Death's Door

A new move:

When you're brought below 1HP, but not below -10, roll CON

10+ Down but not out, choose 1

• Stand up again with 1 HP left. If you drop below zero again before you rest or heal, you're just dead.
• You're unconscious and helpless. You'll revive a day later with 1HP
• You're dazed and horribly injured with 1 HP left, but conscious and able to crawl.
• Your nearly dead. You need a week's rest to heal.

Or choose any option below

7-9 Unconscious, helpless, and horribly injured; choose 1

• Survive, but give up adventuring. Narrate a suitable retirement for your character.
• Broken: -1 Strength modifier
• Crippled: -1 Dexterity modifier
• The Shakes: -1 Constitution modifier
• Addled: -1 intelligence modifier
• Lost your nerve: -1 wisdom modifier
• Horribly scarred: -1 Charisma modifier

Miss: you simply die. The adventuring life is hard.

Hmmm. I'm not really sure why somebody would chose the second option for 10+ rather than the first or third. Seems to me being active, even minimally so, with 1 hp left would always be better than being unconscious and helpless with 1 hp left, yeah? And the fourth kind of confuses me: even ignoring that "your", what does "nearly dead" mean, that isn't covered by one of those first three options?

Adam's approach to this, which I really liked, is that if you're down to -1 to -10 HP another player can Defy Danger to stabilize you (the danger being "They get worse").

Adam's approach to this, which I really liked, is that if you're down to -1 to -10 HP another player can Defy Danger to stabilize you (the danger being "They get worse").

I felt like this accomplished a few things...

- make being "almost dead but not quite" a state that existed
- make it easy and encouraged for a Cleric to recover you (it played with the "Good Cleric" move in Dungeon World - bring someone back from the brink and mark XP)
- it also made it possible for a party whose cleric was out to at least get one shot at bringing someone back

That's a good move for near-death.

The purpose of the "revive a day later" move wasn't clearly stated. It was that the character is essentially left for dead but not subject to further danger. I guess it should say something like:

"You're out of the action and left for dead. The DM decides where and when you wake up."

"You're out of the action and left for dead. The DM decides where and when you wake up."

Yes, that's better.

Quote from: tonydowler on August 10, 2010, 09:37:16 PM

"You're out of the action and left for dead. The DM decides where and when you wake up."

Yes, that's better.

Agreed.

I was planning on running Dungeon World sometime soon but realized I had several questions.  The main one is that there doesn't seem to be anything in the rules about how hit points work.

Is the standard rule that you're dead at 0 hit points but you guys are playing around with different -1 to -10 rules?

There isn't one way to do it (yet). As a general guidline, 0 HP is unconscious, maybe even dead depending on how you like to play. -10 or so is Dead, no matter what. Using a move (like Tony's, above) for the space in between is a good idea.

Okay, this thread inspired Adam and I to do some writing. It's not in the PDF yet, but here's the idea:

When you drop to 0 HP, you're dying. You can't go negative. Immediately make the dying move.

When you're dying, you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the black gates of death, roll (just roll, +nothing). On a 10+ you're stable. On a 7-9 death offers you a choice, give Death one of your moves and live to see another day or pass beyond the black gates into whatever fate awaits you. If you give a move to Death, mark it off your character sheet, you can't regain that move unless you undertake a perilous quest to wrench it from Death's grasp. On a 6-, you're dead.


Someone who's stable at 0 can be healed normally.

Natural healing takes place whenever you Make Camp, or when the GM thinks you've had enough rest to heal up. You heal your Con modifier plus your level in HP.

I think that sounds pretty nice. It might be good if it has a Name that can be referenced and if the Cleric has for free a move that makes her good at helping with this "dying save" move (and other Classes might be able to get this move but not baked in?)

I love this, particularly the perilous quest bit.

Heh Heh. That's awesome Sage! It makes me think of Terry Pratchett and his version of Death. It can be so serious, David Gemmell style, or rather gonzo if that's your thang (like us!).

I second Nemo's idea on the Cleric's ability to effect the death 'save', if the character is dying in their arms or whatever - very iconic. Magic items that give you a bonus (or negative) to your death save are a cool concept too.

I also think that every class should have the move: Dice With Death available.

Dice with Death - Add a Bond (Hx) with Death. Every time you make a Death Save, mark experience.

Love the Hx with Death Noofy. Very cool. It would be cool to make the "glimpse of what lies beyond" a roll+Hx with Death. The more you visit the door to death the more likely you are to come back.

Could the Cleric just use an assist?

Yeah, yeah Wightbred, of course the cleric could assist, I mean that's her operandis mundi as per OD&D huh?

I like the idea of 'visiting' Death too..... NPC-PC-NPC triangles anyone?