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<blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 5042691" data-attributes="member: 1645">I think we agree that hit points provide &quot;plot protection&quot; and all players to behave heroically, within limits.&nbsp; But they have numerous downsides too; otherwise they wouldn't be a source of decades of debate about how &quot;unrealistic&quot; they are.People clearly like the &quot;plot protection&quot; element of hit points, whether they realize it or not, and people clearly do not like game mechanics that bypass this plot protection, like &quot;save or die&quot; spells.&nbsp; One way around this problem is to remove save-or-die by modifying formerly deadly spells and traps to do hit point damage, or to &quot;nerf&quot; them to save-or-inconvenience, or whatever.Or we could go in the opposite direction and accept hit points as luck points -- and allow them to be used to improve saves, AC, etc.&nbsp; Then, getting hit would force a save vs. swords, spears, and arrows, but heroes and villains would have luck points to spend, while powerful characters without plot protection would have to accept their fate.&nbsp; And heroes could use those same luck points to avoid getting hit, etc., without creating odd situations of &quot;hits&quot; that are narrated not to be hits, but forcing poison saves, etc.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mmadsen, post: 5042691, member: 1645"] I think we agree that hit points provide "plot protection" and all players to behave heroically, within limits. But they have numerous downsides too; otherwise they wouldn't be a source of decades of debate about how "unrealistic" they are. People clearly like the "plot protection" element of hit points, whether they realize it or not, and people clearly do not like game mechanics that bypass this plot protection, like "save or die" spells. One way around this problem is to remove save-or-die by modifying formerly deadly spells and traps to do hit point damage, or to "nerf" them to save-or-inconvenience, or whatever. Or we could go in the opposite direction and accept hit points as luck points -- and allow them to be used to improve saves, AC, etc. Then, getting hit would force a [i]save vs. swords, spears, and arrows[/i], but heroes and villains would have luck points to spend, while powerful characters without plot protection would have to accept their fate. And heroes could use those same luck points to avoid getting hit, etc., without creating odd situations of "hits" that are narrated not to be hits, but forcing poison saves, etc. [/QUOTE]

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