Rant on d20

[MutantHamster]

Better able to avoid damage? I tought that was dexterity?

 

[Wolfspider]

You wanna finish that sentence there bud? Im just sitting here waiting to see what hp does represent.

Wow. You have a bad attitude. I'm sorry I participated in this thread at all. It was obviously a complete waste of my time.

 

[MutantHamster]

Hey sorry if I come off as mean cuz turst me I dont mean to be. (no pun intended) Anyway I might be wrong about this whole hp thing but what is it that you thought hp represented?

 

[Psion]

Better able to avoid damage? I tought that was dexterity?

(sigh)

Yes, dexterity lets you avoid damage, inasmuch as it increases your reflex saves and AC. You are thinking in rather concrete terms, whereas HP are abstract.

HP gains by levels are more representative of an accross the board effect of luck, skill, and sheer heroism (or "script immunity," if you will) than they are of sheer toughness.

Think of your typical action movie. The hero is getting pursued by the thugs, and the thugs miss every time. A bullet hits the concrete next to the hero's head, or where it was a moment ago. Is it because the hero is doing some fastastic sommersaults? No, usually not. It's usually blind luck and what is often referred to as "script immunity." The author intends for the focus character to survive. And likewise, typically the D&D game intends the PCs to survive.

Now you could do this in other ways that would be more viscerally satisfying to you, but the thing that makes HP mechanics work is that
1) They work with a fair degree of consistency, and
2) They work rather simply.

If you want to increase the lethality of your game considerably* and/or complicate the game to satisfy your visceral desire to avoid the abstraction that HPs represent, then by all means do so. But do so conscious of what the mechanic really represents, because from your post here, you clearly don't.

* - Not that there is anything wrong with more lethal games if that is what you and your players want, but it is not the typical D&D paradigm.

 

[MutantHamster]

Right! So if you move your head, wich I assumed was a facet of your muscles and you know dexterity, to dodge a bullet its experience! Genius! Why didnt I ever see it that way! I think I'll stick to a method that makes sense though. And maybe post it in HOUSE RULES

 

[Psion]

Right! So if you move your head, wich I assumed was a facet of your muscles and you know dexterity, to dodge a bullet its experience!

No, no, no. If you look at it that way, all action heroes would have dexterities of like 40, because they never get hit. At least, they never get hit until those grueling final moments.

I think I'll stick to a method that makes sense though.

To be fair... it's a noble thought. It really is. But I think you underestimate the game design task standing before you. Unless you are willing to accept a higher mortality rate, it is going to add complication to your game. If you are willing to accept that, best of luck to you.

 

[MutantHamster]

Oh wait i just remembered something! I'm a lazy *ss. I think i'm gonna stick to HP seeing as how you've put it. But now that I've got to working on it, I'm gonna make the best f-ing campaign setting ever, complete with Demiplanes, Politics, Political Leaders, Plots, Astoronomy, Religion, Orginizations, Monsters, Feats, Spells, a new Arcane Magic System, More Treasure, More Special Items, More Creature Templates, More Monster Types, More Elementals, and best of all 25 different Player Races, over 10 with no Level adjustment at all!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi all!

A number of points in this thread:

Problem with Armour adding to AC not reducing damage (as it should):

Imagine two characters hit by an exploding fireball (or grenade) - one is wearing armour, the other is not - obviously the armour should reduce the damage!

Problem with hit points being unrealistic:

They do not represent injury in any way. Think of two boxers fighting - are they as fresh and energetic at the end of the fight as they are at the beginning - no. That is even less severe than the effects weapon damage (even scratches and minor wounds) would inflict!

 

[Nightfall]

*cheers on his mate Krusty* You tell em my mate!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Each edition of D&D has tried to explain what hit points represent. Still, there are people that have continually failed to grasp the concept. Or, they either refuse to accept it or dislike it. I've become aware that it's useless to try to explain the concept each time the argument comes up, because those who dislike hit points simply won't accept them no matter how they're explained. Same thing with classes. Or armor class. Or saving throws. Or Vancian magic systems. Or whatever.