OK, I've reworked my Wound Levels system.
This is designed as an alternative to Hit Points. Characters do not have Hit Points, VP, WP, or anything like that. Instead, they have 10 Wound Levels.
How Many Wound Levels Do I Have?
All characters have 10 Wound Levels: 1 Dead level, 1 Dying level, 1 Unconcious level, 1 Disabled level, 1 -4 level, 2 -2 levels, and 3 -0 levels. When you lose levels, you lose -0 levels before -2, -2 levels before the -4 level, the -4 level before Disabled, Disabled before Unconcious, Unconcious before Dying, and Dying before Dead. You function according to your highest remaining Wound Level. The Levels are detailed below:
-0: A bit battered, a bit bruised, but no big deal. You suffer no penalty.
-2: You have been wounded substantially, and suffer a -2 penalty to all attacks, saves, and checks, as well as to AC. In order to cast a spell, you must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 5 + the spell's level). You move at -5' speed.
-4: You have suffered terrible wounds. You suffer a -24 penalty on all attacks, saves, and checks, as well as to AC. In order to cast a spell, you must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 10 + the spell's level). You move at -10' speed.
Disabled: You are so badly hurt that you can barely move. You may only take a partial action or 5' step each turn. If you take a partial action, you must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or fall to the Unconcious level. If you do take any actions, you suffer penalties as if at the -4 level.
Unconcious: You are knocked out, from lack of energy, blood loss, and pain. You may take no actions, and are considered Helpless. Each minute for 3 minutes, you must make a Fortitude save (DC 15). Failure means that you drop to the Dying level. Success by 5 or more means that you return to the Disabled level, regaining conciousness. After the three minutes are up, if you are still at the Unconcious level, you have stabalized, and are merely sleeping.
Dying: You are mortally wounded, and on the verge of passing over into the other realms. Each round, you must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or drop to the Dead level. Success by 5 or more means that you return to the Unconcious level.
Dead: The name just about says it all. Tear up that sheet, pick up those d6s, and choose your new class and race.
Characters may gain more -0 levels as they gain levels, or if they take the Toughness feat. The Toughness feat grants a character 1 more -0 level, and can be taken multiple times. It's effects stack.
Characters gain extra -0 wound levels according to HD type and level:
d4 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 3, 8, 13, and 18.
d6 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18.
d8 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19.
d10 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.
d12 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, and 20.
So, a Cleric 4/Barbarian 4 has 5 additional Wound Levels, and a Wizard 13 has 3 additional Wound Levels.
Now I've got these Wound Level Thingummies. How do I get rid of them?
You really don't want to, but they can be taken away from you. If you're a PC, they'll be taken away quite often. Here's how.
Whenever you take damage, you must make a Damage Save. The DC is equal to 10 + damage dealt. If you succeed, you drop 1 Wound Level. If you fail, you drop 1 Wound Level, and must repeat the save. (This can be brutally dangerous at times: If characters get hit for a high amount of damage, they won't be able to save except on a nat 20, so they're pretty sure to drop quite a few levels. Conversely, some wounds are negligable, such as a dagger: DC of 11 to 14. Easy. But a dagger on a crit . . . up to DC 18, wich is just wicked for low level characters. I like the way this plays out.)
So, what the heck is this 'damage save' thingummy? Is it like a Fortitude save? Well, kinda. Your Damage Save Bonus is your Base Damage Save Bonus (more on that later) plus your Constitution modifier plus 1/2 your combined Armor, Natural Armor, and Deflection bonuses to AC, and then another +2 if you have the Damage Soak feat (Prereqs: Toughness. Benefit: +2 to Damage Saves).
Your Damage Save bonus depends on your Hit Die. For d10 and d12 HD characters, your Base Damage Save Bonus is like the fortitude save of a fighter. For d8 and d6 HD characters, the Base Damage Save Bonus is like the fortitude save of a Scout. You know the SWRPG. Starts at +1, ends at +9. Good stuff. Anyway, for d4 HD characters, sucks to be you: damage save progression as a wizard's fortitude.
Okay, big scarry monsters have taken away all my Wound Levels. I want them back! NOW!
Haha! Tooooo bad! You only heal 1 wound level per day. However, with a Fortitude save (DC 12 + 3 times the number of Wound Levels below the maximum that you're at) you recover a number equal to your Constitution modifier or +1, whichever is greater. A character can make a Heal check (Same DC as the Fort save) to increase your daily recovery by 1 Wound Level.
Oh, right. Clerics. Healing spells. Well, you're in luck: you can get you're wound levels back NOW, as you said. Cure spells heal 1 Wound Level per die that they would normally heal, +1 level per full 5 points of damage that would be healed because of caster level. So, a 2d8+8 Cure Moderate Wounds would heal 2 (dice) +1 (level) = 3 Wound Levels.
Well, that's all for now! Any and all feedback is highly appreciated. TIV,
-Jeph
This is designed as an alternative to Hit Points. Characters do not have Hit Points, VP, WP, or anything like that. Instead, they have 10 Wound Levels.
How Many Wound Levels Do I Have?
All characters have 10 Wound Levels: 1 Dead level, 1 Dying level, 1 Unconcious level, 1 Disabled level, 1 -4 level, 2 -2 levels, and 3 -0 levels. When you lose levels, you lose -0 levels before -2, -2 levels before the -4 level, the -4 level before Disabled, Disabled before Unconcious, Unconcious before Dying, and Dying before Dead. You function according to your highest remaining Wound Level. The Levels are detailed below:
-0: A bit battered, a bit bruised, but no big deal. You suffer no penalty.
-2: You have been wounded substantially, and suffer a -2 penalty to all attacks, saves, and checks, as well as to AC. In order to cast a spell, you must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 5 + the spell's level). You move at -5' speed.
-4: You have suffered terrible wounds. You suffer a -24 penalty on all attacks, saves, and checks, as well as to AC. In order to cast a spell, you must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 10 + the spell's level). You move at -10' speed.
Disabled: You are so badly hurt that you can barely move. You may only take a partial action or 5' step each turn. If you take a partial action, you must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or fall to the Unconcious level. If you do take any actions, you suffer penalties as if at the -4 level.
Unconcious: You are knocked out, from lack of energy, blood loss, and pain. You may take no actions, and are considered Helpless. Each minute for 3 minutes, you must make a Fortitude save (DC 15). Failure means that you drop to the Dying level. Success by 5 or more means that you return to the Disabled level, regaining conciousness. After the three minutes are up, if you are still at the Unconcious level, you have stabalized, and are merely sleeping.
Dying: You are mortally wounded, and on the verge of passing over into the other realms. Each round, you must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or drop to the Dead level. Success by 5 or more means that you return to the Unconcious level.
Dead: The name just about says it all. Tear up that sheet, pick up those d6s, and choose your new class and race.
Characters may gain more -0 levels as they gain levels, or if they take the Toughness feat. The Toughness feat grants a character 1 more -0 level, and can be taken multiple times. It's effects stack.
Characters gain extra -0 wound levels according to HD type and level:
d4 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 3, 8, 13, and 18.
d6 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18.
d8 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19.
d10 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.
d12 HD: Gain additional -0 wound levels at levels 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, and 20.
So, a Cleric 4/Barbarian 4 has 5 additional Wound Levels, and a Wizard 13 has 3 additional Wound Levels.
Now I've got these Wound Level Thingummies. How do I get rid of them?
You really don't want to, but they can be taken away from you. If you're a PC, they'll be taken away quite often. Here's how.
Whenever you take damage, you must make a Damage Save. The DC is equal to 10 + damage dealt. If you succeed, you drop 1 Wound Level. If you fail, you drop 1 Wound Level, and must repeat the save. (This can be brutally dangerous at times: If characters get hit for a high amount of damage, they won't be able to save except on a nat 20, so they're pretty sure to drop quite a few levels. Conversely, some wounds are negligable, such as a dagger: DC of 11 to 14. Easy. But a dagger on a crit . . . up to DC 18, wich is just wicked for low level characters. I like the way this plays out.)
So, what the heck is this 'damage save' thingummy? Is it like a Fortitude save? Well, kinda. Your Damage Save Bonus is your Base Damage Save Bonus (more on that later) plus your Constitution modifier plus 1/2 your combined Armor, Natural Armor, and Deflection bonuses to AC, and then another +2 if you have the Damage Soak feat (Prereqs: Toughness. Benefit: +2 to Damage Saves).
Your Damage Save bonus depends on your Hit Die. For d10 and d12 HD characters, your Base Damage Save Bonus is like the fortitude save of a fighter. For d8 and d6 HD characters, the Base Damage Save Bonus is like the fortitude save of a Scout. You know the SWRPG. Starts at +1, ends at +9. Good stuff. Anyway, for d4 HD characters, sucks to be you: damage save progression as a wizard's fortitude.
Okay, big scarry monsters have taken away all my Wound Levels. I want them back! NOW!
Haha! Tooooo bad! You only heal 1 wound level per day. However, with a Fortitude save (DC 12 + 3 times the number of Wound Levels below the maximum that you're at) you recover a number equal to your Constitution modifier or +1, whichever is greater. A character can make a Heal check (Same DC as the Fort save) to increase your daily recovery by 1 Wound Level.
Oh, right. Clerics. Healing spells. Well, you're in luck: you can get you're wound levels back NOW, as you said. Cure spells heal 1 Wound Level per die that they would normally heal, +1 level per full 5 points of damage that would be healed because of caster level. So, a 2d8+8 Cure Moderate Wounds would heal 2 (dice) +1 (level) = 3 Wound Levels.
Well, that's all for now! Any and all feedback is highly appreciated. TIV,
-Jeph
