Inury and Death in a low-magic campaign - what do you recommend?

[Bladesong]

There are some good ideas here. You may also want to consider the following: character is wearing chainmail (AC5), and he gets hit with a long sword which does 7 hps of damage. You could have the armor bonus convert into subdual damage so the character would take 5 hps of subdual damage and 2 points of actual damage. This makes combat less lethal. You could then use a heal check to heal subdual damge (and there are a couple of ways to do this as well). Natural AC would convert to subdual as well. Any bonuses to either would just ad to AC not to subdual conversion. This would reduce death and increase unconsciosness. I would also use the defensive bonuses from UA with the limitations that wearing armor would provide.

 

[GlassJaw]

You could have the armor bonus convert into subdual damage so the character would take 5 hps of subdual damage and 2 points of actual damage

Yup, I'm already going to do this but I'm going to limit the defense bonus gained to the max Dex mod of the armor worn.

I think I might stick with the armor system, a defense bonus, and the hit point system. I don't want to make the system too complex; I still want it to be fast and yet somewhat heroic at the same time.

By the way, does anyone know of any good books about herbalism?

 

[Li Shenron]

Two questions:

1) what do actually mean with "low-magic" campaign, do you mean that there spellcasting is rare or that magic items are rare? The two things are quite different in practice, I have no idea how Grim Tales handle this. I assume you just mean that healing is not going to be so readily and often available

2) are you sure that VP/WP works better when there are less healing spells and potions around? I think UA effectively suggests so, but I wouldn't be completely sure... to me it has always sounded as a higher risk of sudden death exchanged for faster recovery, which IMHO is inconvenient . Furthermore it is quite a complicated variant...

Since you have Unearthed Arcana, one of the suggested variant for a low-healing campaign is "Damage Conversion", which basically mean that any armor converts part of the damage into nonlethal (amount = armor bonus). The consequences are that an armored character is more rarely killed in combat unless CDG-ed, and that the PC will heal at a faster rate than normal.

I also think you can use a sort of turbo version by combining the Damage Conversion variant with the Armor as DR variant, which by itself doesn't make combat less deadly, but together with Dmg Conversion can likely turn almost ALL damage into nonlethal.

Otherwise the "Reserve Points" from UA is pretty simple as well and it can be either used alone or "on top" of the previous variants.

Finally, if you just use the Defense Bonus, you won't get any benefit. Battles may last longer, money can be spent on something else than armor, touch spells will be less likely to hit, but I cannot see how the variant would help with the lack of healing.

 

[argo]

I advise against using WP/VP the system looks good on the surface but starts to get a little shaky after a while (threat ranges, poision, etc).

I perfer standard HP, a low massive damage threshold (20 is about right) and a tougher massive damage save. Increase the rate of natural healing and expand the uses of the heal skill and you should be all set. Sudden death is a serious threat but characters don't stay down for weeks waiting to heal, more like a day or two.

Good luck.

 

[GlassJaw]

what do actually mean with "low-magic" campaign, do you mean that there spellcasting is rare or that magic items are rare?

Both. Think Conan.

are you sure that VP/WP works better when there are less healing spells and potions around?

Nope. I never used the VP/WP system in play.

one of the suggested variant for a low-healing campaign is "Damage Conversion"

Yup, Grim Tales does this too. I'm using it although I'm limiting the defense bonus if armor is worn.

I have no idea how Grim Tales handle this

You mean you don't have Grim Tales?!

perfer standard HP, a low massive damage threshold (20 is about right)

I think I might use Con + 2/HD.

expand the uses of the heal skill and you should be all set

Grim Tales has some really cool expanded rules for the Heal skill. You can even perform surgery to heal additional points. There are also talents that increase and expand your abilities even more, uncluding being able to revive someone who has died within a very short time.

Thanks all!!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

WP/VP can work well for some games, but I'm not convinced it's a works so well for DnD. If it's the crits = WP damage version.

I'd say it actively encourages:

'everyone gang up on the toughest guy and power attack.'

... using the biggest crit range 2 handed weapon you can. Because a power attacking crit will kill pretty much anyone... dogpile means you got more chance to crit the enemy before they crit you?

I think it'd need a re-write of the crit ranges and the way some feats/abilities work. Power Attack springs to mind... Sneak attack is also going to be extremely lethal.


I loved Spycrafts version: You had to 'buy' the crit with an action dice. I like the way it removes the random chance of 'death by lucky blow'. GM gets to make a decision whether they want the lucky blow to kill the PC. YMMV, but I'd far prefer that.

 

[GlassJaw]

You had to 'buy' the crit with an action dice. I like the way it removes the random chance of 'death by lucky blow'. GM gets to make a decision whether they want the lucky blow to kill the PC. YMMV, but I'd far prefer that.

Grim Tales does that too with its AP system.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Might I suggest simply using the standard system, but allowing everyone to regain some amount of hitpoints after each combat? Based, of course, on the idea that hitpoints represent being worn down and outmaneuvered as well as physically stabbed or shot.

I'd probably suggest restoring half the hitpoints lost during the battle.

 

[frankthedm]

I recommend having lots of character sheets.