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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ron" data-source="post: 183323" data-attributes="member: 1020">I haven't the opportunity of giving a look in the SW revised book yet. However, I expect it to be a great improvement from the rather poor first edition.My problem with current WotC design choices regarding most d20 products is, one way or another, related to hit points. In D&D (and CoCd20), hit points measures your capacity of absorving damage and also your ability to avoid damage. In some games this is divided in Wounds and Vitality points. I don't think the division is a great issue. I don't like it, but that's more a question of taste. The ability of avoiding damage (or vitality points) is the explanation why hit points increase with levels. So far so good. The problem is that most new d20 games, such as SW, WoT, and the upcoming modern d20, also introduces the defense score. The defense score is partially redudant with hit points, as it covers the same subject of vitality points.As you can see, number of hit points is a highly abstract stat. It may be divided in two components: number of wound and vitality points. Defense is redundant with the number of vitality points component. Thus, if you use defense in your game, you should not allow hit points to grow with levels. If defense is used with wound points alone, the system is fine. Otherwise, it's broken.It appears that defense was introduced as a way to incentive characters not to use armour. The problem is that wearing armour is very useful in combat, in all eras. The real issue with armour is that you cannot use it all the time: it restricts your movement, it's uncomfortable and would probably wears out the users (perhaps subdual damage could be given after long use), and finally, using armour is menacing and could be social unacceptable in many regions (as in CoC d20).My greatest fear is that the genius at WotC will think of introducing these concepts in the next revision of D&D.</blockquote>

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