Vanishing Projectile Weapons


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Re: Re: Vanishing Projectile Weapons

hong said:


Unless you've been taken down to 0 hp or lower, there's absolutely no guarantee that a successful attack roll from a bow means you have a piece of wood sticking out of your chest.

And it also does not mean you don't...
what happens in case you do?
Why should you be taken to 0 HP with a single arrow for it to be stuck on you?
Does this makes any sense?

Well... that is why we use it the way I mentioned, if it was a significant wound, the arrow is stuck on you (could be done for crits, only) or else it was just a "passing" arrow, hurt you and gone away...
 
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Re: Re: Re: Vanishing Projectile Weapons

Ran said:
Does this makes any sense?

Given the abstract nature of combat in 3rd Edition, yes, it makes perfect sense. Here's another problem. Daggers. Your hit points represent your ability to turn deadly hits into glancing blows, nicks, scratches, etc. If you have 250 hit points, and I wear you down to 10 with a dagger, and no critical hits, and every hit actually leaves a mark (just like every arrow sticks in you), you don't have any skin left. You've just been flayed. Either that, or you just have a rediculous amount of nicks and scratches (240 hit point worth, to be exact). Your clothes would be in tatters, if you even had any clothing left, and you'd most likely be bleeding to death anyways. That many nicks scratches would pretty much be the end of you.

Combat is abstract in nature. Weapons don't leave marks by default and arrows don't stick by default. If they do, then they have no noticeable impact upon the mechanics of the game.
 

kreynolds wrote:
or you just have a rediculous amount of nicks and scratches

Yes!! That is what is left when you use the ideea that the amount of damage dealed is deadly when compared to the max hp... 3rd edition made it... it really makes mending the best spell, doesn't it?

Anyway, just make cure light absorb the damn thing inside the body, and everything is ok...
 

Ran said:
That is what is left when you use the ideea that the amount of damage dealed is deadly when compared to the max hp

Not exactly. It depends upon how you view the abstract nature of the system. Hit Points can also be a representation of your stamina, your ability to stay on your feet and in the fight. In all of my games, I rarely ever actually describe a hit unless its a critical hit, or an attack that deals an obscene amount of damage, like a fireball. Trying to differentiate between a glancing blow, a nick, a scratch, a painful hit, a serious hit, or anything but a life-threatening hit is just more trouble than its worth. Because the hit point system and combat system is so abstract, its assumed that all of these types of injuries are happening in the background, but again, it makes no noticeable impact upon the game at all. If it did, one of the things you would be forced to do is implement a system that involves the wear and tear of armor, weapons, clothing, and other equipment from combat. After all, how can an arrow stick in your body without causing damage to your other equipment? If an arrow stuck in you, its gonna damage something in the process, such as your clothes or armor.

Like I said, IMO, it's more trouble than its worth.
 
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I can see from all of these responses that having arrows stick is a bad idea. I may however play around with some sort of barbed arrows which stick on a crit for extra damage. Maybe barbed should be a magical enhancement...
 

Gunslinger said:
I can see from all of these responses that having arrows stick is a bad idea.

Not necessarily. It just depends on how you do it.

Gunslinger said:
I may however play around with some sort of barbed arrows which stick on a crit for extra damage.

This is a cool idea.
 

To me, having arrows stick and cause extra effects is an awesome idea and will add realism and a bit of complexity to D&D's combat system . . . which is why you should roleplay it instead and have no real rules for it. D&D combat is supposed to be abstract and cinematic, however well it actually succeeds at this.

Adding rules for arrows sticking in the victims in a system with armor classes and hit points is putting the cart before the horse. It's like going out of your way to recycle your toilet paper tubes while at the same time throwing your daily newspaper out the window after you finish breakfast.

But, it's your game if you're the one at the table, so if your players all like the idea, run with it. : ]

-S
 

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