I was playing Arcanis this weekend and hand an interesting conversation with the group.  I think some changes need to happen for DnD Next, and most pressing among these is a new way to handle crits.

DnD Next Criticals and Wounds

In 4e, Hit points were explained as a way to express your character being slowly beaten in combat.  Now HP has always been abstract.  Its hard to give the PCs a way to visualize wounds vs scratches  broken bones vs bruises.  I think we need a separate way to keep track of this, thus wounds!

Every PCs has a total number of possible wounds equal to CON mod +4.  I’m debating CON mod +2 or +4, but let’s start generously.

When a someone scores a crit, they do one wound to the target.  HP now represents how beaten the PC is while wounds represent serious injury to a PC.  In addition, massive damage can cause wounds. Based on the following chart

Wounds Received                    Damage Taken

1                                                        Con Score

2                                                     2.5 x Con Score

3                                                        4 x Con Score

4                                                        6 x Con Score

Each wound a PC has imposes a -1 penalty to all D20 rolls.  This penalty represents how the wounds are straining the PC.

Magical healing restores 1 wound for the level of the spell.

I think this will add realism to the game.  Now instead of a fighter taking 35 points of damage, he/she gets damage and a wound and know that really hurt while a 2 point  of damage from a dagger  is really only a flesh wound.

Thoughts?