Insta-Kill Spell Alternatives?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I recall reading something by one of the D&D game designers (Monte Cook? SKR?) who talked about how he would prefer taking the instant-kill spells out of the game and replacing them with an alternative. Does anyone know what I'm referring to?

 

[shilsen]

I vaguely remember reading a similar (or the same) comment, but not what his preferred option was. A couple that I might consider using:

1) An insta-kill spell or effect instantly takes you to -9 hit points. One round later, it takes you to -10 and you're dead. This would allow people the possibility of healing and survival if party-members acted quickly, but would keep insta-kill spells/effects very dangerous, since they'd punch straight through your hit points, however high.

2) An insta-kill effect renders you catatonic at -9 hp. Healing magic which would raise you to 0 or above only gives you back 1 hit point per round, until you hit 0, at which point the rest of the healing occurs. This variant would mean that insta-kill spells/effects still take someone completely out of a fight (unless the fight lasts another 10 rds), without the problem of PCs dying because they blow one save.

Just a couple of options off the top of my head.

 

[Steve Jung]

Is this what you're looking for?

 

[Li Shenron]

Well, there is always the blunt but otherwise perfectly balanced solution of not playing past character level 10th.

Insta-kill spells really start at spell level 6th: Disintegrate*, Circle of Death, Flesh to Stone. Before that levels, you have Cloudkill that would kill only things with 6HD or less, Phantasmal Killer which allows 2 saves, and is therefore moreso a "save or save or die spell", and Slay Living which is the only real problem left (which reminds me I wanted to start a thread about it).

*technically not even a save-or-die in 3.5

Anyway I like the suggestion of "down to -9": it allows a second chance to save a comrade, and it works in favor of the PCs definitely.

 

[Ravenknight]

If Youre feeling nice You could even go for -5, giving the party a good oppurtunity to save the PC.

 

[Heathen72]

If Youre feeling nice You could even go for -5, giving the party a good oppurtunity to save the PC.

Or better, negative d10 (with 10 being zero). The GM makes the roll secretly, and you'd need to make a pretty good heal check to see how long someone had left if you were in the middle of combat etc. I reckon it has to be hidden, nothing more annoying than lying there dying, and no one cares because 'you have another 7 rounds left' I takes all the drama out of almost buying the farm.

 

[JoeBlank]

Or better, negative d10 (with 10 being zero). The GM makes the roll secretly, and you'd need to make a pretty good heal check to see how long someone had left if you were in the middle of combat etc. I reckon it has to be hidden, nothing more annoying than lying there dying, and no one cares because 'you have another 7 rounds left' I takes all the drama out of almost buying the farm.

I like this idea. Nice and simple, and one of the rare times where not even the player knows the PC's current hit points. Could make for some exciting results.

 

[diaglo]

i prefer 0 hp = dead.

but i'm a softie so i let the -10 option into the campaign.

 

[ken-ichi]

You may need to clarify what happens to characters who possess the diehard feat or similar type of ability like that of a frenzied berserker. Are they still able to act even though they are in negative hit points, or does the death effect override any ability they might possess.
I suggest that failing the save on an instant death effect has more effect than just taking damage so any ability that affects how you can act while in negative hit points does not apply when a death spell is what brings you there. You must first be healed to 0 or more hit points (and take damage to drop you to -1 or less) before those types of abilities will take effect.

 

[Corsair]

Then again, in a game where the raise dead is as easily available as cloudkill, it just costs money.

I like my insta-kills damnit!