I don’t need to know their exact stats, but I like (for example) having a system where you know a human’s health ranges from 6 to 10, and a gun does at least 3 damage, so you can be pretty sure if you shoot him four times he’s down. None of this, “Well, he’s a 12th level accountant so he has 78 hp”.
Maybe I mostly just dislike how vague HP is in D&D.
But it was probably mostly a GM issue.
I’m here to roleplay, not be told immediately whether or not I can take the dude.
I find it hard to roleplay when I don’t know what is in the world. Things that are very different (high level stuff, low level stuff) getting basically the same description is distracting. In real life, you get a lot of information looking at someone.
Maybe I’m still just annoyed at that game where we were all 10th level and so were the basic ass soldiers.
Never thought about it before, but the two systems I like most don’t do that.
In chronicles of darkness, you get penalties when any of your last 3 health boxes (out of 6-10) are marked. In fate, you start getting Consequences, and those both adversely affect you and provide bonuses for your opponents.
I think some people don’t like this because it can cause a death spiral, where whoever gets injured first is likely to get more injured from the penalties. But, that makes sense for a lot of genres.
I routinely found it extremely irritating in BG3 when I’d do a sneak attack critical, and then the enemy would have like 3 HP left, and then they’d turn around and attack just as hard as if i’d done nothing. Unsatisfying.
I don’t need to know their exact stats, but I like (for example) having a system where you know a human’s health ranges from 6 to 10, and a gun does at least 3 damage, so you can be pretty sure if you shoot him four times he’s down. None of this, “Well, he’s a 12th level accountant so he has 78 hp”.
Maybe I mostly just dislike how vague HP is in D&D.
But it was probably mostly a GM issue.
I find it hard to roleplay when I don’t know what is in the world. Things that are very different (high level stuff, low level stuff) getting basically the same description is distracting. In real life, you get a lot of information looking at someone.
Maybe I’m still just annoyed at that game where we were all 10th level and so were the basic ass soldiers.
D&D (and most derivatives) also has the issue of the only hit point that matters is the last one
Never thought about it before, but the two systems I like most don’t do that.
In chronicles of darkness, you get penalties when any of your last 3 health boxes (out of 6-10) are marked. In fate, you start getting Consequences, and those both adversely affect you and provide bonuses for your opponents.
I think some people don’t like this because it can cause a death spiral, where whoever gets injured first is likely to get more injured from the penalties. But, that makes sense for a lot of genres.
I routinely found it extremely irritating in BG3 when I’d do a sneak attack critical, and then the enemy would have like 3 HP left, and then they’d turn around and attack just as hard as if i’d done nothing. Unsatisfying.