Ok, so with damage scaling uncapped by most spells (as it should be), eventually you get to a point where even saving for half will decimate characters and kills them. I've been thinking about something Bart (a good friend in one group I played with in the past), made a suggestion that a character should continue to get new HD, but a slower progression. Instead of gaining a fixed number of HP at levels beyond Name Level, the character would have levels where no HD or HP are gained, but then gain an additional HD (adjusted by Constitution).
This is twofold in nature by not just allowing Constitution to play a factor in the acquisition of HP of the early levels and to continue to be a factor for the character throughout his career, but something else as well. HD is also used to determine when characters and monsters become immune to the effects of certain spells and effects and not their level. This would mesh well (in theory) with that, especially in the case of higher level magic. I've been turning this over in my head and came up with this (extremely untested):
This is twofold in nature by not just allowing Constitution to play a factor in the acquisition of HP of the early levels and to continue to be a factor for the character throughout his career, but something else as well. HD is also used to determine when characters and monsters become immune to the effects of certain spells and effects and not their level. This would mesh well (in theory) with that, especially in the case of higher level magic. I've been turning this over in my head and came up with this (extremely untested):
| Optional HD at Higher Levels |
Level | Cleric | Fighting-man | Magic-user |
8 | 8d6 | 8d8 | 8d4 |
9 | - | 9d8 | 9d4 |
10 | - | - | 10d4 |
11 | 9d6 | 10d8 | 11d4 |
12 | - | - | - |
13 | - | 11d8 | - |
14 | 10d6 | - | 12d4 |
15 | - | 12d8 | - |
16 | - | - | - |
17 | 11d6 | 13d8 | 13d4 |
18 | - | - | - |
19 | - | 14d8 | - |
20 | 12d6 | - | 14d4 |
