A Little Perspective

[Thasmodious]

Throughout several threads here, there seems to be a group of people deriding the idea that, in 4e, hit points do not directly represent pure, actual damage (the greatsword to the face). Some of these people are acting like this is an invention of 4e and that nothing of the sort existed in previous editions. Some are derisively calling hit points plot points, narrative points, or other such terms.

Surely I am not the only one who remembers our beloved AD&D PHB, am I?

Each character has a varying number of hit points, just as monsters do. These hit points represent how much damage (actual or potential) the character can withstand before being killed. A certain amount of these hit points represent the actual physical punishment which can be sustained. The remainder, a significant portion of hit points at higher levels, stands for skill, luck, and/or magical factors. A typical man-at-arms can take about 5 hit points of damage before being killed. Let us suppose that a 10th level fighter has 55 hit points, plus a bonus of 30 hit points for his Constitution, for a total of 85 hit points. This is the equivalent of about 18 hit dice for creatures, about what it would take to kill four heavy warhorses. It is ridiculous to assume that even a fantastic fighter can take that much punishment. The same holds true to a lesser extent for clerics, thieves, and the other classes. Thus the majority of hit points are symbolic of combat skill, luck (bestowed by supernatural powers), and magical forces.

(PHB pg 35)

So enough about 4e's "new" take on hit points.

 

[Kzach]

Been there, argued that.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Yes, but 4e throws it in your face. In previous editions, that 10 point blow that would have killed your first level fighter, is just a deep scratch, a superficial wound at 10th level. Your skill, luck, whatever helped you to dodge, or partially parry the blow. But it's still damage. At 4e, that blow or even a MISS, deals um, what, exactly?

 

[monboesen]

At 4e, that blow or even a MISS, deals um, what, exactly?

A hard parry, jarring your arms and shoulders.

A twisted knee as you throw yourself desperately to the side.

A strike that doesn't penetrate your armor but knocks the wind from your lungs.

A brief moment of grappling where your opponent manages to pummel you with foot/knee/elbow/shaft or flat side of weapon

and so on and on and on. Really this is only limited by imagination.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Right, no damage at all. 4e is the first edition to stress that. In all other editions any hit dealt damage and was described as such. Now it's fatigue, a bruise, etc. And that is new to 4e.

 

[Kzach]

Right, no damage at all. 4e is the first edition to stress that. In all other editions any hit dealt damage and was described as such. Now it's fatigue, a bruise, etc. And that is new to 4e.

No, it's really not.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Eh, I've always found it to be a dumb argument. I don't know if I've ever used HP to mean "Your actual physical health" in any D&D game. It's just one of those artificial constructs you say "You know, this game would really suck without this, so let's keep it around."

 

[DonAdam]

So enough about 4e's "new" take on hit points.

But all you've found is flavor text. 4e actually has a mechanical difference: healing. It doesn't take you weeks of rest to recover from dodging blows.

If most hit points aren't wounds, then I shouldn't need a cleric. 4e makes that real, rather than mere rationalizing rhetoric, by allowing things other than magically closing wounds to restore hit points (e.g., Warlord's inspiring word).

Mechanically, it is new (to D&D's core).

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Eh, I've always found it to be a dumb argument. I don't know if I've ever used HP to mean "Your actual physical health" in any D&D game. It's just one of those artificial constructs you say "You know, this game would really suck without this, so let's keep it around."

This

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Right, no damage at all. 4e is the first edition to stress that. In all other editions any hit dealt damage and was described as such. Now it's fatigue, a bruise, etc. And that is new to 4e.

Not true: that's the way hit points have always been described.

But all you've found is flavor text. 4e actually has a mechanical difference: healing. It doesn't take you weeks of rest to recover from dodging blows.

If most hit points aren't wounds, then I shouldn't need a cleric. 4e makes that real, rather than mere rationalizing rhetoric, by allowing things other than magically closing wounds to restore hit points (e.g., Warlord's inspiring word).

Mechanically, it is new (to D&D's core).

You're right, this is the difference between 4E and prior editions.