@Psion: Your HP houserules ;)

[Psion]

Never saw this question.

It would be an excellent idea as a replacement for the "death for massive damage" rule, which I don't like very much. Do you think your system (or a simplified version) would work well if used with the alternative condition of "if a character takes 50 or more hp damage from a single attack"?

No, for the same reason you don't like it: it would never come into effect for low level or otherwise low HP (i.e., mage) characters. The intent is to capture a more authentic feel and add a bit of grittiness. Having only great heroes with mighty thews ever be able to suffer a niggling wound doesn't quite capture that.

 

[Eidalac]

Reminds me of the Grevious Wounds system used in the Black Company setting.

IIRC, when you take damage while flat-footed, take a critical hit or take damage at 0 HP (FYI, in this setting you take con damage at 0 HP), you make a fort save. If you fail, you suffer an Grevious Wound, rolled from a table.

The general layout gives a 25% chance of nothing special happening, going on to stunning affects, stat loss, limb loss all the way up to a fatal wound (1% chance for a 'die in 1d4 rounds' affect, 1% for a "die" result).

Granted, tables are never all that elegant, but the results all look nice and messy