Suffocation and Drowning

[Xarls Taunzund]

Is it just me or are the suffocation rules a bit on the extreme side? I mean, once you actually start to suffocate or drown, you have 3 rounds, thats 18 seconds before you are dead. One alternative I'm considering is to do it the usual way, but when you go to -1, instead of going straight to -10, you to in intervals of 3, first to -4, then -7, then -10. If you are exposed to oxygen during this time you go back to losing 1 point at a time with the normal chance for stabilizing, or a Heal check DC 15 will stabilize. This seems more realistic to me, though I admit I'm not an expert, and if someone can prove to me that the normal way is truly realistic, I'll stop whining. Also if there are any other suggestions, I am open.

 

[SylverFlame]

I'd go with a check, possibly Fort, with a scaled difficulty. First roll normal, than -2 every round after (cumlative). A failure adds an additional -2 to the next round. You have a total number of failures equal to your Con modifier. After last failure you're unconcious, which means your basically dead because you can't stop yourself from breathing automatically at that point.

Harkens back to a way we did it in our 2e group. Heavily favours warriors and such, so I don't really know if it balances out.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'd go with suffocation and drowning doing hit point damage. In truth, I think that it is ludicrous that it doesn't since hp are such an abstraction which covers resistance to everything from struck by lightning to being speared to falling great distances.

I'd probably increase it by a die each round, e.g.

r1 = 1d6
r2 = 2d6
r3 = 3d6

High level characters (especially fighters and barbarians) are heroes who can survive being breathed on by a dragon, why shouldn't they be able to resist suffocation a little longer than everyman?

Cheers