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I'm sure someone else may have already addressed this, but here goes: But the difference is that in a story (whether in a novel or a movie), the author/screenwriter has 100% control over the plot - all he or she has to do is write a plot where the protagonist continues to fight. In D&D, the...

I'd beg to differ; as applied to D&D, hit points are a terrible representation of the idea of fighting through pain despite wounds, passing out from wounds, being KO'd, etc. In D&D, you can not be KO'd or pass out from wounds solely and directly due to a particular wound unless that wound takes...

Is it just me, or has thread devolved into a big circle jerk over game theory that, frankly, isn't worth the electronic bits it is written in? The Forge, Ron Edwards, storygames, theoretical game bulls*$#. Who gives a f&^%! Should 5e be closer to 3.5 or closer to OD&D in how detailed the game...

This. Game mechanics should "feel" like they are simulating something. It doesn't have to be a perfect simulation or even a realistic one, so long as it "feels" like it is. Hit points are a perfect example of why gamist mechanics don't "feel" right. Originally, in OD&D, they worked, because...

How simulationist do you want to get? Are we talking Exalted or Vampire levels of abstraction or going so far in the opposite direction that you hit Phoenix Command or Millenium's End levels simulationism? For me, not having hit locations and having abstract "100% capable until you hit 0 hp"...

I think it needs 3 things: Multiple great adventures / paths that can seamlessly cross over each other. Updated campaign setting books. Great electronic DM tools. How about an updated set of electronic campaign maps that includes time zones, lat/long, pins for where older edition adventures...

I've been playing around with this and am trying out the following: Threshold Effects NPC Morale Check? VP / 2 -1 on all actions 0 VP (1st point of damage to WP)...

So, I've been kicking around the damage/healing some more and realize that trying to incorporate wound levels will prove more difficult than I had hoped. Instead, I'm going to mash up the d20 and Pathfinder VP/WP systems, while introducing a morale check based on Dice of Doom's 4e Morale Rules...

My thoughts are to use VP/WP - and when you hit 0 VP, make the morale check. I'd split the WP (instead of a threshold at Con and death at 2 x Con), I'd split it into 4 thresholds (light, moderate, serious, critical) so that you can have cascading failures (actions suffer, say, -1, -2, -5, and...

Agreed - but my intent isn't to simplify things, but to provide a different way of doing things. While I don't want it to be overly-complex, I also don't want it to be necessarily simplistic by virtue of being abstract. I want mechanics that support a more "realistic" narrative. Yes -...

So I'm considering instituting some homebrew changes to Pathfinder, taking inspiration from a different game system, and looking at the following areas: 1. Changing the core mechanic to a roll-low d20 dice pool system. 2. Getting rid of BAB. 3. Getting rid of saving throws as they currently...

I've never played 4e so I don't know how many "new" monsters were introduced. Are you looking to convert only new ones, or trying to convert ones that already have 1e stats?

When focused on non-magical healing, recovery rates ARE important. What if your GM runs a game where magic is severely restricted - such as in Dark Sun or Midnight? What if the game is a gritty one where magical healing doesn't exist at all? The healing surge / HD methods in 4e and the D&DN...

So - why not treat healing (and wounds) with some more verisimiltude? I've previously talked about making hit points act as thresholds for wounds, here. If we use a similar approach, other than magic, healing would be based upon time, Con score, shelter/food/disease/infection factors, and the...

I'm not sure I see the problem you are attempting to "solve" since players should already be aware of the implications if they've been battling a foe and see it dish out 25 hp per attack up to the point they are where they get down to 10 hp. PCs with a CON of 15 who only have 10 hp left...

And? They've decided to invest in melee effectiveness rather than ranged combat. As the DM, I wouldn't go out of my way to accommodate them - if they manage to get close enough to be effective, so be it. If they are stuck in ranged combat and getting their butts' kicked, then maybe they...

Might also want to check out HARP.

In looking at the evolution of the play-test packets, I'm not too thrilled with the direction the game is going to go in some areas. I might just stick with Pathfinder since 5E is not so radically different from all previous editions of the game. I think that if they chose to radically change...

I've played older versions of Rolemaster and (more recently) HARP. While RM and HARP provide some more interesting results, I think "a table for everything" drives away people who didn't grow up with it. I'm not familiar with GURPS, so I can't really provide much in the way of comment on that...

Yup - lots of pages of discussion, talking about anatomy and vital body parts and the logic of why or why not sneak attacks and criticals should be applicable. I didn't wade through all 13 pages, but did anyone anywhere mention that D&D (every edition) doesn't have a hit location system other...