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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Wound System - Inspired by Shadowdark
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<blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 8961815" data-attributes="member: 32164"><p>As a system, the attraction of hit points is that they’re a combination of luck and fatigue that provides a little bit of plot armor for characters facing dangerous situations. If the pool is too small, we have a problem. If the pool is too big, combat either feels like a slog, or we crank up the numbers so it’s not (see high level 5e), which defeats the purpose. </p><p></p><p>That’s exactly what it is. More specifically, it gives the player a choice to continue to press on while wounded. It’s more to do than lay down and bleed, but it’s risky. That feels heroic. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Because once the plot armor is gone, a person can die if they get stabbed with a dagger. Yes, this system is not dissimilar from Vitality and Wound Points, but I started asking myself what the point of a big pool of the latter is. Hit point damage is random in part because we’re modeling something abstract. </p><p></p><p>IMO, it’s pointless to keep tracking a pile of Wound Points. I don’t need two pools to track, just: did they get hit? Wound. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Ah, perhaps I wasn’t clear. Unlike death saves, the save mechanic isn’t “per round.”Once it’s made, you don’t need to make another until you’re wounded again. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Foolish decisions should cause TPKs. <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" alt="😈" title="Smiling face with horns :smiling_imp:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f608.png" data-shortname=":smiling_imp:" /></p><p></p><p>If a single member of the party is “wounded,” maybe it makes sense for them to fight on, but withdraw and plink arrows from the back rank. If a second does, I’m pretty sure that’s when the party should turn tail and run. And I don’t see how it’s <em>more</em> swingy than “both could be incapacitated and bleeding out.”</p><p></p><p>Thanks for the input though. Gives me stuff to think about.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JohnSnow, post: 8961815, member: 32164"] As a system, the attraction of hit points is that they’re a combination of luck and fatigue that provides a little bit of plot armor for characters facing dangerous situations. If the pool is too small, we have a problem. If the pool is too big, combat either feels like a slog, or we crank up the numbers so it’s not (see high level 5e), which defeats the purpose. That’s exactly what it is. More specifically, it gives the player a choice to continue to press on while wounded. It’s more to do than lay down and bleed, but it’s risky. That feels heroic. Because once the plot armor is gone, a person can die if they get stabbed with a dagger. Yes, this system is not dissimilar from Vitality and Wound Points, but I started asking myself what the point of a big pool of the latter is. Hit point damage is random in part because we’re modeling something abstract. IMO, it’s pointless to keep tracking a pile of Wound Points. I don’t need two pools to track, just: did they get hit? Wound. Ah, perhaps I wasn’t clear. Unlike death saves, the save mechanic isn’t “per round.”Once it’s made, you don’t need to make another until you’re wounded again. Foolish decisions should cause TPKs. 😈 If a single member of the party is “wounded,” maybe it makes sense for them to fight on, but withdraw and plink arrows from the back rank. If a second does, I’m pretty sure that’s when the party should turn tail and run. And I don’t see how it’s [I]more[/I] swingy than “both could be incapacitated and bleeding out.” Thanks for the input though. Gives me stuff to think about. [/QUOTE]
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