RPGNow

Friday, October 5, 2012

Party Hit Point Pool - For Times When Healers Just Aren't Around

Sometimes things just pop in my head. This is one of them. Very useful for a party without a healer.


Party Hit Point Pool - The Party Hit Point Pool is a Hit Point reserve. It can be used to heal HP damage, so long as the character in question hasn't been brought below 0 HP. All PCs in the party have access to the HP Pool, although using the points requires a party consensus. It does not require an action to use, and may be used in conjunction with other actions. PHPP numbers are determined at the beginning of a play session and once the points are used up, there are no more available until the next game session. The number of points in the PHPP resets to full with each game session.

The number of points in the Hit Point Pool is equal to the sum of the PC levels in the party. So, a party consisting of a 3rd level fighter, a 4th level thief and a 2nd level magic-user would have 9 points in their  Party Hit Point Pool. Henchmen, retainers and hirelings do not add points to the PHPP, nor can the pool be used to heal them.

7 comments:

  1. mmm. thats not for me. its a little bit too abstract. how would you explain this "in-game"...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hit Points don't reflect actual damage taken but the ability to avoid serious damage until you hit 0 and below (that's when the serious cuts, broken bones and the rest start happening).

    80 hit points or 8 for a PC, the guy with 80 isn't taking a dozen stabs to the chest while the 8 hit point guy falls with one blow - he's avoiding those blows to a major extent

    ReplyDelete
  3. yes, hp do not reflect actual damage, but how do you explain a poisoned character using hp from the pool. he is "personally" affected by the poison, so why can he take away hp from "other characters". hope you know what i mean - cannot express it more clearly in english

    ReplyDelete
  4. I politely disagree :)
    I even try to reduce the healer presence in the party.
    I want a bit realism in the game, players must use brain during the adventure, when they take a risk they must feel the fear of unsuccess. no free meal, no videogame quicksave, no healing and resurrection at every corner, adventure is risky :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Beastman - in a world with magic, artifacts and living gods, I don't try to over-think certain things things. Hit Points is something so abstract in nature that I don't even try to define it.

    @LL - this is just a option thrown out there. A mental exercise if you will. I'm not sure I'd make it a house rule in all the games I run, but for certain types of campaigns I think it would fit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @ Beastman - If HP also represented confidence, elan and both team spirit and team support, the individual might be fighting the poison harder or choosing to fight through it, placebo-style, maybe even without words being spoken.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes, it represents all the situations when you hit the dwarf and the elf is wounded... Eeerrhh, no. That does not make sense. Nor does the "Oh God! I am hit in my confidence! Ouch! No prpblem, we have an armored team spirit!".
    HPs can be abstracted, but not up to that point. It would be as much logical, with the same arguments to let the characters swap wounds and HPs.
    I am afraid it just pure simple metagaming (the title says it if you think about it).
    You can find it fun, so use it. But I won't touch it with a 10 feet pole.

    ReplyDelete

Tenkar's Tavern is supported by various affiliate programs, including Amazon, RPGNow,
and Humble Bundle as well as Patreon. Your patronage is appreciated and helps keep the
lights on and the taps flowing. Your Humble Bartender, Tenkar

Blogs of Inspiration & Erudition