An Interesting Death

A completely unrelated picture

Ah that age old question:

What happens when a character reaches 0 hitpoints?

Death?  Incapacitation?

Jack from TOTGAD recently posted a great little table to determine the answer here.

Here's what I like about the table:

• Permanent injury is an option(something that was always missing from DnD)
• Has an option of mortally wounded but still fighting--pure awesomeness!

 

Here's a higher-level breakdown of the options:

• 40% chance of certain death
• 25% chance of death without immediate treatment
• 10% chance of permanent crippling injury
• 25% chance of unhurt/stunned

It's a good balance. Nevertheless, I think I'd like to see a few more injuries.  So my table would look like this, with all 4 options at 25%:

d20	Result
1-2	A Second Chance – the character is unfazed by a blow that would fell a lesser creature; they may act normally.
3-5	A Stunning Blow – the character is not killed, but is instead stunned (may take no actions) for 1d4 rounds.
6-10	A Felling Blow – the character is knocked unconscious and must make a successful Saving Throw vs. Death or die every turn until they receive doctoring or magical healing.
11-12	A Crippling Blow – the character is knocked unconscious and additionally suffers a loss of 1d4 points of Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity (determine which randomly).
13-15	A Blow to the Head – the character is knocked unconscious and additionally suffers a loss of 1d4 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma(determine which randomly).
16-17	A Death-defying Stand! – the character has been mortally wounded and will die in 1d10 rounds unless medical aid or magical healing is obtained. Until that time the character may act normally as they grit their teeth and fight on through the pain.
18-19	The Reaper's Scythe Falls – the character dies. Raise Dead or similar is their only hope now.
20	Horrific Demise! – the character is dispatched in a truly gruesome, stomach-churning manner. It's going to take a Resurrection spell to bring them back from beyond the veil. All allies who witness this atrocity must make an immediate Saving Throw vs. Horror.

Now if I could just find a way to incorporate limb-loss...