Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
How do you handle hit points?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Laurefindel" data-source="post: 7590111" data-attributes="member: 67296"><p>I prefer seeing hp as something you <strong><em>spend </em></strong>rather than something you <strong><em>lose</em></strong>.</p><p></p><p>The default assumption is that if an opponent wants you dead and manages to overcome your defenses (with a successful attack roll or a failed save on your part); you're <strong><em>dead</em></strong>, (or <strong><em>dying </em></strong>to stay within D&D ruleset). If the opponent wants to incapacitate you; you're <strong><em>unconscious</em></strong>. If the opponent wants to slightly annoy you, you're slightly annoyed, etc. All your opponent has to do is succeed on its attack roll (or create the effect and wait for you to fail your saving throw)</p><p></p><p>Now as a player, you may not want this to happen to your character, so you can spend a number of <em><strong>hit points</strong></em> to *somehow* avoid the condition. How many hp? That depends on the severity of the attack, which is measured in <em><strong>damage</strong></em>. Additional effects carry over normally; maybe some of the poison did get into your system after all, or the mere presence of the undead sucked the life out of you. You escaped the vines, but it remains difficult to progress forward.</p><p></p><p>As long as you spend enough hp to negate the damage of the attack, you're fine for now. But since your hp are a finite resource, you won't be able to stay like that forever. I leave it up to the players to imagine or narrate how the condition was avoided. In extremis dodge? A lucky fumble on your part? Your weapons were locked in a parry? The attack bounced on that heavy pendant on your chest? Your helmet saved you from an otherwise fatal blow? It left a nasty but non-threatening cut? You just have that much "meat" on you? You just don't care as a player? All are equally valid; the point is that you're still up and fighting. You could describe yourself at 1 hp all bloody and bruised, unscathed but thoroughly spent, scratched up and visibly at the end of you rope, or any other description you can come up with.</p><p></p><p>So a character with a lot of hp is just that ; a character who can stay fine for a longer time despite the danger. Because of whatever reasons the player comes up with.</p><p></p><p>Some people like to play hp as a completely abstract measure. Others prefer a physical wounds causality, or somewhere in between where injuries start being visible past the 50% hp mark. Some change back and forth over the course of a game. I find that this way I can satisfy everyone's taste.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Laurefindel, post: 7590111, member: 67296"] I prefer seeing hp as something you [B][I]spend [/I][/B]rather than something you [B][I]lose[/I][/B]. The default assumption is that if an opponent wants you dead and manages to overcome your defenses (with a successful attack roll or a failed save on your part); you're [B][I]dead[/I][/B], (or [B][I]dying [/I][/B]to stay within D&D ruleset). If the opponent wants to incapacitate you; you're [B][I]unconscious[/I][/B]. If the opponent wants to slightly annoy you, you're slightly annoyed, etc. All your opponent has to do is succeed on its attack roll (or create the effect and wait for you to fail your saving throw) Now as a player, you may not want this to happen to your character, so you can spend a number of [I][B]hit points[/B][/I] to *somehow* avoid the condition. How many hp? That depends on the severity of the attack, which is measured in [I][B]damage[/B][/I]. Additional effects carry over normally; maybe some of the poison did get into your system after all, or the mere presence of the undead sucked the life out of you. You escaped the vines, but it remains difficult to progress forward. As long as you spend enough hp to negate the damage of the attack, you're fine for now. But since your hp are a finite resource, you won't be able to stay like that forever. I leave it up to the players to imagine or narrate how the condition was avoided. In extremis dodge? A lucky fumble on your part? Your weapons were locked in a parry? The attack bounced on that heavy pendant on your chest? Your helmet saved you from an otherwise fatal blow? It left a nasty but non-threatening cut? You just have that much "meat" on you? You just don't care as a player? All are equally valid; the point is that you're still up and fighting. You could describe yourself at 1 hp all bloody and bruised, unscathed but thoroughly spent, scratched up and visibly at the end of you rope, or any other description you can come up with. So a character with a lot of hp is just that ; a character who can stay fine for a longer time despite the danger. Because of whatever reasons the player comes up with. Some people like to play hp as a completely abstract measure. Others prefer a physical wounds causality, or somewhere in between where injuries start being visible past the 50% hp mark. Some change back and forth over the course of a game. I find that this way I can satisfy everyone's taste. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
How do you handle hit points?
Top