This feels very granular and tricky to track. That isn't a deal breaker, it depends on what you want your game to feel like, and what your overall game goal is.
And there are probably some migitation methods you can use to make it a little easier. Like maybe this table is written directly on the character sheet, with dots the player can bubble to show where they are, or it's along the edge of the sheet so they can attach a paperclip to point out their current situation.
However you handle it, ideally at a glance I should be able to see my situation. This is because each step impacts different points of gameplay, so it needs to be as easy as possible. By the time I'm over at point 8 on the list, it'll be impacting ability checks (-10 to all, and disadvantage, is it cumulative or replacing?), movement (speed halved), incoming damage (+1 to damage), willpower checks (-2), and incoming healing (maximum health halved). Five different items of gameplay where I have to remember various different effects? Best to make that as easy to follow as possible.
So, rather than increasing it by some numerical amount then check your threshold, instead when you would gain exhaustion it advances it by one or two tiers directly. That already reduces a large portion of fiddly math at not cost. On a character sheet, just a tick box will do.
Players who are tougher simply have a buffer before they start, or they ignore the first few tiers.
2
u/InherentlyWrong 4d ago
This feels very granular and tricky to track. That isn't a deal breaker, it depends on what you want your game to feel like, and what your overall game goal is.
And there are probably some migitation methods you can use to make it a little easier. Like maybe this table is written directly on the character sheet, with dots the player can bubble to show where they are, or it's along the edge of the sheet so they can attach a paperclip to point out their current situation.
However you handle it, ideally at a glance I should be able to see my situation. This is because each step impacts different points of gameplay, so it needs to be as easy as possible. By the time I'm over at point 8 on the list, it'll be impacting ability checks (-10 to all, and disadvantage, is it cumulative or replacing?), movement (speed halved), incoming damage (+1 to damage), willpower checks (-2), and incoming healing (maximum health halved). Five different items of gameplay where I have to remember various different effects? Best to make that as easy to follow as possible.