[MUD-Dev] Alternative Hit Point Systems?

[Sean Kelly]

On Sat, 27 Jul 2002, Jack Britt wrote:
 
> I'm trying to find alternatives to the AD&D-style of hit points
> but I'm not having much luck. Couldn't find anything on google,
> and can't seem to come up with anything on the mud-dev archives
> (although this is probably due to my inability to do a decent
> search.)
 
> I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or concepts for a
> different way of doing hit points?

There are a lot of methods, even among P&P games.  My favorite that
I encountered was in Top Secret, where each body part had hit points
(either 6 or 8 max, if I recall) after which that part became
useless.  Bludgeoning damage was supported and it was entirely
possible to knock someone on the head a few times to knock them out,
or shoot someone in the leg to affect their movement rate.

One system I worked out a few years ago had a fixed number of hit
points (not level-based) and broke an attack down to 3 rolls: the
first determined if the attack got through a player's defenses
(parrying/swordplay/dodging), the second determined if the attack
penetrated the player's armor, and the third determined damage, with
armor offering damage reduction.  A bit cumbersome for P&P but not
at all for CRPGs.

I understand the rationale behind the D&D system, but I've never
liked it.  It has always bothered me that it couldn't account for
instances where a player is not defending and it still takes 6 or 7
sword thrusts to kill him.  A DM can handle such situations
differently, but a CRPG cannot.

Sean


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