New Rules
Threats aren't threatening. Realism is missing. Here it will be found again. Things get gritty.
Limited Resources
Characters that fully recover certain resources, other than hit points, from their charcter class on a short or long rest, such as Ki Points, Superiority Dice, Spell Slots, etc., hereinafter referred to as 'limited resources', may recover only a certain amount of those resources as specified below. Specific abilities, such Arcane Recovery which only recovers a limited number of resources, or abilities that have only a single use, are exempt from this rule; DM discretion.
Healing Saves
A healing save has a DC = 20, and the roll is modified by the amount of healing received.
A Healing Save may be used to attempt to remove either a level of exhaustion, or a death save failure, not both.
Healing Saves may be made with healing from hit dice, magic, potions, etc., but not with natural recovery that occurs as part of a short, long, or extended rest.
Hit Dice
You have a number of hit dice equal to twice your character level.
A hit die may be used either to heal, or to recover limited resources, not both.
- For healing you heal the amount rolled plus your Constitution modifier.
- For limited resources you recover the amount rolled plus your proficiency modifier.
Hit dice may be spent on any short or long rest.
When spent on limited resources, the resources gained from each hit die may be distributed at your discretion, across multiple different types of limited resources if you wish. On a short rest they may be used to recover only limited resources that would normally be recovered on a short rest; on a long rest they may be used to recover limited resources that would normally be recovered on a short or long rest. If spent on spell slots, for instance, and you rolled a 3 plus 2 proficiency modifier, you have 5 points to spend; you may spend a point on a spell slot of any level; this continues until you run out of spent spell slots or available points to spend.
Short Rests
A short rest consists of only light effort, no more than sitting and talking, tending to wounds and the like.
The first short rest takes 30 minutes. The next short rest takes 60 minutes. Each successive short rest takes an additional 30 minutes.
- At the end of a short rest you may spend hit dice.
Long Rests
A long rest takes around eight hours, six of which must be spent sleeping and the other two in light activity, such as being on watch, reading, or conversing with others.
At the end of a long rest you gain the following benefits:
- You may naturally recover the maximum of one hit die (e.g. 8 for d8 hit dice) plus your Constitution modifier.
- You may recover up to your proficiency bonus in limited resources you would normally recover on a short or long rest, distributed at your discretion.
- You may spend hit dice.
Rally Rests
The above resting rules may be problematic for extended dungeon crawls or other scenarios where many back to back encounters are necessary. In such cases you may choose to take a 'rally' rest.
Rally rests times follow the same rules as regular rest times.
You may choose to alternate between rally rests and regular rests at your discretion.
Rally Short Rest Benefits
At end of a rally short rest you gain the following benefits:
- You may naturally recover up to half your missing hit points.
- You may recover up to your proficiency bonus in limited resources you would normally recover on a short rest.
- You may spend hit dice.
Rally Long Rest Benefits
At the end of a rally long rest you gain the following benefits:
- You may naturally recover up to half your maximum hit points.
- You may recover up to twice your proficiency bonus in limited resources you would normally recover on a short or long rest.
- You may spend hit dice.
After a Rally
After a rally, and thus after rest related healing has occured, you gain a level of exhaustion.
Exhaustion
Points of exhaustion can be removed by magical means as normal, or an extended rest, or from a Healing Save.
Exhaustion Effects
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Disadvantage on Ability Checks |
| 2 | Speed halved |
| 3 | Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws |
| 4 | Hit point maximum halved |
| 5 | Prone, Speed reduced to 5 |
| 6 | Unconscious |
Extended Rests
An extended rest requires at least 24 hours in a safe place where you can sleep, relax, and tend to your wounds without threat of interruption, typically a town; DM discretion. Extended rests often mark the end of an adventure, or at least a significant break in the action.
At the end of the extended rest you gain the following benefits:- You naturally recover all of your hit points.
- You recover all of your hit dice.
- You recover all of your limited resources.
- You may remove either one level of exhaustion or one death save failure.
Massive Damage
Taking more than half a character's max hit points in damage from a single attack, if not reducing them to 0 hit points, could have some consequence.
Make a DC 15 CON save.
On a failed save, roll 1d4 for a System Shock Effect:
| 1d4 | System Shock Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Frightened |
| 2 | Blinded |
| 3 | Speed Halved |
| 4 | Prone |
Repeat the save at the end of each of your turns to remove this effect; the DC decreases by 5 after each of your turns.
Dying
Being hit while at 0 hit points does not count as an automatic death save fail. Rolling a 1 is just a failure; rolling a 20 is just a success.
When a character falls to 0 hit points they take a level of exhaustion, but remain conscious*. While conscious, they are prone and stunned, as they are in great pain, or fighting off the disorienting effects of the attack.
At the end of each of their turns they must make a death saving throw. On a successful save they find the will to continue to fight, and heal 1 hit point. They may be stabilized by another character, which will count as a successful death save, thus healing them to 1 hit point. They may be healed, which will count as a successful death save, healing them 1 hit point + the amount healed.
Once healed any amount, they may make a Healing Save.
Once above 0 hit points a character no longer makes death saves, and is no longer stunned.
Death save failures accumulate and may be removed by magical means (DMs discretion), or an extended rest, or from a Healing Save.
On a third failed save they succumb to their wounds and die.
* Note that if a character has 6 levels of exhaustion they are unconscious and they continue to make death saves. A successful save or healing will bring them above 0 hit points but will not make them conscious again as they still have 6 levels of exhaustion; they may make a Healing Save.
Monster Death
Creatures reduced to 0 hit points in combat will begin to automatically fail death saving throws, but can be stabilized or healed within 3 rounds, unless otherwise destroyed.
Optional Rules
These will further increase the sense of danger or further balance the system.
Hit Points
When rolling for hit points after leveling up, you roll your hit dice with disadvantage. A lower cap on hit points keeps all healing more beneficial, since healing doesn't scale much.
Hit Dice
All classes use d8 hit dice; if d6 hit dice classes appear disadvantaged under this system.
Armor Soak
Armor has the ability to soak a limited amount of damage on each hit. After an attack hits, you may roll an Armor Soak Die equal to your armor type, and reduce the damage taken by that amount.
| Armor Type | Armor Soak Die |
|---|---|
| Light | 1d4 |
| Medium | 1d6 |
| Heavy | 1d8 |
Instant Death
Instant death occurs when a character at 0 hit points takes damage equal to half or more of the characters max hit points.
Long Rest Recovery
If you are not implmenting the rule for hit point accumulation with disadvantage, it is possible that the long rest natural recovery value may be insufficient.
You may naturally recover:
- The maximum of one hit die
+ your Proficiency modifier
+ your Constitution modifier