Hit Points: Do we need them?

Do We Need Hit Points?

Well, the answer to the posed question seems, yes.

Though folks have often disagreed on what they represent, hit points are an integral part of RPGs.  That disagreement  is deep and broad with many of the original RPG designers at odds.  Most famous was Gary Gygax disagreeing with himself at various points in his career.  But Gary’s consistent observation concerning hit points was that they work.  He was correct.  So, that seems to settle the issue…

Except, I will answer, no.  We don’t always need them, not in all cases.

Here is a scenario:

Harlan (a rogue) hears foul, non-human language coming from behind the door.  Hrolf the fighter seeking a quick revenge pushes Harlan out of the way and throws his weight against the door (unlocked mind you) bursting into the room.  Initiative is rolled… No one is surprised.  The referee relooks at the adventure, 12 goblins are drinking and playing knuckle bones around a candle lit table.  Rough bunk and equipment rest haphazard against the stone walls.  A crude brazier burns in one corner offering a little heat and light… and… and.. The writer of the adventure didn’t give hit point stats for the 12 goblins.  

The Referee grabs his 12 goblin figures (we play with figures).  8 of them are exactly the same.  Egads!  How do you roll for all those monsters and then keep track of them on the tabletop?  Who has what hit points?  If playing only theatre of the mind, the task is slightly easier, but which goblin did Harlan hit for 1hp damage last turn?

Of course as seasoned Referees we know how to deal with this situation.  We make things up.  We try to remember (and fail).  We keep the narrative moving forward, but the strain is real. If a player challenges, then we fudge or let them have their way.  It all comes out in the end.

There is an easier way, however.

First, let me list the cases where hit points are needed:

Characters need hit points.  They are a clever and abstract mechanism for showing a player’s status in a fight, in a trap, and in the game world.  In early skirmish wargames which were the genesis of RPGs, most figures could survive just one hit.  Larger creatures, whether fantastical beasts or more mundane creatures such as horses or elephants were usually allowed to survive multiple hits.  In a skirmish wargame, this works well.  The mechanism is fast, easy to track, and scales.  In an RPG, it is a bit harsh.  A character dying at a single blow of a sword is somewhat problematic.  Thus making a “hit”  produce variable damage and allowing a character to survive a variable amount of hits grants some chance of a character surviving.  Further, allowing a character to advance to a greater number of hit points as they become a better fighter allows an easy scaling of a character’s capabilities.  In level based games, a 2nd level character on average can survive two “hits”.  Thus a player can fight until he takes one and then must make a judgment as to whether to heroically continue or decide that discretion is the better part of valour.

Villains or boss monsters need hit points.  Recurring monsters or those that are needed to further the game narrative should have hit points.  This allows a gamemaster to more intelligently play the monster in ways to add to the story.

Finally, high level monsters need hit points. It is the easiest way to track their status.

Who doesn’t need hit points?  

Monsters below 4 dice don’t really need hit points.

Here is a system to replace Hit Points for lower level monsters:

Roll for Injury:

Throw a d6:

Add 3 for every hit dice of the monster and any plusses.

So:

Goblins 1-1 Hit Dice +2 (3-1)

Orc 1 Hit Dice +3

Gnoll 2 Hit +6

Bugbear 3+1 Hit Dice +10 (9+1) 

Then subtract the damage.

Then subtract -1 for any light wound and -3 for any heavy wound.

On a 

5,6+ Light Wound

3,4 Serious Wound

1,2 Kill (or Incapacitation)

0 and less Gory Death

Example: Rolf, a fighter with great strength, strikes a Gnoll with a great blow.  He is using a great axe so rolls 2d and takes the highest, a 5.  He adds his great strength modifier of +2 for 7 points of damage.

The hideous Gnoll makes a damage save.  He rolls 5 and adds +6 for an 11!.  Subtracting the damage renders a 4… the Gnoll receives a heavy wound!  Had the Gnoll rolled only a 3.. Then he would have been killed by the mighty axe blow.  Instead, the Gnoll howls as the axe smashes into shoulder and shears links of his motley mail.  He howls and pain and redoubles his attack though blood is seeping from his armor.

So, the Referee doesn’t need to track hits or hit points!  Players can mark the monsters they wound with casualty caps or rings if playing on the tabletop.  This is even better as you, the Referee can focus on continuing the narrative.  The players will be happy to mark their opponents! If playing theatre of the mind, a simple notation of O for a light wound or X for a heavy will suffice.

This is an easy system that is quick and efficient.  It also can be used to enhance the narrative.

“You deal the Gnoll a serious wound with your axe blow” is much more interesting than, “You hit the Gnoll for 7 hits.”

Try this system and see if it speeds your games.