D&D 5E Hp as meat and abstraction

[Lokiare]

The idea is some people view hp as meat and others don't. The question is how can fifth edition allow both playstyles to exist in the same game but at different tables?

One problem that has come up is damage on a miss for weapon attacks. For the hp is meat crowd it doesnt make sense. If you miss there is no physical damage. A fireball makes sense because the fire can move around all defenses.

I suggest for damage on a miss that if you miss by three points or less you deal the str mod damage. This should make both camps happy.

 

[Morrus]

Is there anyone who still views it as purely physical? I'm not saying such a person exists, but I've not encountered one.

 

[jodyjohnson]

They can do it with modules/options.

I've already written my module which has 3 categories for HP.

HP as Hit Points - for brutes, or meat only creatures
HP as half Hero Points and half Hit Points - most opponents, roughly like Bloodied.
HP as Hero Points only - PCs and levelled opponents (meat is 0 to - Con or -Con+level)

Then just resolve how various attacks work versus Hit Points or Hero Points (Plot armor).

Hero Points recover fast, Hit Points recover slow.

I'd drop this in whatever edition I feel like playing.

 

[jodyjohnson]

Is there anyone who still views it as purely physical? I'm not saying such a person exists, but I've not encountered one.

Sure for doors, zombies, oozes, constructs, and other objects or massive bodies of flesh.

 

[Ichneumon]

I'm in the "ignore all metaphysical conundrums and just play" camp.

 

[Alzrius]

I've got an idea for resolving this issue once and for all: the two groups get together and fight it out. The group with the most people standing at the end obviously has the more correct idea for how taking damage in combat works.

Actually, on second thought, that might be a bad idea. The "hit points as nonphysical combat efficacy" people would keep missing their opponents, but still think that they were wearing them down due to their hilariously off-target blows eroding their enemies' luck and divine protection. The "hit points as meat" crowd would then proceed to beat the ever-loving crap out of them, thus showing that the "bloodied" condition is, in fact, literal.

 

[darjr]

I don't take HP to be purely physical. But I very much dislike the take on HP in Next. To me HP is like light, a particle and a wave. Pushing it to much in one direction or the other leaves out certain styles of play. It hard codes certain playstyles, bakes them into the rules.

 

[amerigoV]

Is there anyone who still views it as purely physical? I'm not saying such a person exists, but I've not encountered one.

I do!

For example, here is 4 hp (say first level):

Here is 30 hp (say 5th level)

Here is 100 hps (say 12th level)

Here is 170 (say 20th level)

HP as meat is perfectly logical.

 

[Mistwell]

Sure for doors, zombies, oozes, constructs, and other objects or massive bodies of flesh.

So in 3e when you played a warforged character (a construct), you were getting physically more dense when you leveled? And I guess, stronger too, or else your speed would slow down as you leveled. Same for the zombie template in 3e?

 

[Ahnehnois]

I've got an idea for resolving this issue once and for all: the two groups get together and fight it out. The group with the most people standing at the end obviously has the more correct idea for how taking damage in combat works.

Actually, on second thought, that might be a bad idea. The "hit points as nonphysical combat efficacy" people would keep missing their opponents, but still think that they were wearing them down due to their hilariously off-target blows eroding their enemies' luck and divine protection. The "hit points as meat" crowd would then proceed to beat the ever-loving crap out of them, thus showing how the "bloodied" condition doesn't mean "too winded/demoralized/unlucky/abandoned by God to keep fighting."

Man I wish I could XP that.