In the threads on "Save or Die" spells, a very productive suggestion was made that might allow us to broker a compromise between the two camps on this issue.
The idea is that if you fail a save on a "Save or Die" type spell, you take a harmful effect each round until your character dies and suffer a bad condition. So, for example, a failed save on a Finger of Death might result in 5d6 damage per round plus being nauseated.
The advantages:
1. It brings more drama to the spell. Wouldn't it be more fun for a BBEG to gloat as the PC slowly dies than to simply have him instantaneously die? This kind of "ticking time bomb" effect leads to players having to make choices to try to save their friend or to stick it to the BBEG.
2. It encourages role-playing. Players under a SoD effect can now give last words, role play their last moments, give other characters a chance to interact with them....
3. It encourages team work and tactical thinking. The other characters in the party now have to make choices to save you.
The Options:
1. What kind of damage should occur each round? Hit point loss or ability damage?
2. How should the damage scale: by d6 per spell level per round, d6 per CL/rd, d6 per .5CL/rd?
3. If ability damage, is it always constitution damage or might it be other abilities? How much ability damage/round?
4. What condition should be imposed: stunned, nauseated, paralyzed? Should it vary by spell?
So, for example, a failed save on a Finger of Death might result in 5d6 damage per round plus being nauseated.
I will just call your version of FoD "Liquify Intestines" and use it as another spell. I really like that one, and the roleplaying aspects from such a spell in general, but there are other roleplaying thrills in die-in-an-instant effects (And speaking is a free action, so I would allow a few last stammered words or a "KHAAAAAAHN!!!" even with disintegration ;P ).
The SoD spells are fine either way, in core or in Alpha 3. It's a matter of taste, IMHO, and I'm not sure which one to prefer.
I think that having a subset of less powerful spells that are save, save, save or die, or save or die unless you're healed in 3 rounds, etc is fine and a good idea. I don't think that these should replace the standard save or die spells.
The world's a dangerous place. This game isn't called Knittingfinder and I think that 10 damage per caster level is as far away from sod as I'm willing to go.