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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hrothgar Rannúlfr" data-source="post: 5315257" data-attributes="member: 54436">For me, the stat for that is Hit Points.  To me, they represent more than just the ability to withstand physical damage.  They represent everything from combat prowess to luck to divine intervention and more in turning otherwise lethal blows into less than lethal blows.It's the flat part that bothers me.  It should scale based upon level or hit dice and size.  We had a very good system for this worked out (based off some ideas in WotC's Unearthed Arcana), but ultimately it was too complex and we almost always forgot to make Massive Damage Saving Throws, anyway.  It's probably due to the fact that our group has been playing since the 80's and we never used anything like Massive Damage Saves til 3rd Edition came out and it just didn't catch on with us.  We also tried other things like Vitality and Wound Points, but found them less than satisfying.May I suggest three links that I found really helpful concerning Hit Points, Save or Die Effects, and Death & Dying?  I saw in another thread that you liked <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/d&d-calibrating.html" target="_blank">an article by The Alexandrian (which I really like, too)</a> and I thought you might find these links interesting in considering whether or not you need the Massive Damage Save, at all.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/1.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":1:" title="One    :1:" data-shortname=":1:" /> <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/explaining-hit-points.html" target="_blank">The Alexandrian:  Explaining Hit Points</a> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/2.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":2:" title="Two    :2:" data-shortname=":2:" /> <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/saveordie.html" target="_blank">The Alexandrian:  Save or Die Effects</a> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/3.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":3:" title="Three    :3:" data-shortname=":3:" /> <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/advanced-rules/optional-death.html" target="_blank">The Alexandrian:  Optional Death & Dying</a></li> </ul>Number <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/3.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":3:" title="Three    :3:" data-shortname=":3:" /> is my favorite.  We changed the DC's of the Saving Throws to 10+(1/2 neg HP) to increase the chance of someone being in the disabled state and it's working beautifully.  Also, we use a fixed amount per level equal to half the size of the hit die plus 1 to determine hit points (d12=7, d10=6, d8=5, d6=4, d4=3), plus CON modifier, of course.  If starting HP are less than 10+Fort, we use 10+Fort (minimum 10) for starting hit points.  No PC has less than 10 hit points at 1st level.  So far, it has a very grim-n-gritty feel without increasing the lethality of the game.</blockquote>

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