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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lacyon" data-source="post: 4157801" data-attributes="member: 63046">No, hong drops the actual wounds part (except when he doesn't). A lot of 4E crusaders drop the actual wounds part. I've never seen an actual developer state that they've dropped the actual wounds part.In all editions of D&D, hit points have represented what I call 'The Greatsword Tax'. Specific powers, feats, and special abilties aside, no greatsword hit described as being an arm wound ever decreased your chance to hit. No greatsword hit described as a hit to the face ever resulted in a chance of blindness. No greatsword hit described as a hit to the leg ever reduced a character's movement speed. In terms of actual rules, the only thing that mattered when you were hit with a greatsword was whether or not it dropped you.None of this ever stopped us from pretending that a character had been hit in the arm, leg, or face if we wanted.The Greatsword Tax means, essentially, that even though a weapon got through your ordinary defenses (by which I mean, everything that goes into your character's AC - armor, dexterity, certain kinds of magical protection), and was prevented from killing you by some kind of extraordinary defense. These are the blows that make your character go 'oh crap, I nearly died just there'. Maybe your great skill allowed you take the blow on your arm. Maybe you caught the blow badly on your shield - it didn't pierce your skin, but it hurt like hell. Maybe you had to twist suddenly and badly to get out of the way. Maybe you took the greatsword to the chest and you're just so badass that this isn't a killing blow to you like it would be to anyone else.Fundamentally though, no matter how you describe it, the only in-game effect it has is whether or not the next greatsword hit is going to kill you. That's what HP represent. And once you realize that, a whole lot of 'problems' disappear. 3E's 'healing' rates don't bother you - you just rationalize that a character who's survived a whole lot of danger shouldn't push his luck with too much more.Likewise, 4E's healing rates cease to be a problem - the only thing you're recovering when you spend a healing surge is the ability to not die to the next n things that get past your normal defensive measures - the ability to take deflect that next killing blow to a less important organ, or twist out of the way one or two more times, or continue catching them on the shield even when you're off-balance. If you were badass enough to take one swordblow directly to the chest, the only reason we can't suspend disbelief when you survive the second one is if it happens too many times in rapid succession.Once you get to this point, a whole new realm of possibilities open up. One of your players wants to play an regenerating God-blooded PC? Okay. Describe him (or allow the PC to describe himself) as happily running up his opponent's sword and lopping their heads off, and his wounds close themselves after the fight. Another PC wants to play a hauled-himself-up-by-the-bootstraps warrior, who wins fights through sheer skill? Fine, he's deflecting blows at the last second, dodging out of the way on an adrenaline kick, and taking 'hero wounds'. Another player wants to play the tough guy who just takes the hits and keeps on coming, no problem. After a hard fight, he stuffs his guts back in his stomach, ties the bandage tight, and presses on.You don't have to change any of the rules to do this. You can let all these characters play together without worrying about balance. All you have to do is let go.</blockquote>

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