Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

A question that is pertinent to the Marketstone game at the moment ...

In the BFRPG rulebook, there are a couple of optional rules for 'Death & Dying' that require a dying character's wounds to be bound in order to stabilise them (presumably stop the bleeding) and prevent death. However, the rules don't provide any guidance as to how long this binding should normally take. 1 round (10 seconds) seems a bit short to me. OSRIC states the bleeding is stopped in the same round that aid is administered, but then an OSRIC round is 1 minute long.

How do others handle this? Any suggestions or words of guidance?

Perhaps have the process take a few rounds, 2 if some sort of first aid/medic kit is available, or 5 if improvised materials must be used to bind wounds. HP loss stops on round aid is given, but unless the process is finished, restarts round after the aid is stopped. I would tie success to either a general ability check (INT or WIS modifying) with results unknown until after the time period above, and wound either holds or starts bleeding again (with hp loss).

It just so happens that I am an EMT, so among first steps in dealing with a wounded person is to stop major (arterial) bleeding, usually by direct pressure or via pressure point above wound site. Then Binding are generally applied. In either case, it would seem that further major loss is averted.

This is old school as it gets. As a DM it takes as long as you decide it does. I wouldn't really be trying to find a real world answer for it, because in the real world the wolves wouldn't stop chewing your ass up just because you fell to the ground But if you want a real world example of how fast something can be done, think on this, the average time in Rodeo for steer wrestling is around 5 seconds, but can range from 3 to 10 seconds. That's racing up on a horse, jumping off, wrestling the steer to the ground and and tying its legs together. I think a motivated PC could at the least stop the flow of blood and possibly bind the wound if he had a cloth ready in the first round. If he has to tear a cloth I think two rounds would be sufficient.

Well, I could scarcely have imagined two more different real-world analogies to the problem!

In the real world, you'd probably have to remove the armor to stop the blood flow or just cram materiel into the breach hoping you could stop the flow. there isn't just one answer if you are trying to mimic the real world. But I don't think role playing games are about mimicking real world exactly. The rules are probabilities and simply measures of success or fail. If a PC can get to a downed PC before he bleeds to death then a PC is assumed to have stopped the slide into death. Whether it takes him 1 round or 3 before he is stabilized enough so that the attending PC can return to combat is up to you as a DM.

BTW, the two differing examples is why you don't want to base your rulings on exact real world thinking. For everything you can think up, I can think up a different example Which just leads to arguing at the table. Just create a mechanism for how you will handle giving aid and use it for better or worse.

Agreed that it need not be a big issue. While I might (from my healthcare experience) utilize slightly expanded procedure, it need not be the only way.

Simplest solution is that a standing character can use his/her turn to render enough first aid to a fallen comrade to halt additional hp loss. This is a situation where the first aide giver gets no other action (including defense) until his/her next turn. Additionally, any healing spell will do the same (in addition to curing the appropriate number of hp). Regardless, fallen character is out for duration of encounter (or longer).

Idea is that all 'classed' characters (adventurers) have enough first aid skill to render such aid (as this a common part of all class training throughout career). Other individuals (npc's, monsters, others) may or may not have such skill (perhaps use a generic ability check). Specifically trained npc's might even be able to do such aid and restore a couple of points non-magically (for instance a Medic Man-at-Arms, tribal healer, or medieval doctor sort of person).

SmootRK wrote:Simplest solution is that a standing character can use his/her turn to render enough first aid to a fallen comrade to halt additional hp loss. This is a situation where the first aide giver gets no other action (including defense) until his/her next turn. Additionally, any healing spell will do the same (in addition to curing the appropriate number of hp).

Thank you both for your comments. I think, on balance I prefer this approach. It's straightforward, presents an element of risk to first-aider, but doesn't tie the first-aider down for the remainder of the combat. From a gamplay perspective, it keeps things moving.

JoeCarr28 wrote:

SmootRK wrote:Simplest solution is that a standing character can use his/her turn to render enough first aid to a fallen comrade to halt additional hp loss. This is a situation where the first aide giver gets no other action (including defense) until his/her next turn. Additionally, any healing spell will do the same (in addition to curing the appropriate number of hp).

Thank you both for your comments. I think, on balance I prefer this approach. It's straightforward, presents an element of risk to first-aider, but doesn't tie the first-aider down for the remainder of the combat. From a gamplay perspective, it keeps things moving.

That's how I play it. One round (not turn) to stop the slide toward death, but doesn't heal anything unless a heal spell or pot is used. While giving aid you're AC reflects that you can't use a shield or defend yourself so its like being attacked from behind. Well you can defend yourself, but then your attempt to stop the bleeding failed on that round.

Yes, of course, 'round' not 'turn'.