The Crimson Binome
Hero
Don't conflate the explanation of the rules for the actual rules themselves, even if that explanation is in the book. The actual rules for every edition prior to 4E are that you can only suffer HP damage from things that are physically capable of damaging your body; we know this, by looking at the different things that cause HP damage, and comparing them to the things that work through other mechanics.I decided to go through the old Player Handbooks for 2nd Edition and 3rd Edition because I wanted to make sure I responded appropriately to what you're presenting here. After looking at how Hit Points were dealt with in 2nd Edition, 3rd Edition, 4th Edition, and 5th Edition, what I'm seeing is an evolution of concept design, not a deviation. I understand that you have your way of playing your game and earlier editions allowed you to do that for you. I also understand that you disagreed with the evolution direction that they went with 4th and 5th editions, but you're conflating your House-rules with RAW and the examples you brought up above, you even straight up and said that the gameplay seem to go that direction. Just because they decided to actually take that next step with 4th Edition, doesn't mean they were in the wrong.
The explanation for those rules may suggest that it's possible to take HP damage without some corresponding physical injury, but that interpretation is flatly contradicted by the actual rules in the book. If it was possible to cause HP damage without causing physical injury, then there would be something in the game which actually worked that way, but there conspicuously is not. The absence of evidence is evidence of absence.
The explanation may suggest that being scared by a ghost can cause HP damage, but the actual rule is that being scared by a ghost can just kill you outright (if you fail your system shock for magical aging); until 4E came along, where it suddenly does "psychic" damage.
I care about rules. I don't care about ridiculous interpretations of those rules, regardless of how official those interpretations may be.Also, the comment you made above about not caring about the rules and only caring about how things are at your table, all the arguments of objectivity that you've been making up to this s point have been completely thrown out the window with that statement. You can't insist on having objectivity within a game rule set and then turn around and say that the rules don't matter when it conflicts with your House-rules and how you want to run your game. It doesn't work that way.
The game can include twelve paragraphs about how amazingly lethal a sling bullet is, but if it does less damage than an arrow, then those twelve paragraphs are incorrect as a point of simple fact. And the fact of the matter is that, prior to 4E, the description of HP in the book did not align with how the rules of HP actually operated.