D&D 4E What do you want in 4E, HP or the VP/WP system?

[Cougar]

In conjunction with my AC and DR/defense poll, which system would you prefer to show life points? Hit points that we use now, or the vitality point, wound point system found in the Revised SWRPG? Why?

I gotta vote for VP/WP on this one. It makes things more interesting in combat, seems a tad more realistic with out bogging down play, and worls sooo well with defense and DR.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I don't want a 4th Edition for a few years yet.

When I do, I think I'll stick with HP. The game is deadly enough as it is, thank you.

 

[RangerWickett]

I would be okay with wound points, but I don't like that critical hits do automatic wound point damage. I'd have it so you only take WP damage when you're out of HP, though certain types of magic (like inflict wounds spells) would deal WP damage.

With HP/WP, you heal 1 HP/level per hour, and 1 WP per day. That way, healing spells are less necessary, and are only needed when people are really hurt.

A Cure Light would heal 1 WP, a Cure Critical would heal 4.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i'll answer this one more seriously...

i don't like the idea of VP/WP for D&D, especially when you consider damage dealt by high level creatures. if those points went directly to wounds, a critical hit means automatic death. and when you add things like keen or impact weapons, with improved critcals, and hightened-really-improved criticals from some prestige classes, any time the DM said 'natural 20', the player would need to roll up a new PC!

-imagine-a high level duelist with a keen rapier could kill anything !

 

[Cougar]

Check out my related thread about Defense and DR. They really go hand in hand with the WP/VP system.

Here

 

[Cougar]

I really do agree with RangerWickett that criticals SHOULDN'T affect wound points directly. Does that change anyones mind?

 

[Mr Fidgit]

ok Cougar, then how would criticals work, pray tell...

[edited to make post longer than my sig ]

 

[Cougar]

Sorry. They would affect vitality points directly, much like the HP system now.

I will agree that the VP/WP is much more gritty and most likely would lead to more character death or downtime for healing. Some high magic and high combat campaigns might suffer (or perhaps all of D&D, who knows).

 

[War Golem]

Hit Points. I've never had a problem with them, and I won't have a problem with them in 4th edition.

I'll further that to say that not only do I not have a problem with HP, I quite like them. I think they work very well for the heroic fantasy flavor of D&D. No, they are not as realistic as some other systems. I'm all for improving the D&D mechanics, but why try and make D&D something it's not?

Cheers,

-War Golem

 

[reiella]

M&M points. Or the general candy hitpoint schemes .