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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LightPhoenix" data-source="post: 6102747" data-attributes="member: 115">I've been thinking about this some since the recent Q&A, and what I've come to is that HP aren't actually the problem.  The actual problem is that D&D lacks any sort of mechanic to track, or even simulate, lasting injuries.  That's the root of the problem, the real immersion breaker.A HP/WP mechanism is a relative straightforward and abstract way of handling it, but not the only way.  You could have separate conditions (ie, Broken Leg; can only move while Prone) for a coarse feel.  You could have condition tracks (Sprained Ankle -> Broken Leg -> Torn Ligament -> Ruptured Artery -> Dismembered, just an example) for each area for a more fine feel.  You can tie in different mechanics - non-magical vs. magical healing, critical hits, Bloodied and other HP-value conditions to simulate taking worse hits when fatigued, and so forth.  Of course, the cost of implementing any such system is primarily (but  not only) an increase in complexity with regards to HP tracking.  I don't feel this is a terribly high cost on the player side, personally, but some might like the extreme simplicity of hit points.  Where it could become a problem is for DMs and tracking monsters.  You could simplify it on the DM side (each condition is a cumulative -2 penalty) with some ad hoc fiat involved (broken leg, reduce move to 5' if bipedal).  There's also a secondary cost in that there needs to be a way to ameliorate such injuries by the party on the fly, or else the "adventuring day" gets shortened.  This could be simple (all magical healing heals injuries) or complex (with a healing kit, a splint reduces the effects of Broken Leg to Sprained Ankle).  Or, of course, you could leave it be.</blockquote>

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