Question: Bite + Con Poison = Dead

[0-hr]

Makes me glad we always take the average for hit points each level...

 

[KarinsDad]

Makes me glad we always take the average for hit points each level...

We actually use low average as minimum.

So, you still roll it, but if you roll low, you get 2 on a D4, 3 on a D6, etc.

And, even average (or low average minimum like we use) does not always work if drop points per level is the rule.

14 CON 2nd level Rogue with 6 + 4 (depending on if you round up for average) = 14 gets hit with 12 CON damage. He loses 12 if you use the one method, 11 if you use the other.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

The way HP loss is handled is very simple, and it's on pg. 72 of the DMG.

Every time you lose a CON modifier, you lose 1 HP per level. You cannot go below 1 HP per level. Keeping track of what you rolled each level is pointless.

It also states, that a FULL HP score (emphesis mine), cannot drop below 1 HP per level. This may very well mean that if you are 10th level, and have 10 or more points of damage, that you are now disabled or worse.

Pesonally, I would still apply the damage first, as the posion still has to enter your veins through the wound. It's just a quirk of how D&D does posion that it is assumed to happen simultaneously.

 

[Astlin]

KarinsDad:

In our game, we always know how many hit points are from each level.

Out characer sheets look something like this:

Hit Points: 42 (10+4) + (8+4) + (3+4) + (5+4)

It really seems like the best way, and makes it easy to go back and check for errors in addition. We would certainly not consider doing it any other way.

For NPCs and monsters, well, no. You'd just take the points off per level. but they are just NPCs and monsters, so who cares if it is, perhaps, not quite accurate.

Cohorts would have their hit points recorded just like a POC, as would any animals companions, etc.

Ewww!!! Way too much paperwork for my taste.

We have addopted the Living City hp rules. It helps with those unlucky (and lucky) dice and makes it easy to figure negative levels (and whatnot).

In the last game we had going (WoT), one of the fighters rolled 1s and 2s every level for his character. IIRC we started at level five and it was quite a shock when we noticed that the party casters had more hits than he did.


Astlin

 

[CRGreathouse]

And actually worst case would be: 10+3+3+3+1

But, the question stands. Without actual hit point per level information, how do you know the answer on how many to lose?

Do you stop the game to pull out a bunch of old character sheets? How about for the monsters?

The rough approximation method is the only practical one, even though it can be a little on the high side.

10+3+3+3+1 isn't the worst case, since a loss of 2 Con would only result in 4 hit points lost, instead of 5 in the true worst case.

What do I do? I certainl don't keep track of hit points per level, but I assume that there's a good mix of rolls and work accordingly. (There are formulae that can do this, you know...)

 

[KarinsDad]

10+3+3+3+1 isn't the worst case, since a loss of 2 Con would only result in 4 hit points lost, instead of 5 in the true worst case.

Except that we were discussing a loss of 4 CON.

So, you would lose 8 total. For a 20 hit point 5th level Fighter, that is worse case scenario.

Best case scenario, as you pointed out, would be:

10+7+1+1+1

where he would only lose 4 hit points.


And, that brings up an interesting point.

5th level Fighter #1: 20 hit points, loses 8 hit points

5th level Fighter #2: 20 hit points, loses 4 hit points

Why in the world would you want to have a rule that favors some characters over others with the exact same levels and hit points?

If I were the player of the first Fighter, I would be bitching.

It's vastly preferable to have a rule that is equitable across the board.

What do I do? I certainl don't keep track of hit points per level, but I assume that there's a good mix of rolls and work accordingly. (There are formulae that can do this, you know...)

Such as? Are we going into Differential Equations, just to figure out a reasonable answer?

You could also create a chart for each character that says:

CON loss * level down to CON 10
x points CON 8 or 9
y points CON 6 or 7

etc.

But, what a pain for something that can be approximated so easily.

 

[Darklone]

Hey guys, we keep track of all hitpoint dice results for leveling too.

Besides, it's a lot better than a certain 2nd edition lvl3 paladin with 9 hitpoints!