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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8501927" data-attributes="member: 42582">The bulk of attacks that deal hit point damage in 5e are resolved using the same process Gygax described. "Telling blows" work the same in 5e D&D as in AD&D. [USER=16814]@Ovinomancer[/USER] and I already noted that dropping a creature to zero hp generates a non-epiphenomenal leftward-pointing arrow; and I also drew attention to Baker's structurally identical example of if it's 8 or more hit points, your character knocks my character down.But most attacks in 5e, as in AD&D, aren't telling blows or knockbacks/downs. The only effect is to reduce the hp tally.The difference here is that grapple imposes "conditions" like immoblised, grappled, be unable to move, etc (precise details depend on edition); and it fees into movement (eg being dragged in your condition) which in most versions of D&D does generate a non-epiphenomenal leftward-pointing arrow.The point of a system like RM or RQ is to have fiction in combat other than position, movement ability and (perhaps) degree of vulnerability (this is a factor in AD&D - eg losing DEX and shield bonuses due to the fiction - and to an extent in 3E but less so in 4e and 5e). The fiction includes the stuff that Gygax eschews and that 5e follows him in eschewing - where and how the victim of an attack is hurt.I don't see the point of trying to elide the difference between D&D and RQ/RM/C&S/etc, as far as combat rules are concerned.</blockquote>

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