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I differ I think from most tables in using absolutely the same rules for PCs and NPCs. So a 7 hp gobin dies in my game at -9hp (because of size class) and is in the same "dying" state as a PC would if reduced to -1. (Reduced to 0 you are always "staggered" and potentially "unconscious" but...

My take on this is that the implication is that an owlbear or other common to the "realm" predator doesn't stand a much of a chance against 12 caravan guards, and consequently hungry owlbears don't generally try to snack on groups of humanoids in broad daylight. One of the general rules I have...

You definitely could, though 3e's more granular "to hit" mechanism and lack of boundness means it's not as much of a problem, since at maximum range you are dealing with like -18 to hit, a bigger realism problem is probably the relatively high number of hits an unskilled archer would get from...

$60 in 2018 is worth like $30-$40 today depending on the numbers you trust. $70 today is like $35-$48 in 2018, again depending on the numbers you trust. I'm surprised they can sell it so low given what's happened in the last 7 years. $80 to $90 dollars would be totally fair given the...

I wish I could give this 100 thumbs up. As someone who loved 3.0e and had it immediately rekindle my love of D&D, I despised 3.5e. I don't think people are really cognizant of how much was changed for the worse in the design and practices of 3.5e because they superficially seem compatible. In...

What I prefer is that the rules don't describe a complex piece of software that is apparently intended to run on wetware, yet the rules be broad enough that they don't radically fail in (too many or commonly occurring) edge cases. Ideally they should also be somewhat fun. How you obtain that...

Generally agreed, although it depends on the NPC. A fourth level commoner or even a fourth level mercenary captain might and probably does have lower overall attribute scores and breadth to their skills than a typical PC. The PC is special only in the way that the brightest kid in the class is...

A fourth level character is "just better" than "other people" in the sense of surviving combat. Maybe the universe likes them better. Maybe they have uncanny luck. Maybe they have subtle magical powers. Maybe they are just so skilled at combat they seem to the observer nigh supernatural. It...

Basically how I play it and I believe that is the most accurate reading of Gygax's original explanation regarding the logic of hit points. It's that scene in Gladiator where Maximum lets the Praetorian put a sword to his neck. If he's a low-level character, he's dead. But he's Maximus...

Sure. Almost my whole participation in this thread is saying the same thing.

Yeah, but in real life you aren't a hero. You're another one-hit die creature trying to survive the surprise round, often unarmed. If you were in full SCA combat gear with a sharp weapon and not surprised, my guess is the typical knife wielder would very quickly get terrified of you.

Some notes on the characters: Class abbreviations are for 3rd edition. Com = Commoner, Exp = Expert, War = Warrior (not Warlock!). The rest are probably pretty easy to work out. I don't know what the proper way to stat these classes in another edition, but I would presume you could do them...

#37 Earcanwald the Rope Maker: Human Exp3 Squire Earcanwald owns several dozen acres under hemp and flax cultivation, and has a successful rope walk with several hirelings in addition to the help of his older children and sometimes his grandchildren. He is forty-eight years old, with thinning...

#31 Huggins Mudtoes the Fishmonger: Gnome Exp4 Huggins “Mudtoes” the fishmonger lives some miles out of town at the confluence of the main river and a small tributary. There he fishes for a living, bringing his catch (and those of any neighbors wishing to sell fish) in as soon as the gates...

#25 “Tiny” Turstan the Porter: Human Com5 “Tiny Turstan” as one might expect stands 6’7” and weighs 23 stone (20 STR, 16 CON). He sits daily among the day laborers and those looking for work, usually near the fountain but under the eaves of the buildings when it rains. A natural born bully...

#19 Leofgist Sharp the Pickpocket: Human Rog3 Leofgist is an unwelcome sight to most in the market, though few dare stand up to him for fear of running afoul of the guild of thieves. A skilled pickpocket, Leofgist knows better than to dirty his nest and instead favors strangers to the city...

#13: Tidwulf the Knacker: Human Rog1/Exp3 Tidwulf is a continually presence in the marketplace, though no one pitches there tent to close. Tidwulf buys and slaughters lame horses and other animals that have aged beyond their service life. Although he usually does his slaughter on his small...

#8: Guidmund the Busker: Human Exp4 Guidmund is a street musician specializing in bawdy songs and dirty jokes, who enjoys interacting with an audience, especially pretty women. A vain and greedy man himself he has no tolerance for vanity or wealth in others and enjoys humbling anyone he deems...

The following all may be found in stalls in the market during market days. Stalls are generally employed by both the lowest class of merchant (which these represent) and the highest class (wealthy travelling merchants hawking wares of such rarity and value that even the city has insufficient...

I don't know what that means. :( Ok, so is this "The City"? The big cosmopolitan heart of the campaign - Greyhawk, Waterdeep, Ankh-Morpork. Not just a city but the defining city that every other city is compared against?