Ditto. There is no rule that you cant continue to pound the character when they are down.
D&D 5E Proposed Fix for Whack-a-Mole Healing
Ditto. There is no rule that you cant continue to pound the character when they are down.
The Crimson Binome
Hero
There are easier ways to do it. You could just say that anyone who hits zero stays unconsciously, regardless of healing, for at least a minute. That would solve the efficiency issue (so nobody feels like they're wasting anything due to healing resistance), and it would also make it less tempting to hit someone who is down (since they won't be coming back to the fight regardless).
Many good suggestions thus far. Here's a couple more of the various things you can do to prevent whack-a-mole:
- Each time you reach 0 HP you automatically get a failed death save, and failed death saves do not reset until after a short rest.
- A character who is at 0 HP and receives healing gains the applicable hit points, but also the Stunned condition for one round.
- A healing spell to a PC with 0 HP gives them a single hit point. They wake up, but that's it. Only a PC with 1 or more hit points can regain HP at normal rates through magic, hit dice, or rest.
- Each time you reach 0 HP you automatically get a failed death save, and failed death saves do not reset until after a short rest.
- A character who is at 0 HP and receives healing gains the applicable hit points, but also the Stunned condition for one round.
- A healing spell to a PC with 0 HP gives them a single hit point. They wake up, but that's it. Only a PC with 1 or more hit points can regain HP at normal rates through magic, hit dice, or rest.
Redbadge
Explorer
Hey, I'm not looking for a medieval life simulator like some, just a fantasy action simulator, so the bar's not high. However, I don't need to use the phrase "cognitive dissonance," it just seemed more specific than saying "does anybody else find this weird or in need of a fix."
Lot's of good suggestions here, but most go further than I actually need. I don't necessarily want to punish a character for falling unconscious (or reward them for not falling unconscious); I like the idea of a timely heal bringing a downed fighter back from the brink so he can make the difference in one final push. I guess I'm just experiencing the side effect of missing negative hit points, although I definitely wouldn't want to bring them back. It seems like nothing else has really stepped in to fill that void where the excess damage past 0 matters for the monsters (other than the instant death rule).
I think exhaustion each time is a little punishing (since we only remove 1 level each day), but the death saving throws not resetting until a short rest does seem promising, and coupled with the threat of attacking a downed character might provide enough incentive to help mitigate the cogni..., I mean this one thing I find weird and want to fix.
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
I'd second the answer "no mechanical change is necessary, just hit them when they're down". 3 failed saves from death is a pretty thin line. Just a singe extra melee attack can take that down to 1 failed save. Make it clear that being unconscious isn't a safe zone, and your players will stop treating it that way, even if you only do it once or twice (and not necessarily taking it to the fatal conclusion).
Hey, I'm not looking for a medieval life simulator like some, just a fantasy action simulator, so the bar's not high. However, I don't need to use the phrase "cognitive dissonance," it just seemed more specific than saying "does anybody else find this weird or in need of a fix."
Lot's of good suggestions here, but most go further than I actually need. I don't necessarily want to punish a character for falling unconscious (or reward them for not falling unconscious); I like the idea of a timely heal bringing a downed fighter back from the brink so he can make the difference in one final push. I guess I'm just experiencing the side effect of missing negative hit points, although I definitely wouldn't want to bring them back. It seems like nothing else has really stepped in to fill that void where the excess damage past 0 matters for the monsters (other than the instant death rule).
I think exhaustion each time is a little punishing (since we only remove 1 level each day), but the death saving throws not resetting until a short rest does seem promising, and coupled with the threat of attacking a downed character might provide enough incentive to help mitigate the cogni..., I mean this one thing I find weird and want to fix.
Simply remove the healing word spell.
It is a spell issue from 4 ed, not In line with realistic old school setting
Cure wound ask to be adjacent and have a free hand. A classic feeling of healing.
UngeheuerLich
Legend
A few players died while on 0 hp. Thought it may become an issue... it really didn't.
cbwjm
Seb-wejem
My group never does this, we try out best to keep players up and running rather than letting PCs hit 0 hit points and then popping them back up with a spell.
As others have mentioned, having the players get finished off if they are down (melee attack on a downed character is a crit which is an automatic 2 failures on those death saves) will lead to players doing their best to keep alive.
As others have mentioned, having the players get finished off if they are down (melee attack on a downed character is a crit which is an automatic 2 failures on those death saves) will lead to players doing their best to keep alive.
Springheel
First Post
These are the Wound Levels house rules I made to solve this problem--seems to work well for us.
http://www.mindplaces.com/pictures/wound doc.pdf
http://www.mindplaces.com/pictures/wound doc.pdf
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