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<blockquote data-quote="Imaculata" data-source="post: 7738870" data-attributes="member: 6801286"><p>Interestingly enough, we recently had a whole discussion about the way various groups on this forum narrate the loss of hit points. The answers showed that your interpretation is most definitely not the general consensus. There are plenty of groups that interpret HP-loss as your character's luck running out instead of accumulating physical wounds. The player characters are heroes, for whom luck is in their favor. So loss of hit points could also be a series of near misses and minor bruises.</p><p></p><p>I should note that the way I narrate hit point loss is similar to the way you describe it here. But I would not go as far as to call it the general consensus.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>What a fantastic example. This is exactly what I meant. No matter how well a character rolls on their diplomacy check, ultimately the players have agency, and decide how their characters react. They can choose to not be swayed, and I don't think that is bad role playing. It might even be great role playing, depending on their reasons.</p><p></p><p>Another example:</p><p></p><p>Many years ago I DM'd a third edition campaign, in which the players stumbled into a isolated fishing town, and visited the local tavern. One of the players played a dwarf, and he found himself intimidated by a local. The npc was just out to provoke him into a fight, and rolled <strong>really high on his intimidate skill</strong>. So here's how I described the scene:</p><p></p><p><em>"The sailor towers over you, and he looks like he might be an even match if it came to a fight, despite his lack of armor or weaponry. He mocks your height as a dwarf, and exclaims that he could easily push you between the floor boards with his fingers. It seems obvious to you that the guy wants to provoke a fight. But you also get the impression that he has many friends in this tavern who are definitely on his side, and they are laughing at you. Though they seem unarmed, that does not mean that they are. This situation could turn bloody if they all ganged up on you."</em></p><p></p><p>The player was under no obligation to be provoked into -or back down from this fight. But he chose the honorable route, and decided to simply leave the tavern. His character was above petty insults from some random stranger in a strange town. </p><p></p><p>But had it come to a fight, that would be a fine choice as well. As a DM I can only set the scene, based on the roll of the npc, and inform the player how he perceives the situation. But how he reacts to it, that choice is all his own.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Imaculata, post: 7738870, member: 6801286"] Interestingly enough, we recently had a whole discussion about the way various groups on this forum narrate the loss of hit points. The answers showed that your interpretation is most definitely not the general consensus. There are plenty of groups that interpret HP-loss as your character's luck running out instead of accumulating physical wounds. The player characters are heroes, for whom luck is in their favor. So loss of hit points could also be a series of near misses and minor bruises. I should note that the way I narrate hit point loss is similar to the way you describe it here. But I would not go as far as to call it the general consensus. What a fantastic example. This is exactly what I meant. No matter how well a character rolls on their diplomacy check, ultimately the players have agency, and decide how their characters react. They can choose to not be swayed, and I don't think that is bad role playing. It might even be great role playing, depending on their reasons. Another example: Many years ago I DM'd a third edition campaign, in which the players stumbled into a isolated fishing town, and visited the local tavern. One of the players played a dwarf, and he found himself intimidated by a local. The npc was just out to provoke him into a fight, and rolled [B]really high on his intimidate skill[/B]. So here's how I described the scene: [I]"The sailor towers over you, and he looks like he might be an even match if it came to a fight, despite his lack of armor or weaponry. He mocks your height as a dwarf, and exclaims that he could easily push you between the floor boards with his fingers. It seems obvious to you that the guy wants to provoke a fight. But you also get the impression that he has many friends in this tavern who are definitely on his side, and they are laughing at you. Though they seem unarmed, that does not mean that they are. This situation could turn bloody if they all ganged up on you."[/I] The player was under no obligation to be provoked into -or back down from this fight. But he chose the honorable route, and decided to simply leave the tavern. His character was above petty insults from some random stranger in a strange town. But had it come to a fight, that would be a fine choice as well. As a DM I can only set the scene, based on the roll of the npc, and inform the player how he perceives the situation. But how he reacts to it, that choice is all his own. [/QUOTE]
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