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<blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 180777" data-attributes="member: 1645">If I may trace the argument back a bit, it started with Monte Cook's contention that Hit Points aren't just a simple-to-use mechanic, but that they scale well.&nbsp; If there's one complaint about Hit Points, it's not that they're too simple; it's that they don't scale well.&nbsp; Many, many people complain about how many Hit Points high-level characters have and how that distorts things (zero fear of a dozen crossbowmen, healing potions not curing minor scratches on heroes, etc.).That turned into a broader discussion of Hit Points, AC, etc.&nbsp; If I could make just one point about Hit Points, it's that D&amp;D's high-hp, low-AC system is not the one and only way to have a simple system with a heroic flavor.Actually, I think other mechanics can yield the same epic flavor without some of the glaring inconsistencies.&nbsp; I'm not arguing for a grittier flavor.&nbsp; I'm trying to clarify that the dichotomy between simple and heroic vs. complex and gritty is a false dichotomy.When I say that the system could just as easily use a higher-AC, lower-hp methodology to acheive epic flavor and playability, I'm not saying that cranking out house rules and testing them is just as easy as using the existing system with no changes.&nbsp; I'm saying that the system could just as easily have been designed that way -- but it wasn't.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mmadsen, post: 180777, member: 1645"] If I may trace the argument back a bit, it started with Monte Cook's contention that Hit Points aren't just a simple-to-use mechanic, but that they scale well. If there's one complaint about Hit Points, it's not that they're too simple; it's that they don't scale well. Many, many people complain about how many Hit Points high-level characters have and how that distorts things (zero fear of a dozen crossbowmen, healing potions not curing minor scratches on heroes, etc.). That turned into a broader discussion of Hit Points, AC, etc. If I could make just one point about Hit Points, it's that D&D's high-hp, low-AC system is not the one and only way to have a simple system with a heroic flavor. Actually, I think other mechanics can yield the same epic flavor without some of the glaring inconsistencies. I'm not arguing for a grittier flavor. I'm trying to clarify that the dichotomy between simple and heroic vs. complex and gritty is a false dichotomy. When I say that the system could just as easily use a higher-AC, lower-hp methodology to acheive epic flavor and playability, I'm not saying that cranking out house rules and testing them is just as easy as using the existing system with no changes. I'm saying that the system could just as easily have been designed that way -- but it wasn't. [/QUOTE]

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