Code Blue (3.5e Variant Rule)
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Code Blue[edit]
Within a hospital, a Code Blue is called out when a patient’s heart stops. In 3.5 as it is, a Code Blue would never be called- as the patient would just, instantly be dead. This not only diminishes the role of Doctors within the setting in general, it mechanically nerfs the Heal skill and dramatically neuters the event of someone nearly dying. In order to adjust for this, we’re adding some new rules, new uses of the Heal skill, and one new item.
Death Rules- People don’t just die when their heart stops.[edit]
This is likely the most major change we’re doing, and it’s what all the other changes will go off of. In current rules, when a person reaches 0 HP, they lose consciousness and begin to bleed out at a rate of 1 damage per round. This all makes sense, and I’m changing none of it. Where we do run into a problem is that once they reach -10 they’re just dead and nothing short of a Resurrection is bringing them back. This does not make sense, and it’s boring.
To readjust for this, we’re doing two things:
Scaling Death Threshold[edit]
To begin with, we’re buffing HP slightly to make it so that rather than the body ceasing to function at -10, it ceases at -¼ (rounded up)ll max HP (minimum(?) -10). -10 is extremely arbitrary and far too easy to get past at later levels.
The Seaghan Problem[edit]
If you have anything like Die Hard, consider -¼ the base, and add whatever it would normally add. For the sake of example, let's take the most complicated character, a character with 135 HP, a feature that sets his death threshold to -20, and another which sets his death threshold to -1/3. For simplicity, I'll treat all of these as positive, then make the final result negative. To begin with, he has 135 HP, 1/4 of that is 33.75, so round up to 34. Now he has the -20 feature, which effectively just adds 10 to his pre-Code Blue threshold. So now his death threshold is 34 + 10, 44. Simple enough. Now we have his -1/3 feature. For the sake of this, we're thinking of anything that doesn't set his threshold to an unchanging number as subtracting 10, then adding that variable amount. So we'll take our 44, and take away 10; back to 34 again. Now we'll add 1/3 of 135, 45+34 = 79. Then we make it negative, -79. In total, that formula winds up being: -34 - 10 + 10 - 45 = -79. Thank you for attending this math class, back to the rule changes.
"Code Blue"[edit]
Secondly, and more majorly, we’re adding a stage in between Bleeding Out and Dead. This stage will be called “Code Blue”. During this stage, standard cure spells or anything else that restores HP cease to function as the problem is no longer wounding, but that the heart has stopped. The body will continue to bleed as normal, despite that not making physical sense, but the character will not quite be dead yet. During this stage only one thing will bring them back, Defibrillation. If they are not defibrillated within 2 minutes of entering Code Blue, they are dead. Once they are defibrillated, they are considered stable, but exhausted.
“LIVE, DAMMIT!” - Bringing someone back from the brink.[edit]
Once a character becomes Code Blue, their fate is no longer in their own control, but in the control of their allies. To account for this, we’re adding a few extra features to the Heal skill.
Chest Compressions[edit]
This is the first thing any character with the Heal skill should do when a patient enters Code Blue. Starting Chest Compressions requires the user be trained in the Heal skill, and requires a full round action to begin. Once it has begun, they must continue doing it to maintain its benefit. After a DC 25 Heal check, the time to death is extended by 1 round for every point the check exceeds the DC. Any armour the character is wearing must be removed to begin Chest Compressions.
Defibrillation[edit]
In order to defibrillate a character, some sort of electrical device must be used. A proper Defibrillator is detailed below, but any form of controlled electricity can work. The user of the electricity must succeed a DC 30 heal check to use the electricity properly. Should they succeed, the Code Blue character is prompted with a fortitude save, DC 10+½ their negative HP. If they succeed, they are restored from Code Blue back to Bleeding Out. If they fail, defibrillation may be attempted again, but with the DC for the fortitude save raised by 2. A tool of a Defibrillator can also be used for this task.
Defibrillator[edit]
Cost: 100GP
Weight: 5lbs.
A device that consists of a large battery pack and 2 paddles or electrodes. One must have at least 4 ranks in Heal to use a Defibrillator correctly. When used to defibrillate someone, the Heal Check required is reduced to DC 20.
Near-Death Exhaustion[edit]
Nearly dying takes a lot out of people. Even if you are successfully resuscitated, you are not going to be right back on your feet and fighting like it was nothing. A defibbrillated character is immediately considered exhausted.
“Well that just came right off!” - Sometimes, you just die.[edit]
An unfortunate fact of life is that sometimes, you’re just dead. Now and then you’re slaughtering your merry way through a horde of goblins when one of them gets a lucky shot and lops your head clean off. Code Blue accounts for this.
While I hate Massive Damage under typical conditions for mechanical reasons- a crit with a mercurial greatsword should not instant kill a PC, that’s just, the opposite of fun- when it comes to death, it does happen. Should a character be reduced from their current health to their death threshold according to the new rules in a single blow, they are instantly dead.
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