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<blockquote data-quote="Rya.Reisender" data-source="post: 7480181" data-attributes="member: 6801585"><p>I use a similar system for monster HP. Make HP of monsters unknown to my players and only keep track of how much damage my players did to them. Though I don't randomize it (so if they fight the same monster often, just like their character, they will eventually be able to estimate the monster's endurance).</p><p></p><p>Anyway, I think your system is perfectly viable, I'm just not quite sure if there's any good benefit from it.</p><p></p><p>Let's think about it. For example a PC has 8/40 HP. Regardless of whether you keep HP a secret or not, as DM you would at least describe that PC as "badly wounded", right?</p><p>So let's see... if the PC knows he has exactly 8 HP, that still won't tell him whether he can survive the next hit or not, as damage itself is also random. The only situation where it would make a difference would be if we knew the maximum damage the enemy can do is 7.</p><p>I wonder what kind of effect that had on the players, because I feel on one hand they might be more likely to run when I say "badly wounded", because they can't be sure to survive the next it. On the other hand, it could also have the opposite effect. If they don't see their HP they might just fight till death, because the feedback of "you're going to lose" is not as clear as when they see their current HP.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rya.Reisender, post: 7480181, member: 6801585"] I use a similar system for monster HP. Make HP of monsters unknown to my players and only keep track of how much damage my players did to them. Though I don't randomize it (so if they fight the same monster often, just like their character, they will eventually be able to estimate the monster's endurance). Anyway, I think your system is perfectly viable, I'm just not quite sure if there's any good benefit from it. Let's think about it. For example a PC has 8/40 HP. Regardless of whether you keep HP a secret or not, as DM you would at least describe that PC as "badly wounded", right? So let's see... if the PC knows he has exactly 8 HP, that still won't tell him whether he can survive the next hit or not, as damage itself is also random. The only situation where it would make a difference would be if we knew the maximum damage the enemy can do is 7. I wonder what kind of effect that had on the players, because I feel on one hand they might be more likely to run when I say "badly wounded", because they can't be sure to survive the next it. On the other hand, it could also have the opposite effect. If they don't see their HP they might just fight till death, because the feedback of "you're going to lose" is not as clear as when they see their current HP. [/QUOTE]
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