Heroic Last Moments
We’ve all been there. In an epic battle against the boss monster of a dungeon, the fighter falls down over and over again, only the be popped back up by their supporting cleric as though nothing happened. A healer waits until their friends are actually dying before they use their healing abilities. A player sits bored at the sidelines with nothing to do but roll one dice each round as their party try desperately to save the world.
Dying by-the-book in D&D 5e leaves a lot to be desired. It has no consequences if you are brought back from the brink, and most people consider this a reason for healing to be more effective when used to “pop up” dead characters rather than preventing them from going down at all.
This supplement adds a set of alternative rules to cover a character dropping to 0hp. These rules are intended to keep players actively involved in the game until their character’s last breath, and to give them a hand in what the fates decide. They are also intended to break the “pop-up” method of play, where players allow their characters to fall to 0hp and then be healed back up again, rather than trying to stop them from dying in the first place! Finally, they are intended for a “grittier” style of play - they promote long-term consequences for dropping to 0hp, even if you are recovered.
These rules replace the existing rules for Death Saving Throws in the Players Handbook and take effect each time a character is reduced to 0hp.
- from the publisher's blurb