[Ptolus/AD&D] OOC Thread #2

[Werekoala]

I'll be along shortly with my trusty porter, Kid Exposition.

[Benoist]

I'll be along shortly with my trusty porter, Kid Exposition.

Man that kid knows his stuff...

[skofflox]

My brain's fried due to bad sleep, and I have to prepare Halloween.
Will update the threads tomorrow!

I have also been very very under the weather. Suffering from cluster headaches for the last two weeks, and missed an entire week of work. if I missed or miss anything I give Benny or Skofflox thumbs up to run Tudd until this runs it's course.

sounds good...

I have been forsaken!

I was hoping you would get your ass back with the rest of the group SOON...

I'll be along shortly with my trusty porter, Kid Exposition.

been following your progress!

[thedungeondelver]

I had a colossally shitty day yesterday.

I will decide what to do with Ylarum either this evening or tomorrow.

[Sigmund]

Wow ya'all, crappy times seem to be going around lately. It's frickin' Halloween season too, usually my favorite holiday. I hope things get better for all of us really soon, and that things stay great for ya'all that are enjoying life currently.

[Benoist]

We'll take care of your new character too when the headaches have subsided, Chris.

[Benoist]

Argh. Internet issues since Saturday. My connection just came back on.

I will update the threads when I can, assuming it holds for the next while.

[thedungeondelver]

Argh. Internet issues since Saturday. My connection just came back on.

I will update the threads when I can, assuming it holds for the next while.

Man what IS it with the People's Republic of Canada and Internet?

[Benoist]

I imagine the same as must surely occur some isolated parts of the US's Corporate Empire.

[thedungeondelver]

I imagine the same as must surely occur some isolated parts of the US's Corporate Empire.

Nah, there's more and better (free) internet at restaurants, grocery stores, doctor's offices, car repair places and on and on than most people have at home

[Benoist]

Assuming you DO have those facilities anywhere around, of course!

About the rules for Death, recuperation and so on. The passage in the straight AD&D rules can be found p.82 of the DMG, paragraph entitled Zero Hit Points. What is interesting about this is to find out how this has been a part of the rules completely ignored by most tables along the years I've been playing the game. Probably because said paragraph is buried into the text of the DMG and most DMs actually don't read the DMG, just use its tables... but yeah.

It's interesting to see how much leeway the actual rules give to the DM when it comes to death and dying. By the book, you are unconscious at 0 hit points, and start losing 1 Hit point thereafter until you reach -10 and die for good. Optionally, this may be a window from 0 to -3 hit points. If you reach -6 hit poins before receiving assistance, you may be scarred. You must rest in any case after reaching such levels of damage. The repose spell (Udo's gentle repose, if I was to give that homemade spell a name) changes the time of rest from one week to one day.

When you read between the lines, it's pretty clear all this stuff is subject to DM appreciation and further tweaking. What's interesting, though, is that it's been ignored well, to that extent, in my experience, in favor of some expeditive "0 hit points = death, no ifs no buts" interpretations over the years, to the point so many believe that's what the rules actually say.

[thedungeondelver]

As a DM, I handle death by hit-point loss thus:

1 and up, still alive obviously.  Knocked to exactly 0 = unconscious but not bleeding out.  You'll hold steady at 0 unless struck again.  Also, healing etc. that brings you up over 0 (even if it's only one point) wakes you up and makes you "all better".  That is, you're not subject to the matter of having to wait a week, etc.

Knocked from positive HP or 0 HP to -1 or -2 - now you're in trouble.  You're unconscious, bleeding out, and will die in 8 or 9 rounds unless stabilized.  Now the week's healing process has to take place before you can fight, cast spells, or do anything strenuous.  Comatose for one to six turns, although death's door will bring you up to 0 hits, conscious, and stable.  Further healing makes you ambulatory - but the week's healing still applies (this was per Gary when I asked him on DF).

Dropped to -3 or more in a single blow (from however many HP you had even if you were at 0 already) means you were slain outright.

It's less complicated than it sounds, and as much as I thought the "zero HP = just unconscious" house-rule would never really come in to effect it really and truly happens I'd say one combat in seven.

[Benoist]

Especially at lower levels, when you have a single digit or in the first 10s hit points and most weapons don't actually do a whole lot of hit point damage, reaching exactly 0 HP or -1 to -3 HPs is totally probable indeed.

That starts to change once you start having some magical attacks, massive damage and the like as you raise in level, but then, again, if you actually play the game from level 1 and don't pad/sugarcoat/fail safe the game for the players, that's actually a challenge to gain a few levels and survive, in and of itself.

[Sigmund]

Headaches are gone and I'm ready to get back to playing

[Benoist]

That's very good news, Chris. I'm glad you're feeling better. We'll have to introduce your new character. I'll post tomorrow, and I'll have to take care of Runch too... no mixing up of the names, no... hehehe...