Gary Gygax wrote his DMG in ordinary English.
When he says that "damage scored to characters . . . is actually not substantially physical . . . until the last handful of hit points are considered" (p 61), that "damage is not actually sustained - at least in proportion to the number of hit points marked off in most cases" (p 81), that "hit points are not actually a measure of physicl ldamage, by and large, as far as characters . . . are concerned" (p 61), he is not speaking ambiguously. He is saying, as plain as day, that
hit points are not substantially physical!
This is also the reason he gives for the absence of a hit location system (p 61):
[H]it points are not actually a measure of physical damage, by and large . . . Therefore the location of hits and the type of damage caused are not germane to them."
How much clearer do you want him to have been?
No. I've just shown that Gygax also uses that reason to explain why no hit location system is needed - because serious injuries aren't actually being suffered.
In 4e, the latent capabiities of the approach are further developed, via inspirational healing, a much more straightforward approach to recovery times that is easy to house rule depending on desired pacing (and the 5e DMG actually spells this out), etc.
Yout don't need a rate. That is the point of flexible hit points (which [MENTION=82779]MechaPilot[/MENTION] and others have emphasised in this thread). You can narrate them as is appropriate to the particular situation.
This point also applies in response to the following:
You narrate as is required.
Remember, in the typical case no grown adult is going to die, or even be seriously impeded, from the mere physical injury of a snake or spider bite. So it's not as if you need to deduct some amount of "meat points" to reflect the puncture wound. So whether the snake's bite hits or misses shouldn't matter to hit points on a "meat" approach.
Likewis a ghoul's scratch or a spectre's touch. There is no requirement to deduct "meat" points to reflect the fact that, as the character tries to dodge or block the undead manages to touch him/her on the face, or slash its claws across an exposed piece of skin, thereby draining the level or paralysing the hapless victim.
Where does it say this?
Heaing surges, when unlocked and spent, allow you to regain hit points. The three most common ways that healing surges are unlocked is (i) by taking a short rest, (ii) by being inspired by rousing words or divine invocation (Inspiring Word, Healing Word, Majestic Word, Word of Vigour, etc), (iii) by getting one's second wind.
The correct inference to draw is that regaining hit points isn't about healing injuries at all, but rather about refocusing, resurgence, getting one's breath, bucking up.
Again, what this tells us is that unconsciousness does not mean "in a coma due to blood loss and trauma". It is quite different, in this respect, from negative hit points in 1st ed AD&D, which incapacitate for a week (unless a
heal spell is used) and which - if they drop to -6 or below - licence the GM to narrate "scarring or the loss of some member, if you so choose" (DMG p 82).
Only if a character actually dies does it turn out that the hit point loss also corresponded to a fatal injury. Hence the need for somewhat oblique narration - much as Tolkien uses to describe Frodo's injury in Moria.
A bit like Luke in the tree on Dagobah, the only inconsistencies are those you are brining with you.
Armour in 4e is mostly a class feature that determines access to magic item types - ACs tend to be relatively similar for all characters (moreso than other defences, which can show quite wide variation - upto +/-8 or 9 for the 28th level PCs in my 4e game, compared to +/-4 for AC).
Damage on a miss is amost always less than damage on a hit (typically one-half), and hence being missed is as worthwhile as saving vs a fireball in AD&D (ie worthwhile). Typically, also, being missed reduces or negates the adverse conditions that a hit woud otherwise impose.
Different damage for different weapons: What's the point in this if weapons aren't really actually hitting anyone?[/qoute]It's contributes colour to the game: heavier weapons wear opponents down more effectively.
In 4e, it also introduces a mechanical system into the game: typically, for most characters, the meaningful choice is between a weapon that is +2 to hit and does dX damage, or a weapon that is +3 to hit but does d(X-2) damage.
Presumably for the same reason that, when you dodge the breath weapon of an ancient dragon you take more damage than when you dodge the breath weapon of a young dragon: the attack is fiercer, and so the dodging sets you back more.
There are two responses to this.
First, the stronger a blow, the harder it is to block.
Second, many melee attacks in 4e are not made using STR. Many clerics, and avengers, use WIS. Thieves, monks and some raners use DEX. Many paladins and some arcane casters use CHA. Etc. In 4e, the different attack stats are part of class flavour, and they reflect the capacity of the attacking character to force his/her will upon an enemy.
Powers are abilities that players use, when playing their PCs, to attack NPCs and monsters. They don't tell us much about what a PC's hit points mean.
You will have noted in my quotes from Gygax that he distinguishes characters and creatures. 4e does the same, but extends the distinction to PCs and NPCs. NPCs don't typically have more than 1 or 2 healing surges, and typically have no way to unlock them outside of a short rest (eg they don't have second wind or other in-combat healing abiliites). The GM can narrate hit point loss to an NPC or monster however s/he likes. But if s/he narrates, say, a hand being cut off, Healing Word is not going to stick it back on! You would need at least Remove Affliction (an 8th level ritual) for that.
As long as you remember that, for a PC, the only time that hit point loss means serious injury is when s/he dies, or otherwise suffers some lingering condition that can't be got rid of via surge expenditure, you won't have any trouble narrating 4e.
Perhaps. I am talking only about 1st ed AD&D - which I have quoted extensively - and 4e, which in my view takes that AD&D system and builds on its strength while eliminating its wonky elements (non-proportional healing being the main one).
Not at all.
If you want to play hit points as meat, I assume that you will not be using warlords. You can also ban the fighter powers that permit self-healing if you want. (Alternatively, you can treat them as monk-like training, ki power etc). As I have posited, you will be increasing the resting times, so a short rest will not take 5 minutes. Hence, the only other bit of non-magical healing left is the second wind, which is a single surge, and hence (in the absence of magic items or special abilities) is 25% of hit points once between short rests. And therefore no threat to hit points as meat.
It's easy as pie. You just have to set your healing times - I would suggest 8 hours for a short rest, but you might prefer 24, and then 1 week for an extended rest, though you might prefer 1 month.
Generally, when a character like Boromir has been shot six times and keeps coming, s/he collapses at the end. I prefer for this sort of thing to be handled via a "frenzy"-type mechanic, or perhaps damage reduction.
I prefer gameplay that upholds verisimilitude. Hence for heroic action, I like hit points. For grit, I prefer a system that actually delivers gritty results, like RQ, HARP or Burning Wheel.
Look, please don't pretend to know what Gygax meant with his explanations because they weren't written in plain english. There are lots of grey areas that can be interpreted differently. Also, walls of text don't really make your answers correct. You ask me where it says about Healing Surges and healing injuries. Well for a person who defends 4th edition so much, you don't seem to know it very well if you are making comments like that. The game already acknowledges that HP has a portion that is meat, yet you can go from negative HP, which is a sign that you have been physically injured, to full in a matter of moments so yes they can heal injuries.
