Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 SoldierMedic68W Oct 10, 2014 21:58:19	What's going on, ladies and gents. I have here a small "realism" rule for characters at 0 hit points. This isn't a game-changing rule; it's more for flavor than anything. Please feel free to ignore at your leisure, comment if you like it, or offer improvements.   This rule is meant primarily for characters. DM's probably don't need to use this rule for each and every monster, just when it's dramatically appropriate and plausible.     New condition: Disabled. If damage reduces a creature to 0 hit points and it doesn't die immediately, it is disabled. The creature is no longer disabled if it gains at least 1 hit point. A disabled creature is incapacitated (can't take actions or reactions). The creature falls prone. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. The creature has disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws (except death saving throws). The creature is aware of its surroundings and can speak, groan, moan, whimper, plead, or pray. A disabled creature can crawl at a rate of 5 feet per round. ​​ Disabled Creatures and Death A disabled creature (at 0 hit points) makes death saving throws as normal. When a disabled creature fails 2 death saving throws, it falls unconscious.   Knocking a Creature Out When a creature is at 0 hit points and disabled, an opponent can knock the creature out by making a special knockout attack roll with a melee weapon. A successful knockout attack doesn't deal damage and doesn't give the creature a death saving throw failure. The creature falls unconscious, but still isn't stable. The creature may stabilize on its own, or it can be stabilized with Wisdom (Medicine) or other means. ​   If you're curious, here's my justification for this rule. In real life a life-threatening injury rarely results in unconsciousness or outright unresponsiveness. A person can have one or more severed extremities, multiple open chest wounds, or other critical injuries and yet still be responsive and surprisingly lucid. In extremis, the human survival instinct is a powerful thing! It's really only traumatic brain injury, certain kinds of seizure, drug or alcohol poisoning, or serious shock (such as from losing too much blood) that make a patient totally unresponsive. And in the case of TBI or shock, at that point, they're probably circling the drain and there isn't much hope anyway.   Along with that, it isn't nearly as easy to knock someone out as movies and games make it seem. Even if you strike a human in just the right way (to distrupt medullar function at the base of the skull), there's a hairsbreadth of a difference between briefly stunning someone and killing them outright. You basically have to inflict a minor brain injury, but it's very easy to overdo it.   Obviously, D&D isn't really about realism or real life. It's supposed to be fun! This rule is fun for me, and may be for you too. If not, no worries. Thank you for your time and consideration. Cheers!
#2 Nevvur Oct 10, 2014 23:13:46	The mechanics seem fair enough and are a decent nod to adding realism, but game manuals usually suggest a modicum of mercy on the DMs behalf when a PC gets KOd.  If realism is the point... Realistically, my NPC enemies will be more inclined to deliver that death blow if he sees his fallen opponent crawling away and whimpering for help. Then again, the NPC might also recognize a healer in the PC party and be equally inclined to finish a KO before he's healed when using the standard 0hp = unconscious.    Overall, I think this house rule adds to the flavor of combat more than it harms the flow of mechanics, though I'm not inclined to institute it myself. As you said, it brings more fun to your table, so I'd love to see a combat log next time it comes into play with your group.
#3 Noon Oct 11, 2014 16:10:42	These realism things really come down to 'do you get my vibe?'. I probably could on this but currently don't as I don't feel inclined to. It's not a hard vibe to get, though.
#4 Ramzour Oct 12, 2014 1:26:31	Nice house rule! I've already implemented something similar to this, for all the exact same reasons you list. But, I do like your presentation better, so I might update mine to include yours. Cool stuff!