[Rasputin]

If you want a gritty, old-school feel, use DF 15's 125-point templates instead. (I've long used them.) The DFRPG templates are supposed to be pretty tough, as, in D&D terms, they're about 6th level characters.

Most characters won't do too much below 0 HP anyways. At -HP, they're almost all down for the count and knocked out. I don't see the value of making that level outright death all the time.