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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TreChriron" data-source="post: 9142175" data-attributes="member: 5046">First off, Hit Points are not health. They are grit, skill, luck, and combat prowess. It's a measure of how long you can stand-up in a fight. The only "health" aspect of hit points (IMHO) is when you fall unconscious at 0 AND you're dying. Which makes zero sense to me. It's too abrupt. One of my main complaints about D&D is this whole "I'm Out, I'm In, I'm Out" rollercoaster where people go down, get back a HP, and then are back up like nothing happened.Pathfinder 2e added the wounded condition that interacts with the Dying condition. You can search the InterTubes for a summary. It helps solve some of these issues, but adds more bookkeeping and instead of making unconsciousness abrupt, it makes death abrupt.I believe that HP should be completely divorced from any concept of "health". I believe the Exhaustion mechanic holds the key to making a solid differentiation between combat prowess and health.First, modify level 5 Exhaustion with: "Character falls unconscious. The character must complete a Short or Long Rest before regaining consciousness. When completing a Long Rest the character regains consciousness and removes one level of Exhaustion."Replace level 6 Exhaustion with: "The character is dying and gains the Dying condition with the normal saves vs. Death."For games that have requirements to complete a Short or Long Rest -- those would be required here as well.Second, your HD (and HP) should be based on the average of your classes listed Ability Scores. If you have multiple classes simply average your scores for all Abilities in all classes. Something like (spitballing here);<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">7 or less = d4</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">8 - 10 = d6</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">11 - 14 = d8</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">14 - 18 = d10</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">19+ = d12</li> </ul>Finally, you add a level of Exhaustion for every failed Injury Save. Injury Save = CON save vs. 10 + damage inflicted. Failure = 1 level. Critical failure = 2 levels. This IS based on your overall health. The healthier you are, the better you are at avoiding Exhaustion.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The attack reduces you to 0 HP. You don't "go down", you simply have to keep making Injury Saves for each hit until the Exhaustion condition knocks you out. When you go unconscious, you are down for the count. Healing WILL NOT make the character conscious until they have adequate rest (see above).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your opponent scores a critical hit. DO NOT double damage rolled. Instead make an immediate Injury Save.</li> </ul>Because Exhaustion is reduced by one level with a Long Rest, it creates a memorable impact without being too restrictive. It makes sense that someone might have to rest for 3 - 5 days after a terrible battle. It encourages establishing safe havens to get good rest. It also makes long forays into uncharted wilderness more terrifying. Parties will want to establish a "forwarding operating base" with retainers and experts to help secure a safe place from which to operate out of.This also rectifies another pet-peeve I have with D&D combat; "beefier" classes have to protect "less healthier" ones. Heroes are heroes. They all should have something to offer in any pillar of the game. It's zero fun going down halfway through a fight and watching your friends continue playing. Let everyone duke it out until one side clearly wins. This may also encourage more parlay when the odds seemed stacked against one side or another. Your ability to stand up in a fight is based on your capability as a hero, not based on the strange correlation to health.We will likely need to increase foes' HP by a percentage. I would test 10% increase and modify from there until combats felt challenging but not impossible.</blockquote>

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