DID 4E basicly steal the '20 HP kicker' from Hackmaster?

[frankthedm]

In Hackmaster, most everything gets a bonus of 20 HP, known as a kicker. Classic hit die amounts from 1E and 2e are basicly preserved, so it winds up a kobold has 21-24 HP, but each hit die adds about 5 onto that total.

Now after looking over typical HP of 4E critters we have seen, it feels like the concept was borrowed from a bit. Am i the only one who gets that feeling?

 

[Simon Marks]

Actually, the basic concept I'd guess came from the White Dwarf article "How to lose hit points ... and survive!" from issue 15 in 1979.

Which is how long people have been arguing over HPs not representing actual damage well.

Summary was that you got "Hit Points" which where your 'buffer' against damage - which represented skill, luck and what have you. You also got your Constitution in "Wound Points", which was reduced by anything that skill and luck couldn't stop. Critical hits, falls and so on.

Seems like an evolution from that idea.

 

[keterys]

D&D Online, OTOH, does have a literal 20 HP kicker at 1st level...

 

[Plane Sailing]

Actually, the basic concept I'd guess came from the White Dwarf article "How to lose hit points ... and survive!" from issue 15 in 1979.

I loved that article. It was by Roger Musson, wasn't it?

Cheers

 

[Simon Marks]

I loved that article. It was by Roger Musson, wasn't it?

Yup.

It's a very simple concept too. It's a little more bookkeeping, but hey ho.

Very good article.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

Feh, the source is not as important as the implimentation is.

 

[Kzach]

If a bear craps in the woods, does anybody care?

 

[The Little Raven]

If a bear craps in the woods, does anybody care?

If the bear is worth XP, most certainly.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

If a bear craps in the woods, does anybody care?

The rabbit does.

 

[Quantarum]

If a bear craps in the woods, does anybody care?

Depends on whether anyone steps in it.

-Q.