HP problem?

[Romotre]

We all know that HP's at high level makes things rediculous. Falling 300 ft, 20 x-box bolts et cetera. What if we did it like 2nd edition (oh gasp!) where after like 10th level or so you got a fixed amount of HP (which is less than average). Like 1 HP for 1d4 and 1d6, 2 1d8 and 1d10 and 3 for 1d12. or 1 for d4, 2 for d6, 3 for d8, 4 for d10 and 5 for 12. While the first method clumps them together, the second is not that much less than the average. maybe take away some or all of the con bonus. don't worry con will still be good for all those other HP you got on the first level not to mention the Fort save and whatnot. i dunno. it seems like we always either A) fix each thing (ie make falling hurt more) or B) come up with some crazy wound/vitality/static health system which i do like but is not for dnd. i don't think giving less HP at higher levels would unbalance thing too much, just give the stronger monsters a few less HP. i just realize i'm ranting. oops.

 

[Crothian]

It can get a little bit unrealistic. I can especially see it with people who use HP house rules that allow people to reroll or stuff like that.

I think the idea can work if you are worried about this. I think a wound system or something along that line would be better. Not that I have a great idea for such a thing, but I think the problem is more with HPs in general and not so much with the numbers.

 

[Wolf72]

you could use the death from massive damage option in the DMG ... it's based on size ... so anytime a medium size creature takes x amount of dmg (50 i think) it needs to make a fort save v death ... sure high lvls are gonna make it most of the time ... but you could stun them for a number of rounds as well (even if they save)

 

[N Hammer]

I use common sense....If a character falls 300 ft then he is dead...No rolling

It just depends on the situation.

I don't want to screw the player, but in some situations, dead is dead.

Luckily I have players with common sense.

 

[Blueicus]

hmm...

People (though not all that many) have survived falls of greater than 300 ft., by saying that they're "simply dead" is quite unfair. I mean, does that mean if a wizard goes and casts reverse gravity then cancels the spell when the victims are 300 ft. in the air they're 'simply dead'? I mean, who needs power word kill when you have reverse gravity?

With that being said, massive damage rules already facilitate high level falls (you can even up the saving throw DC if you think it's too low, perhaps to DC 15+[points of damage caused beyond 50/2]) and if you really want deadly crossbows from level 1 critters you can always use the variant double 20 is threat to kill rule listed in the DMG.

 

[poilbrun]

What would you do with monsters? A barbarian going from level 10 to level 11 would only gain 5 hp, but a dragon gaining his 11th HD would gain 1d12+con hp... It would REALLY unbalance high-level play against monsters...

 

[dcollins]

I would certainly recommend the use of "cumulative increasing damage" for environmental effects like falling, exposure, and starvation. It makes the high abstract hit points at upper levels have some reasonability (in dodging against combat blows), but more realistic in its vulnerability to purely undodgable damage (like falling or exposure).

One simple system is detailed here: www.superdan.net/environs.html

 

[Grazzt]

Dan has a good point. Use the old 1e rules for cumulative falling damage (or rather the rules Gygax wanted in the book but were "mis-edited" and screwed up in print). Cumulative falling damage makes falling a lot deadlier.

 

[Romotre]

That's fine with me. how do you handle situations like this. Person A sneaks up on Person B (who is sitting down at a bar). Person A is standing behind Person B and points a crossbow at his head and tells him not to move. Assuming Person B doesn't move, they talk (Person B still can't see Person A) then Person A pulls the trigger. Assuming Person B couldn't see him in a reflection or something, what happens? Normal hit/damage? Auto-hit? Auto-crit threat? auto-crit? CDG?

 

[Geoff Watson]

That's fine with me. how do you handle situations like this. Person A sneaks up on Person B (who is sitting down at a bar). Person A is standing behind Person B and points a crossbow at his head and tells him not to move. Assuming Person B doesn't move, they talk (Person B still can't see Person A) then Person A pulls the trigger. Assuming Person B couldn't see him in a reflection or something, what happens? Normal hit/damage? Auto-hit? Auto-crit threat? auto-crit? CDG?

Normal hit at +2 (attacker invisible). Normal Damage + Sneak Attack(attacker invisible).

Your other ideas make surprise attacks far too deadly.

Geoff.