E6

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

There are a few other things you could do too, but I don't really know what would be a priority for you.

Then let me be helpful:

Action Points is a good example: encourages the players to take some risks. I get the feeling that "gritty" style is supposed to discourage dangerous yet cool stunts and taking on a couple of mooks single-handed. Swashbuckling stuff. I figure mostly what I need is to give the players extra insurance that doing that won't result in immediate bad consequences.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Hm. Well, if you want to ensure that PCs are insulated from death or the like, I suppose you might need to (in addition to my suggestions above) boost saves too. Maybe AC as well. Base Defence Bonus (from UA), for starters? There's always Gestalt (also from UA) -- this will usually make PCs more durable in a variety of ways.

On the other hand, any time a PC hits the death state, that outcome could be replaced with another, less dire one. Likewise, unconsciousness. . . though that one depends -- could be down to GMing/campaign style. After all, capture might not be the end of the world. Perhaps death = unconsciousness, and unconsciousness in turn = stunned? Well, something like that.

Just what comes to mind. Hopefully it's coherent.

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

It's helpful. I don't actually want the PCs to be completely death immune (I have a system where I can do that already), I'm just trying to dodge some of the deadliness I think is part of "gritty". "Dodge" is a pretty good word for it: you're still killed as easily if the attack hits, it's just it hits a bit less often.

I think Action Points, Base Defense Bonus, and the Wound/Vitality point system are probably enough to start with.

Again, thanks for the assist.

 

[El Mahdi]

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[Silvercat Moonpaw]

4E Death and Dying mechanic.

I don't know what that is.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I don't know what that is.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Death and Dying)

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

Would it be too odd to make the add to starting HP based on Charisma rather than Constitution? If HP are abstract it can be justified as extra luck. I only ask because it might be another good incentive for characters not to immediately dump Charisma.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend that. Well, more to the point, I wouldn't DO that, as a DM.

Any Cha-based class, or race with a Cha bonus, suddenly becomes a lot tougher. Particularly the former, of course. It would be very strange (to me.) But hey, to each their own.

How about a buffer of a fixed amount, like. . . 10?

Re: Charisma. . . hm. It's tricky, in D&D. In True20 (say) not so hard though. Just link it to Conviction, per that feat, but however much you like. And done.

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

It's not really that important. I just thought Charisma could use one more mechanical boost.

A bonus to the dice roll for an Action Die might work (so it'd be d6+Cha mod). Additional Action Die might make it too good.

 

[El Mahdi]

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