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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5415898" data-attributes="member: 92305">This idea was inspired by my non-lethal damage thread.  The "staggered" condition that affects people who have HP = Nonlethal damage is something that might be useful in the game, even without nonlethal damage. Isn't it strange that a character with 1 HP is just as healthy and mobile and effective as he is when he's got all of his hit points? And, then...bam...one hit point of damage makes him unconscious or completely ineffective? Does this reflect real life? Well, sorta...sometimes...but not all the time.     What if there was a "buffer" in there that produced another result--wound effects that make the character alert and playable, but not fully capable as if he were fully fit with all hit points. So... Why not use the "staggered" effect when a character is reduced to just a few hit points?  Or...what about making him staggered at just a few points past 0 hp? This could be some function of CON, or maybe 10% of the character's total hp, or even a function of his level.       Here's a sketch of an idea.  It will need work, but let's see what you think of the kernel. We'll have to consider a good rule for the "staggered" point, but for the sake of this moment, let's say we settle on 10% of normal hit points. A character has 20 hp.  If reduced to a number of hp = 1-19, the character acts normally.  If reduced 0, -1, or -2 hp, the character is considered "staggered".  If reduced to -3 hp or worse, then the character is unconscious and dying normally. This idea actually has some precedent in the 1E AD&D DMG.  I remember something Gygax wrote about -1 or -3 hp.  I'll need to look that up. But, adding this in allows a character to still be alert and fighting in the combat but suffering effects from wounds. What are your thoughts?</blockquote>

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