Post originally by Phil at 2003-11-27 12:43:11
Converted from Phorums BB System

Stephen,

I agree that d20 hitpoints leave a lot to the imagination for determing how much damage a character has taken - having said that so does BRP. Neither system (except RQ which uses hit locations as default) covers rules for how damage impairs the character - :in d20, reach 0 HP and you are concious and about to fall over. Above that you are fine, below that you are down and unconcious, and dead at -10.
:in BRP (assuming no hit locations), reach 1-2 hitpoints and you are unconcious, 0 hitpoints and you are dead. Above 2 points points HPs damage has no effect (at least in the 5th edtn of CoC). Admittedly in RuneQuest, there are FP which do affect hit roles etc. but many, many people criticise that they are just another thing to keep track of - personally I don't mind them.

In either situation, assuming no hit locations, the description of damage is up to the GM. I tend to run that hitpoints in d20 represent the avoidance of actual significant wounds - they are scratches, near misses etc. Personally I like the Wounds/Vitality system of StarWars - Vitality represents your ability to avoid damage, wounds represent actual damage - and if you take Wound damage you are considered fatigued (from memory -2 to almost everything). Realistic? Probably not but its a game.

Stephen Colhoun wrote:
-------------------------------
"d20 HP leveling needs explaination as why you can avoid damage for awhile then not at all"

This is all in the way you look at things. To me d20 hitpoints represent a lot of things, not just physical health but also fatigue etc. As your HP come down you are getting tired and a tired person is less capable of dodging blows or shotgun blasts, hence finally running out of hitpoints - admitedly they should also be less capable of hitting things but it's not taken into account in either system.

Personally I am a fan of both systems - for different reasons. I prefer d20 for heroic adventures - whether they be fantasy, StarWars, or pulp 1920's CoC. I prefer BRP and RQ for darker settings when I want to play up the lethality of the setting or situation. Having said that, I again come back to the point that either system, or in fact any system, can be made to work - as long as the GM and Players are willing to work on the story rather than relying on the rules system.