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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 5715241" data-attributes="member: 3887">I think the salient point here is a D&D character can never be impaired. We're not talking about certain cases where an individual has performed without noticeable impairment even though they've sustained serious injuries. We're talking about being immune to impairment, because the system doesn't model it, which, in turn says something about the system's intent w/r/t modeling reality. Oh, I'm not arguing for specific injury rules for D&D, or death spiral mechanics. I'm, to quote hong, arguing for not thinking too much about fantasy. Because if you've OK with D&D's traditional hit point system, you're already accustomed to not thinking too much about fantasy. I'd give it C+... maybe a B-.As DM narration, it's fine. As comedy, it's gold, rather Pythonesque, since it's a description of a man who's 1) survived a melee with giants, 2) still able to walk around, run, and fight, presumably in heavy armor 3) not bleeding, in shock, or getting any worse, until 4) a small animal bites him on the ankle and he drops. It only makes sense if you're familiar with, and have at least partially internalized, an ablative hit point system like D&Ds. Try picturing that scene in a film... WTF! How did that drop him??!!I give this one a solid B. Cardiac arrest is a smart angle to take.However, it's still open to the criticism that no other form of strenuous activity will cause the inured fighter to arrest; riding 10 leagues, running in plate mail while carrying a sack of electrum pieces, bending bars/lifting gates, etc. There's just something special about the rat bite (or cat scratch)...It's a good way to describe it, but it still points to a system that's (willfully) terrible at modeling reality.</blockquote>

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