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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7586767" data-attributes="member: 42582">Suppose all this is true? What does it have to do with 4e and fireballs?4e has no concept of &quot;lethal&quot; or &quot;non-lethal&quot; damage. It just has damage. Fireballs do damage (a modest amount). Red dragon breath does damage (potentially quite a big amount). Punches do damage (generally quite a modest amount unless we're talking a monk or a brawler fighter). If that damage drops a PC to zero hp than s/he has to make death saving throws (it's different from 5e but not wildly different). If that damage drops a GM-controlled NPC/creature to zero hp then the player of the character who delivered the damage gets to decide whether the result is death or unconsciousness.The rule is clear. It's easy to use. In my experience, if players think that one particular choice would be silly or make no sense, then they will refrain from making that choice.The rule doesn't produce &quot;unrealistic&quot; or even atypical-by-the-standards-of-D&amp;D results, because we all agree that not everyone who gets caught in a fireball must die. And it has nothing to do with time travel.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7586767, member: 42582"] Suppose all this is true? What does it have to do with 4e and fireballs? 4e has no concept of "lethal" or "non-lethal" damage. It just has damage. Fireballs do damage (a modest amount). Red dragon breath does damage (potentially quite a big amount). Punches do damage (generally quite a modest amount unless we're talking a monk or a brawler fighter). If that damage drops a PC to zero hp than s/he has to make death saving throws (it's different from 5e but not wildly different). If that damage drops a GM-controlled NPC/creature to zero hp then the player of the character who delivered the damage gets to decide whether the result is death or unconsciousness. The rule is clear. It's easy to use. In my experience, if players think that one particular choice would be silly or make no sense, then they will refrain from making that choice. The rule doesn't produce "unrealistic" or even atypical-by-the-standards-of-D&D results, because we all agree that not everyone who gets caught in a fireball must die. And it has nothing to do with time travel. [/QUOTE]

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