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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gorgon Zee" data-source="post: 8005863" data-attributes="member: 75787">For hit point attrition, here are my experiences for various systems of D&D:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">AD&D: Just brutal. Even at mid levels the cost of healing was so high, and natural healing so slow that running out of healing was the main reason to turn around and go home. At low levels the game is defined by attrition, no way I could see to play any other style (unless you throw in some magical help, I guess)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">3E / PF1: Mixed at low levels. Having a healbot ... err ... cleric in the party made a big difference. I have many memories of LG tables self-organizing with yells going out "anyone have a cleric around level 5?". At higher levels you needed a cleric to counter some insta-death attacks, but once a wand of cure light wounds became cheap (maybe around level 6?) hit-point attrition was not possible without GM fiat</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">4E: Hit point attrition is replaced with healing surge attrition. You could run attrition scenarios (and I did!) but it was not the default and didn't;t have the same feel. Going into a fight low on hits makes you feel worried. Going in with only one or two surges just didn't. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">13th Age: Uses a similar system to 4E (recoveries instead of surges). Because it integrates combat and non-combat encounters better than most D&D variants, it made it easier to design attrition scenarios, but out-of-the-box, not designed for attrition games.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">PF2: I'd place it lower than AD&D (of course!) and about the same as level 3-5 3E/PF1, but definitely easier to run attrition games in than mid-high 3E/PF1, 4e or 13A. </li> </ul>I have played/run less than 20 5E games, so I cannot comment on its suitability. But if you are interested in running attrition scenarios across a variety of play levels, then either go for AD&D -- which is out-of-the-box all about hit point attrition -- or PF2, which in my experience is the next most easy for a GM to tailor for attrition.</blockquote>

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