Wounds --- A work in progress

Message:

My thought from a design perspective was to eliminate the constant up and down of the hit point game.

I get hit by Axe, Sledge, and Lethal Poison. Take 27 HP. Pop a potion from the 57 you carry and repeat.

Fun, for sure, as it went and if you like that, play that. (I do like that but not always.)

Instead, my thinking was:

Healing was very limited. Not because I wanted to be a bastard but because I wanted to make it significant. One more thing that would make sense to go on an adventure. "I've heard told there is a bottle of a potion that when consumed eliminates a wound."

Healing is boring. Healer type characters need something more interesting to do.

Buuuuuuuutttttt, only having one wound leaves you at the whim of the dice of sorts.

We want to have some back and forth in combat that recovers between fights.

Complicated is bad.

(As noted, a work in progress.)

So, my thinking was you have basically two kinds of damage types: Endurance and Wounds.

Endurance

Endurance is say 8 pips for everyone. Sure, Gronk the Fighter has a higher endurance but he wears metal armor and swings heavier weapons. Piff the Mage has a lower total amount but consumes it slower. (It's just for dramatic effect.)

Of course one could "Micro Upgrade" and have just a little bit more "Endurance".

When you have consumed your 8 pips of "Endurance", you suffer a wound. (Reset Pips to 0 and repeat.)

When you attack, move, dodge, evade, run, sling spells, you consume Endurance.

Maybe there are some actions that don't consume Endurance (fire a bow for example).

If you take a round off to hide, plan, support, prep, you get a small amount back. (Say 2 points.)

Flub a roll, suffer Endurance loss.
Get hit by mob, suffer Endurance loss.
Go Berserk, consume more Endurance.

Most combat lasts about 3 rounds max so we're in the box here. Longer fights start taking a little planning.

At the end of combat, Endurance comes back relatively quickly. Straighten up the armor, wipe your brow, catch your breath.

But, wounds stay. Not until Slingo the Cleric fixes it. Permanent. Across missions. No auto heal. But, one can always receive a heal to go on a quest perhaps?

Wounds
A Disfiguring wound is visible and alters the character’s appearance. This could include losing a limb, an eye, or perhaps a scar or deformation. Some believe a disfiguring wound is an ill omen from the gods.
A Lingering wound may not be visible but they continue to trouble the character. This may impede the character at the wrong time. A lingering wound reduces your Max Stamina by 2.
A Mortal wound is the wound which shall bring the characters demise. (When that will occur is not known.)
An Arcane wound prevents the character from using their X Power. (X Power in this case is spell casting.)

Character “Dies” when they choose to pay the ultimate price OR in very rare situations when all wounds are exhausted, the character rolls on “Death of Character” chart.

If you suffer all 4 wounds, you either:
(1) drop out (the Cutlass way), (Note, this may be the "Death of Character" digression of sorts. You are out but somehow you eventually find your way home.
(2) choose to retire character in place (in strategic places in adventures), Guard the Nexus. Stay with the Companion. Become the Guardian. Merge with the Singularity.
(3) make the ultimate sacrifice to "hold the door".
(4) continue as an exhausted hero. No fight. No spells. But, you can kabbitz and take mockage. You can participate in the TPK of course.

Typically, let the players pick the wound for the role play goodness.

Why don't we just make them tear up their character sheet and write on another one?

(1) I perceive we are telling a story. When does a main character take a rock up side their head and exit the story? (Boromir was a pretty big finish. We want that.)

(2) Being low level sucks. Why the F do we bother? I'm tired of it.

(3) There are worst things than dying.

(4) Tearing up one sheet and writing on another is kinda wasteful.

(5) The constant fear of death makes the heroes and heroines cucks afraid of their own shadows for fear they will suffer a random roll. Sure, Conan doesn't fear. Cuz Conan can't die.

Should the number of wounds be 14 instead of 4? That's what needs to be tested.

Should the Endurance Pips be 4 instead of 8? Needs to be tested.

Do you need one gimme wound? Armor is bashed. You lose that until you get it fixed?
Or just you are pummeled. You lose it until you get a long rest back at the Inn.


Work in Progress.


Yours,