D&D 5E New Death and Dying Rules

[Zaran]

I do not like it based around hit points. Having it based around Constitution is simply better. I also think the rules should be at 0 hit points you have to make a saving throw to stay conscious.

They do it as your hit points so it's not easy to kill a PC just with random AOEs or a quick stab from a goblin. Remember they can do a coup de grace to kill instantly.

 

[MarkB]

And, above all, I want my NPC to be able to tell the PC "the killer is arghhhhhh" without the PC insta-healing him with a finger snap.

One of the groups I used to play in had a "last gasp" house-rule, which is that, even after a character has faded beyond any chance of healing - e.g. dropped below -10 hp in 3e, or been dropped to zero if he's an NPC - he can still manage to cling to life just long enough to deliver some dying words, if it's important enough to him.

 

[Aloïsius]

That would be awesome. I would play a game that had that. Unfortunately, adding a layer of complexity though tends to more trouble than it's worth for most players.

You just need one thing : rather than roll every round, roll every hour. It apply both for death saving throws and for healing rolls : any surgeon will confirm that you can't save someone who is dying in 6 seconds... And let a character remain conscious with a willpower save. Any action (talking, crawling...) require a willpower save to not fall unconscious.

 

[Stalker0]

for me it's one of those things I didn't really consider a problem until a better answer came along. I'm not completely happy with the current rules, they do seem a bit fiddly, but much less so than before.

This.

When 4e introduced the death saving throw i thought it was an elegant mechanic, though 4e kept negative hitpoints. Seeing it now, i think that it makes sense for the new mechanic to completely replace the old.

 

[GSHamster]

I wonder if these death rules are truly necessary.

What would the game would be like if we just used the simplest possible rule: If your character is reduced to 0 hp, she is dead.

Or if that is too harsh, maybe: If your character is reduced to 0 hp, she is knocked unconscious. Unconscious characters can only be revived after a 5 min rest. Restoring hp does not restore consciousness.

I think either of these options would be far simpler for the basic game. The death rules seem overly complex for the amount of time they come into play. Maybe the current death rules add urgency at 0 hp, but I think that rules like this would not eliminate the urgency, but simply move it into the "low positive hp zone".

 

[NewJeffCT]

I agree. Bringing dropped characters back into the fight makes healing way too powerful, and the game becomes silly.

And how can you have a swift touch spell, anyway?

In-combat healing has pretty much been a staple at every gaming table I've been at, though more limited in 1E because of fewer spells for clerics and generally lower level overall. But, 1E and 2E D&D were very easy to stabilize a fallen comrade-in-arms. If they fell, you only had to reach them to stabilize them. I forgot the exact terminology we used, but it was essentially referred to as putting pressure to stop the bleeding.

In 3.5E, you had the 2nd level spell "Close Wounds" which was an immediate action, interrupting damage as if it didn't happen. You also had "Revivify" which stabilized a fallen comrade at -1 if you reached them within one round of them dying. (my group used that one just about every session) And, 4E was loaded with those interrupts that made damage disappear. But, both editions made it harder to stabilize a fallen companion - needing a spell, or a Heal check.

I don't think tracking negative hit points was a big deal, but I'm not broken up by it going away, either.

 

[GX.Sigma]

In-combat healing has pretty much been a staple at every gaming table I've been at, though more limited in 1E because of fewer spells for clerics and generally lower level overall. But, 1E and 2E D&D were very easy to stabilize a fallen comrade-in-arms. If they fell, you only had to reach them to stabilize them. I forgot the exact terminology we used, but it was essentially referred to as putting pressure to stop the bleeding.

In 3.5E, you had the 2nd level spell "Close Wounds" which was an immediate action, interrupting damage as if it didn't happen. You also had "Revivify" which stabilized a fallen comrade at -1 if you reached them within one round of them dying. (my group used that one just about every session) And, 4E was loaded with those interrupts that made damage disappear. But, both editions made it harder to stabilize a fallen companion - needing a spell, or a Heal check.

I don't think tracking negative hit points was a big deal, but I'm not broken up by it going away, either.

When did it become a thing that dying characters regain consciousness upon healing? That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Sunseeker]

I wonder if these death rules are truly necessary.

What would the game would be like if we just used the simplest possible rule: If your character is reduced to 0 hp, she is dead.

Or if that is too harsh, maybe: If your character is reduced to 0 hp, she is knocked unconscious. Unconscious characters can only be revived after a 5 min rest. Restoring hp does not restore consciousness.

I think either of these options would be far simpler for the basic game. The death rules seem overly complex for the amount of time they come into play. Maybe the current death rules add urgency at 0 hp, but I think that rules like this would not eliminate the urgency, but simply move it into the "low positive hp zone".

I would say that's a fair rule for a "basic" game, with more granular rules being used in Standard and Advanced games.

 

[NewJeffCT]

When did it become a thing that dying characters regain consciousness upon healing? That's what I'm talking about.

Close Wounds did that in 3.5E - if you were dropped to -3 hit points, the spell could heal you back up to positives.

Similar to 4E - you take a hit and drop below zero, then the party leader does an immediate reaction to allow you to spend a healing surge, bringing you back above zero.

 

[Greg K]

This.

When 4e introduced the death saving throw i thought it was an elegant mechanic,.

Bolded Mine
I am confused by the part that I bolded since the death saving throw was presented in the 3e Unearthed Arcana.