New Article: Death and Dying

[Jedi_Solo]

Honestly, though, how often does any character actually get reduced to exactly 0 hp?

Honestly? Practically every single session (below level 12 or so). The last time it happened was this past session. And then it happened the last session I was at and the one before that! It happens all the time for our group.

Maybe our group is the exception that proves the rule.

 

[Ian O'Rourke]

I can also see why several of the PCs during the playtests are bouncing from out to upright repeatedly, like a yo-yo.

Someone used a pheonix feather on them on their turn, obviously.

 

[Darkwolf71]

Meh. I'm not thrilled with it, but it doesn't suck.

The only cheese I smell is mysteriously waking up with 1/4 HP.

 

[Dragonblade]

Meh.
Hey, this NPC isn't dead! He must be important to the plot!
They're really taking the 'monsters and PCs don't work the same way' thing way too far.

This is EXACTLY how 3e works now.

 

[Darkwolf71]

Someone used a pheonix feather on them on their turn, obviously.

Chuckle.

 

[Dragonblade]

The only cheese I smell is mysteriously waking up with 1/4 HP.

Since HP are abstract and don't necessarily correspond to actual physical damage, I have no problem with it.

 

[Professor Phobos]

This is EXACTLY how 3e works now.

Besides, you should be aware of the plot-critical NPCs anyway, since they're the ones who get detailed, do all the talking, have names instead of 'Orc Guard 17", etc...

 

[HeinorNY]

"Finally, it had to be believable within the heroic-fantasy milieu of D&D. (Believability isn’t the same thing as realism—an error which has ruined more games than I can count.)"
Hearing that from a designer sold me completely, I can now wait peacefully for 4E.
Thank you.

 

[Xyl]

I generally have monsters die at 0 hp in my game, too.

I'm curious what the difference between the "use it now" rules and the actual 4e rules are. Obviously they changed it from -1/2 to -1/4. I'm guessing that the roll d20 thing is actually a saving throw every round (fail = worsen, succeed = stay the same, 20 = return to consciousness), with most saving throws requiring a 10 or better to succeed.

 

[Grymar]

Interesting. I think the -hp total is far too large to kill someone, but I guess I need to see how attacks scale to really make that call. I like how heals reset you to zero before being applied, but dislike the "on a 20 you get better" rule for stabilization.

A mixed bag, for me.