Author Topic: Communal HP  (Read 2719 times)

Offline Amechra

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Communal HP
« on: June 03, 2013, 11:57:43 PM »
I've been having this odd idea lately.

Namely, instead of using "HP" to abstract out injury, use it to abstract the party's morale.

There would also be a rule, called "bowing out", that allowed someone to absorb damage done, in return for temporarily being removed from the game.

So, for example, the party has 10 HP; the party trapfinder runs into a nasty trap that deals 3 damage; now, he could choose to take the damage, negatively impacting the party's morale (he managed to dodge to the side, but lost his pack with some precious pieces of equipment they needed.) or he could bow out (he gets hit in full by the trap; his leg is smashed, but he insists everyone else goes ahead. After all, they'll need the gold to help fix him up, right? Perhaps there could be rule that lets you bow out with a party mate, giving a "class"-specific bonus; a healer could bow out in this example, letting their party mate recover faster.)

Then, there could be certain "class" features that play with the concept of HP as morale; for example, a leader class could have +2 max HP (their great resolve keeps the party going), and a feature that, essentially, gives the party DR 1/- for the rest of a battle where they bow out (they get downed? The party, in a vengeful mood, go at it with a new ferocity.)

There could be more nuances (I can see an "evil lord" class with the ability to make their minions bow out, or maybe a weapon that deals 1 damage even if the target bows out), such as separating "adventure" HP and "combat" HP (adventure HP being how much you want to keep going with this adventure as a whole, combat HP being how much you are willing to keep going in this battle), but really, this is the basic idea.

Thoughts?
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Offline veekie

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Re: Communal HP
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2013, 08:18:45 PM »
Some basic complications would seem to be what happens if someone joins/leaves.

But assuming that's dealt with, I presume 'tankier' characters would have to be represented by damage reduction. They go in front and take the hit because it hurts the group least.
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Offline Amechra

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Re: Communal HP
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2013, 08:23:42 PM »
Yep; if you think about it, you worry less when Mr. Tough Guy gets hit instead of, say, Ms. Healer.
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Offline veekie

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Re: Communal HP
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2013, 10:10:22 PM »
It also weakens damage relative to status effects though, no matter how much damage you do you aren't dropping anyone unless you drop ALL of them.
Everything is edible. Just that there are things only edible once per lifetime.
It's a god-eat-god world.

Procrastination is the thief of time; Year after year it steals, till all are fled,
And to the mercies of a moment leaves; The vast concerns of an eternal scene.

Offline Nytemare3701

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Re: Communal HP
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2013, 03:03:58 AM »
It also weakens damage relative to status effects though, no matter how much damage you do you aren't dropping anyone unless you drop ALL of them.

Class-specific bonuses while above X (%?) morale would be great here.

EDIT: Bowing out would be a method to "take the hit" for the team, keeping the party's total HP % high instead of negatively impacting the class abilities. Does the mage have to dodge and lose his concentration, or does the paladin take the lethal blow and bow out?
« Last Edit: July 23, 2013, 03:07:14 AM by Nytemare3701 »

Offline Amechra

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Re: Communal HP
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2013, 07:42:50 AM »
Yep, pretty much.

I might do something like this with a *World game I'm working on; it is supposed to be kinda space-opera-y, and the first thing I think of is Red Shirts taking hits for the team.
"There is happiness for those who accept their fate, there is glory for those that defy it."

"Now that everyone's so happy, this is probably a good time to tell you I ate your parents."