Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dozen" data-source="post: 6066653" data-attributes="member: 6698275">There are two things we can dispute in this reasoning. You are right, a good blow from both a greataxe and an arming sword will kill most people, possibly on the spot, therefore the hit point system comes off as kind of weird. By this logic, the amount of damage shouldn't be relevant, since everyone should just fall over dead when hit. But as you  apply real life physics to a game(which is quite silly), you have to apply D&D rules to reality(equally silly). You didn't consider that most people today, D&D-wise, are 1-3th level Experts, then a couple of Commoners and Rogues, sprinkled with a few Aristocrats and Warriors - we're hardly the epitome of hit points. And, in our world, nobody advances beyond the equalient of 4-7 levels. Ever. It just can't possibly happen. The amount of progress in experience a real person can make over the course of a lifetime is severely limited compared to game characters. No matter how hard a time you're having, you won't walk out of it as a hero from Greek epics.But why can characters do that when we can't? I mean, aside from how the game isn't supposed to make sense in this regard, because we're looking for answers. Well, can't say I have an undisputable one, but I'd explain it to my players with the plot device which explains pretty much everything: Planescape philosophy.In case you never played that campaign setting, the main premise of it can be summed up as 'Want makes right'. Faith shapes every world, every plane. Just by believing in something, it can, under the right circumstances, become real. Now, there is a philosophy(the followers of which are called Godsmen), which dictates becoming a deity and beyond should be a lifegoal. Only Godsmen are actively pursuing godhood, of course, but widely known and accepted as a fact that a mortal can become one of them by following the path to power. All creatures have heard the stories about mortals completing tasks, living through hardships and overcoming overwhelming odds, emerging as immortal, powerful beings as a result. Heracles, Vecna, Zagyg - these objects of worship are role models for the creatures of this world. And the belief of all these mortals ensures the world will give a fair chance to everyone. Thus, when a character reach a certain level of experience and skill - when they achieve power, thoughness, tenacity, wile and luck that should be out of their league - they cease to be everyday people. They cannot be killed by one meager swing of a mundane weapon. Not a single, lone mortal being poses real threat to them, thus they aren't completely mortal, not anymore. They are better because next to everyone around expects someone like them to be better. They are on the path of gaining a divine rank. They are now heroes. One of them could very well turn out to be the next god in a century.So, what do you think? Fair enough?</blockquote>

Verification