Post originally by drew at 2003-04-13 07:43:10
Converted from Phorums BB System

As much as I wanted to avoid a system debate, I agree with what "fruitbat" (isn't the Orange Fruit Bat one of the Masks of Nyarlathotep???) has to say.

Hit Points are largely irrelevant in CofC. Over 20 years of playing the game, I have found that 9 times out of 10 characters go insane rather than dying. The game postulates a very different threat than the old "live or die" dichotomy. The true horror of the Mythos is that there are fates worse than mere death...in fact, death can be preferable to what the Mythos has to offer. Since the Sanity rules have been imported largely intact, for my money, the game retains its menace.

On the subject of Hit Points; running a Chaosium-style "Lovecraftian" game requires limiting characters to levels 1 to 5...just slow down the rate of progression and offer incentives other than advancement (Mythos points, tomes, knowledge, etc). This makes the Hit Point debate irrelevant.

Delta Green your cup of tea? Try levels 6 to 10.

For those who want the truly insane, like a GURPS-esque "Black Ops" setting, go for broke with levels 10+.

But remember...even if you have 90 hit points you can still have your mind shattered in the blink of an eye. This is how it keeps its edge, no matter the Level

Drew