This is something I'm going to tryout as a player if I can find a rl game group where DMs are a bit more okay with homebrew as long as it's just one thing. The premise of it is that it's more evasion instead of spongeyness. Fourth Edition make combat even less detrimental then 3rd edition with the introduction of healing surges, more HP at starting levels, and flat ratios... Typically minion monsters only get the two attacks take lesser result and immunity to miss damage because they don't intend to last long. But what if a PC wanted to roleplay a minion who went pro? Perhaps be a "commoner"?
The minion rule would just be upped a little, and in PC form. Maybe scale a little more. Here's what I have in mind.
Minion Differences:
You do not have HP. You are considered stable, but have 0HP, and when you would take damage, you're switched to dying status.
When you're dying, make a saving throw as normal, but on a 18-20, you automatically become stabalized and aren't prone. Expending a healing surge can count as an 18-20.
A 17-6 whilest dying does not change your condition, and you're still dying. An 5 or lower means you've died.
If you take a successful attack whilest dying, make additional saving throws (or expend healing surges) for each attack.
Expending healing surges is a free action.
Opponents must make two attack rolls, and take the lower result against you.
You are immune to "damage". You do not take "damage", you can only be effected by a successful attack or some kind of condition. (This means miss attacks, unless they inhibit you, do not "damage" you. As well, it doesn't matter how many dice a hit on an attack has whilest you're dying.)
I'm unsure of how well they will fare compared to a normal character. It's alot less book keeping, it doesn't scale well, making a classes powers more important then HP. Might be bad for defenders... But that's the beauty of trying something new! Try it as each class role and see if it works fine for each. I immagine at higher levels is where it'll be seen as a nerf when that extra chance to miss will hardly work, and monsters are in better positions to bombard you with saves... If you notice, the stabalizing save is more infavor of a minion PC, 15% is better then 5%. But considering all it takes is one attack to get him there, it isn't much to celebrate... It's essentially the oldschool videogame type of health where you can do fantastic things, but cannot take a punch.
I figured space marine was a good pic to illustrate this. Both having 1HP, and the fact that the entire concept of space marines seems like "minion PCs"...
HP is not simply the ability to physically absorb damage. It includes all manner of things that keep you on your feet; resilience, tenaciousness, dodging, skill, pure dumb luck, and anything else you really feel like. Just narrate loss of HP as avoiding damage rather than 'absorbing' it and you're good to go.