D&D 5E The "everyone at full fighting ability at 1 hp" conundrum

[Sacrosanct]

The default assumption for any speculative fiction is that things which don't exist in the real world can act however is necessary for the story, but things which do exist in the real world should behave as we expect them to unless we're told otherwise.

If there was some line in the book about how the planet's manasphere causes wounds to heal quickly, then we could go with that. In the absence of such an explanation, we're left fumbling with inconsistent details.

exactly. I’ve never been a fan of the “There are dragons, so anything goes!” Largely because even the people arguing it don’t follow it. We all follow the basis of real world experiences as a baseline unless a rule states otherwise.

 

[Oofta]

But the real question is: was everybody Kung Fu fighting?

 

[Azzy]

The First Rule of Hit Points: Don't think about hit points.

 

[5ekyu]

exactly. I’ve never been a fan of the “There are dragons, so anything goes!” Largely because even the people arguing it don’t follow it. We all follow the basis of real world experiences as a baseline unless a rule states otherwise.

But, isnt a rule saying you recover all hp over a nights rest just as much an indication of something that is different from "in real life" as the fly speed on the dragon is?

But, if this "real world healihg" is the guideline, the reason for the disconnect - am I safe in assuming this applies and only causes a cognitive issue for humans and a subset of beasts? After all, we dont have elves or half-elves so... there is no real world baseline for elves and slashing wounds, right? Like dragons fly speed, its just from the rules.

 

[Oofta]

The whole healing overnight is one of the reasons I use the alternative long rest rules. I can see "toughing it out" and ignoring the minor aches an pains for a couple of days. But to really recuperate? That takes time. Even if it's action movie/ TV recovery time.

 

[MichaelSomething]

HP is a gamist construct. Its designed to be easy to use at the table. You can have an "immersive" life system, but that has its own drawbacks, like...

Requiring a healbot! If your willing to do nothing but cast heals, then you don't need hot dice or overnight recovery!

Complexity! If HP and AC were five to seven numbers instaed of two, they could better model the fiction of getting hurt. Of course, this would add extra steps and/or dice rolls to every attack, but isn't that a small price to pay?

PC fragility! Mechanics that increase PC durability seem to break immersion for a lot of people, so just take them out. This does mean getting hit once will take your character out of action for a week...

Now if these things don't bother you, I'll gladly help make a new immersive life system!

 

[The Crimson Binome]

After all, we dont have elves or half-elves so... there is no real world baseline for elves and slashing wounds, right? Like dragons fly speed, its just from the rules.

For most people, their conception of an elf is drawn primarily from sources other than the rules of the game. To that extent, elves have more in common with humans than they do with dragons. If they're going to vary significantly from our preconceived notions, then the book needs to tell us that.

It's why the whole "halflings are like chimpanzees" argument doesn't hold water, regarding their (lack of a) Strength penalty. Everyone already knows what a halfling is. If the book is going to do something weird with them, then it needs to tell us that.

 

[Tony Vargas]

HP is a gamist construct. Its designed to be easy to use at the table. You can have an "immersive" life system, but that has its own drawbacks, like...

...well, death.

I’ve never been a fan of the “There are dragons, so anything goes!” Largely because even the people arguing it don’t follow it. We all follow the basis of real world experiences as a baseline unless a rule states otherwise.

The rules say you heal fully in 8 hrs. Baseline re-established. Problem solved never existed.

 

[Shiroiken]

So it seems like a paradox of sorts. HP are not just meat or fighting capability, but if you don't act like they are meat in the game, it has a negative affect to game play.

The solution is that NPCs & Monsters use Meat Points, because they're not expected to matter much after a combat. PC's HP are more like stamina, with all wounds but those that take them to 0 HP as superficial.

 

[Tony Vargas]

It's why the whole "halflings are like chimpanzees" argument doesn't hold water, regarding their (lack of a) Strength penalty. Everyone already knows what a halfling is. If the book is going to do something weird with them, then it needs to tell us that.

Or as pedestrian as "most halflings don't like to adventure among the "big'n's" - only the strongest even consider it..."

The solution is that NPCs & Monsters use Meat Points, because they're not expected to matter much after a combat. PC's HP are more like stamina, with all wounds but those that take them to 0 HP as superficial.

Or even just larger Monsters and things like Golems, zombies, and whatnot, that need to be destroyed, not just stabbed in a vital spot...

The whole healing overnight is one of the reasons I use the alternative long rest rules. I can see "toughing it out" and ignoring the minor aches an pains for a couple of days.

Those rules do work fine as long as you're OK with pacing your game that way, all the time. (I like to claim more flexibility and make timing/length of rests more situational. Yeah, it's a little "DM may we rest now?" but it lets me have /both/ frenetic days and longer adventures.)

HD are another limiter, though, on top of hps. One variant I've seen floated before is to only allow healing through HD. Recovering HD can be as slow as you want for the sake of realism, but the party will be able to get through a day with a couple short rests, via HD... once out of HD, they've reach ed their "toughing it out" limit.

But to really recuperate? That takes time. Even if it's action movie/ TV recovery time.

So between episodes instead of between scenes?