Massive Damage Threshold needs attention.

[Saurstalk]

Massive Damage Threshold appears to remain. In D&D this is often a forgotten rule, i.e., Damage exceeds 50, Fort DC15 v. dead. D20 Modern took another route: Damage exceeds Constitution Score = Fort DC or -1 and dying. And still Star Wars has a different track: Damage exceeds Threshold (equal to 10 + Fort + etc.) and character drops one on Condition Track, i.e., -1 to attacks, saves, and skill checks. (No save.)

Paizo needs to clean up its massive damage, so as to perhaps make it more useful to the game . . . and to survival. Personally, I like the rule, because of the realism it offers - the more you are hit, the more you suffer.

There are a slew of ways to do it. Below is just one suggestion:

Massive Damage Threshold (MAS):

1. Characters Massive Damage Threshold is equal to his/her Constitution Score.

2. Any time damage exceeds the character’s MAS, the Character must make a Fort Sv v. Damage Dealt.

2a. A failed save results in the character being penalized -1 to attacks, saves, and skill checks. (In essence, this functions similar in manner to gaining a negative level and all magic and recovery for negative levels apply.)

2b. The penalties stack with each other, as well as negative levels for the sole purpose of tracking attacks, saves, and skill checks.

2c. If a person reaches 0 level, that person dies. (This includes being stacked with negative levels.)

[lastknightleft]

So every time my con 10 wizard takes 10 damage I have to save, no thank you. This in no way reflects massive damage, it's says mildly painful normal every day damage, and while I can understand it as the fatigue of battle, thats not the same as massive damage, not to mention that low con characters would have tons of extra bookkeeping and constant saves. I would rather see massive damage= con score or half your total hp whichever is greater= save vs. death

[hida_jiremi]

As I mentioned in another thread on this topic, the way I do massive damage in my homebrew is that the damage threshold is 25 and the save DC is 10 + 1 per 5 damage above 25. Failing the save drops you to 1 hit point above dead (I use the Arcana Evolved death and dying threshold rules), which gives your companions a round to save you, and gives you a chance to stabilize. If you still die after that, well, it was meant to be.

Jeremy Puckett

[Jason C Scott]

I agree with the save DC scaling by +1 per 5 damage over the massive damage threshold.