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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gez" data-source="post: 3643155" data-attributes="member: 1328">Yeah, I know. My own theory is that people are only really hurt when their remaining hit points are less than their hp total (duh) and less than their (normal, unmodified) Constitution score*. At low levels, when the hit points have not yet outgrown the Con score, every hit hurts. After, they're sufficiently battle-hardened to be able to dodge attacks, and so the "excess" hit points represent these dodges.Of course, during games, I don't keep track of this kind of things and the theory flies by the window! I wing it, ignore the actual numbers and the only remaining part of that theory is that I only say the foe is hurt if his remaining hit points seem "low enough". I.e., the difference is "okay, you deal 12 damage" vs. "he winces and cringes in pain as you deal him 12 more damage."(* Problem arise for creatures that aren't people. Very large creatures, or inherently magical creatures, ought to have more "real hit points" than their Con score; and similarly the decaying undead, ooze, and other shambling mindless things only have real hit points 'cause it's funnier that way. There's no way I'm going to claim a gelatinous cube "dodged most of the blow and only get a bruise"...)</blockquote>