Oceandawn: Sessions 1 & 2

[macklinr]

The PCS

Comments

[drivingblind]

Smokin'.

[fengshui]

Another way to handle the "No Death Saves" thing is to presume that all final strikes by PCs are to knock the enemy unconscious rather than to kill. Then the "Death Save" becomes a recovery save. If they don't get healing before they fail their save 3 times, they're unconscious until the next short rest (no healing surges allowed until then). That way there still is a way for both PCs and enemies to roll that 20 and recover themselves, as well as a ticking clock that they need to keep in mind if they want to bring a character back from <0 HP before the end of the encounter.

Death saves for NPCs

[fengshui]

Giving the NPCs a death save at all is a house-rule to start with. 4e rules state that it's the player's option whether he subdues or slays an NPC reduced to negative hit points. From the 4ePHB, page 295:

When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or fewer, you
can choose to knock it unconscious rather than kill it.
Until it regains hit points, the creature is unconscious but
not dying. Any healing makes the creature conscious.
If the creature doesn’t receive any healing, it is
restored to 1 hit point and becomes conscious after a
short rest.

So it sounds like Ryan house-ruled his house-rule for cops operating in-town.

--
Burrowowl (who has no LJ account)

Re: Death saves for NPCs

[macklinr]

Ah, I missed that.

Really, the rule is "it's a city game. death is a big deal to sentient beings, so all combats are about unconsciousness."

Which also means a TPK = Total Party Knockout.

Re: Death saves for NPCs

[fengshui]

Yeah, I sort of referred to that in a sideways fashion in my original comment. However, I still like our house-rule better, as it handles NPCs making unconscious strikes well. If you use the RAW, when a PC goes unconscious from an enemy attack, there's less time pressure to get them back and fighting, as you can use any healing at any time.