I've used it a lot lately (against my will), and I don't like it.
While it adds survivability in low levels, as you level higher and higher you will have less and less HP's compared to core rules.
Another con is that it requires a bit of extra work for the GM also, since every printed monster uses cure rules hp.
The main problem I see is that it makes crits the thing in the game. And helps monsters, with their generally higher con.
Although it does allow for a grittier feel as the heroes are always 1 hit from death, especially at high levels where a 20-30 point hit is quite probable.
What about this: hp remain as normal but instead of deducting non-lethal from the PC's they just have 2 separate tracks. So, at 1st level a fighter w/13 con has 11 HP and 11 Non-Lethal HP. Drop to 0 non-lethal, you're Fatigued. Drop to total of negative non-lethal; you're Exhausted. The catch is; as the GM I'd make more things inflict non-lethal.
Ex: the first game sees the party trekking through a thick boreal forest to an ancient ruin. I've created a couple wilderness skill challenges for them. If they fail... BAM! Non-lethal 1d6 damage and they move on.
By the time they get to the ruin, if they've had a hard time through the woods, they're tired, nearly fatigued and may need to rest before continuing.
You could also as GM say that each fight deals some non-lethal, or have extended action drain these HP to reflect ACTUAL fatigue.
While I haven't played it, I've seen it done well in conjunction with the alternate armor rules. Having played HERO system, I'm used to the two different types of HP and it does make you player a bit more cautious than usual. I have thought about using it with the armor and called shots for a game.
Are we talking about the wounds/vitality system from Star Wars, or from Unearthed Arcana?
The one from Star Wars worked brilliantly because the potential damage in that game is largely static, which makes it much easier to balance it against potential Con scores to minimize the risk of one-shot deaths.
It doesn't work as well without significant house ruling, in D&D. Simply because potential damage is so much higher.
The one from UA is... a bit weird, and does a lot of fiddling. Our GM dismissed it instantly when he convinced himself that it's really hard to die in that system, so I never got to try it. I think it could be interesting though.
Are we talking about the wounds/vitality system from Star Wars, or from Unearthed Arcana?
The one from Star Wars worked brilliantly because the potential damage in that game is largely static, which makes it much easier to balance it against potential Con scores to minimize the risk of one-shot deaths.
It doesn't work as well without significant house ruling, in D&D. Simply because potential damage is so much higher.
The one from UA is... a bit weird, and does a lot of fiddling. Our GM dismissed it instantly when he convinced himself that it's really hard to die in that system, so I never got to try it. I think it could be interesting though.
The one in Ultimate Combat
I've used it in my most recent campaign and it works great.
As stated before, it gives low level creatures a boost, but makes high level play more dangerous.
I love it that an axe or gun crit will be almost enough to kill a PC. My players play smarter and do less ridiculous stuff.
It also works great in a low magic setting since PCs regain all their vigor after a night of rest. But they can still have lingering wounds! It's so awesome!