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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ydars" data-source="post: 4555058" data-attributes="member: 62992">I would design the damage/healing system so that it can work for two different paradigms at once; the cinematic, arse-kicking fast healing one and a realistic, nasty and gritty one where healing is rare. I would keep HP but redfine them to mean actual physical harm, not some mixture of morale, physical and spiritual damage. You might then see a game in which HP never increase with level, leading to a game where characters CAN die realistic deaths. Then I would give PCs things like per encounter "fate points" that they can spend to reduce a wound that would ordinarily deal physical damage to dealing a sort of temp damage to a "fatigue score" that equates to the character's morale and ability to fight and avoid harm. This fatigue is what would increase with level, as would the fate points. I would make fatigue the focus of warlord powers and inspiring words and all "in battle healing" etc (as I like these mechanics, but hate the mix-up now where HP loss/gain equates with no actual mesaurable property).  Real healing (of HP loss) should be painfully slow without magical aid and even then it would please me to see some mechanics for permanent harm from HP loss. I think it is time for D&D to 'fess up to its pulp roots; and it is rare in this type of story for a hero to be physically wounded, though they get the crap kicked out of them and roughed up regularly.  To cater for those who want the gritty realistic game I would have two types of monsters; those that can deal real HP physical damage straight up and those that have to chew through the fate points and fatigue first. The latter monsters can be used in cinematic combats whilst the former are very deadly at all levels and can be used to ground the game in a bit of reality. That way D&D could return to being a system for all gamers and not just those who like cinematic combat and gamist subsystems. Just a few thoughts.</blockquote>

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