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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GreatLemur" data-source="post: 4011229" data-attributes="member: 28553">Wait, wait, so you're saying HP increase by level makes more sense if HP represent literal, physical health and toughness?  And less sense if they represent defensive skill?That said, I totally agree that D&D's hit points are a pretty bad system, and that this poorly-defined area they're supposed to represent is kind of a nightmare to rationalize in a lot of situations.  Certainly , we can do it, but I hate that it requires so much bending-over backwards.This is kind of weird, too.  I mean, Amber characters are basically gods.  Mine recently regenerated from being reduced to mush after a city exploded around him.  I can't figure out if your statement was hyberpoble of some kind, or just the result of a weird misunderstanding.  (Or maybe my Amber GM is crazy generous?)Oh, cool.  Thanks for posting that.  I'd actually really been wondering if the abstract conception of hit points had been around from the beginning.So now we've got to ask, why does the correct defintion of this very basic game term have so much trouble catching on with people?  Is it because the definition just isn't trumpeted loudly enough in the rules?  Is it mechanics that occasionally treat HP like physical toughness alone?  Is it terminology like "hit" and "damage"?  Just the fact that people like the idea of unreasonably-increasing physical toughness?  Or that taking "26 points of damage" sounds like it ought to be a serious, bloody wound, regardless of how many hit points the target has left?All of the above, I'd guess.I'm hoping 4e does a better job of reminding people what their HP pool and damage rolls actually represent, since the general slant of its mechanics seems to really depend on that proper definition a whole lot more than past editions.  But, hell, maybe that slant is exactly what's necessary to get the whole definition to stick.  It'll clearly result in cognitive dissonance for a lot of the older crowd, but maybe the new players will start out with a better understanding.</blockquote>

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