[CONAN] He's Stable!

[Supplement Four]

Let's talk a moment about stablizing a character when that character is near death, in the -1 to -9 hit point range.

The rules state that the dying character has a 10% chance to stablize each round on his own. An ally can also try to stabilize the character, one try per round, at a DC 15 Heal check.



QUESTON 1: Does a dying character get the self stabilization check AND the First Aid check in the same round?

For example, if Tarl is dying, at -3 HP, do we first check to see if he self stabilizes with the 10% check, and if he doesn't, then we move on to the First Aid check in the same round?

Or, are these two checks exclusive of each other--meaning, if a comrade is attempting First Aid to stabilize the charcter the self-stable 10% check is not made.

What do you think the rules intend?







QUESTION 2: I'm wondering how long it should take for a person to stabilize a patient. Certainly, it takes longer than 6 seconds.

What's really happening when a dying character is being "stabilized"? The bleeding is being stopped, mainly, I would guess. A bandage or tourniquet is applyed to a wound. The patient is made comfortable. He's given some water. Maybe pressure is placed on the wound, too. Maybe an arrow is pulled out of the victim's body. Wounds are washed with water or wine. That kind of stuff.

It's stuff that you can't do in 6 seconds. It takes longer.

I would, of course, allow the aiding character an immediate Heal Check in an attempt to stop the hit point loss on the victim--this strictly for mechanical purposes. But, I'd make the character stay engaged in helping the downed victim no matter the outcome of the roll. In effect, we're rolling the outcome before the helping character has spent the time to help the victim.

So, the question is: If a character commits to providing first aid to a downed character, then how long does it take to provide First Aid?

 

[Supplement Four]

[/b] Your right, this procedure could take along time, minutes, , though the truth can be just stick your finger in the open wound and that will stop a lot of blood lost, but...

We must balance out the game mechanics...

I agree. I don't think the actual mechanics should be touched at all. (If I were to touch the mechanics, I'd make blood loss something like 1 hp per minutes instead of per round...something like that).

But, let's keep the rules as they are.

Except, I'm going to roll results behind the screen and not tell players the results. I'll roleplay what's happening.

And, if someone goes to help a downed comrade, he'll probably be stuck there for several minutes, missing the rest of the fight, even though the patient may already be stable.



Here's how it will go.

Taurl goes down. He's -4 HP.

I'll gauge wounds by the HP. HP -7 to -9 will be worse than HP -4 to -6. And, those will be worse than HP -1 to -3.

I may throw in some "color" too, if the character survives. Wound effects. I might make his eye swollen shut for a few days, or maybe give him a limp that keeps him to half Speed for a bit. Something like that.

Gygax, in the 1E AD&D DMG, suggested doing stuff like this.



So, Taurl went down, and he's at -4 HP. I'll, of course, roll his 10% self-stable each round, but I'll roll it behind the screeen so that the players do not know if he's stable or dead. That will put some realistic pressure on them.

If a companion comes to help Taurl, I'll roll the First Aid checks behind the screen, too, and I'll do it by the book, RAW.

But, I'll roleplay the situation with the player. "You see Taurl, lying on his side."

"I flip him over."

"OK. There's lots of blood."

"I quickly examine him, using my hands, too."

"There's two holes. He's pierced left of his navel, with an exit wound out his back. It looks like someone ran him through his gut."

"OK, I've got to stop the blood."

"What are you going to use?"

"I'll take off my shirt. Then use my dagger to rip it in two. Then, I'll bunch it up and press it to the belly wound first. Then the other goes on the back wound. And, I'll use Taurl's own weapon belt to keep it the shirt pieces pressed on the wounds. I'll pull the belt tight and get a lot of pressure on it".

This roleplaying will take a lot of rounds, if still in combat. Or, we can do it in "scenes", as I have written, if the combat is over. It will take several minutes.

I'll keep rolling the checks, as needed, using the normal rules. And, I'll use the results to guide me in how I describe what Taurl looks like.

If we go through all 6 rounds and Taurl never gets stabilized, then while the player is trying to help the downed character, I'll describe how Taurl's eyes go back in his head. He starts spitting up blood and convulsing.

I'll make a neat death scene.

Or, if Taurl lives, after the player is done with the bandages, I'll say something like, "You're done with the makeshift bandages. You've done what you could do. You feel his pulse. It's weak but there."

And, this will be the signal for the PC to be able to move on and do something else, putting Taurl into long term care.




The dice throws stay the same. It's just how I give the information to the players that will encourage them to keep their characters doing aid for a long time--especially through their description of what they're doing.

 

[Supplement Four]

Nialldubh, here's what I'm thinking....



Tarl goes down to -4 HP during combat. This happened on Round 3.

That next round, nobody has made it to him to help. They're fighting. I'll roll, secretly, the 10% chance that Tarl has stablized naturally, by himself.

Let's say that first throw is a success. As GM, I know that Tarl is stable. Nobody else knows this. They can't. It would be meta-gaming if they did. All they know is that Tarl went down and is lying in a heap on the battlefield.

Frenn kills his opponent that round, then moves to engage the enemy that Tarl was fighting.

On Round 5. Frenn kills the second opponent.

Round 6 (which is 3 rounds after Tarl fell), Frenn reaches Tarl. If Tarl wasn't already stabilized, I'd roll Frenn's First Aid check now. Again, this would be a secret roll, behind the screen. And, since I don't want Frenn's player to meta-game and figure out that Tarl is stable, I'll go ahead and throw that First Aid check anyway, even though it's moot.

At this point, Frenn's player will start asking questions and doing things to help his friend. If we're still in rounds (as we are in this example), I'll keep Frenn's actions to what he can do in a normal combat round. If this were out of combat, it would become a more free-play, roleplaying type situation.

Frenn will need to examine the wound then tell me how he's going to help his friend. Most likely, he'll need supplies. If a Healing Kit isn't close at-hand, then Frenn will have to improvise using what ever materials he does have within immediate reach.

It's up to the player to get creative and bandage his friend, use a tourniquet, or whatever he thinks of.

But, let's say that, just after one round, Frenn sees that his other comrades still need his help. Frenn has barely looked at the wound, so he has no idea if Tarl is stable or not.

Round 7, Frenn leaves to help his comrades. The combat goes on for 3 more rounds.

Round 10, The combat is over.

Frenn returns to Tarl. Now, we're out of combat and can move the examination and healing faster. Frenn first checks for a pulse. There is one. Then, Frenn gets one of his comrades to help him turn Tarl over. They check his body, make some make-shift bandages. And, then one of them has an idea to create a chest-protector of wood so that Tarl keeps his chest straight. This can be a Craft check, and the PCs will need to find the resources to make this item.

By this point, the player has figured out that Tarl is stable, and we proceed with the game. I never tell the player outright, "Tarl is stable." The player figures this out on his own, based on what he's discovered about Tarl. That he has a pulse after nobody looking after him will probably be a shining beacon that Tarl is stable.

I'll follow the healing rules with Tarl. And, as he comes around, I may limit his Speed for a bit, keeping him in the Disabled state until he makes a check.

And the game continues.