LightPhoenix
First Post
I like the idea of condition tracks in general; I think escalating conditions open up a lot more design room both in effects and interaction. Since you specifically mention 5E, I think the idea of using MDD to apply those conditions is more than appropriate (or doing no damage if you don't have them).
On the other hand, I'm not a fan of absolute HP thresholds. I understand the purpose - taking enemies out of a fight quicker, while simulating more grievous wounds. I'm not sure that between the flexible conditions and unique threshold value, the added complexity really saves time.
Why not have a condition track keyed off of HP? I'm thinking a slightly more developed version of 4E's bloodied status. Off the top of my head, something like:
Bloodied - Conditions applied to the target are increased by one rank (for example, Reeling becomes Dazed).
Wounded - Conditions applied to the target are increased by two ranks (for example, Reeling becomes Stunned).
Crippled - Conditions applied to the target effectively disable (but not kill) the target.
In which case, critical hits and certain other abilities might apply those conditions. It keeps down the number crunching aspect and personally I think promotes narrative flow.
That said, my main concern with this system would be piling on effects at the start of combat. There's a lot of incentive for each player apply a different condition on the first round, and effectively cripple an opponent. This effect is extremely pronounced against solo creatures. Also, I question whether the trade-off for damage is going to be consistently worth it. At low levels the bonus damage may mean more for martial characters than adding a condition, and at all but low levels the loss of damage makes it worthless for characters without a way to apply it.
