On Hit Points

[Dogbrain]

In The Lord of the Rings a wizard like Gandalf faced in melee combat a demon (fallen maia) like the Balrog, so in game terms he was supposed to have enough toughness to beat it.

You mean a DEMIGOD like Gandalf. It has been very well and very conclusively established that Gandalf was a Maia, of the same order of beings as Sauron, essentially a demigod.

 

[Dogbrain]

Anyway, this is a difficult task to find a close-to-reality method of playing.

First, in that case, prohibit all magic.

 

[Dogbrain]

Here is the solution I'm using:

Tough Hero: 10hp at 1st level +1 HP/level
Strong Hero and Quick Hero: 8hp at 1st level +2 HP/3 levels
Smart, Dedicated, and Charismatic Heroes: 6hp at 1st level +1hp/2 levels.

Make up some of the difference by adjusting Defense scores.

 

[the Jester]

Because a warrior-like class strike her foes with a much better chance of success and she probably developes her physical stats more deeply than an arcane spellcaster which are more interested in the mental ones to increase their powers, though if both are men they may probably die from the same wounds. Anyway, this is a difficult task to find a close-to-reality method of playing. I'm just wondering and accept any help, like yours; so if you come to more conclusions on this I will gladly receive them. Thanks!

Well, the problem is that the wizard doesn't take anywhere near as much damage- cuz he stays far away, casts abjurations and blows up his enemy from afar.

I think if you're gonna cap hps, you should cap them at different levels for different classes- maybe 6xHD (so a wiz tops at 24 hp, a fighter at 60, up to a barb at 72)?

Really, I think that tampering with hp in such a fundamental way demands that you change a whole lot of other stuff as well. One example of many- how does con damage hit a 20th-level character? If he loses 6 con, does he suffer 60 hp of damage (and therefore pretty much die)? What about power word kill? It automatically works! What about when you make your save against a 15th level cleric's harm spell and still take 75 hp and die?

Worse, a high-level fighter can easily deal 60 hp in a single blow in 3e. It becomes even more of a 'who goes first' contest.

Can of worms.

 

[Mjollnir]

You mean a DEMIGOD like Gandalf. It has been very well and very conclusively established that Gandalf was a Maia, of the same order of beings as Sauron, essentially a demigod.

Gandalf the White announced that Sauron (without the One Ring) was even more powerful than himself, so I would consider Sauron as a Demigod in the apotheosis of his power, Gandalf would probably be a very powerful celestial being (Ok, Colonel Hardisson, I know this is not the proper forum, sorry )

 

[Mjollnir]

First, in that case, prohibit all magic.

That would be kind of boring! I know the idea is not easy to be developed, but what I really want to be understandable is that I'm looking for a system in which no matter how experienced you are, how much power you can handle, etcetera; you're still able to be killed by a simple orc.

 

[Dogbrain]

That would be kind of boring! I know the idea is not easy to be developed, but what I really want to be understandable is that I'm looking for a system in which no matter how experienced you are, how much power you can handle, etcetera; you're still able to be killed by a simple orc.

That's easy:

Fixed hit points at first level for all characters, let's say six HP.
Each additional class level simply gives a "HPB" that works like a saving throw bonus.

If a Tough Hero gets +4HP at first level and +1 HP per level afterwards while a Smart Hero gets +0HP at first level and +1HP/2 levels afterwards, there will be a class difference, no rulesy-breaksy "cap", and still a low maximum on HP.

Of course, a single fireball will devastate entire elite armies composed of 20th-level Tough Heroes, but them's the breaks.