New tidbit about spells and hit points.

[Cadfan]

Umm, it sounds exactly the same as the current method of tracking hit points.

I don't know if it will suck or rock yet, but I do know that I have never once been DMing and not known what my monsters hit points were.

 

[Reaper Steve]

I like it...except the -10 HP relic. I'd like to see the SW Saga approach. Unconscious when knocked below 0 HP, or dead if the killing blow did exceeded your threshold.

Although, D&D does need to keep the 'you have a few rounds to save the dying character' aspect.

 

[Someone]

I don't know if it will suck or rock yet, but I do know that I have never once been DMing and not known what my monsters hit points were.

Well, I've known players not knowing what their character's hit points were. They record damage suffered, so if a critter hit them for 3,5 and 4 hit poins, they record 3,5,4 in the sheet), and sometimes when they remember to add it they discover that they died a couple rounds ago.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Hm. I think I like that mechanic.

The condition track was interesting, but wouldn't scale to D&D very well. For instance, D&D characters seem to take fewer BIGGER hits than SWSE characters, which would regularly top their Damage Threshold. We were doing some quick math the other day and if we had run a combat using Damage Threshold from SWSE in our existing D&D game, every blow landed by one creature (which had multiple high-bonus attacks) would have tapped ANY of the characters' Damage Thresholds. This would have meant a five round combat where the creature banged every character down the condition track irregardless of healing (unless, we decided, Heal removes all conditions immediately).

In combats with creatures that have 1000hp (the dragon we've seen) the damage output expectations there would mean any level-tied Damage Threshold typed mechanic would have to scale enormously outside of level.

--fje

 

[F4NBOY]

Remember the combat against the dragon?

"...dropping the dragon down below half its hit points. Oh—that gives the dragon the opportunity use its breath weapon as an immediate action..."

What about that? The barbarian looses half of his HP. Now he is blooded and can activate Rage, or a more powerfull version of Rage!

It rocks!

 

[qstor]

I don't like the condition track in fantasy. The developers are always about hit points being better for the fantasy style of gaming. Conditions IMHO fit better in modern/sci-fi games. And as another poster mentioned its something else the DM has to keep track of. Negative hit points are easy to keep track of. Conditions aren't.

Mike

 

[Doug McCrae]

Yeah how am I supposed to keep track of which of my 20 goblins are bloodied? Oh I know, mook rules. They never get bloodied. That's only for a single monster versus many PCs.

 

[F4NBOY]

Yeah how am I supposed to keep track of which of my 20 goblins are bloodied? Oh I know, mook rules. They never get bloodied. That's only for a single monster versus many PCs.

Maybe goblins don't have any special power to activate when they drop below half hit points.

 

[Gundark]

Hey F4nboy. I notice your joindate is Aug 2007. Where you a member here before? If so, what was you handle?

Just curious

 

[Jeph]

Yeah how am I supposed to keep track of which of my 20 goblins are bloodied? Oh I know, mook rules. They never get bloodied. That's only for a single monster versus many PCs.

If you're tracking hp, shouldn't that tell you whether a monster's bloodied? No need to keep track of it separately. If you're really feeling zealous and organized, maybe have a little tick box by each monster's stat line that you tick when they drop to half, or drop a little red glass bead by their miniature.

And also, from my reading of the OP, it kinda sounds like save or dies will still be in the game, but only target enemies who are bloodied? Or am I off base?

I'd like that if it's true. It lets you have Slay Living spells that, you know, actually slay dudes, without reducing the whole combat to a single save.