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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pyske" data-source="post: 1540501" data-attributes="member: 3567">Since I'm sure no-one is sick of the old "save or die" topic yet, I thought I'd post my own house rule.  Not yet playtested, but it may be in place from the start in my upcoming campaign.Rules:On any round when a character is affected by a spell or effect which would incapacitate them, the character my elect to struggle against the spell effect.Struggle delays the effects of the spell by one round, at the following price:  the character makes a save vs the same DC originally failed.  If passed, the character may take a max of one partial action for the round.  On failure, the PC may take no actions (including free actions), and loses Dex bonus.  In either case (pass or fail), the spell effect is delayed, but the hero takes 1D2 ability damage per level of the effect resisted, to the stat governing the spell's save.Spells may be dispelled normally while someone is struggling against their effect.  This is an exception to the rule that instant spells may not be dispelled.Example:  NPC casts Hold Person on PC, who fails her save and SR checks.  PC is now paralyzed.  Realizing the risk of coup-de-grace, PC elects to struggle.  PC rolls a second save vs the original DC, but fails.  She takes 4 Wisdom damage (3D2), may take no actions, and loses her Dex bonus to AC.  However, she is not helpless and may not be coup-de-graced.The following round, the PC continues to struggle, rolling well and beating the save DC (despite the -2 caused by Wisdom damage).  She may take a partial action to attack NPC or to cast a spell.  She takes another 5 Wisdom damage (3D2 again), but is neither helpless nor denied Dexterity bonus for the round.  She threatens her reach area, and may speak or take other free actions.  The Wisdom damage is accumulating, however, and she is unlikely to be able to struggle for much longer. Objectives:Keep the players involved in the game, even after failing a single save versus a save or XXX spell.Avoid radically changing the viability and usefulness of save or die spells (while still nerfing them slightly)... they should still take someone "mostly" out of the battle.Make the decision to struggle a tactical one with significant consequences.  It should sometimes be wiser not to struggle, depending on situation and immediate risk.Feedback:Do you think the rules meet the objectives?Can you think of any loopholes?  Side-effects?  If so, are there any fixes?I expect that it will make Dispel Magic even more of a must-have, since there is now a brief window for dispelling those death spells... . . . . . . . -- Eric</blockquote>

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