Wound Thresholds (3.5e Variant Rule)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 11/17/2018 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

Ratings for this homebrew: Average: NA / 4  0 users favored it (4/4).  0 users liked it (3/4).  0 were neutral on it (2/4).  1 users disliked it (1/4).  0 users opposed it (0/4).

Rate this article Your rating for this article: Favor Like Neutral Dislike Oppose Submit | Cancel Discuss this article

Wound Thresholds

This variant rule adds in thresholds for hit points; Dropping below a threshold gives you increasingly worse penalties, as your injuries slow you down and you grow closer to death. The penalties scale with CR, allowing them to stay relevant at higher levels. And, getting healed removes the penalties.

This is intended to make noncasters, and magic that deals purely hit point damage, more useful, as most spellcasters are useful because they can end a fight on the whim of a saving throw, killing a creature outright or at least hindering it by targeting saving throws - A binary defense, that is either on or off. Meanwhile, the fighters and users of Evocation suffer, because a monster with 1 hp fights just as well as it did when it had 100 hp, because hit points are a gradual defense, going slowly down.

With this variant rule, and the additional options below, you can balance how often characters of all classes trigger death saving throws and how they apply penalties to enemies.

The Thresholds

The three Wound Thresholds are Bloodied, Injured, and Mortally Wounded. Rising above a Wound Threshold (Because you were healed, for example) removes its effects until you once again fall below that threshold.

A creature is Bloodied when it is at or below 3/4 of its maximum health, but above 1/2 of its maximum health. Thus, if your max hp is 8 and you have 6 hp remaining, you are Bloodied.

A creature is Injured when it is at or below 1/2 of its maximum health, but above 1/4 of its maximum health. Thus, if your max hp is 8 and you have 4 hp remaining, you are Injured.

A creature is Mortally Wounded when it is at or below 1/4 of its maximum health, but not yet dead or dying. Thus, if your max hp is 8 and you have 2 hp remaining, you are Mortally Wounded.

Threshold Effects

When you are Bloodied, you take a penalty on attack rolls, saving throws and AC against critical confirmation rolls equal to 1/5 of your CR (Minimum penalty of -0), as well as having your movement speeds reduced by 1/5 (Min -5ft), but not below 15ft. Thus a level 20 Human PC who is Bloodied would take a -4 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws and AC against critical confirmation rolls, and would have their land speed reduced by 5ft.

When you are Injured, you take a penalty on attack rolls, saving throws and AC against critical confirmation rolls equal to 1/3 of your CR (Minimum penalty of -1), as well as having your movement speeds reduced by 1/3 (Min -5ft), but not below 10ft. Thus a level 20 Human PC who is Injured would take a -7 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws and AC against critical confirmation rolls, and would have their land speed reduced by 5ft.

When you are Mortally Wounded, you take a penalty on attack rolls, saving throws and AC against critical confirmation rolls equal to 1/2 of your CR (Minimum penalty of -2), as well as having your movement speeds reduced by 1/2 (Min -5ft), but not below 5ft. Thus a level 20 Human PC who is Mortally Wounded would take a -10 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws and AC against critical confirmation rolls, and would have their land speed reduced by 5ft.

Other Good Changes

Some other changes that work well with this rule, synergizing to work in the same direction.

Massive Damage

It's a good idea to change the Death By Massive Damage rule a bit too, because it doesn't end up being triggered until about level 10 or so. Instead of the save vs. death being triggered by taking 50 HP in a single attack, it would be triggered by taking half of your maximum HP, plus your HD, plus your Constitution bonus, in one blow - Thus if you were a level 3 Fighter with Con 14 and 30 HP, you'd have to take 20 damage in a single attack to force you to make a saving throw vs. death. This allows those that focus on HP damage to trigger Death saves more often and at lower levels.

Death Magic Using Thresholds

Similarly to the way Death Knell is a Death spell that finishes off a Dying target, you could have other spells function similarly. For example, spells and effects of 2nd level and lower should only work on Mortally Wounded targets, levels 3-4 should only work on targets who are Injured or worse, and levels 5-6 should only work on targets who are Bloodied or worse, while Death effects of level 7 and up should continue to work on creatures in any state of health.

Outcome Of The Changes In Total

More or less, at lower levels, when the HP-damage-dealers are still useful (Up to 5th level), the penalty remains fairly low - A Bloodied creature below level 5 won't take a penalty, which means you don't have to keep your whole party topped off for them to be useful. But at higher levels, the penalty can be pretty chunky, just from being Bloodied alone, much less Mortally Wounded. This helps you get through lower levels without screwing you over (Imagine, tripping on a wet spot and suddenly having -10 to attack rolls until you get healed) while being helpful at higher levels, when martial characters and Evokers fall off massively.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Variant Rules