The model I'm coming around to is that HP is cosmetic meat points. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense if they're entirely luck points, like poisoned weaponed and resistance to certain damage types, or how magical healing works. But instead of going full "The Fighter laughs at getting stabbed ten times", I'm picturing them as small nicks and cuts that are cosmetically visible but don't actually impair the character, action movie style. Like John McClain who's able to get beat to hell but just walks it off by the next scene. And it's only when you're pushed to 0 HP that you actually get stabbed center mass.I feel like I've said this a few times, but that straight up doesn't strike me as an absurdity, because of the longterm D&D exposure. I moved pretty quickly to "fighters just get stabbed hundreds of times before they die." I think that's sufficiently common in D&D derived media, particularly video games that's it's borderline normative. I only see tension around hit points in discussions of D&D itself, which is bizarre because it feels like it's established the norm elsewhere.
Ultimately, that's why I stick with AC/HP. Warhammer frpg 2nd ed is much more realistic than D&D. People dodge, parry blows, and armor reduces damage. But it takes much longer to resolve a single attack. Is the realism worth it? I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure.I really appreciate the gameplay aspect of hp. No death spiral, quick resolution for combat rounds, easy evaluation of where you are at as the combat goes on. I find it makes D&D combat more fun for me than alternatives.
Well done Gygax.
GURPS, BRP/Rolemaster/Runequest/Call of Cthulhu, and Palladium all have the parrying and dodging and such as well. White Wolf has attack rolls, possible opponent parry/dodge rolls, then damage rolls and opponent rolls to soak up damage, all with multiple dice and possible complications of botches and rolling 10s for additional rolls, then applying penalties for the wound on all future rolls.Ultimately, that's why I stick with AC/HP. Warhammer frpg 2nd ed is much more realistic than D&D. People dodge, parry blows, and armor reduces damage. But it takes much longer to resolve a single attack. Is the realism worth it? I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure.
I'll also note that realism can be "increased" by lowering HP and lowering the speed of natural healing. But even that has consequences - it might not slow down combat (heck, low HP will make it go faster!) but slow natural healing slows the game down too - not in combat, but because the party needs longer to recover after a battle, making the "5 minute adventuring day" problem even worse.
Which is exactly what they are in 5E. They are the points you expend to avoid serious injury. When they run out, you are hit.I will always remember Gygax telling me at GenCon to consider them "Points until you are Hit!"
I'm sure that was just shorthand for a question he had been asked many, many times, but it always stuck with me.
I'd be curious to read more on what seemed uncomfortable to him... And another (strong?) aspect about this might well stem from overfamiliarity and internalization. As an analogy, this is something that has happened in various martial arts lineages and martial arts books, where certain aspects and fundamentals (of the body, of martial practice, of etc) are not taught or written about because, at the time, it is already 'common knowledge' or understood by either the master or by the wider community in which they train/practice. So they are either or both blind to it (because they've so internalized it) or they don't feel the need to mention it as everyone is already familiar with it and it would feel redunant.And yet ... it always seemed that Gygax was vaguely uncomfortable with it as well. I think this can be partly chalked up the the falling out with Arneson. As retold in various sources (especially through Jon Peterson), Arneson would complain that Gygax didn't adhere to his vision- including hit points and hit location (provided in Blackmoor supplement).
I'd be curious to read more on what seemed uncomfortable to him... And another (strong?) aspect about this might well stem from overfamiliarity and internalization. As an analogy, this is something that has happened in various martial arts lineages and martial arts books, where certain aspects and fundamentals (of the body, of martial practice, of etc) are not taught or written about because, at the time, it is already 'common knowledge' or understood by either the master or by the wider community in which they train/practice. So they are either or both blind to it (because they've so internalized it) or they don't feel the need to mention it as everyone is already familiar with it and it would feel redunant.
In creating HP in the way he describes in both the PHB and the DMG, Gary might have so internalized the intent that it seemed so super obvious and clear to him that keeping traditional and familiar meat-based nomenclature elsewhere didn't occur to him as a point of potential confusion. His word choices of preposterous and ridiculous in the descriptions of HP might be a further clue towards this as well.
And neither may I be correct... my time machine is on the fritz again and I can't go back to ask Gary our burning questions. Add to that a third possible leg for our HP stool: the protesting too much might have more to do with the legal strategy/justification for AD&D is not D&D so I don't owe you any royalties... he knew it was a difference and wanted to highlight it in as much language as he could so that he could point to it should the ownership/royalty thing come to a head.I draw a slightly different conclusion. Mind you, I'm not saying that I'm correct! But when I read what he says, I keep thinking, Thou dost protest too much.
Which is where I interpret it as a familiarity aspect, where the evolution of his game design is still tied to what he knows and has used before, relying on old tropes so to speak even if they don't quite fit anymore in the new 'paradigm'.....and yet. Gygax was a wargamer, and I think that it must have bugged him a little.
Ultimately, that's why I stick with AC/HP. Warhammer frpg 2nd ed is much more realistic than D&D. People dodge, parry blows, and armor reduces damage. But it takes much longer to resolve a single attack. Is the realism worth it? I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure.
D&D is generally quicker resolution of attack to damage resolution which is great for the visceral feel of faster paced action in combat.