True20 and Hit Points

Knightfall · Jun 26, 2008

Okay, so I'm sold on True20 as a game I want to try, but I'm not too keen on the idea of not having hit points for specific types of campaigns. Specifically, a high fantasy type game.

Therefore, I'm interested in finding out if anyone has devised a method for including hit points in a True20 game. I've already got an idea myself but it's pretty basic and raw.

Basically, each Role gets a number of hit points / level as per the following...

Adept (or slow *) = 1
Expert (or medium *) = 2
Warrior (or fast *) = 3
* Combat progressions.

At first level each character gains a one time bonus / penalty of hit points based on the character's Constitution score.

I haven't completely figured out the best way to convert True20 damage to do hit point damage for this system, but I have an idea. Using the "Damage Dice to Damage Bonus" table in the back of the Revised book, you first convert the damage bonus to damage dice. Then you do the following...

d3/d4 = 1 hit point damage
d6/d8 = 2 hit points damage
d10/d12 = 3 hit points damage

For damage bonuses higher than +5, I say add +1 hit point of damage for every +2 (or, maybe, +3) above +5.

I still want to use the Toughness saving throw and the conditions for Non-Lethal and Lethal damage somehow, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet.

Opinions?

Brutorz Bill · Jun 26, 2008

I'm a newbie to True20 myself, love the character creation options, but I'm still trying to get my head around the damage system myself.
Will be following this thread.

Knightfall · Jun 26, 2008

Brutorz Bill said:
I'm a newbie to True20 myself, love the character creation options, but I'm still trying to get my head around the damage system myself.
Will be following this thread.

Yeah, the damage system is the one thing I want to change or, at least, modify. I think the current damage system is great for a science fiction, horror, or modern game, but I like hit points for fanasy games. (Call me old-fashioned.)

I could see having this hit point system for a Gamma World campaign; although, I'd likely give out only 1 hit point per level regardless of Role but still add on the character's Con score.

Hmm, perhaps I could steal the "bloodied" concept from 4e. Hmm... possibliities.

Darrin Drader · Jun 26, 2008

This is one of the reasons I don't use True20 for fantasy games. I also don't feel that the magic system is well suited for fantasy. That's the reason my personal gaming preferences are True20 and Pathfinder to cover the spread of genres.

BSF · Jun 26, 2008

Heck, you have D&D right? Keep is simple.

Adept = d4 or d6
Expert = d6 or d8
Warrior = d10 or d12

Depending, of course, on how you envision the relative toughness of PCs.

Or if you want hit points, without the random factor, take the average, rounded up.

Then use the damage for weapons out of the PHB/SRD. And again, if you don't want variables, use averages rounded up.

It all depends on the aspect of damage you are trying to modify. Maybe borrow from FFG's Darkness & Dread sourcebook? Which is Con X size factor + level.

There are lots of options, but I am curious what you find lacking in the toughness save for fantasy campaigns?

Knightfall · Jun 26, 2008

Okay, for Non-Lethal and Lethal damage conditions, here's a quick idea.

Non-Lethal
Bruised and Dazed: Works exactly like it says in the book.

Staggered: A character is considered staggered when half the character's hit points are gone due to non-lethal damage only.

Unconcious: A character falls unconcious when all his/her hit points are gone due to non-lethal damage only.

Lethal
Hurt: Works exactly like it says in the book.

Wounded: A character is considered wounded when half the character's hit points are gone due to a combination of non-lethal and lethal damage.

Disabled: A character at zero hit points.

Dying: A character with a positive Consttution score is considered dying if his/her hit points drop below zero due to a combination of non-lethal and lethal damage. The character loses 1 hit point per round.

The number of rounds a character can be considered dying is equal to his Consttution score (1 to 5), which I'm going to refer to as his Dying Threshold. (A character with a Con score of "0" dies at zero hit points.)

Dead: A character is considered dead when his/her hit points drops below his Dying Threshold.

Opinions please!

Knightfall · Jun 26, 2008

BSF said:
Heck, you have D&D right? Keep is simple.

Adept = d4 or d6
Expert = d6 or d8
Warrior = d10 or d12

Depending, of course, on how you envision the relative toughness of PCs.

Or if you want hit points, without the random factor, take the average, rounded up.

Then use the damage for weapons out of the PHB/SRD. And again, if you don't want variables, use averages rounded up.

It all depends on the aspect of damage you are trying to modify. Maybe borrow from FFG's Darkness & Dread sourcebook? Which is Con X size factor + level.

Yes, I thought of that but I want a much lower hit point number. I'm trying to add to the True20 style of play without using the core hit point mechanics from D&D/the SRD.

BSF said:
There are lots of options, but I am curious what you find lacking in the toughness save for fantasy campaigns?

That's just it, I want to combine hit points with the Toughness save.

damiller · Jun 26, 2008

My True20 hit point alternative:

Beginning Hit Points

Adept 18 + Con mod; d6 per level
Expert 24 + Con mod; d8 per level
Warrior 30 + Con mod: d10 per level

Damage is figured on the difference rolled between the attack and the defense plus weapon damage.

ie

Bob the Warrior attacks Tom the Wizard. Bob rolls a total of 17. Tom has a 14 Defense. Bob is using a Sword (+2), and has a Str (+1), he does a total of 3+2+1= 6 hp of damage.

Double this for criticals.

I have tried this out in my home games and it works like a charm.

Then on top of this if you still wanted to use the various conditions you could have a Damage Threshold like Star Wars, and whenever damage went above that number (say your Toughness "Save") you have the next lowest condition.

d ;D

Knightfall · Jun 26, 2008

Darrin Drader said:
This is one of the reasons I don't use True20 for fantasy games. I also don't feel that the magic system is well suited for fantasy. That's the reason my personal gaming preferences are True20 and Pathfinder to cover the spread of genres.

See, I want to use True20 with my Dark World campaign setting, and it's really high fantasy with some horrific elements thrown in. It's a fallen world ruled by evil (sort of like Midnight but without that world's baggage). I was already going to use the generic classes from UA for Dark World, so I immediately saw the potential for using True20 for the campaign world instead.

I might convert my Spelljammer steampunk campaign, Time of Ages, to True20 too and I'd likely want hit points for that campaign as well.