again roll for his life, modified by +28. Sadly, he fails the roll, and dies.
Were he to somehow succeed, he could theoretically survive up to -36 HP, after which he is considered dead, and no more survival rolls are necessary.
-----
Obviously, the system needs a little work, and some other variant rules will need to be added to compensate. Armor as DR, Action Points, and possibly even creating a Defense roll for combat are the obvious choices.
I came up with the idea to use this system for a Wild West campaign I plan to run. With hope, this will make the PCs consider combat an absolutely last resort, and any shots taken from gunfire could be their last. This system could be especially effective for survival/horror RPing as well.
What does everyone think? Any and all input would be appreciated, especially suggestions for the base DC for a consciousness roll. I'm thinking base DC 10.
- Dru
First of all, this is not a sexual innuendo.
I have been wanting to try a new rules variant for d20, but lack the time or the players to properly test it. I was hoping someone could guesstimate how, or even if, this plan of mine would be feasible.Also, this thread has been cross-post to Mortality.net as well.
Essentially, the house rules I am creating are largely inspired by the injury and death rules from the GURPS role-playing system and applying it to D20. I do not intend to publish this information, but I wll present it here.
d20 HardCore
1) Characters created using these rules do not begin play with their regular Hit Dice. Instead, their HP is determined by their CON score. (Ex. A PC with a CON of 10 has 10 HP).
2) Upon gaining a new level, PCs do not gain additional HD. Their HP total remains static. HP can be increased by any other feats designed to do so (such as Toughness) or by increasing their CON score.
Injuries:
3) Once a PC reaches 0 HP, he becomes staggered as usual. Should a PC drop to a negative HP total, he no longer automatically falls unconscious. He is now allowed a FORT saving throw, with the DC modified by the total damage suffered. Should a PC succeed, he can continue to function, althouhg the PC remains staggered until he gains a positive HP total.
4) Upon reaching negative HP, the character bleeds for 1 HP damage a round until treaed by Treat Injury or by magical healing.
5) If the PC has a negative HP total and should lose additonal HP (incuding that caused by blood loss), the PC must immediately make a new saving throw at the newly modified DC to remain conscious.
Dying:
4) The PC no longer automatically dies at -10 HP. Instead, he is given a window equal to his current CON score. (Ex. A PC with a CON of 12 may now survive up to -12 HP).
5) Upon reaching neagtive HP equal to his CON score, the chatacter does not automatically die. He receives a FORT saving throw, again modified by the PCs current damage total. Should the PC succeed, he must then make an immediate FORT save to remain conscious, as usual.
6) This can continue up to 3x the PC's CON score. Each time the PC falls below his CON score, he must roll for his life, and each time the PC suffers damage, he must roll to remain conscious.
The BIG EXAMPLE:
Skar has a CON of 12, and thus has 12 HP. He suffers damage from a hail of arrows and is reduced to -3 HP. He rolls a FORT save (DC to be determined) with a +3 modifier for his negative HP total. He succeeds.
Now at -3 HP, he is staggered, allowing for only one move or atack action, and he begins to bleed. Next round, he remains untreatd and drops to -4 HP. He must again roll a FORT save to remain conscious, now at +4 DC. He succeeds, and takes the time to bind his wounds. He is now stabilized at -4, and remains staggered.
The arrows continue, and he is peppered for 10 more damage. He is now at -14, and now must Roll For His Life. The DC is modified at +14, and he'll probably want to use Action Dice (or Hero Points, or whatever) to help. He rolls, and succeeds. He is alive, but now must roll to remain conscious. By some miracle, he's still kicking...
An enemy mage sees poor Skar, and unleashes a volley of Magic Missiles. Skar suffers another 14 damage from the missiles, and now drops to -28. Because he has dropped to twice his CON in damage, he must again roll for his life, modified by +28. Sadly, he fails the roll, and dies.
Were he to somehow succeed, he could theoretically survive up to -36 HP, after which he is considered dead, and no more survival rolls are necessary.
-----
Obviously, the system needs a little work, and some other variant rules will need to be added to compensate. Armor as DR, Action Points, and possibly even creating a Defense roll for combat are the obvious choices.
I came up with the idea to use this system for a Wild West campaign I plan to run. With hope, this will make the PCs consider combat an absolutely last resort, and any shots taken from gunfire could be their last. This system could be especially effective for survival/horror RPing as well.
What does everyone think? Any and all input would be appreciated, especially suggestions for the base DC for a consciousness roll. I'm thinking base DC 10.
- Dru
