An ER docs take on Hit Points

[Urieal]

A character can lose half of his Hit Points and recover them with just one turn (10 minutes) of rest. If a character loses more than half of his HP, he is Wounded.
The tresholds are:

Half HP left - Minor Wounds.
A quarter of HP left – Moderate Wounds
0 HP left – Critical Wounds and Unconscious.
Negative HP equivalent of level - the character dies (a lvl 3 character dies at -3 HP)

After a couple of sessions with this people proved to be moderately wounded quite often and was boring to walk around with, so we changed so that Cure Light Wounds cured both light and moderate wounds, which we sort of made to just one status – wounded. It worked better. I think that Cure Seriuous Wounds will be able to heal most ciritical wounds when it comes to as well, otherwise it will be to much cozy-time in sickbed for the PC:s. They shall be out in the dungeons!

Instead of altering the spells (which I think line up really nicely with the named damage levels), why not alter the damage levels.
Full to one-quarter HP = Minor Wounds
One-quarter to one-eighth HP = Moderate Wounds
0 HP left = Critical Wounds and Unconscious

It's not that I mind tracking things like this in game, but it seem sort of "frivolous" (I'm not sure that's the right word) if the only negative aspect is extended days of rest. I guess it depends on how you run your game, but if you hand-wave time in town (which I often do), then hand-waving 7 days is really no different than hand-waving 30 days.

[Gnarri]

It's not a simulationist system (which is why I always thought efforts in that direction in AD&D were silly).

These houserules are meant to make it more simulationistic without adding more rules during combat. The amount of bookkeeping during healing is also lessened.

...It's also not a practical problem because the level 9 fighter is going to have a level 9 cleric around to refill those hitpoints... Low level old style D&D as written is extremely deadly and high level D&D is (more-so) a game of attrition. Attrition requires slow recovery. If you dont' find this your speed, you're going to have to do a lot of house ruling, use another system, or simply not play the high level game.

So far the cleric(s) has been killed down in the dungeons numerous times (traps, wasps etc), and the other times he has spent his healings down in the dungeons so that natural healing still plays in. The highest level is 4 so far, so don't know if there will be some funny effects on higher levels. I think the attrition is still there, but different. Now, my players have tried to disengage from combat to avoid getting Wounded, moving tired/shaken characters (less than 50% HP loss) back in the lines and such.

I quite like the idea of mapping wounds to the clerical cure spells (light/serious/critical). There could be potential to considerably rationalise the eternal what-are-hit-points argument without much effect on play, and create an elegant tie-in to the existing rules.

Yep, it is more esthetically pleasing in the original version. Problem seems to be that you need very high-level clerics to get fully well fast. But, you could still go on, being moderately or critically wounded, and just use the boost-effect of Cure Minor Wounds (+1d6 HP). The rules for clerical healing would work just the same as in the core rules.

Instead of altering the spells (which I think line up really nicely with the named damage levels), why not alter the damage levels.
Full to one-quarter HP = Minor Wounds
One-quarter to one-eighth HP = Moderate Wounds
0 HP left = Critical Wounds and Unconscious

It's not that I mind tracking things like this in game, but it seem sort of "frivolous" (I'm not sure that's the right word) if the only negative aspect is extended days of rest. I guess it depends on how you run your game, but if you hand-wave time in town (which I often do), then hand-waving 7 days is really no different than hand-waving 30 days.

Our game is a sort of random-content sandbox. If they return to the dungeon later, some othe inhabitants migth have fortified within it again. Therefore, they usually want to return as fast as possible or not leave the dungeon area at all, so healing time is a factor.
To illustrate how we use these rules (in the original version with Minor, Moderate and Critical Wounds):

Abek is a lvl 2 fighter and has 15 HP. Minor wounds at half (8 HP) and Moderate Wounds at a quarter (4HP), Critical at 0 HP and dead at -lvl (-2).

In the first encounter with orcs he is hit once for 6 HP (9 left) and is shaken and tired, but after a 10 minute rest he is back at 15 HP again.

In the second encounter he is hit twice for 4 and 6 HP (5 left). After the battle he notices that he has sustained minor wounds. Luckily his cleric can cast Cure Minor Wounds, he instantly recovers 1D6 HP (3 in this case, up to 8 HP) and his Wounded-status is removed.

The party attempts to rest again (Abek would then get back all hos HP again since he is not wounded), but a random encounter occurs during the rest! Abek is automatically surprised since he was resting. The rest was interrupted, so he only has 8 HP for the battle and sustains 7 damage from a hit. Only 1 HP left! Abek is Moderately Wounded.

No 10-minute rest can help him with several broken ribs, only bed-rest will. However, the cleric casts Cure Minor Wounds at him again, which give him back 1D6 HP (4 this time) in positive energy and pain-relief, but it is too weak to remove his Wounded status.

The party has no healing left, several are wounded, and they start to extract from the dungeon. However, more random orcs appear! Abek is hit again for 6 HP! Oh no, down to -1, he is Critically Wounded and Unconscious (but not dead) – what shall his friends do, will they leave him and continue fleeing, or will they stay and fight to save Abek?

They stay and fight, and its a TPK except Abek and one thief that escapes. The orcs capture Abek and carry him back to their lair for interrogation and cooking.

In the lair, there is some other adventurers that has also been captured (the new PC:s), they take care of Abek that wakes up at -1 HP (he can crawl and talk). A cleric casts Cure Minor Wounds that gets him up at 1 HP in positive energy (still with his skull crushed and sort of mushy). With help from the thief they loosen their bonds and attack the orcs, killing all and escapes the dungeon.

Abek has a hard time (roleplaying only) getting back to civilization. It will take him 6 months to get back in shape. The cleric can at least pain-relief him with several Cure Minor Wounds up to 15 HP again, but he is still feeling his wounds and would not be able to regain HP from dungeon-rests. The party first aquires a medicus (only 2 months healing time), but the dungeon won't be unoccupied for long and there's still more loot to be taken if they act quickly. HTey decide to move out again just days after.

Abeks player decides to use one of his henchmens for PC for this, letting Abek recuperate in town, rather than risking using up all the clerical healing with his wounded character.

The party is in trouble again in the dungeon and Abeks PC-henchman is dead. Luckily, a high level cleric passed by in town and had Cure Critical Wounds cast on Abek, so he arrives in just the right time and saves the day!

[Gnarri]

Thanks a lot for the feedback btw!

[Gnarri]

After some further testing, this is the current system for next time (for gritty LL, good for mixed level parties):

-Unwounded: never been under 50% of HP. All HP heals in 10 minutes.
-Light wounds: HP below 50% but above 0. Heals naturally in 1D20 days, or with a Cure Light Wounds.
-Moderate wounds: HP at 0 or below, but not down to -lvl. Unconscious for 1D20 hours, heals in 1D20 weeks or with Cure Moderate Wounds.
-Death: at -lvl. No chance of saving.
-Critical Wounds: If attack is natural 20, new attack roll - if this is also a hit, Save versus Death or Critically wounded, which means death in 1 round. However, if a cleric is able to touch the wound and cast Cure Critical Wounds within this round, the character is saved.

Otherwise as above, with positive energy HP for healing, but no natural healing unless the Wounded status is removed.

[by_the_sword]

Back in the late 1980's we used to play with the Threshold Of Pain rules. The only problem that I had with those rules was the DM never applied them to monsters.