The ONE Hit Point World

[Sir Robilar]

Hi, I just had this random idea and I´d like to share it with you. The idea is:

What if - in your favorite edition of D&D - every creature in the world, including the player characters, had exactly 1 hit point? Also, they would never gain hit points by leveling. Everything else about the game is unchanged.

This would create a very low-powered campaign in which everyone would be hell-bent not to fight and even the least powerful spell would kill instantly. Could this be any fun for you at all?

Cheers,
Rob.

 

[Crothian]

You could accidentally kill yourself cooking or fall down a flight of stairs, or bit by the dog/clawed by the cat, stub your toe...

 

[Huw]

I believe this mechanic was used in the old Doctor Who RPG. Suited the style well - anything could kill you, so you needed to investigate rather than fight.

I also think there was d20 game with a similar mechanic. All players rolled d3 for HP, and got 1 per level. This in a post-apocalypse setting, which meant that most weapons could easily one-shot you. Can't remember the name though.

 

[ggroy]

I'll try it out for a one-shot evening game.

Don't think I would use such a system for a regular weekly D&D style rpg game.

 

[ggroy]

I believe this mechanic was used in the old Doctor Who RPG. Suited the style well - anything could kill you, so you needed to investigate rather than fight.

More generally, this may possibly also work for a murder mystery or police procedural style rpg game. Perhaps something like a "CSI" style rpg.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I would prefer a role-playing reason not to fight.

There was an older RPG, the name escapes me (Elric?) where the elves were the last survivors of a race so killing other elves was an absolute no-no.

That sounds interesting to me.

I do like the idea of potential death with most fighting. Deadlands was that way for me. You could potentially die with any shot, so you were careful, but could also fight fairly effectively, you just were guarantee to run through your store of chips in a hurry.

 

[Mark CMG]

I'll try it out for a one-shot evening game.

You could probably get a number of those one-shot games in for the evening.


Call it, "A Clown Car Full of Minions." Or, "A Ream of Pregens."

 

[amerigoV]

Step 1 - Grab a pack of hirelings
Step 2 - go after the oldest, richest Dragon in the world.
Step 3- Send in waves of hirelings until all three breath weapons are used (I'm going to use an older edition).
Step 4 - Shoot dragon from range (if one can get close, hit for subdual).
Win!

Then run like hell with the gold!

 

[Mark CMG]

Step 1 - Grab a pack of hirelings
Step 2 - go after the oldest, richest Dragon in the world.
Step 3- Send in waves of hirelings until all three breath weapons are used (I'm going to use an older edition).
Step 4 - Shoot dragon from range (if one can get close, hit for subdual).
Win!

Then run like hell with the gold!

5. Don't let the door hit you on the way out (on pain of death!)

 

[Dice4Hire]

More like:

Play an archer
Max your spot (or whatever you use to see far in your system of choice)
Max your stealth (Or whatever you use to hide in your system of choice)
Take abilities to shot your arrows further.

Snipe snipe snipe

Hire hirlings to carry all your loot.