Dire Death (5e Variant Rule)
Dire Death[edit]
This is meant to change how players die, both in and out of combat.
Mechanics[edit]
Damage[edit]
If a player's hit points reach 0, they become unconscious. Player characters may have negative hit points. If their hit points ever equals, or exceeds their maximum hit points to the negative, they die.
- Example: If a player with 20 maximum hit points, reaches -20 hit points, or lower, then they die.
Most forms of damage should cause a player to slowly keep taking damage after they reach 0 hit points. Be they bleeding or poisoned, etc. Once they reach 0 hit points, each turn they must succeed a DC 10 + their current negative hit points Constitution saving throw. They take 1d4 damage on a failed save, and no damage on a successful one.
If they roll critical failure (1), they take 2d4 instead, and if they get a critical success (20), they stabilize and stop taking damage. Players can use any number of hit dice to heal.
- Example: If a player has -4 hit points, the DC is 14.
Healing[edit]
A creature can heal a player with healing magic. If a player is healed up to 0 hit points, they are stabilized and no longer have to make Constitution saving throws or take damage. If players are healed to 1 or more hit points, they wake up.
A creature may also stabilize a plyer without magic. Using a medical kit and a medical roll, the creature uses these items to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check. The DC for this check is equal to the DC the player would make on their own turn. If the healer does not have a medical kit, the DC increases by 5. If the healer rolls a critical success (20) on thier Wisdom (Medicine) check, the downed player may use any number of their hit dice to heal themselves.
- Example: If a player has -4 hit points the DC is 14.
Fall Damage[edit]
There are new rules for falling damage. Fall damage is equal to 1d10 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet fallen past the first 10, rounded up.
- Example: If a player falls 6 feet, you round up the distance to 10 for 0d10. If they fall 35 feet, you round up the distance to 40 for 3d10.
Suffocating[edit]
A player can hold their breath for a number of turns equal to 10 + 5 times their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). If a player isn't given a proper amount of time to hold their breath, then they can hold their breath for a number of turns equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
Every turn past the point where the player could hold their breath, they receive 10 bludgeoning damage, and every other turn they take a level of exhaustion.
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