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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5939880" data-attributes="member: 42582">This is an interesting point, and I think this thread is the first time I've heard it (from you and [MENTION=37277]Mercutio01[/MENTION]) - so there can be something new in a hit point thread!That "sacrifce to the god of resource management vibe" doesn't do a lot for me personally, but I can see that others might find it important.That's not true. In 4e some psychic damage is loss of morale (eg when you take 1d6 psychic damage from the Horrid Visage of a Deathlock Wight). You can also deal hit point damage via socia skill checks that demoralise a foe (see eg <a href="http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/duad/20080613a" target="_blank">Heathen</a> in Dungeon magazine, or Cairn of the Winter King in the Monster Vault boxed set).Just as in the real world, so in my game - the PCs are capable of engaging in social activity, and setting aside time for it, without being injured.These comments read to me like some sort of projection of your own concerns about D&D play. Not everyone is playing D&D as a gritty challenge game. Or as a dungeon crawl game. The default mode of 4e, it seems to me, is heroic, mythic fantasy. As in (for example) LotR, the protagonists mostly avoid injury, rather than having to recover from it.It's actually not true that there's no other description available. From many threads, it seems to me that the most common way of narrating this in 4e play is to be reasonably non-commital in the narration of the blow that drops a PC to 0 hp (a bit like Tolkien is with the spear thrust that drops Frodo) and then to render the description more precise (as a serious, mortal wound, or as a less serious blow that caused temporary reeling/swooning) once the mechanical resolution is complete: 3 failed death saves, stability but unconsciousness, or a quick recovery when inspired by a leader or drawing on one's own inner reserves.There a lot of possibilities. Burning Wheel has slow recovery, is dramatic and is player driven. My 4e game has fast recovery, is dramatic and is player driven. Rolemaster has slow recovery, is often gritty rather than dramatic, and can be player or GM-driven depending on other variables. Etc etc.You are right that there is no "one size fits all".I agree with this.[MENTION=87792]Neonchameleon[/MENTION] has been posting for at least a while now that spell recovery and hit point recovery should be on the same cycle (so spellcasters and warriors are on a common resource recovery cycle).Burning Wheel links its health recovery cycle to its lifestye maintenance cycle, its training rules and other longer-term aspects of gameplay.A well-designed game will take account of how all these aspects of play fit together.</blockquote>

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