When your DM asks you how many hit points you have left...

[lukelightning]

If my character dies, he dies. Just as if I was playing "go fish" and the other player says "do you have any sevens?" If I had a seven, I'd say yes and give 'em up.

 

[KB9JMQ]

Sometimes I ask just because I lost track more than anything else.
I always ask everyone at the beginning of a session so we are on the same page.
As a player I always tell because I feel maybe they lost track also.

 

[Jon Potter]

If asked, I tell.

But if the reason is soley to fudge and keep my character alive then I'd resent it. It's a game, after all, and without the risk of failure the rewards for victory cease to have any meaning.

If I were going to have to sit out the game for a protracted period because of a stupid bad luck death, then so be it. Luck is part of the game.

 

[TheEvil]

So you thought he wanted the troll to rend you mercifully?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

As far as the poll, I answer truthfully, it is a reasonable question. I may add a comment to the effect that he not pull his punches.

-Tom

Actually, I usually don't tell him, so much as I threaten him.

DM: Wow, the troll hit you three times, AND rended you mercilessly... how many hit points do you have?

Henry: *smiling* How many did he deal?

DM: Henry... how many you got?

Henry: What'cha got? Hmm? C'mon, bring it! BRING IT, BOY!

I'd prefer to let the dice fall where they may... There are other character concepts out there I have yet to try.

 

[ThirdWizard]

That would be great except anybody can keep track of hit points by listening to how much damage has been dealt out. I never saw a purpose in it. My players watch the dice and earmark the AC and Attack Bonus of everything they come into contact with. They see what the thing does to see if it might be an advanced version of a normal creature. (the goblin just cleaved, so he's got at least 3 levels or a level of fighter instead of the normal 1 level of warrior). They even remember these things for recurring villains (well, we last fought him 3 months ago and he dropped at 73 damage before getting teleported away; he might have even more now).

The only way around this that I've found is to not use the rules for monsters. If I want a level 1 goblin warrior with great cleave, I can have it. Rules take to long to follow anyway.

I do that specifically so that *I* don't know how much HP the PCs have. Whether or not they keep up with [edit]other PCs' or NPCs'[/edit] or not isn't really my primary concern. It's psychological; if a player knows that I don't know exactly how close to dying he is, IME the player will be more frightened of death. And, I cannot do math in my head. Calculus maybe, trigonometric calculations possibly (rusty on those), but simple addition and subtraction will confuse me to no end. I don't understand it either.

 

[cjdc1973]

In all three campaigns I play or GM in, both the players and the GM keep track of their hit points and all have to agree that the numbers are the same every time they change in order rto keep everyone honest and above board.

 

[ThirdWizard]

In all three campaigns I play or GM in, both the players and the GM keep track of their hit points and all have to agree that the numbers are the same every time they change in order rto keep everyone honest and above board.

Wow... I can't even fathom having to play like that.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, I concur. Playing with people I can't trust to do basic things like keep track of HPs honestly is just...wow, unimaginible.

 

[Arnwyn]

If asked, I tell.

 

[sniffles]

I couldn't figure out which way to vote, as both are true. Sometimes I want the GM to fudge, and sometimes I want him to tell it like it is.

In the group I play regularly with, fudging is the order of the day because most of our games involve large story arcs based around the specific group of PCs that we started the game with. It's difficult to figure out how to introduce a new character and get that character involved in the uberplot.

OTOH, one GM in our group fudges constantly because he hates character deaths. He's the only GM who *doesn't* have an uberplot running. He just doesn't want the party to change. His obsession with not letting the party change has practically ruined one campaign for one of the other players. The player would probably have been happier if his PC had just died. It's also taken away a lot of the suspense for the rest of the players. It's hard to get excited about anything when you know there's no risk involved.