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

[Ratskinner]

From a narrative standpoint, a battle in Overwatch would play out almost exactly like a battle in D&D, if we could only accept that these swords and arrows are actually making contact when they hit. If you can suspend disbelief enough for one, then you should be able to suspend it enough for the other.

Its not about the suspension of disbelief...I just find what I'm asked to believe....well, boring and occasionally nonsensical. And, to your point, I mock it while playing video games as well. "Whew, gotta do some cardio to get my health back up!" "Walk it off, soldier!" "Ahh, the calf muscle, deadliest spot to get hit."

I also recall Halo ODST had some kind of "winded" mechanic. I thought that was nice.

 

[snickersnax]

I wouldn't mind a little more reality with hit points, especially if it could be had with out adding extra complexity.

A few areas that I would consider:

1) 1st level hit points are too low and its neither fun nor realistic.

Relevant statistics: the LD50 for falling is 48 feet (even for toddlers). The average number of 9mm gunshots to stop someone is 2.45.

It is often much harder to kill average people than most people think.


2) There are areas in 5e where the hit point system feels remarkably inconsistent such as:

Falling damage being limited to 20d6. This feels like a hold over from earlier editions when 20d6 (70 points average) was more than most high level characters hit points.

The damage bonus for wearing a girdle of storm giant strength is less than the damage bonus for a great weapon master "power attack". That just doesn't feel right.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Nifty so the fighters can be horribly mangled all the time now.. instead of just by a sword of sharpness.

But ofcourse that isnt hit points its a critical hit.

It is also under some other conditions:

It is also optional so use it or not as you prefer.

 

[Garthanos]

It is also under some other conditions:

I can do huge hitpoint damage attack but sorry no wound effect i can do small hit point attack and still get a wound. Hitpoints are not wound points.

I still have no idea how it takes a billion years in 1e land for that luck to comeback (that just how luck and divine favor and fatigue worked in that edition I guess)

 

[Garthanos]

By the way I think wounds kicking in at zero hit points could be really cool and the first place i seen that rule proposed was in 4e

 

[DND_Reborn]

I can do huge hitpoint damage attack but sorry no wound effect i can do small hit point attack and still get a wound. Hitpoints are not wound points.

I still have no idea how it takes a billion years in 1e land for that luck to comeback (that just how luck and divine favor and fatigue worked in that edition I guess)

I mean no offense but your replies sometimes seem unstructured.

Just so I know there isn't any confusion, the conditions are for 5E and since HP in 5E when you reach 0 represent the blow you finally can't avoid (the second condition). The third you are at 0 HP and really fail a death save, so a lasting or lingering injury makes sense.

There are no "wound points" so I am not certain where that is coming from. Part of your hit points are physical meat body. When everything else runs out, you are physically injured and dying.

Luck was only a small part of HP in 1E.

The "skill" factor was turning lethal blows into scratches and grazes, those take time to heal. Even a small cut can take a couple days or longer.

The sixth-sense recovering is the mental exhaustion associated with knowing you faced death and serious injury in combat--sort of like PTSD I would have to imagine. It takes time to recover your willingness to face such danger again.

Divine favor or what ever else is involved is at the whim of the gods and fate, etc. You regain those points when those powers deem it is time.

In 5E, HP recovers too quickly IMO, but the game is designed around quicker recover unless you want the gritty skill like the option in the DMG.

By the way I think wounds kicking in at zero hit points could be really cool and the first place i seen that rule proposed was in 4e

And then you say this? This seems opposite your position earlier about not liking them... Maybe I am misunderstanding your intent, but you seem to jump back and forth at times and it is hard to follow.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I can do huge hitpoint damage attack but sorry no wound effect i can do small hit point attack and still get a wound. Hitpoints are not wound points.

Sure, in 5e a regular hit can do a lot, and a crit roll low.
But a badly(or second) failed death save sounds a reasonable trigger.

 

[Garthanos]

I mean no offense but your replies sometimes seem unstructured.

Just so I know there isn't any confusion, the conditions are for 5E and since HP in 5E when you reach 0 represent the blow you finally can't avoid (the second condition). The third you are at 0 HP and really fail a death save, so a lasting or lingering injury makes sense.

There are no "wound points" so I am not certain where that is coming from. Part of your hit points are physical meat body. When everything else runs out, you are physically injured and dying.

Luck was only a small part of HP in 1E.

Actually no more than divine favor or other described things the meat part was small and all of it went up as you levelled not sure why you think that HAS to be skill. The 1 to 4 hit points or so meat is the part that people seem to think is massively the thing of major impact. In spite of it being the smallest percentage.

 

[Garthanos]

And then you say this? This seems opposite your position earlier about not liking them... Maybe I am misunderstanding your intent, but you seem to jump back and forth at times and it is hard to follow.

It isnt whether I like the concept or not. (its very much one of our Nerd arguments)
I said - "So D&D hit points do not do either of those effects for PCs" AND if a critical hit can cause those impairing wound effects without being caused by hit point loss it directly logically implies no hit points loss is a distinct from the impairing wounds just like it has been in every edition...

I think you were complaining "At how many HP can you narrate someone's arm getting lopped off? An eye taken out?" And in most editions I think none (for PCs) was the answer without some house rule or maybe now some optional rule.

I think its hilarious that 4e is the edition where the idea of a significant injury under just the conditions in 5e optional rule actually came out since its the evil that cannot be named. AND so completely unable to do gritty things.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I think you were complaining "At how many HP can you narrate someone's arm getting lopped off? An eye taken out?" And in most editions I think none (for PCs) was the answer without some house rule or maybe now some optional rule.

Nope, wasn't me.... Which I guess is where the confusion in your response to me lies. No worries.