Fixing yo-yo syndrome

[Garthanos]

As far as I'm aware, that's not a rule.

As I said, it's an intelligent tactic to focus attacks on a current threat

Its a normal tactic for animals too.... And you wouldnt believe how well water buffalo fight as a team or how the whole herd will run back to protect a child who was singled out by a pack of lions... or how effective they can be against them.

Humans becoming over focused because they fight out of rage... instead of need might result in ravaging a downed foe more even than other animals.... and even then we are not likely to do it efficiently but rather wildly ... not a coup de grace like (ask the cops)
Dispassionate assassin like behavior is not that easy for anyone but sociopath folk.

Adrenaline rushes make wild hacking slashes easy precision cut its throat behavior is tough.

Hell the monsters might not even recognize that the hero attacking now is the same one it took down a few moments ago... or it might just be confused and frightened by the fact that you sprang back to life.... human tenacity and endurance can be freakish (studies comparing our ability to handle activity in high heat ... with that of various animals including many of those we think are physically superior are very surprising)

If you want the monsters to be so distracted by the blood they stop to eat or so in to the fighting that they dont stop when the hero goes down... that is your choice.. but it might just be a human behavior not an animal one.;-)
Dragging away what they think are a dead foe would be very realistic.. hey thats food I just killed Im keeping it..

Cheers

 

[eriktheguy]

I like the idea, but it will make the characters targets. The only problem I see is that for many characters, being below 0 hp is not much of a punishment, they will still be able to fight with a standard action a turn.

Try it out and see how it goes. If you find that the characters are too powerful being able to fight while down, or find that they are getting killed while they are still fighting just because they are targets, try this:

Only give them a move action each turn while they are down. They can't attack, but they could use a potion, retreat, get closer to the healer, etc. They will not be threats to the monsters and are therefore not likely to be attacked. They are not technically down, but they are not fit to fight either. When they are healed it will look like they recovered from a minor setback, rather than went down and up like a yo-yo.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Standard action when at or below 0 hps?..... that means I can down a healing potion right away and be back in the fight.. might even be able to do that before rolling a single death save!



{edit}Er, the above post comes from the munchiny player that sometimes uses my login.... my apologies!

I say reskin 'down' to being 'unable to meaningfully contribute to the combat' staggering around and cluthing your guts, sagging to your knees and staring up at the sky, stupidly looking at the new bloody hole in your chest.....
Still have it take a move action to get your bearings and shake it off... mechanically the same as 'prone' but just looks better.

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Yeah, I say make it "slowed, and cannot take standard actions" - that gives you a move action (which you can't use to sprint across the field) and a minor action each turn.

 

[Garthanos]

Yeah, I say make it "slowed, and cannot take standard actions" - that gives you a move action (which you can't use to sprint across the field) and a minor action each turn.

I kind of like this...you could crawl over to your back packs to get the healing potion

 

[Kzach]

I much prefer the standard action because then you're still fighting. If it's just slowed or a move action only, then there's no down-side since you're not a threat and can just move out of harms way.

There also isn't the cool factor of fighting til your last breath and being literally on your last legs.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Isn't there a Barbarian power/feature that allows the PC to continue fighting below 0 hp?

 

[Then]

Isn't there a Barbarian power/feature that allows the PC to continue fighting below 0 hp?

Yes there is.

To the OP, it doesn't sound like a game problem so much as a player problem.

The player doesn't have to stand right back up and continue the fight, they have the option of using more healing(through various means) before they go back into the fray.


But if your dead set on this, I would have the players be weakened in this woozy state as well.

 

[Syrsuro]

I think I would go for an option that put more choice in the players hands, while compensating that choice with added risk.

Something like: When you drop to 0, you can choose to go down (and be relatively safe) OR to stay standing, be slowed and unable to take a standard action (normally restricted to a move and a minor). However, if you choose to do so, you can attempt a standard action instead of one of the other two actions (i.e. a minor and a standard or a move and a standard). Doing so requires you to roll an immediate death save (in addition to the one you would normally roll at the end of the round) and if you fail this save (and are still alive and at 0 or lower hit points), you fall unconscious upon completion of the action.

I am a bit concerned with Warforged (and possibly others) who never fail death saves with this approach however. I'd be inclined to add a specific (overriding the general) rule that Warforged and any other character with special abilities to avoid failing death saves must still make this save normally.

Carl