What I have used in my campaign is have characters die once they exceed their negative constitution score. 16 Con then the character can survive to -16 & die at -17 or more Also characters can add their Con bonus to the disabled range (standard is just at zero) 16 Con = +3 bonus, thus extending disabled from 0 to -3.
With regard to the new class abilities, I agree that it makes them more powerful. A Pathfinder fighter will be better than a bog standard 3.0 or 3.5 fighter. However if this is leading to less dependance on characters having a cornucopia of magic items to keep up with the neighbours, er... I mean monsters, I am all for it.
In my early 1st edition days I had to suffer through the power trips of a killer DM. I spent time & effort creating great names & backgrounds only to see them meet a grisly death shortly after. Eventually expecting my character to end up an a monster snack I called my new 1st level fighter, Plumrose Meat Sandwich. However the dice gods were mercyful and as Plumrose rose in level so did the DM. This throwaway character eventually retired at 14th level with the title Lord Plumrose after helping to defeat a powerful lich. He was my first ever character to get past level 2!
As I agree with most of what has already been said on this thread I won't go on and gild the lily, so I will keep it short(ish). From what I have read, from various sources my reaction is that 4th edition D&D isn't... well...D&D. It may say it is on the cover but it doesn't FEEL right. There seems to be a greater wrench between editions than existed between 1st to 2nd to 3rd and whateven made D&D feel like D&D seems to have gone missing. One further note, from what I can remember there was a greater expectation & enthusiasm from the gaming community for the (then)upcomming 3rd edition. Most people were ready and looking forward to a new version, this does not seem to be case with 4th edition. Then again maybe I am looking back through rose tinted spectacles. As a player & DM for 26 years I seem to be portraying myself as a bit of a grognard but dammit having a grumble is something I have earned so i'm going to enjoy it.:) To paraphrase Monty Pythons Yorkshireman sketch " When I were a lad, bards were a presige class before anyone knew what prestige classes were. Tell that to young folk that these days and they won't believe you. "
I have to say that as far as I am concerned it's 3.5 for me, I have a shelf groaning under the weight of all those hardbacks & magazines and truth to be told I have only used a third of the stuff as yet. I cannot see me getting 4th edition, first I cannot afford the expence and secondly none of my seven players want to change either. As far as I am concerned WOTC have jumped the shark with 4th edition, from what I have read it seems like not just one or two sacred cows been killed it's the whole herd being culled. I will continue to purchase Pathfinder if it continues as 3.5 or even 3.75, but if it changes to 4.0 I will, with a heavy heart have to say goodbye. At the end of the day whatever Paizo decides to do I wish them luck. For my friends and myself D&D is a fun Sunday,for Eric and the rest of the Paizo staff it's what pays their rent, food & heating and they may have to change to 4th edition for sound business reasons. You can't really argue against that. |