Here is something our group is thinking about, just a minor change but it makes dramatic sense. Share your thoughts and also if you have your own or similar dying rules.
Dying, Dying, Dead
...coughing up blood from the vicious stab wound, Aben feebly attempts to hold back the crimson flow, as his life ebbs away, he musters for his friend Lias and in a weakened voice relays the secret of the Copse-ring of Erian...
We have all seen these similar death scenes, a stabbed Janet Leigh tears a shower curtain as she falls in the shower, we watch as her life fades away on a cold linoleum floor as she attempts to clutch the unseen; wracked by a series of painful coughs, Yoda passes away right before revealing there is another Skywalker.
In order to emulate these dying, dying, dead scenarios, I propose the following adjustments to the current dying rules.
At Zero Hit Points
When a character reaches 0 hit points, the character remains conscious and can still only make one action per round, either a single move or standard action. Any strenuous action such as spellcasting, attack or similar reduces the character to negative hit points. A character is also shaken at this state and incurs a -2 penalty to attacks, saves, skills and ability checks.
At Negative Hit Points
When a character reaches -1 hit point and continuing until -9 hit points, the character remains conscious, but falls in his occupying square. At negative hit points, the character is considered helpless (a villain or monster can easily deliver a coup de grace) and can make no action in the round (move or standard). The only action the character is able to perform is a five foot crawl per round or retrieve an item from his or another’s person. It is understood that the character may be attempting to staunch himself, hence the automatic staunch roll. The character may speak, but not yell, generally communicating to characters within a few feet of them.
With the addition of these guidelines, a death scene could not be played out as such.
A dwarf fighter slays a hobgoblin raider during an assault, but the hobgoblin has delivered a near lethal injury to the dwarf and reduces him to zero. The dwarf spies his allies are engaged with other hobgoblins and makes a decision to hurl a handaxe at the closet foe (the attack roll incurs a -2 penalty); the dwarf drops in his square – now dying.
(At -1): The dwarf spies a paralyzed comrade that is fifteen feet away and begins to crawl towards him. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -2): The dwarf crawls another five feet towards the paralyzed comrade that is now ten feet away. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -3): The dwarf crawls another five feet towards the paralyzed comrade that is now five feet away. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -4): The dwarf arrives at the paralyzed comrade, and begins to relate a tale he knows regarding a mysterious arch he wants his comrade to investigate. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -5): The dwarf continues to relate the tale. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -6): The dwarf continues to relate the tale. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -7): The dwarf continues to relate the tale. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -8): The dwarf continues to relate the tale. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -9): The dwarf continues to relate the tale, and offers up the name of the arch’s enemy guardian. He does not make his staunch roll and continues to die.
(At -10): The dwarf dies, but not before revealing an intriguing tale.
Before passing the dwarf has spent the final thirty seconds or so of his life passing forward a secret he long held. This time frame can also be utilized for numerous testimonies that only the promise of death may reveal, i.e. a villain utters a curse to his dark god upon his victors, a fallen paladin offers a prayer of repentance hoping for redemption and so on.
As a DM, I love these grand finales to life, I often use this method to clarify or explain plots and subplots, or as clues, adventure hooks, or numerous other storyboarding elements.
Thank you for your interest and perusal and looking forward to your individual methods.
Staunch, I mean stabilize and stable where applicable.
Nice! I'll definetly use this in my campaigns.
Nice! I'll definetly use this in my campaigns.
So will I! And it really brings back some role-playing flavor into the over-technical D&D rules!
Thanks for the interest, does anyone use similar or other dying rules?
Naa, I was too lazy to make any big house rules like that. I always wanted more space for dramatic deaths.
Thanks for the interest, does anyone use similar or other dying rules?
I have similar rules, in that there is Will save (based on current negative hit points) to remain conscious. The problem is, I never use it. I'm always too busy to worry about whether someone will remain conscious or not, so I just go straight to unconscious. I like your 5' crawl idea, though. I think I may add this.
Greg
I always just allow the PCs or monsters to make their dying statements. Talking, after all, is a free action (one that usually takes much much longer then 6 seconds).
For me I'd usually avoid house rules on dying, my players would probably abuse this. I mean they'd not try to abuse it when it was first mentioned but good intentions go by the wayside when your fighting for your characters life.