Quote from: Chris24601;1098118There's no requirement your game ever has to have players either or that we should be obliged to call a dumb idea brilliant.

The best part is that, that by not playing your game, we're actually winning the game... our characters aren't doing stupid things in a system designed to kill them... they've decided to remain a blacksmith's apprentice and eventually become a journeyman and start their own shop where they can earn a living without ever having to risk death due to hp-loss.

You wanted feedback. Now you're complaining because it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

Go back to the drawing board and try again.

Every setting needs a good blacksmith.  The PCs will need your goods, if they hope to survive down in the dungeon.  There's treasure down there; so if / when the first PCs bite the dust, a fresh batch of new PCs will be sure to follow.  Treasure is a strong motivator.

The PCs will likely never live to see 5th or 6th level; but if they do, they will have earned it with their blood, sweat, and tears.  Make the game fun and exciting and meaningful from the very first session. Just go wide open throttle the whole time.

"Hey, don't blame the DM.  You guys were at half hit points; and instead of resting, you chose to keep on kicking down doors in the dungeon.  What did you think was going to happen?"

Etc.

I'm glad you love the idea.  That said, you will struggle to find players who do.  

If you think that a greatsword should be a threat at any level of play, I think that's a potentially defensible choice, but I don't think that every character should be in danger from every other character.

When Inigo Montoya confronts the six-fingered man as a boy, he has a sword, but he's not threat.  Certainly if he had run the Count through, it would have been deadly.  But he didn't have the SKILL to land a deadly blow.  Instead, he got 'taught a lesson' because the six-fingered man was so secure from what this child could do that he could afford to taunt him and turn his back.

If PCs increase in HP, and their attacks ALSO increase in damage, an equal character opponent might always be a threat, especially with a critical hit.  But there are a lot of reasons why that might not be cool.  

In our homebrew, we specifically have a mix of 'action hero hit points' and 'real hit points'.  Most attacks come off the top, and only if you take a lot of damage are you actually in trouble (wounded).  But critical hits are applied directly to wounds (and give you the wounded penalty).  

A 5th level character might have 55 of the hit points that represent getting worn out, near misses, etc and they'd only have 23 Wound Points.  A Great Sword that deals 2d6+10 (reasonable the way we do it) is just outside of a one-shot threat, but not by much.  

For those curious about the math, the non-physical hit points are based on a HD size (ie plus Endurance (ie 3) for 11 HP/level in this example.  WP gets Endurance only plus a 1 time bonus.  Ie, a 1st level character has 11 Wound Points and 11 Hit Points; a 2nd level character is 14 and 22.

Quote from: Razor 007;1098009I believe that a Critical Hit from a Greatsword, should be a felling blow for any PC.

Are you trying to cap "Casters"?

Bad example but, what do I know?

Quote from: Razor 007;1098009I believe that a Critical Hit from a Greatsword, should be a felling blow for any PC.

That's a valid idea, but D20 isn't the right system for it. I assumed your idea was a D20 mod, since you were talking about levels and fireballs? Or are you thinking of creating a homebrew system from the ground up? That might work.

Quote from: Theory of Games;1098149Are you trying to cap "Casters"?

Bad example but, what do I know?

Just trying to keep all PC characters mortal.  And casters would cast various spells, with appropriate damage or effect for their caster level.  I only want to cap HP.  I also want to retain a medieval flavor.

Quote from: Aglondir;1098152That's a valid idea, but D20 isn't the right system for it. I assumed your idea was a D20 mod, since you were talking about levels and fireballs? Or are you thinking of creating a homebrew system from the ground up? That might work.

I sometimes use d20 roll high, sometimes d20 roll under, and sometimes 2d6.  I'm open minded about dice mechanics. Ok

I've been pushing along, changing mechanics a little here and there along the way for a few years now; trying to nail down "the one true way" for me, and it is always just past my grasp.

Quote from: Razor 007;1098167I've been pushing along, changing mechanics a little here and there along the way for a few years now; trying to nail down "the one true way" for me, and it is always just past my grasp.

The next step is often to just go back to playing by the book, whether in a familiar system (it didn't really need to be changed after all) or an entirely new one (because the old one was just never going to give you what you were looking for). I have to say that some of the most frustrating games I ever encountered were the ones that I wanted to tweak to perfection, so I've learned to keep modifications to a minimum and just play the fucking things (or not if they really do suck).

I am willing to embrace the concept that the average person has 10's.  I also like the idea of +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, and -1; arrange to taste.

Quote from: Razor 007;1098008I freaking Love this idea.

You may have a magic carpet, and you may cast fireballs; but you still have no more than 10HP, or 20HP, etc.

Everything in the game progresses, except for your mortality.  Your character will eventually die.  You might want to write up a will.

RuneQuest does this quite nicely. The more magic you have, the harder it is to die, but the chance is always there.

Quote from: Razor 007;1098008You may have a magic carpet, and you may cast fireballs; but you still have no more than 10HP, or 20HP, etc.

Quite a few games have this concept built into the default.

In GURPS, for example, HP are specifically 'meat points' and so it is rare for anyone to significantly increase their HP as they become more experienced. Survivability comes through increasing defensive skills, equipment and other precautions.

I'd rather cap spells, while allowing HP and skills to increase. The amount of magical firepower characters get in 5e is insane, but limit that resource, while still allowing the characters to fight in other ways, would open up a few more ways to play.