Increasing Massive Damage Threshold

[AeroDm]

That is a good point, though perhaps there is a middle ground between elimination and an insignificant difference - you are right about the DC probably not mattering much at that point, but there is always advantage in never having to make that roll in the first place. Perhaps an increase from 50 to some larger number, like 100, 150, or even 200. A difference between 50 and 100 likely is significant, even at that power level.

But one also must consider that the current massive damage doesn't come into play until HP are significantly beyond 50. Increasing it to 100 HP (or beyond) then causes the massive damage threshold to not come into play until HP are significantly beyond 100 (or whatever you increased it to).

Why not simply allow them to not be susceptible to the mechanic. It seems far more rewarding for the player and has almost the same game affect. Likewise, as has been said already, a DC 15 fort isn't too challenging when you have 50+ hp, so removing the roll at all removes the fluke die roll that ends a characters life.

 

[Golem2176]

Okay, here's an update

Increased Massive Damage Threshold [General]
You are more resilient against natural or mundane forces that deal massive damage.
Prerequisite: Great Fortitude
Benefit: Any force, whether natural or mundane that deals massive damage, is a bit less of a threat. When you take this feat your character's massive damage threshold is increased by 25 points.
Special: You can take this feat twice, thereby increasing your Massive Damage Threshold to 100. Fighters can take this feat as one of their bonus feats.

Massive Damage Immunity [General]
You are immune to dealing with the effects of massive damage
Prerequisite: Massive Damage Threshold 100
Benefit: You automatically survive encounters with any forces that deal massive damage.
Special: Fighters can select this as one of their bonus feats

EDIT: GameGuru4's reply

 

[GameGuru4]

You no longer need to make the first feat stack - they just take the second feat and they're immune.

And it still seems like requiring Great Fortitude *and* Toughness (a mediocre and poor feat, respectively) is a bit much.
But it's a good idea, just needs tweaking.

 

[AeroDm]

Do you really think immunity to massive damage is worth three feats? It requires Great Fortitude (a fourth feat in the chain) and anyone with enough HP to consider taking this chain has a good Fort (high HD) and probably a high con which means the DC 15 is a joke to begin with.

I would highly suggest making it two feats (with GF as a pre-req for the third in the chain) at the most otherwise most players wouldn't even look at this, at least in my experiences.

 

[the Jester]

Hmm...

Taking everyone's comments into account, here's another suggestion:

You could have the first feat double the character's massive damage threshold and the second give immunity to death from massive damage. But the second feat still lacks 'oomph' as others have pointed out. Sooo... how about roll it up with another feat? So maybe have it render you immune to death from massive damage and do something else- perhaps it reduces ability damage suffered from poison, disease and any nonmagical source by 1 per time (so 1d6 str damage becomes 1d6-1- possibly even letting the character avoid it entirely), maybe it gives an additional bonus to Fort saves, maybe it adds a couple more hps... somethin'.

(I kind of like the idea of reducing ability damage, personally... and as it has two prereqs that are both defensive in nature, I don't think it's overpowered at all. Although a 1st-level human fighter could take it, he'd be missing out on, well, everything else.)