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I suspect because it was one of those rules that skewed in favour of the NPCs. After all, monsters are far more likely to kick out 50+ hits of damage on a regular basis than PCs are. Having to then run the risk of keeling over because you nat 1'ed a save after taking 50+ damage to the face just added insult to injury, and wasn't very heroic. But I don't know for sure, of course.
Also, with the Vital Strike tree 50+ damage is not that hard to accomplish.
It goes along with PfRPG's toning down save-or-die spells so you don't lose a high-level character on a single bad roll.
Our group never used it in 3.5 anyway. I never gave my NPCs SoD spells because I would hate to have one used against my PCs. Plus, a GM running a high-level combat usually has enough on his plate without adding another variable to keep track of. I usually never even realized I had incurred the rule until afterwards, even if I had a mind to enforce it.
It was also a rule which was commonly house-ruled away.
what udalrich said.
and the 'standard assumptions' are what will be used for PFS organized play,
and paizo probably just preferred to not have massive damage saves in organized play.
the high-level crit feats mean there WILL still be plenty of nasty stuff you will be saving against, :-)
it just will have more INTENTION than defaulting to every farmer who crits with his sickle triggering it
Just wondering why the Massive Damage rule (50+ points from a single attack requires DC15 Fort save or die) is optional in PRPG but in 3.5 it was canon.
PRD:
Massive Damage (Optional Rule): If you ever sustain a single attack that deals an amount of damage equal to half your total hit points...SRD:
Massive DamageIf you ever sustain a single attack deals 50 points of damage or more and it doesn’t kill you outright...
Not a big deal, just curious.
It's worth noting that the rule isn't quite what you specify. I clarify just in case someone reads this thread and plays it as you've written it. It's important to note the 50-hp minimum. No 1st-level wizards with 7 hit points getting hit by a crossbow bolt for 4 and having to make a DC15 or die.
Massive Damage (Optional Rule): If you ever sustain a single attack that deals an amount of damage equal to half your total hit points (minimum 50 points of damage) or more and it doesn't kill you outright, you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save. If this saving throw fails, you die regardless of your current hit points. If you take half your total hit points or more in damage from multiple attacks, no one of which dealt more than half your total hit points (minimum 50), the massive damage rule does not apply.