How do you describe hp loss?

[Aus_Snow]

Kind of similar to Thanee's system, mine is probably (Ok, definitely) a bit nastier, but also more hassle to use, I suppose.

There are categories of 'woundedness' which have various effects. And other things besides. Suffice to say, I go into a lot more detail (as do the players) concerning wounds and their effects, than is the norm when using the actual D&D rules.

Yes, that was an understatement, OK.

Actual hits, actual wounds, actual pain and blood. Mm, blood.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I stick by the RAW and keep descriptions pretty simple. I try to give 1st-round attacks, creative maneuvers, and critical hits exciting description. PCs in the 10% of total HP tend to take the serious wounds: slashed across the throat, roasted by a fireball, impaled on a spear. That sort of thing. I try and time it when they'll go unconscious and begin bleeding out.

The hard part is knowing where the PC's at in terms of hit points. I like the idea of tracking them myself (old college DM used to do so, worked out well), but it's a lot to track for me so I don't do it. But I still need to know what's going on in order to give the proper description.

 

[sckeener]

I seem to do it similar to others here...scratches and stuff until the killing blow and then I go into full detail glory....

If I know it is coming, I usually have a stock neutral tone description....if the killing blow comes out of no where (typically) then my players get my spur of the moment descriptions.

One of my fuzzy bunny players was disturbed when I had the fingers of an inflict wounds spell melt into the flesh leaving a tiny holy symbol where the palm of the hand was.

 

[MarkB]

I always describe hit point loss as physical injury. The concept of a 'near miss' inflicting actual hit point damage just makes a mockery of the poison and DR rules.

Small hits are light grazes, hits which account for a significant proportion of total HPs are deep gashes or cracked ribs, descriptions of life-threatening injuries are reserved for attacks which drop the target into negative hit points.

 

[sniffles]

Also, players do not get to know their own hit points, but rather only know the general condition they are in. This is meant to be a means to make the characters more alive as 'real' persons, not just some numbers on a sheet of paper.

Bye
Thanee

I like your concept of making the damage seem more 'real' instead of just numbers, but as a player I'd want to be the one determining what condition my character is in - or more importantly, how my character conveys his condition to the other characters. You can't always tell how badly hurt someone is by a visual assessment, and injuries that bleed a lot aren't necessarily serious. I don't like the idea of the GM telling me what my character is doing except when absolutely necessary as with a spell effect, for example.

I have one GM who usually gives a one-line description of damage based on how well the NPC rolled, such as "his sword skitters off your armor" for a failed to-hit roll, or "you feel a sharp pain in your left leg as his blade pierces your thigh" for a minor wound. I like that sort of description. It's short and sweet.

While the concept of including fatigue or some type of ability modifier for heavy damage appeals to the realist in me, D&D isn't a realistic game and making such modifications slows the game down in a way that I don't personally enjoy. I'd prefer to keep the effects of damage to simple description and roleplay rather than game mechanics.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Unless it forces a Massive Damage save (I use MDT=Con), hits are grazes, near-misses, and bad blocks. You lose a little blood, you pick up some bruises, life moves on.

Wounds that force a Massive Damage save are more serious injuries, but as long as you make the saving throws, they're not critical. You've got blood pooling inside your gauntlets (good thing you're wearing them), you're really going to be sore in the morning, and your ears are ringing.

Fail a Massive Damage save, and you're somewhere between down and bleeding out and flat dead, and I'll describe your wounds accordingly. (Characters drop to -(margin of failure) and die at -Con.)

Wounds that take away your last handful of hit points are described as lucky shots that got through because you're exhausted-- and aren't even serious on their own.

I'm liking Thanee's application of fatigued and exhausted, though... I wouldn't link it directly to percentage of hit points remaining (because of low-level characters) but I'm definitely considering adding some kind of damage track. (Been thinking on it since I saw the Star Wars Saga Edition chat...)

 

[taliesin15]

I think Thanee's system

[i.e.
91%+ --- scratched
76%-90% --- lightly wounded
etc.]

so brilliant that I think I'm going to use it

of course witholding the knowledge of hit points is another matter, and I can see why it would work better that way

I'm curious if anyone's ever had PCs lose limbs (ala the "none shall pass" scene in Monty Python Holy Grail) instead dying when getting to -10...?

 

[The Human Target]

HP damage is depicted as an escalating series of near misses, glancing blows, scratches, and last ditch blocks.

Crits are scar worthy solid blows that draw blood and have a chance of some slight maiming.

I also use the Unearthed Aracana variant that you can't drop below 0 hp and when you hit 0 you have to make a save or enter various stages of injury or outright death.

Poison affects only come into play on crits, any attacks made against flat footed enemies, and any attacks that drop a character to zero hp.

If I didn't have that, I'd use Wound/Vitality points.

While its true that this doesn't 100% mesh with the standard concept (the already mentioned poison and DR rules, etc) it makes more sense to me than the concept of after every hit causes a cut or wound.

 

[Greg K]

I also use something similar to Thanee's which I first discovered in a fanzine called Scrollworks. However, I initially assume glancing blows, near misses and scratches unless a hit drops you immediately to fatigue or exhaustion.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I do lots of visuals in my pbp, making the blows painful but not crippling. A fighter in my game just got his nose broken by an animated statue, for instance.