Death points are a simple game mechanic that I've been using in an epic game that I'm running for 3.5. That said, I think the basic principles could easily be adapted for a game at 15th-20th level. The basic premise of death points is to take some of the edge off of save-or-die effects, and to keep players from going from full hit points to dead in one round.
I'm not sure if death points are still relevant in Pathfinder (I'm not that familiar with the ruleset, since I don't know anyone who is playing it just yet). However, I like what I've seen for Pathfinder so far, and I thought I'd throw them out there for people to look at, anyway. Take a look.
Death Points
Player characters receive a total of 3 death points at each level, which they can use to avoid death as a result of hit point loss and/or a spell or effect that results in instant death. These points do not carry over, so if a character fails to use all of their death points before they level, any remaining death points are lost. Note: Nonplayer characters do not normally receive death points, though they may choose to take the Cheat Death feat to gain access to them (see below).
Death points can be used in one of three ways. Characters can expend 1 death point to avoid death and instead fall unconscious and stabilized at -1 hit points. By expending 2 death points, a character can choose to take half their remaining hit points in damage in order to avoid death. Finally, by expending 3 death points, a character can choose to negate any damage or effect that would normally result in death.
Players can only use death points if their characters are conscious before the effect takes place. So for example, a character could use death points to avoid dying as a result of a slay living spell, but could not use death points to avoid dying as a result of a coup de grace, or death knell spell.
CHEAT DEATH [EPIC]*
Your intimate experience with death has made you more capable of avoiding it.
Benefit: You gain 2 additional death points each level that can be used to avoid death.
Special: You can gain this feat up to three times. Its effects stack.
*New feat.
Shoot! I meant to make Cheat Death a general feat for the boards. I made it epic for my game because, well, it's an epic level game.
Death spells now merely deal lots of damage (usually 10 points per level) - that can still kill you, but the 20th-level fighter will not die from an 9th-level cleric's slay living.
Not a bad idea. But rather than a complete different mechanic, I would think it could be combined with Action Points. So you could use your action points to 'save from death'. They are both Heroic concepts. It would also teach people to ration their action points. I would like to see it written up as an optional set of rules but I don't see it going mainstream.
Not a bad idea. But rather than a complete different mechanic, I would think it could be combined with Action Points. So you could use your action points to 'save from death'. They are both Heroic concepts. It would also teach people to ration their action points. I would like to see it written up as an optional set of rules but I don't see it going mainstream.
I'm not using action points in my campaign just yet, because I want to reserve them for later. However, I think that's an excellent point. Action points can already be used to stabilize a character who is unconscious. It might be a nice little addition to use additional action points to perform some of the functions of death points. Also, as you point out, it would make players think twice about blowing through them the way they do now.
Death spells now merely deal lots of damage (usually 10 points per level) - that can still kill you, but the 20th-level fighter will not die from an 9th-level cleric's slay living.
True, but if a fighter only has 100 hit points left, and he gets hit by a slay living spell cast by a 15th level caster, he's still going to die. Death points would just give the fighter some additional options to try and avoid death.
Down side to action points as I understand them is that they just add to your total roll don't modify the actual number rolled on a d20. That means a 1 is still a fail, so you can still die from effects that require fort saves.
Well, it really depends on how you're using action points. If you're using them the way they're presented in d20 Modern or Eberron, then yes, you are correct. If you're using them the way they're presented in Unearthed Arcana, then they can be used for other things, like emulating feats. For some additional uses for action points, see this page.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/actionPoints.htm
In any event, I think death points could be added on as an additional use for action points. I also think they can be used as a separate game mechanic in and of themselves.
True, but if a fighter only has 100 hit points left, and he gets hit by a slay living spell cast by a 15th level caster, he's still going to die.
Actually, slay living does 12d6+15 at this point, for 57 on average, or 82 at most.
Of course, replace slay living with finger of death and you're right: the fighter's screwed there.
I personally have the save-or-dying rule: If you get hit by a death effect, you don't quite die. Instead, you drop to -(con-1) hp (and the death threshold is -con score), so you're out of the fight and need help, fast, because you'll probably die next round.