parent nodes: Optional Rules
The rules state that, at zero hit points, the character is dead. If this is too harsh for you, here are several approaches to changing the situation:
Raise Dead: The first approach doesn’t change the rules a bit. Arrange matters so that characters killed in an adventure can be easily raised (but at a substantial cost). This not only “deals” with the mortality issue, it also soaks up excess treasure, preventing the player characters from becoming too rich to be interested in adventuring. It also tends to reward the cautious (since they get to keep their gold more often).
What if the characters don’t have enough money when they die to afford to be raised? Allow the local religious establishment to raise dead adventurers in return for their indenture… that is, the adventurers, upon being restored to life, owe the church or temple the money it would have cost to be raised, or an equivalent service. Thus, the local religious leaders would have a ready pool of adventurers to undertake dangerous missions for them.
But the adventurer(s) are dead… how can they agree to the indenture? There are two options: the priests can use speak with dead to attain agreement, or the adventurers can sign an agreement with the church before leaving on the potentially dangerous adventure. The latter might even be considered a standard procedure in some places.
Save vs. Death: The first actual rule alteration is to allow characters reduced to zero hit points to save vs. Death Ray to avoid death. If the save is failed, the character is immediately dead, just as in the normal rules. If the save is made, the character remains alive for 2d10 rounds; if the character’s wounds are bound (or he or she receives healing magic) within this time frame, death is averted. The character remains unconscious for the full 2d10 rounds rolled, either dying if left untreated or awakening if his or her wounds are bound.
Binding the wounds of the dying character stabilizes him or her at zero hit points. Non-magical healing will require a full week to restore the first hit point; after this, healing proceeds at the normal rate.
Magical healing will restore the character to whatever total is rolled on the healing die roll (up to the usual maximum of course).
Note that any spellcaster reduced to zero hit points who subsequently survives loses all remaining prepared spells.
This rule might be combined with the suggestions under Raise Dead, above.
Negative Hit Points: Instead of stopping at zero hit points, keep track of the current negative figure. At the end of each round after he or she falls, the character loses an additional hit point. If a total of -10 is reached, the character is dead. Before this point is reached, the character may have his or her wounds bound and/or receive magical healing, which will stabilize the character. The injured character may not move more than a few feet without help, nor fight, nor cast spells, until his or her hit points are again greater than zero. This rule should not be combined with the Save vs. Death option.
Just as with the Save vs. Death rule, spellcasters who survive being reduced to zero or negative hit points lose all currently prepared spells.
As a further option, the GM may choose to use a negative number equal to the character’s Constitution score rather than a straight -10.