From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Deaths Door
Date: 4 Oct 92 20:15:25 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <BvI98B.1E7@newcastle.ac.uk>, Mark.OLeary@newcastle.ac.uk (M.D.
   O'Leary) writes:
> 
> Its your world, of course... BUT...

   Probably that is what it all boils down to, isn't it?..

> My choice of example was intended to demonstrate the extremes at which your 
> ruling could be abused. I maintain that the ability for *anyone* (ie dwarves
> knowing enough of elven physiology to heal 9hp of damage??!)

   Well.. the AD&D Hp system is plenty screwed up anyways (and not finding
one I like any more than this one, I am still using it), but the 9hp that you
speak about from -1 to -9 are not really hp, but rather an indicator as to
how 'far' gone the person is, and how many rounds of assisting it will take
to bring them back to consciousness.

   It's imperfect, I know, but I have yet to find the perfect solution in a
game system.  At least one that both me, and the players, agree with that
works good.

> is unbalancing and devalues the cleric role.

   Hasn't unbalanced the cleric's role in my world. *shrug*

> Example 2: A thief sneaks away from his party to explore. He gets caught by
> something and clobbered. The rest of the party hears the noise and finds
> him just in time at deaths door, -9hp. They stabilise him, but they have
> no magical means of healing or healing proficiency among them.
> 
> In your world, 9 rounds after they found him, he'd sit up and say "Lets get
> out of here! This is the lair of a Lich, and he's going to kill us all!"
> The party could then walk (slowly, until after the next nights rest, when the
> thief was back at 1hp and operating without penalty) out of the lair and 
> escape.

   Yes, this is exactly what they could do, and I wish them good luck, as
Lich's are dangerous, and I wouldn't want to go after one without retreating
and doing some planning (ideally anyways).

> Now, neither of these is to be preferred, but IMHO, my method gives more 
> 'realism' and greater opportunity for roleplay.

   Agreed, with hp being so clearly ''defined'' in AD&D, it's not easy to
come up with other things to supplement it, ie: Death's Door, Healing prof,
etc.

> You say that the patching only restores hp if the PC is below zero. Whats the
> difference??? If it is just patching to stop bleeding (as it is when the 
> character is concious) then it cant restore hp. If its active healing, as it
> appears to be when the PC is *below* 0hp, then why doesnt it work on a PC
> who is concious? I find this illogical, and while that hasnt stopped me with
> many other houserules, this is also bad for the game (IMHO), so why have the
> rule?

   Relates back to what I view -1 to -9 as (time, not actual hp).  Yes,
slightly illogical, but it's worked best for me so far (of various things
I've tried), so I stick with it.

> Always keep at leasy *one* PC awake... More fun when the poor lone thief faces
> the kobold warband alone, amidst the bodies of his unconcious party... 8)
>   Seriously- this does give *good* roleplay:
>   Thief: Thank Tarim you're here! The orcs went that way, and they got all 
>          our gold! Theres only 2 of 'em left and you could catch 'em if you
>          hurry!
>   Kobolds: Err.... <thinks> Thanks! <they run off>

   *gryn*  Or when they separate and a similar situation comes up, and has to
talk his way out of a potentially painful (literally) situation. :)

> Mark aka Raphe ("... you mean they just *ran off*? You've gotta be kidding!")

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* The individual who said we only use 10%  * The first 90% of a task takes    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      * 90% of the time, and the last    *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * 10% takes the other 90%.         *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *   -99 rule of Project Schedules- *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd