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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 308132" data-attributes="member: 3146">It should be pointed out that your alternate hit point mechanic will not work very well with the magic system you propose.The hit point mechanic will ensure that even a 20th level fighter will rarely (almost never) have more than 38 hit points. Assuming that caster level is class level (I saw no reference to caster level in the magic document), a fifth level wizard focussed in transmutation will drop him in two rounds almost every time with no save. (Haste, magic missile, magic missile, magic missile). The effect of an Ice Storm (5d6, no save (avg 18 points of damage)) would be far more hideous than it is now. The inflict wounds spells above moderate will become effectively slay living spells and disintegrate will be instant death whether or not you make the save.Retooling hit points would also require a complete retooling of the magic system or spells that are expected to hurt but not kill characters of equal level (fireball, lightning bolt, searing light, ice storm, cone of cold, shout, horrid wilting, etc) will obliterate everything in their path.The hit point mechanic will also run into trouble with plain ordinary weapons. Your typical half orc barbarian 4 (18 strength on 25 point buy, weapon focus, masterwork weapon) will have an attack bonus of +10 (or +12 when raging) for 2d6+6 (or 1d12+6 if wielding a greataxe instead of a greatsword) or 2d6+9 when raging. Since the typical (14 con) 4th level fighter will have only 18 hit points under this system and the defense bonus won't make much of a difference to the fact that the barbarian will usually hit (this gets worse if the barbarian is blessed, or bull's strengthed), the barbarian will often kill the 4th level fighter in the first hit (average damage 13 or 16 when raging--slightly above average damage ends the fight). Consequently, combat will often simply be a matter of initiative. That's not very exciting or interesting.Finally, the concentration mechanic replacing spell slots/day will also create problems for a magic system that is balanced on the assumption that certain spells (with short durations) cannot be constantly running. A fifth level character with arcane magic ability under this system, for instance, could expect to constantly have a shield spell in effect. Similarly, a seventh or eighth level caster could expect to constantly have shield, mage armor, protection from evil, bull's strength, cat's grace, endurance, owl's wisdom, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, protection from arrows, endure elements, and blur running. Needless to say, that's not possible under the current rules since casters don't have enough slots to activate all the second level attribute buffs or all versions of endure elements constantly and the short durations of shield, protection from evil, etc. keep them from being constantly active either.I would expect that the end result of the magic system modification will be that characters will constantly be buffed. Combined with the hit point reduction, it will mean that combat will usually simply be a matter of initiative.</blockquote>

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