Can you make D&D with lower HP?

[Miyazawa Mizaki]

I wan't to have a lower powered game and was thinking the easist way to do this is to make XP gained at a slower rate and making it so that creatures can only advance to a maximum, class features and stuff would still advance, you would just not get anymore HP. I think its best If I base it off size becuase that way it makes the most sence, becuase why would a Halfing be able to get as though as a Ogre right? How does this sound:

Creatures can gain the following amout of hit die in addtion to their natural:
Fine and Diminulative: +0
Tiny: +1
Small: +3
Medium: +5
Large: +7
Huge: +9
Garg: +11
Col: +13

I dont like the "HP is your ability to avoid blows full power, take it where it doesnt count or get out of the way" becuase that DR, AC and Fortifcation, as far as I care HP is how much punishment/damage you can take before you are knocked out. I like the massive damage threathhold = Yor con score and when you take more damage than that its a DC 10 + damage taken or go to -1 so I'll be using that as well. Because me and suspention of disbelief have never gotten along dont bother mentioning it, neither does my new players (vs. the ones I whined about eariler today) I just want to know if you think it will work or not, in a lower powered game mind you (scarce magic, 26 point buy, few high CR monsters). PC would start with MAX HP at level 1 to help out.

So with this example a level 1 Dwarf Fighter with Con 20 at level 1 he will have 15 HP, the max hp he can ever get without increasing his con score is HP 75.

Ok so a level 1 Halfling Sorcereress on the other hand with a Con of 12 will have at level 1 5 HP and the max hp she can ever get is HP 15, it makes secne if a halfling is half the size of a Human and a human with the same stats has HP 25 the human has just under twice as many HP as the halfling does.

Now your thinking Then why play a arcane caster if you will be boned with low hp? Well a level 3 a Wizard can cast scorching rays for a minimum of 4, medium of 12 and a maximum of 24, much stronger now that at the same level the average human fighter will have HP 26 and Con 14, about half the time that will be a save vs. massive damage on top of putting them next to dead anyway. I might wanna cap the level of spells though.

Some people think being able to fall a mile and live or take the charge of a Rhino head on is Heroic, I think the opposite, doing those things isnt heroic, its being way to powerful, a real hero doesnt need 200 HP to get the job done.

I came up with these rules after trying WP/VP and it not working out to well, this way heros will still be stronger than the average person but not a insane mad with power does whatever they feel like becuase the 2 punny level 1 warriors telling not to cant hurt you.

Your opinions?

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Have you considered using a harsher Massive Damage Threshold variant? I recommend CON + HD with a scaling Fortitude Save.

That puts even high-level characters at risk from critical hits and falls.

 

[deltadave]

You could also use the Grim N Gritty revised rules... they are great.

 

[Fieari]

I heartily reccomend the Grim n Gritty rules for you. Note that as a down side, you'll have to throw out almost everything you know about CR. My group estimates a GnG Bone Devil at CR13 instead of CR9, dragons also get a hefty boost, but some other creatures really get it in the nadgers with this system and have their CRs lowered. Depends on the creature. So there's a bit of a learning curve here.

But despite the work, GnG is EXACTLY what you are looking for in a system. It isolates beefyness and the ability to "take hits" from the ability to NOT GET hit. It makes it so that when damage is actually done, players know exactly what that means in a physical manner. (Recently heard from my level 10 party: "Dude! You just took SEVEN POINTS OF DAMAGE! OUCH!") And best of all, it's very very playable. Some situations become more dangerous, others far less dangerous, but that's just a factor of the system screwing with the CRs.

Try it out! It does what you want.

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82837