Drop abstract hit points in favor of something more realistic?
- Thread starter Sylrae
- Start date
Ltheb Silverfrond
Explorer
I have tried a number of systems, as well as writing a few of my own.
From my experiences, a system that has different wounds/injury tables/tracks make it harder to run combats with multiple foes. It still can be done, but the bookkeeping is greater. Also, any system involving armor as damage reduction or requiring changes to book stat block (even if simple) can make running the game more difficult.
I also would recommend against systems that ADD mechanics to the game for the same reason. things that introduce mechanics like hit locations that do other things other then damage while keeping hit points as well, can slow the game down and can add unnecessary complexity.
My best advice for choosing a system: Test it out in a mock combat. 4 or 5 PCs vs a bunch of foes, or one really strong one an a few weaker ones. If it feels fine and you are comfortable with it, bring it to your group. But any problem observed when running it, like memory issues of who was hurt where, become exacerbated when you have 2-6 other people in the room to vie for your attention and tax your short-term memory.
In sort: look up many varied systems; Try them out; make changes; find one you feel comfortable with before running an actual game with an unfamiliar system.
From my experiences, a system that has different wounds/injury tables/tracks make it harder to run combats with multiple foes. It still can be done, but the bookkeeping is greater. Also, any system involving armor as damage reduction or requiring changes to book stat block (even if simple) can make running the game more difficult.
I also would recommend against systems that ADD mechanics to the game for the same reason. things that introduce mechanics like hit locations that do other things other then damage while keeping hit points as well, can slow the game down and can add unnecessary complexity.
My best advice for choosing a system: Test it out in a mock combat. 4 or 5 PCs vs a bunch of foes, or one really strong one an a few weaker ones. If it feels fine and you are comfortable with it, bring it to your group. But any problem observed when running it, like memory issues of who was hurt where, become exacerbated when you have 2-6 other people in the room to vie for your attention and tax your short-term memory.
In sort: look up many varied systems; Try them out; make changes; find one you feel comfortable with before running an actual game with an unfamiliar system.
Hit locations and HP totals for limbs etc may actually speed up play. Disable the weapon arm - enemy can no longer fight. Disable legs - can't move. Disable head: unconsciousness or death. A system like this actually provides a lot more options for the player (and the DM) to end fights conclusively but not (necessarilly) in a lethal fashion.
I tried adapting the Top Secret SI-combat system to d20 and it basically works quite well in this regard. TS/SI does use percentual dice for everything of course, which means that they have CON/10 for each location (except chest CON/5) for both stun and wound damage (counted separately). So I'm still wondering whether to have CON (+ mod) for wound points and a division of the total HP for stun points, or to have CON for everything (which would of course make the whole construction quite scarily close to the most recent Runequest permutation).
But the benefit is that in this system you can disable the sword arm of the city guardsman attacking you, even with non-lethal damage, fairly quickly. Non-lethal damage renders the limb or body part temporarily ineffective, while lethal damage actually destroys or severs it.
I tried adapting the Top Secret SI-combat system to d20 and it basically works quite well in this regard. TS/SI does use percentual dice for everything of course, which means that they have CON/10 for each location (except chest CON/5) for both stun and wound damage (counted separately). So I'm still wondering whether to have CON (+ mod) for wound points and a division of the total HP for stun points, or to have CON for everything (which would of course make the whole construction quite scarily close to the most recent Runequest permutation).
But the benefit is that in this system you can disable the sword arm of the city guardsman attacking you, even with non-lethal damage, fairly quickly. Non-lethal damage renders the limb or body part temporarily ineffective, while lethal damage actually destroys or severs it.
