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Is this a fair review of PF2?
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<blockquote data-quote="GrahamWills" data-source="post: 8099697" data-attributes="member: 75787"><p>Sadly, AD&D is no different from any other edition in being vague about what hit points represent. Gygax even spent a long, Rasputin-laden section describing how the game was not going to tell you what it represented. It starts:</p><p></p><p><em>It is quite unreasonable to assume that as a character gains levels of ability in his or her class that a corresponding gain in actual ability to sustain physical damage takes place. It is preposterous to state such an assumption, for if we are to assume that a man is killed by a sword thrust which does 4 hit points of damage, we must similarly assume that a hero could, on the average, withstand five such thrusts before being slain! Why then the increase in hit points? Because these reflect both the actual physical ability of the character to withstand damage — as indicated by constitution bonuses — and a commensurate increase in such areas as skill in combat and similar life-or-death situations, the “sixth sense” which warns the individual of some otherwise unforeseen events, sheer luck, and the fantastic provisions of magical protections and/or divine protection. Therefore, constitution affects both actual ability to withstand physical punishment hit points (physique) and the immeasurable areas which involve the sixth sense and luck (fitness).</em></p><p></p><p>It's typical Gygaxian prose, but it's consistent with every edition -- hit points are a mix of various factors; there is no "one true representation" for what they are, and if you're describing loss of hits narratively, you're free to describe it as physical damage, luck, magic, divine protection or whatever.</p><p></p><p>For Gygax, 4 hits of damage could equally well be described as:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The blow connects, but your physical strength allows you to keep going</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your skill in combat allows you to parry the blow, but it's wearing you down</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your "sixth sense" allow you dig that attack -- this time</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">By sheer luck, it misses you</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your magical armor takes the blow with only slight dings</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Athena's blessings make the attack feel light as air</li> </ul><p>Or, I guess, in theory you could describe it as a mix, but that seems overkill ...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GrahamWills, post: 8099697, member: 75787"] Sadly, AD&D is no different from any other edition in being vague about what hit points represent. Gygax even spent a long, Rasputin-laden section describing how the game was not going to tell you what it represented. It starts: [I]It is quite unreasonable to assume that as a character gains levels of ability in his or her class that a corresponding gain in actual ability to sustain physical damage takes place. It is preposterous to state such an assumption, for if we are to assume that a man is killed by a sword thrust which does 4 hit points of damage, we must similarly assume that a hero could, on the average, withstand five such thrusts before being slain! Why then the increase in hit points? Because these reflect both the actual physical ability of the character to withstand damage — as indicated by constitution bonuses — and a commensurate increase in such areas as skill in combat and similar life-or-death situations, the “sixth sense” which warns the individual of some otherwise unforeseen events, sheer luck, and the fantastic provisions of magical protections and/or divine protection. Therefore, constitution affects both actual ability to withstand physical punishment hit points (physique) and the immeasurable areas which involve the sixth sense and luck (fitness).[/I] It's typical Gygaxian prose, but it's consistent with every edition -- hit points are a mix of various factors; there is no "one true representation" for what they are, and if you're describing loss of hits narratively, you're free to describe it as physical damage, luck, magic, divine protection or whatever. For Gygax, 4 hits of damage could equally well be described as: [LIST] [*]The blow connects, but your physical strength allows you to keep going [*]Your skill in combat allows you to parry the blow, but it's wearing you down [*]Your "sixth sense" allow you dig that attack -- this time [*]By sheer luck, it misses you [*]Your magical armor takes the blow with only slight dings [*]Athena's blessings make the attack feel light as air [/LIST] Or, I guess, in theory you could describe it as a mix, but that seems overkill ... [/QUOTE]
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