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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 6104848" data-attributes="member: 82106">The problem is you will have the players who want to avoid scratching their PC at all costs, and then you will have the ones that get a kick out of hobbling around with various missing body parts, etc. Its FINE when things happen that are cool, but particularly having players seeking out that sort of experience gets a bit weird, and it is common. Then there's just the "Oh, I don't want to play without an arm" etc. But I don't want my narrative served up by random dice rolls that much. Dice are great for creating some uncertainty and doing things in an unbiased way. OTOH I don't think the constant 'thrill' of being one hit from being blind, hobbled, etc is that great. It wears off pretty soon for one thing, and the 3rd or 4th time you have to running around to find some way to glue your arm back on it has lost its narrative charm. In the case with the Dwarf in my story it was great. The player loved it (this happened to have been way back in the 1970's with maybe 1e, but I think Holmes Basic). The character subsequently became famous, survived all his exploits with one hand (variously adapted into a hook, then a soul sword, then I guess eventually back into a hand at the end). My sister STILL has that character, though it is retired and kicks back in various tap rooms in a town in my campaign most of the time, along with several other equally venerable PCs. The point is, it was appropriate, it was fun, and it made a great story. I don't think I was ignoring the function of hit points at all, I was emphasizing ONE ASPECT of hit points. I could have as easily said "oh, you pull back your hand barely in time, used up some luck, eh?" and been done with it of course. In a regular fight I probably wouldn't impose that kind of wound because there's not the narrative coolness to it, and its a common situation. The chest trap was uncommon. I like to have unusual circumstances work out in quirky ways, it is fun for the players. I wouldn't balk at having a similar thing happen in combat, but I'd only do it in a dire memorable fight against a big opponent and only as a result of some really nasty blow, say a solo with a big magic axe hits you and takes you from above bloodied to down under unconcious, BAM! Now maybe you lost a hand. There's fortune involved, but also discretion. I just never liked the dice deciding story stuff like that for me. I'm no genius but I can tell a fun little story like that, and I can use the dice for inspiration, but not direction. Also, meh, you got your hand chopped off. Obviously its going to hamper the PC in the short run, but they can adapt. I'm not going to force them to go all way out their way to do it by imposing penalties, unless they insist on trying things that are ridiculous without a hand. Once it heals up the character will be fine, they'll just have to pay a few gold to get their shield or axe or whatever to work with that hand, and etc. I'm not trying to simulate reality here, the object is to add something unique to the character that helps make it memorable and fun.</blockquote>

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