House rule for Going below 0 hp and get up again with a good berry or a healing

[Shiroiken]

thank you all for all you input. it have given me a lot to think about. just talked to 1 of my players he told me he will not play any more if i make a house rule that only will affect the players. and he is correct on this 98 - 99 % of the time this house rule will only affect the player. so a lot to think about

Something like this has a pretty dramatic effect on the game, so I can understand your player balking. While it can add a level of realism and grittiness to a game, it makes combat significantly harder. Depending on which method you use, the number and/or difficulty of your combats will need to be dialed back, meaning rests will become more common, so your stories can't has as much of a time constraint.

While I personally not a fan of the "tubthumping" effect 5E combat can have, the only aspect I've felt any need to change is to make the 20 success on a Death Save simply stabilize you, rather than grant 1 HP. If the players try to meta-game healing by only using it on downed characters, start using enemies with AoE effects that will grant another failed death save to those characters, putting pressure on the healers to act quickly before 3 death saves.

 

[Laurefindel]

thank you all for all you input. it have given me a lot to think about. just talked to 1 of my players he told me he will not play any more if i make a house rule that only will affect the players. and he is correct on this 98 - 99 % of the time this house rule will only affect the player. so a lot to think about

Obviously, if your players are not on board with this, be a good sport and drop it. But to be fair, a lot of rules only affect the players even in RaW, particularly about healing and death. You are suggesting a less generous outcome of something NPCs don’t really have access to in the first place. When a monster reach 0hp, it’s just dead unless the DM decides otherwise.

So if you approach your players from that angle, it might get better approval.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Although I'm not quite ready to change the rules, I'll agree that the it's pretty lame that when somebody goes to zero and a healer gets them on their feat again before their turn, and basically there's no downside (except half movement, I guess). In fact, there's an UPSIDE: all that extra damage that should have taken you negative instead disappears.

So I do kind of like the exhaustion rule. I think I'd also keep track of negative HP, and to get somebody back on their feet you have to get them back to zero.

And while we're at it, they should lose their next turn.

And an anvil should fall on them. No, wait, that's going too far.

 

[ad_hoc]

Exhaustion is quickly a death spiral.

I used to use this houserule "failed saves do not reset until a long rest".

Ultimately I don't find it necessary.

Even with Healing Word reviving a downed ally takes up time and resources. That's a spell slot and the PC can only cast a Cantrip that round. Which is a big deal as the battle is going against the party.

At 1 hp it is easy for them to go down again.

Even when revived they are still prone and enemies have advantage to hit them until their turn.

Speaking of that, getting hit by melee (w/advantage) at 0 hp is a critical hit for 2 failed death saves.

PCs hovering at the brink will quickly make for dead characters and even TPKs. In my experience no houserules are needed to keep the tension high. Our table learned quickly to always heal up to full between combats if able. Death spirals are a thing in 5e with just the regular rules.

 

[Viking Bastard]

I do two things:

• I changed the narrative around the Unconscious condition (and call it KO) so that the PCs aren't actually unconscious, as much as they are just out of play while they pull themselves together. Mechanically the only difference is that they aren't automatically prone and they can communicate.
• Failed Death saves accumulate. If you failed two saves before reviving, a single fail will take you out next time.

 

[5ekyu]

I do two things:

• I changed the narrative around the Unconscious condition (and call it KO) so that the PCs aren't actually unconscious, as much as they are just out of play while they pull themselves together. Mechanically the only difference is that they aren't automatically prone and they can communicate.
• Failed Death saves accumulate. If you failed two saves before reviving, a single fail will take you out next time.

What have been the results?

 

[Viking Bastard]

What have been the results?

The up-down-up-down effect isn't as jarring with the reframing of the narrative, more like dramatic beats, and retaining the death save fails (or "skull marks") creates real consequences and increases tensions, without starting a death spiral.

 

[FrogReaver]

I do two things:

• I changed the narrative around the Unconscious condition (and call it KO) so that the PCs aren't actually unconscious, as much as they are just out of play while they pull themselves together. Mechanically the only difference is that they aren't automatically prone and they can communicate.
• Failed Death saves accumulate. If you failed two saves before reviving, a single fail will take you out next time.

I like this alot. One question. If the pc is still on his feet the. Aren’t enemies more apt to attack the dying of this resulting in more deaths?

 

[Viking Bastard]

I like this alot. One question. If the pc is still on his feet the. Aren’t enemies more apt to attack the dying of this resulting in more deaths?

More apt to attack, yes. Although how I narrate the KO moment varies, so sometimes PCs do end up prone (it's "not automatically" prone) or momentarily knocked out, just depending on what makes sense/inspiration in the moment.

More deaths, not noticeably. But in theory, probably. I've never been one to run a super deadly game, thus wanting to avoid any death spiral, but I still want to keep up the tensions. Generally the other players will rush to save a KOed PC more than they did an unconscious one, after experiencing a few moments where enemies dramatically stabbed KOed PCs.

 

[FrogReaver]

More apt to attack, yes. Although how I narrate the KO moment varies, so sometimes PCs do end up prone (it's "not automatically" prone) or momentarily knocked out, just depending on what makes sense/inspiration in the moment.

More deaths, not noticeably. But in theory, probably. I've never been one to run a super deadly game, thus wanting to avoid any death spiral, but I still want to keep up the tensions. Generally the other players will rush to save a KOed PC more than they did an unconscious one, after experiencing a few moments where enemies dramatically stabbed KOed PCs.

I see. So it was temporarily more deadly only for the players to adapt making it only slightly more deadly. Very interesting