Hit point-less system?

[LostSoul]

Here's a quick idea I had for a damage system without using Hit Points. (I like hit points, by the way, I've just been thinking.) This wouldn't work for D&D, but other systems might make use of it.

You make a Fortitude save vs. 15 + damage dealt. So if you got hit by a longsword for 8 damage, you'd have to make a save at DC 23. If you make the save, you shrug off the blow. Each 5 points you fail by put you into a wound category.

Wound categories:

0 - 5: Scratched. -1 to all rolls. You can have more than one Scratch, and the penalties are cumulative. A character can heal one Scratch per hour.

6 - 10: Staggered. You can only take partial actions. Two Staggered results increases your Wound level to Disabled.
11 - 15: Disabled. Just like 0 hit points, except that taking a "strenuous" activity will increase your Wound level to Dying. Two Disabled results increases your Wound level to Dying.

16 - 20: Dying. Just like -1 to -9 hit points. You have 10 rounds to stabilize, otherwise you're Dead.

21+: Dead.

 

[Crothian]

It's an interesting idea. Obviously it make fort so much more important then any other saving throw. Criticals can becmome instant death, though. Those x4 weapons will make impossible saving throws.

 

[LostSoul]

Yeah, you'd probably have to rework criticals. And maybe introduce an entirely new save category.

Healing and standard Clerics wouldn't look right, either.

It might work for a CoC game. (I hate acronyms, but I can't spell Cthulu. )

Too bad the d20 system seems to have a few things "hard-wired" into it. I'd like to see a d20 system that plays fast and loose with everything - the way the old WEG Star Wars game did. Especially in combat.

 

[Crothian]

MAybe you can make the wounds equal to 10 + con score. Then determine the different levels by percent. Larger creatures should have more wound levels.

How about we steal something from Star Wars? Instead of using the Defense bonus to add to AC we make this the save to help with damage. THis way there also isn't a feat to improve it. If it was based off of a fort save, who wouldn't take great fortitude?

Criticals: well, the game will be more dangerous, maybe that's a good thing. We could reduce them to x1.5, x2. x2.5 instead of x2, x3, and x4.

Actually, the biggest problem is spells. Try resisting a 10d6 fireball.

 

[LostSoul]

Having some kind of progression similar to Star Wars' Defense bonus might be a good thing. Tie it to the classes' current hit points - d10 - Good, d6 = Average, d4 = Poor. Maybe d8s and d12s get a class bonus every so often.

Spells are the big problem. I don't think you could do this without changing the setting somewhat.

 

[CuriousBard]

It was suggested in a Grim-n-Gritty setting to limit damage spells by either the odd=1 rule or simply setting spells at a fixed HD.

The first rule means that whenever you roll damage any odd numbers (1, 3, or 5) on any dice are automatically counted as 1. This would reduce the average damage of a Fireball from 35 to 25.....but it wouldn't do much of anything against Maximized Fireballs.

The latter rule would mean simply fixing the damage of a spell. So a fireball would probably do 6d6. 5d6 for wizards when they pick it up at 5th level and then maxes at 6d6. Magic Missile, on the other hand would simply do 1d4+1. No progression in damage at higher levels.

Now this might underpower Spell casters some, but as long as they benefit more from the hpt-less system, it should be a fair trade.

 

[twjensen]

New type of saving throw

I briefly considered something similar, but it didn't really end up fitting the flavor of the campaign I was going to run.

Basically it would work at a save vs damage dealt + some base DC. But instead of a standard save, you'd get a saving throw progression based on hit dice.

So D4 = standard bad save progression
D8 = standard good save progression

D6 = good save progression - 2 (so +0 at 1st)

D10 = good save progression +1 / 5 levels
D12 = good save progression +1 / 3 levels.

Damaging spells would all be set to half damage and have a lower base DC. (So weapons might have base DC 15, spells would start at 10). Combine that with the typical reflex save for half and the DC to resist a 10D6 fireball goes to between 19 (made the save, average roll on damage) to 27 (failed the save, average damage roll).

I also considered borrowing the damage code idea from Shadowrun. So every damage type would have a code reflecting what actually happens if you fail the save. Fireball, for example, has a 'lethal' damage code, meaning if you fail, you're barbecue. A sword would have a 'serious' damage code, (fail and you have penalties on all rolls, multiple failure results in being disabled or dying) etc.

It all depends on the flavor you're going for.

 

[LostSoul]

There is another way to handle spell damage. Limit the amount of damage to 1d6 per spell level.

A magic missile always does 1d6 damage (or 1d4+1, it's the same). Only one missile.

A fireball always does 3d6 damage.

 

[med stud]

There is a system for this in the role playing game Kult. If you can get hold on it, you might get some inspiration (just a warning: Kult might be viewed as very offensive by certain religious people. I just think it is silly and tiresome, but be prepared).

 

[gamecat]

0 - 5: Scratched. -1 to all rolls. You can have more than one Scratch, and the penalties are cumulative. A character can heal one Scratch per hour.

6 - 10: Staggered. You can only take partial actions. Two Staggered results increases your Wound level to Disabled.
11 - 15: Disabled. Just like 0 hit points, except that taking a "strenuous" activity will increase your Wound level to Dying. Two Disabled results increases your Wound level to Dying.

16 - 20: Dying. Just like -1 to -9 hit points. You have 10 rounds to stabilize, otherwise you're Dead.

21+: Dead.

*cough* *cough* *Shadowrun!* *cough* *cough*