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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 4728828" data-attributes="member: 2011">I had a real problem with PCs being nearly fully healed all of the time, even if there was no magic, with the hit points and healing surge system.We added a wound system for serious physical damage (cracked ribs, pulled tendons, etc.). Hit points became in our game minor cuts, scraps, minor burns, getting the wind knocked out of the PC, being knocked out, etc. So far, it has worked out pretty well. A few PCs get wounded on occasion and it does make players feel like their PC is getting beat up in the serious fights.We have not run into a death spiral situation yet. 1) PCs have wound points equal to their Constitution. A PC that gets knocked unconscious is wounded and takes a wound point. Each time he fails a save while unconscious, he takes another wound point. If he fails the three saves while unconscious, he is dead (just like the normal rules). A PC also takes a wound point if an opponent does a critical on him. A PC who is at half or less of his wound points (round down) is at -1 to all D20 rolls. A PC who is at zero wound points is dead.2) Healing of wound points: An extended rest heals one wound point. A Potion of Vitality heals one wound point (and 1/4 hit points), a Potion of Recovery heals two wound points (and 1/2 hit points) and a Potion of Life heals all wound points (and 50 hit points on a dead person, 3/4 hit points on a living person). Magical healing from an arcane or divine source heals one wound point per day maximum per PC. A maximum of 3 wound point healing sources can be used per day per PC (1 extended rest, 1 potion, 1 spell).3) Bloodied creatures are at -1 to all D20 rolls. Creatures that can fight at zero or fewer hit points are at -2.This is simple enough that it has not caused any bookkeeping problems. Once or twice per encounter, some PC in the group usually takes a wound point unless a PC goes unconscious in which case, that PC can take multiple wound points.One thing we have observed it doing is putting an urgency into unconsciousness. Players do not nonchalantly allow another player's PC to just bleed out. And, players try even harder to not get bloodied or fall unconscious in the first place (fewer bad tactics like allowing Opportunity Attacks when the player does not have to).But the main thing for me is that the PCs feel a bit more real. There is a threat to any single attack because a 20 can wound the PC. Hit point damage just felt like numbers on a sheet of paper with no umph or urgency to them because they could be restored so quickly and (for all intents and purposes) effortlessly.</blockquote>

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