D&D General Could a real human survive your D&D adventures?

[Gammadoodler]

but that is the problem, how do you define "real human" here?

real humans went through decades of war and some of them survived dozens of battles?

do they fight "real goblins" or whatever that would be?

or are real humans bunch of 20YO with no fighting skills whatsoever?

Sure some of them survived. But there is a pretty significant difference in the threat soldiers face on average, the support they have in facing it, and the significance of the soldiers' individual contributions to those battles.

For example, being an armored (typically noble) knight on horseback is significantly different than being a serf on the front lines, where the knight may spend significantly less time in direct combat, that time in combat is typically with less well equipped and trained opponents, and there is a financial incentive to keep that knight alive for ransom.

Contrast this with D&D where enemies can be as well or better equipped, or significantly stronger/possessing special abilities that reduce or negate the protective benefits of your armor. Where the ability to choose when and where combat occurs can be limited. Where there typically isn't a wall of peasant soldiers to take the hits for you until the enemy is worn out. And where the enemy often has no particular incentive to keep you alive.

Like, sure a medieval knight does better, but D&D threats scale past 'human soldier'- level threats crazy fast. At level 1 you could reasonably expect to fight lions and bears in "light work" encounters. A "hard" encounter might have your 4-6 medieval knights squaring up against a 2-ton dinosaur (Allosaurus..CR 2).

Like yeah, maybe with extreme outlier luck, and excellent tactics, someone makes it through the day, but it's not a bet I'd want to take.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Survive? Absolutely. Live long with good quality of life? No naughty word chance. Something's going to get maimed, either your body or your psyche.

 

[Jolly Ruby]

Maybe they could survive one day of adventures, but if they can't get back to 100% of their capabilities with a night of sleep after fighting monsters, falling into pits, barely dodging fireballs, having their strength sucked by undead and being cursed by hags.... I don't think they will survive the second day.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Maybe they could survive one day of adventures, but if they can't get back to 100% of their capabilities with a night of sleep after fighting monsters, falling into pits, barely dodging fireballs, having their strength sucked by undead and being cursed by hags.... I don't think they will survive the second day.

A RW human caught in a 20 foot radius sphere of fire would almost certainly be horrifically burned. Maybe they could barely dodge it if on the outer periphery, but if caught near the center? Not a snowball's chance in hell.

Getting lightly toasted by a fireball is the stuff of action heroes, not folks constrained by reality. Doesn't matter if they're the most badass Navy Seal that ever lived, they're still not fireproof.

 

[Gammadoodler]

A RW human caught in a 20 foot radius sphere of fire would almost certainly be horrifically burned. Maybe they could barely dodge it if on the outer periphery, but if caught near the center? Not a snowball's chance in hell.

Getting lightly toasted by a fireball is the stuff of action heroes, not folks constrained by reality. Doesn't matter if they're the most badass Navy Seal that ever lived, they're still not fireproof.

So,
1. I agree with the general sentiment here regarding survivability in the context of D&D hazards...but..

2. I think there is a tendency to think of spell effects as manifesting with perfect uniformity throughout the geometrical area specified in the spell description, where I can see a perfectly reasonable argument for inconsistently distributed magical effects (e.g. maybe the caster's bat guano supplier was cutting in some less expensive excrement the last time the wizard stopped for supplies, or they sniffled a bit when delivering the verbal components, sprained a casting finger, etc.)

As such, I'm not crazy inclined to predetermine a conclusion on how dangerous a spells AoE is. Part of my head canon for Evasion skills is the potential for the PC to dodge into a safe "pocket" within the AoE.

And that is one of those things that I could actually picture a Navy Seal pulling off were they to find themselves transported to a fantasy adventureland.

 

[ezo]

I'll ask forgiveness for my ignorance, I've not dealt with many otherly abled people in my life, and when I have it has only been briefly. So please pardon any offenses.

all of which a disabled character would have as well.

This begs a question: what would a disabled character have to represent the differences due to their disability?

A hampered movement speed?
A permanent condition such as blinded or deafened or something else?
Something completely different?

Would anything be given in compensation? Or is that sort of against the point?

 

[kigmatzomat]

1. Real people have survived some incredible things, even fireballs. so sure special forces fighting werewolves, goblins and trolls might be okay.

Healing and subsequent quality of life is the real question - especially after being scorched by dragonfire

A friend of mine exploded once. He doesn't recommend it.

He delivered oxygen to nursing homes and his van exploded. Five things kept him alive.

1. He made his dex save. Only 55% of his body burned. He wrapped his body around the steering column, protecting his face, lungs, eyes, chest and variousmdelicate bits.
2. The nursing home had just received, and been trained on, new burn kits
3. it was mid-day shift change so multiple doctors and nurses were in the lobby
4. a medivac chopper was nearby and prepping to return to its home hospital.
5. the best burn unit in the state is less than 45m away by helicopter

Still took months of grafts & rehab, including detoxing from morphine. ("Look, we can deal with morphine addiction later, for now let's make sure you don't lose your will to live")

So yeah, a cleric with healing spells is just so much better.

but now he has a story and his nickname is Crispy.

 

[Fanaelialae]

A friend of mine exploded once. He doesn't recommend it.

He delivered oxygen to nursing homes and his van exploded. Five things kept him alive.

1. He made his dex save. Only 55% of his body burned. He wrapped his body around the steering column, protecting his face, lungs, eyes, chest and variousmdelicate bits.
2. The nursing home had just received, and been trained on, new burn kits
3. it was mid-day shift change so multiple doctors and nurses were in the lobby
4. a medivac chopper was nearby and prepping to return to its home hospital.
5. the best burn unit in the state is less than 45m away by helicopter

Still took months of grafts & rehab, including detoxing from morphine. ("Look, we can deal with morphine addiction later, for now let's make sure you don't lose your will to live")

So yeah, a cleric with healing spells is just so much better.

but now he has a story and his nickname is Crispy.

Even assuming a cleric is available, that's a horrific injury. Even if magic is available, it might be something that spells like Cure Wounds can't cover and requiring Regeneration, which certainly not all clerics have access to.

A mid level fighter who fails their save vs fireball often just keeps going, even without healing. They have the hit points to take it, and will be completely fine after resting for the night. We can reasonably infer that they suffered no serious injury.

Conversely, a real person who suffered those kinds of injuries is in no shape to keep going. D&D characters (even in earlier editions) are governed by the rules of heroic fiction (albeit, in earlier editions it was a slightly grittier heroic fiction). Without that kind of "plot armor", it's unlikely that a real person would survive most D&D adventures. Even with good planning, all it takes is one instance of bad luck and they're maimed or dead.

 

[Clint_L]

I'll ask forgiveness for my ignorance, I've not dealt with many otherly abled people in my life, and when I have it has only been briefly. So please pardon any offenses.


This begs a question: what would a disabled character have to represent the differences due to their disability?

A hampered movement speed?
A permanent condition such as blinded or deafened or something else?
Something completely different?

Would anything be given in compensation? Or is that sort of against the point?

Mine got an awesome, magically/steampunked enhanced wheelchair that let her keep up with whatever was happening,

 

[ezo]

Mine got an awesome, magically/steampunked enhanced wheelchair that let her keep up with whatever was happening,

So... it really has no impact on the game then (except maybe in an antimagic field or something)?