Problems with HP

[Ace32]

I run a game set in a futuristic fantasy world, with space ships and such, and I've run into a problem regarding player (and NPC) HP. Tense situations, like being held at gunpoint, aren't tense at all for players anymore, because they *know* that a gun only does so much damage.

How can I fix this? I would think that a gun held to someone's forehead would kill them, instantly (unless for some reason a helmet was on that could stop it). What about explosions? If someone got hit by an anti-tank gun, should they be able to survive?

Anybody have any house rules regarding this?

 

[Crothian]

The easiest thing it to make it a Coup de Grace. Being shot point blank by a guy holding a gun directly to your head counts, IMO.

That would make it an automatic critical and require a fort save DC 10 + damage ( i think that's the formula, it's been awahile since that has come up) or die.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Yeah, in D&D an attack like that is a coup de grace. It's an automatic hit, automatic critical hit, automatic sneak attack (if the character has that ability) and to top it off, the victim has to make a Fort save vs. DC 10 + the damage dealt or die.

Your other option is to switch to a Star Wars VP/WP system, which makes combat a lot more realistic but also decreases the chances of player survival. VP (vitality) represent fatigue and energy, and are just like hit points. WP (wounds) are represented by your constitution, and critical hits (as well as coups des graces) deal wound damage.

 

[poilbrun]

I am not a huge fan of the VP/WP system myself, except in this specific case. The VP/WP system creates a sense of danger for the players Unfortunately, at low level, it REALLY unbalances things : you now have to deal 15 damage to kill a goblin (4 VP and 11 WP). The best way would then be not to use WP for monsters. But then, what happens if a PC puts a monster in the kind of situation you described?

That's the main problem I have with the VP/WP system, and the reason I don't use it... As soon as you reach mid-levels, everything's fine, but at low-level, things are too imbalanced : a character has to be dealt between 8 and 18 more damage before being killed, thus making the players feel more powerful than with the normal system. And as I said, the CR for monster becomes unbalanced...

 

[mmadsen]

Your other option is to switch to a Star Wars VP/WP system, which makes combat a lot more realistic but also decreases the chances of player survival.

You seem to be ignoring that characters get more hit points under a Vitality/Wounds system; they get as many vitality points as they had hit points under D&D, but they get wound points equal to their Constitution.

This reduces the gigantic difference between first and second level (and third, and so on), and that's a good thing, but you need a way to make attacks lethal to cannon fodder again. One easy solution would be to force coup-de-grace style Fort checks against big attacks (e.g. over half remaining hit points).

 

[Crothian]

ACtually in the HP system you can go to -10. but at -1 you are unconscience. In the VP/WP system you get WP equal to your con, but you might not be inconscience when you take WP damage. So, people will put themselves in more jepordy.

 

[Corwyn]

The Grim and Gritty hp system is another way to go.
verry little hp and that in combination with the coup de grace or with weapons that deal great amounts of damage wil be quite deadly.
Just my two cents.