High Explosives

[Paul Ellerton]

Hello fellow gamers, I play 3.5 d&d and d20 modern and spycraft as well. My question is this, has anybody ever had a group of characters that were so crazy that they would believe that jumping on a live gernade or jumping from a tall buliding would not hurt them in any way shape or form
because they had over a hundred hit points or enough of a armour class that they would survive?.I'm ashamed to admit that i used to play the granddaddy of all power games - Rifts and heroes unlimited from palladium games, and when we used to play we would do such crazy acts that i have described above.So what is the answer when somebody gets hit with a fireball at ground zero or shot with a gun big enough to knock a person on their ass.

 

[brun]

So what is the answer when somebody gets hit with a fireball at ground zero or shot with a gun big enough to knock a person on their ass.

You laugh, and say "Now, it's MY turn".

No seriously, its a problem of both having lots of hit points and the players knowing the system. When a players reasons "it's x feet down below? I can manage it easelly. I won't even have a scratch! What are those 10d6 to me?"

It's why I like playing with new players. They are scared

 

[Hand of Evil]

Yes, I have had them and they were surprised when they died too. Just because they think they are unbreakable does not make them so and if a player(s) performs a stupid action, they die. Oh, I try not to kill my players in a game but this is the one time they will die, period.

 

[frankthedm]

Yes, I have had them and they were surprised when they died too. Just because they think they are unbreakable does not make them so and if a player(s) performs a stupid action, they die. Oh, I try not to kill my players in a game but this is the one time they will die, period.

Sometimes you just got to declare someone dead.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Sometimes you just got to declare someone dead.

COMEDY GOLD!

On a more serious note: hit points are abstract. Until you get under around 6hp you've just been bruised or beaten. This is the strength and weakness of a heroic game system.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

I can honestly say I would never do that. Unless I had some serious levitation spells or the ability to transform myself into a bird. I know some gamers like ot just do crazy things but I care about my characters too much to take risks like that with them.

 

[Azlan]

Sometimes you just got to declare someone dead.

The really funny part of that is, her character was named "Black Leaf". Ha! Now, do you suppose they're trying to insinuate that her player character was really into drinking (and thus named after) Earl Gray tea? I don't think so!

 

[Azlan]

I play 3.5 d&d and d20 modern and spycraft as well. My question is this, has anybody ever had a group of characters that were so crazy that they would believe that jumping on a live gernade or jumping from a tall buliding would not hurt them in any way shape or form because they had over a hundred hit points or enough of a armour class that they would survive?

I've always found this a little disturbing about D&D, and in d20 Modern (or Spycraft) I'd find it even more so.

I guess it's up for you, as the gamemaster, to decide what kind of campaign you're running. If it's to be like an anime film, or like a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" movie or any John Woo movie, then I guess it's okay for player character to survive jumping on a live grenade or leaping off a 10-story building.

Myself, if I wanted to run a "grim & gritty" modern-day RPG, then I wouldn't use the d20 system at all. I'd use (and have used) Twilight 2000. If I wanted something not quite so grim or gritty, then I'd use (and, again, have used) the Hero system.

 

[S'mon]

I've always found this a little disturbing about D&D, and in d20 Modern (or Spycraft) I'd find it even more so.

I guess it's up for you, as the gamemaster, to decide what kind of campaign you're running. If it's to be like an anime film, or like a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" movie or any John Woo movie, then I guess it's okay for player character to survive jumping on a live grenade or leaping off a 10-story building.

I'd count jumping on the grenade as a coup-de-gras attack so I doubt any non-deity PC would survive. People do survive 100' falls, however I agree that average 35 damage is too low for 3e - in 1e/2e 1d6/10' worked ok. It should be at least twice that in 3e.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

With the fall thing I'd probably rule that the character grabbed onto the cliff face (rocks and whatnottery)/building side (so you'd have awnings, window wipers, etc...) as he fell in order to slow his fall down enough to come out of it with only minor scraps and bruises. Since, according to the PHB, hitpoints represent your character's ability to roll with damage as well. The Monk ability "slow fall" could, of course, just represent that monk characters are particularly adept at this technique.