Wound Thresholds

In a standard game, when a dragon with 800 hit points has taken 798 points of damage, it’s still fighting at full capacity, but as soon as it has taken 801 points of damage, it’s knocked completely unconscious. Though this ensures that injured characters remain useful and effective, it can feel unrealistic, and it devalues any healing that doesn’t strictly prevent a knockout. Consider using the following variant to add tension and increase the strategic value of healing, but be aware that it can lead to situations that punish the side that’s already behind, and that the pace of fights could drag in the late stages as two injured parties slug it out.

Setup

In the wound thresholds variant, a character divides her hit point total into four quarters, and takes penalties whenever she’s not in her top quarter. A character at 3/4 of her maximum hit points is less effective than one at full hit points, one at 1/2 is less effective than one at 3/4, and so on. To prevent the need to divide on the fly, start out by calculating 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 of your total hit points and add them to your character sheet as “Grazed”, “Wounded” and “Critical.” If you have a Constitution bonus of +1 or higher, also write down the negative of your Constitution bonus next to the word “Disabled.” These terms indicate the conditions a character gains as her hit points drop. Remi, a 3ed level rogue with a CON bonus of +1, for example, has a total of 20hp. In his character shit notes Remi's player writes: 20-16 - Healthy / 15-11 - Grazed / 10-6 - Wounded / 5-1 - Critical / 0 - -1 - Disabled
You can us the damage reduction and immunities box in the character sheet for this, or use the notes box.

The Wounds Threshold Conditions

The three new conditions can be applied automatically on the character-sheet using custom buffs. Healthy - healthy characters do not take any penalties or special conditions. Grazed - Grazed characters take -1 to attack rolls, damage rolls and to armor class. Spell casters also take -1 to concentration checks and to the DC to resist their spells. Wounded - Wounded characters take –2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, armor class, saving throws and skill checks. Spell casters also take -2 to concentration checks and to the DC to resist their spells. Critical - A critical character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity in addition to –2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, armor class, saving throws and skill checks. Spell casters also take -2 to concentration checks and to the DC to resist their spells.)