To avoid the yo-yo effect of falling to 0HP and being healed back up without any issue, I would like to introduce something that incentivizes keeping yourself and your allies up.
This is a copy of a post made on reddit by DM_Biggs on r/DNDBehindTheScreen : Injury System and Tables
<https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/cpylus/injury_system_and_tables/>
A player rolls on an injury table whenever they drop to 0, or take damage at 0 HP, rolling on a more severe injury table for each time in a battle they again drop to 0 or take damage at 0 HP. The tables range from trivial injuries, which only last the day, to very severe injuries that take weeks in game to treat.
Most importantly though, a player can choose to roll on a higher injury table rather than make a death saving throw on their turn when down. This is meant to present a risk-reward system for players that are making death saving throws, and give long lasting gameplay and RP consequences to tough fights. Hopefully, the process around finding potions, spells, and NPCs that can treat the more severe injuries will encourage some neat RP!
The Tables
Trivial. Lasts 1d8 hours or until long rest
1.Brutal Hit - take one death ST fail
2-3. Winded - take 1 points of exhaustion
4-5. Dizzy - lose 10 ft of movement for first turn back up
6-7. Blurry Eyed - disadvantage on perception checks
8-9. Disarmed - weapon falls when you go down, BA to pick back up
10-11. Ringing Ears - deafened for one round after back up
12-13. Shaking Hands - no prof bonus on ranged attacks fir one turn after up
14-15. Weak Arms - no prof bonus on melee attacks for one turn after up
16-17. Sprain - lose 5 ft of movement until end of combat
18-19. Willpower - no effect, lucky bastard
- Adrenaline Rush - make one melee, ranged, or cantrip attack before falling unconscious
Minor. Lasts 1d6 long rests
1.Big Oof - roll on the major injuries table
2-3. Minor Concussion - disadvantage on ability checks
4-5. Minor Tremors - no prof bonus on ranged attacks, -1d3 bonus on melee attacks
6-7. Fading Strength - no prof bonus on melee attacks, -1d3 bonus on ranged attacks
8-9. Bone Bruise - lose 1/3 of hit dice
10-11. Hairline Fracture- Don’t add Con modifier to concentration checks
12-13. Battle Haze - lose 1d6 passive perception
14-15. Shaky Feet - lose 5 ft of movement
16-17. Visible Wound - disadvantage on persuasion, performance checks, adv on intimidation checks
18-19. Fighting Spirit - roll on trivial injuries table
- Lucky Break - no effect
Major. Lasts 3d4 long rests
1.Major Oof - roll on Severe Injuries Table
2-3. Major Concussion - disadvantage on skill rolls, no bonus on attack rolls
4-5. Arm Laceration - no bonus on ranged attacks, -1d6 bonus on melee attacks
6-7. Broken Bone - no bonus on melee attacks, -1d6 bonus on ranged attacks
8-9. Cracked Rib - lose 1 AC
10-11. Open Wound - subtract 1d6 from any healing received
12-13. Limp- lose 10 ft of movement
14-15. Fear - become frightened of the creature that downed you
16-17. Chronic Pains - regain only 1 hit die per long rest
18-19. Lucky Bastard - roll on minor injuries table
- Unbreakable - no effect
Severe: lasts 1d4 weeks
1.Fs in the Chat - roll on very severe injuries table
2-3. Severe Concussion - disadvantage on ability and attack rolls
4-5. Severe Arm Laceration - disadvantage on ranged attacks, -1d8 bonus on melee attacks
6-7. Shattered Bone - disadvantage on melee attacks, -1d8 bonus on ranged attacks
8-9. Multiple Broken Ribs - minus 3 AC
10-11. Internal Bleeding - only receive half healing
12-13. Broken Jaw - unable to speak until minor restoration cast or effect ends
14-15. Broken Kneecap- movement halved
16-17. Trauma - Roll a wisdom save against the last attack’s dmg at every long rest for duration, failure results in horrible nightmares
18-19. Lucky - roll on major injuries table
- Really Lucky - no effect
Very Severe: lasts 1d10 weeks
1.Lethal Blow - add 2 failed death saved
2-3. Severed Fingers - all ranged attacks and damage at disadvantage, -1d10 bonus on melee attacks and disadvantage on melee dmg rolls
4-5. Partially Severed Hand - all melee attacks and dmg at disadvantage, -1d10 bonus on ranged attacks and disadvantage on ranged attack rolls
6-7. Ruptured Lungs - make a Con ST against dmg that downed you, failure loses your action and halves movement for the turn
8-9. Internal Organ Damage - minus 5 AC
10-11. Severed Achilles Tendon - unable to move unless prone or assisted
12-13. Hemorrhaging Wound - unable to receive healing until stabilized with medicine check equal to dmg received on last blow
14-15. Infection - hit dice reduced 2 sizes
16-17. Severe Trauma - you get PTSD, discuss with DM
18-19. Dead Man’s Luck - roll on Severe Wounds Table
- A Fighting Chance - no effect
We can add additional tools for you to thwart the effects of these injuries: healer feat with more beneficial effects such as helping reduce medicine check DCs and helping cure/reduce up to major injuries, adding additional spells such as “cure minor injury” and “cure major injury” and potions specifically geared towards healing injuries and not HP and as such increase the value of herbalism kit proficiencies and the like.