When playing one of the older versions of D&D, such as OSE (Old-School Essentials) or BX (Basic/Expert) D&D, one common complaint is how easy it is to die. Characters have very low hit points: you can die with one failed saving throw. See this interesting article on the myth of OSR lethality. While not getting into the debate of whether such lethality is a good or bad feature of the old school games, here I’d like to introduce some optional rules for GMs. These rules make characters more survivable while at the same time preserving the gritty feeling of old-school D&D.

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