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[Playtest 2] HP thresholds
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<blockquote data-quote="Badapple" data-source="post: 5999160" data-attributes="member: 71811"><p>One potential problem I see with damage thresholds is if as a DM I am running bad guys with these kinds of powers.</p><p> </p><p>Since as a DM I know what all my players' current hp and max hp is, I'll know which PCs will be affected and which won't. Sure, I have to try to rp the monster/npc and not use this knowledge abusively... but this is the monsters' schtick and they are going to use it reasonably effectively.</p><p> </p><p>Potential problems:</p><p> </p><p>Say I've got a demon with some kind of death spell he can use 1x day. This creature is intelligent, figures the party that is challenging him is tough enough to resist it. So he has his minions bash on the party for a while, maybe spends a round or two doing damage himself. At what point is he going to risk using his power? Now I have to try to be fair to the players, but at the same time I as the DM know the party's hp... </p><p> </p><p>Wizard PCs are going to be hit with 3x as many spell effects... reasonably smart bad guys will know they have the lowest hp, certainly the lowest max hp. Same for any other PCs with low hp.</p><p> </p><p>If it gets switched to current instead of max hp, it will be a form of "piling on" to already battered PCs. For example... lets say I'm running a fight with the aforementioned demon and a few minions. One of the PCs gets hit twice or crit by the melee minions and loses a fair amount of hp. Blam, now on top of that he'll be the one hit by the death spell, because the bad guy spellcaster can make the reasonable deduction (even though it's a certainty because as a DM I know the hp totals of the party) that this PC will be subject to the spell effect, wheras he won't be sure (even if as the DM I am sure) that his spell would work on a different party member. This pc might feel cheated "Hey... first I get hit and crit by these guys now I'm instakilled with no save??? this sucks"</p><p> </p><p>Idk, I think the hp thresholds have some good points, especially if it is a PC using it on an enemy. But there's definately a lot of concern out there. When it comes to monsters using them on PCs I'd almost always rather there be some kind of save involved rather than an autoeffect depending on the PC's hp.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Badapple, post: 5999160, member: 71811"] One potential problem I see with damage thresholds is if as a DM I am running bad guys with these kinds of powers. Since as a DM I know what all my players' current hp and max hp is, I'll know which PCs will be affected and which won't. Sure, I have to try to rp the monster/npc and not use this knowledge abusively... but this is the monsters' schtick and they are going to use it reasonably effectively. Potential problems: Say I've got a demon with some kind of death spell he can use 1x day. This creature is intelligent, figures the party that is challenging him is tough enough to resist it. So he has his minions bash on the party for a while, maybe spends a round or two doing damage himself. At what point is he going to risk using his power? Now I have to try to be fair to the players, but at the same time I as the DM know the party's hp... Wizard PCs are going to be hit with 3x as many spell effects... reasonably smart bad guys will know they have the lowest hp, certainly the lowest max hp. Same for any other PCs with low hp. If it gets switched to current instead of max hp, it will be a form of "piling on" to already battered PCs. For example... lets say I'm running a fight with the aforementioned demon and a few minions. One of the PCs gets hit twice or crit by the melee minions and loses a fair amount of hp. Blam, now on top of that he'll be the one hit by the death spell, because the bad guy spellcaster can make the reasonable deduction (even though it's a certainty because as a DM I know the hp totals of the party) that this PC will be subject to the spell effect, wheras he won't be sure (even if as the DM I am sure) that his spell would work on a different party member. This pc might feel cheated "Hey... first I get hit and crit by these guys now I'm instakilled with no save??? this sucks" Idk, I think the hp thresholds have some good points, especially if it is a PC using it on an enemy. But there's definately a lot of concern out there. When it comes to monsters using them on PCs I'd almost always rather there be some kind of save involved rather than an autoeffect depending on the PC's hp. [/QUOTE]
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[Playtest 2] HP thresholds
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