What does it feel like to have half of your max hp?

[SlamZanee]

Some may argue this belongs in rules but i wasn't sure so if it needs to be moved sorry.

My question is what is the worth of a hit point? What does it feel liek to have half my characters hit points gone? what about when im down to 3 of 20?

its hard for me to determine maybe you guys have some ideas that will help me.

 

[Henry]

There's no right answer, so I'll post MY answer:

Down to half hit points feels like you've just been through a tough barroom brawl; you're a little winded, you've probably got some minor cuts and scrapes, maybe even a BIG cut or scrape or two, but nothing that wouldn't heal up in a few days.

Down to, say, 10% of your hit points is VERY winded. You're probably missing some layers of skin somewhere, or you can see a deep cut or two. Two or three more good hits and you're dead.

Down to zero hit points is a light or deflected gut wound, or a bleeding non-life threatening wound that needs attention. You are at somebody's mercy.

Now, what's the difference of a 10-point strike between a novice and a pro, you ask? The difference is, the blow that would have ended a novice's life at level 1 was partially deflected or dodged or rolled with by the 10th level character. It still hit, but skill at combat defense turned a lethal blow into a grazing one.

 

[GuardianLurker]

Well that depends on how you treat the "vitality" part of HP.

If you have to "exhaust" a character's luck/skill/"dude points" first, the victim in question will be like Henry's barroom brawler. Dinged up, beaten up, glad to go to bed, but still healthy and intact.

If however, you distribute the vitality across the HP range, you get a very different result. A character at 50% then is in pretty bad shape: blood dripping from a gash in his forehead partially blinding him, a dislocated shoulder that he popped back into place, broken nose, a cracked (possibly broken) rib, maybe even one or two (minor) broken bones.

OR

You could look at it in terms of how long it takes to heal. A 1st level fighter reduced to 0 hp will fully recover all his points - without aid - after 5 days of bed rest. That time remains almost constant, but decreases slightly. Now, 5 days of complete bed rest is no joke, but it's probably not a cracked rib or worse.

 

[diaglo]

There's no right answer, so I'll post MY answer:

i agree. there is no right answer. but....

Down to zero hit points is....

the light at the end of the tunnel. you shuffle off this mortal coil. you push up daisies. you are food for worms. etc...

it depends on what edition you play

 

[shilsen]

There's no right answer, so I'll post MY answer:

Down to half hit points feels like you've just been through a tough barroom brawl; you're a little winded, you've probably got some minor cuts and scrapes, maybe even a BIG cut or scrape or two, but nothing that wouldn't heal up in a few days.

Down to, say, 10% of your hit points is VERY winded. You're probably missing some layers of skin somewhere, or you can see a deep cut or two. Two or three more good hits and you're dead.

Down to zero hit points is a light or deflected gut wound, or a bleeding non-life threatening wound that needs attention. You are at somebody's mercy.

Now, what's the difference of a 10-point strike between a novice and a pro, you ask? The difference is, the blow that would have ended a novice's life at level 1 was partially deflected or dodged or rolled with by the 10th level character. It still hit, but skill at combat defense turned a lethal blow into a grazing one.

That's about how I see and describe it. The issue becomes especially important IMC, because I track hp instead of my players so rather than being able to look at a sheet and say, "Damn! I'm down to 10 hp", a player has to settle for me saying, "You're pretty sure another blow like that will drop you."

I also vary the comment depending on where the hp loss comes from. If someone loses 40 hp from a single mighty blow I may refer to a shield-arm that was almost broken or ribs feeling like they have been cracked. If the hp loss came from a number of enemies hitting but doing minimal damage each, I'll refer to numerous tiny cuts and bruises which seem to sap one's strength. In some cases, such as a volley from numerous archers, I may describe it as the PC managing to dodge and avoid the worst of the arrows but ending up gasping for breath and unable to do the same as easily next time.

BTW, Henry - nice sig

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Nothing.

Now, bearing in mind that there is no "right" answer, etc. It feels like nuthin'!

Hit points are an abstract concept. In the case of a character from an 80s action movie, it means getting bloody but still being able to do 50 pushups and give any eloquent speech that might need to be delivered. In the case of Han Solo, it means getting missed a lot by Stormtroopers. In the case of Legolas, it means getting your hair slightly mussed and maybe having some soot on your cheek.

I mean, come on. A crocidile bites for about 12 points of damage. How is a crocidile bite in any way NOT going to at least permenantly scar someone and will likely result in having something important bitten off?

Its an abstract system. My group doesn't worry about it except when we get under 5 or so hit points (yes, this happens a lot at first level). The character takes "damage" and according to "da r00lz" the armor and clothing take no damage at all. That's wacky. It makes no sense because the system is meant to be abstract.

Just my two cents.

 

[Praeco]

Biggus is on to something with the genre comparisons.

If I want to run something cinematic and pulpy, the character will find the loss of hit points only mean that they have some macho grime on their face when they make the big speech or pick up that .50 cal bare-handed and fire away. When they die, they'll die in a blaze of glory, possibly with Bon Jovi wailing behind them.

If I want the tone to be grim and dark, those hit points will mean the character is winded and dizzy and there are some wounds that will likely become infected or scars without attention. When they die, it's likely to be painful and horrible, all the while hearing the lamentation of their women and such.

 

[Liolel]

As others said there are many ways to interpt hitpoints.

Its a good deal of luck and skill for characters and a fair bit of toughness above what a normal human has. Normal humans usually are level 1 commoners or experts and don't role 4d6 drop the lowest after all.

For monsters it really depends on what hitpoints are. For the big hulking not an once of dexterity types (earth elementals, oozes, dragons) it is almost all pysicaly toughness in my mind. The blows bouncing off their hide is what natural armor repersents, but they are just so sheer tough that they can take dozens of wounds before being brought down.

Other monsters I'd consider more like pcs, such as most humaniods and monsterous humanoids. They are more human like so it makes more sense that hitpoints act for them like they do for humans.

There are no rules changes here, this is all just flavor in descriptions.

 

[diaglo]

broke my nose when i was younger playing football...soccer to the rest of the uncivilized world...

one second i'm running towards the ball, the next i'm looking up at the coach with smelling salts in his hand and a towel pressed on my face. blood all over the place. i know the ball must have hit me. but i don't remember it.


a couple years later i was playing offensive and defensive tackle for my high school's american football team. i fought thru a block and tackled the running back. his helmet landed on my arm. i got up after the play and went back to the huddle. when i went to clap i knew something was wrong. so i went to the sidelines. coach took one look at the bones sticking out of my wrist and said have a seat...i didn't feel a thing until i tried to take my pads off....ouch...and then it went warm and numb....but i was okay...and conscious the whole time.

 

[~Johnny~]

I think D&D's rules are actually a bit inconsistent on this. On one hand, hit points are interepreted as "luck points," where they represent a character's vitality, energy and combat knowhow. On the other hand, it shouldn't take Legolas five days to heal that soot that's mussing his cheek. Henry's explanation strikes the optimal balance, but healing is still a sticking point: it should take much less time to heal your "luck" reserve, and much more time to heal actual wounds or broken bones.

That's why I'm a fan of the VP/WP system in Star Wars: there's a clear line between what's tiring you and what's really hurting you. The vitality points are the energy you're expending to dodge blaster bolts or block lightsabers with someone. But I've tried to squeeze it into D&D, and it just doesn't work. Too many D&D abilities assume that you're literally hitting someone, and poison throws everything out of whack.

But hit points are a good compromise, which is why I'll probably keep using them instead of VP/WP or reserve points.