D&D 5E (2024) Feedback wanted: Spend death save failures for additional hit dice

[xoth.publishing]

Here's an idea I have for a house rule:

Desperate Gamble: As a bonus action whenever you have 1 hp or more, you may "spend" between 1 to 3 Death Save failures to gain a corresponding number of Hit Dice, which you then immediately roll to regain lost hit points. Hit Dice gained in this fashion do not against your regular Hit Dice which you use for healing during short rests. You can gain a maximum of 3 Hit Dice in this fashion until you make a long rest. If you are reduced to 0 hp, each Hit Dice gained in this fashion counts as an immediate Death Save failure. After you finish a long rest, the failed Death Saves reset.

Example: Durek the Dwarf, a 3rd-level Fighter with Con 16 and 31 hp max, is fighting a horde of orcs. He currently has only 5 hp left. As a bonus action, he chooses to spend 2 Death Save failures to gain 2 Hit Dice, and rolls 2d10+6 and regains 17 hp, bringing his new total up to 22 hp. Using this newfound reserve, he manages to fight off the orcs while suffering a few wounds, ending combat with 10 hp. Durek survived the orcs, but is now in a precarious situation: If he continues exploring the dungeon and suffers damage that brings him to 0 hp, he only gets to make one Death Save (instead of the regular 3 saves) because he has already accumulated 2 failures by trading them for hit points. If he needs to during his exploration, he could also choose to spend the last Death Save failure to heal again (1d10+3), but this would leave him with 3 accumulated failures, and any attack that brings him to 0 hp would immediately kill him!

So the idea here is to give PCs additional ability to heal themselves, but with a trade-off: Do I want more hit points now, but be at higher risk of death later?

Comments? What do you think are the pros and cons of such a house rule?

 

[Maxperson]

I think it's okay, but I'd limit it to only 1 use per combat, resetting after each combat. If you allows 2 or 3 death saves to be converted to hit dice, it's inevitable that PCs are going to drop like flies until they self-curb to one use. It's still a gamble, because starting at 1 death save down is risky, but it's not going to kill you on a single failed death save or as soon as you hit 0.

 

[Quartz]

I say no because this steps on the Fighter's Second Wind ability, especially at early levels.

 

[Clint_L]

I say no because this steps on the Fighter's Second Wind ability, especially at early levels.

Eh, this isn't much of an objection in the current game, as a fighter generally has much better uses for second wind than wasting it on healing. In fact, this kind of makes second wind better, IMO.

OP, I like this idea. It's a big gamble, but sometimes the situation is dire, and, one way or another, you've raised the stakes and probably created a good story moment.

Using death saves as a resource could be done in different ways, as well, that might be equally cool. Sacrifice a death save for a re-roll, for example. But in general, I would specify that this ability could only be used in combat, and only after the character is bloodied, to prevent it being abused to top off heals after the fight is over or during the last round of combat and thus avoid a short rest, that kind of thing.

 

[el-remmen]

I like it.

 

[Deset Gled]

Meh.

5e already has, quantifiably, the most and easiest access to healing in any edition of D&D. Coming up with house rules giving even more access to healing is like setting up a hotdog stand outside the exit of a Brazilian steakhouse. I'm sure you'll find someone interested, but that's a pretty hard sell for me.

 

[aco175]

It might work better for smaller parties who lack some of the variety.

I would also limit it to 1/day.

 

[cbwjm]

Works quite well as an in combat heal while giving yourself some risk. I'd consider it as an option, especially in a low-magic game with more limited healing options.

 

[GMMichael]

Comments? What do you think are the pros and cons of such a house rule?

Pro: it gives players who don't like death saves a way to avoid them.

Con: it adds value to something that shouldn't be in the game in the first place.