So last night the rogue "playfully stabbed" the barbarian.
The barbarian made some lewd and flirtatious remark to her and that's what prompted the stabbing and giggling. They were both okay with this because it was only a 1d4 dagger and the barbarian has over 100 hit points, I think.
And it's that kind of disconnect between in game wounds and violence versus real life that doesn't sit well with me. Because I can't think of any situation where somebody gets stabbed that doesn't prompt a retaliation or calling the cops.
I realize that maybe I'M the one that's out of touch because gaming is supposed to be escapism and fantasy, so some people accept that they could stab their friends for amusement and as long as the stats on their character sheets dictate a poke with a sharp object is of insignificant consequence, they can all laugh it off while I sit in the corner brooding behind my "no fun" sign. But I can't help it because, outside of cartoons, I can't help but view most violence as things to take seriously.
But apparently I spoiled all the fun when I made it quite clear that I (the party cleric) wouldn't waste a healing spell on those kind of shenanigans. In character, my cleric told the rogue and barbarian that he comes from a culture and religion that views violence as a thing of last resort and making people bleed for amusement is abhorrent.
It was then an OOC argument at the table broke out and I was told that I "didn't get it" while I told them they "didn't get it" because it's kinda dumb to stab people for the lulz unless it's an evil campaign.
Anyway, the game ended that night with everyone kind of pissed off at each other and I can't help but feel a little guilty because I felt as if I threw a wet blanket over the mood right then and there. So I came here to see if "playfully stabbing" and similar behavior is actually something that's part of the hobby (I've only been playing tabletop for a month now) or if I'm okay with having a problem with it.
>>45495696
Nah, they just have an S&M relationship.
>>45495696
This, like everything else in gaming, depends. Some groups are more lighthearted and like to do stuff like this. Others, like mine, treat it a little more seriously.
If there's a disconnect here, it's between players concerning their expectations of what the game is and/or should be. Go ahead and sit down with them OOC and talk stuff over. Say "hey guys, I don't really get that behavior and see violence, even in-game, as heavy stuff, would you mind not doing treating it so lightly?" See what they say. If it's really important to them to have that kind of lighthearted levity of violence in-game, then maybe you aren't suited to that group.
Personally, I'd recommend you learn to lighten up a bit and accept that behavior in-game isn't the same as behavior out of it and that what happens in the game says nothing about reality as it actually is. It's the suspension of disbelief thing. However, that's your call to make.
Like everything in gaming, communication is key. Talking to /tg/ won't help; talking to your group will.
>>45495696
My gut instinct is to condemn it because they're not even attempting to play roles, but in the end every group is different. My personal bias is likely very different from yours is likely very different from your group's. The best solution is to talk it out with them and figure out what kind of tone the game is shooting for.
>>45495821
>My gut instinct is to condemn it because they're not even attempting to play roles
Sure they are. S&M roles
If I was the DM, Id have chuckled and allowed it, then had the small scratch become (potentially lethally) infected.
>>45495696
Did they fug afterwards?
D&D is, at its core, a less than serious game.
For "playfully stabbing," I'd imagine something akin to old 90s anime sequences where the protag does something perverted or stupid and the female lead wallops him with a hammer, throws him into the stratosphere, or inflicts some normally dangerous and lethal form of injury that is waived off when the sequence ends (at most, the protag has a comically-sized welt or bandage, but in no instance is the injury serious or debilitating). In fact, that's exactly what happened at your table. Just imagine everyone as sweatshop-drawn chibi caricatures of themselves and everything's fine.
>tl;dr it's dumb and I've never seen it at my table, but in sufficiently lighthearted games I guess it could be okay? Still weird and very meta.
>>45495696
S&M relationship between the characters?
>>45495696
>They were both okay with this because it was only a 1d4 dagger and the barbarian has over 100 hit points, I think.
Sounds like you're playing a retarded system.
>I realize that maybe I'M the one that's out of touch because gaming is supposed to be escapism and fantasy...
Nah, there's a difference between fantasy and stupidity. You were right to kick up a fuss, but maybe didn't do it in the right way.
>>45495912
This so hard. Teach your players the consequences of their actions.
Here's what you do. Next session, as everyone's getting their shit out, whip your dick out and put it on the table. Tell them that you realize that things got a little heated the previous session, and start pissing on their character sheets. Keep up a constant stream as you talk about how good role playing means accepting the abstractions that the game uses without breaking immersion by taking advantage of them. At this point, you should move the stream to their faces, and talk about how you hope you can move past the bad blood that may have been created and just have a great time tonight playing a role playing game.
And that's when you pull the beads out of your asshole and hang them over the DM's neck like a string of pearls.
>>45495912
But it was only a little cut.
>>45495912
>then had the small scratch become (potentially lethally) infected.
Except if the healer heals them immediately afterwards (as anyone besides this particular cleric would do) then there's no way for that to happen
Unless you also have them become lethally infected after every single fight
>>45495912
You have a very poor understanding of medicine if you think every cut gets lethally infected
>>45495696
I met a guy once who got stabbed pretty bad by a piece of metal, it cut really deep into his shoulder/chest but missed his lung. He didn't freak out or cry or even really seem to care that much. He covered it up, packed up his tools, grabbed his lunch out of the fridge then drove himself to the doctor.
I think the big thing with these games that most people don't think about is that the starting stats are usually the stats of the best possible real world human. DnD for example 10 is average. A barbarian can easily start with 18 in Con. That means hes already almost double tough compared to an average person.
Without even leveling the average person can only have 12 health, that 1D4 sure as hell can hurt then, especially on a critical. Just like real life.
>>45496234
But a girl did it for the lulz! That makes it okay, right?
>>45496262
As long as the barbarian is cool with it. Chicks dig scars.
>>45496273
Apparently they dig them enough to make some of their own.
>>45495696
The question is whether your game is heavier on the RP elements, or the game elements.
If it's just a game; then fine, why not? It doesn't have any chance of really hurting the character. If so, you were wrong to throw a fuss, or just in the wrong kind of game.
If it's RP heavy; you were absolutely right. A barbarian with 100hp is not something that can be considered normal. People stab others with the intent to kill. If anything, the rogue should have been terrified that this beast of a man shrugged off a dagger in the gut.
>>45496262
Now that I think about it, I've been stabbed for silly reasons in DnD plenty of times. I got kidney shanked once because I was being very rude to a king. They healed me afterwards but as a barbarian with upwards of 60 health at the time I didn't consider it much more than the tank equivalent of slapping me upside the head.
>>45495696
If the Barbarian was this tough, and the dagger was this weak, then don't imagine it like a real knife wound. She could only scratch the Barbarian with that, even with full damage.
If it bothers you too much then try not playing D&D. I usually disregard advices like that, but now I have to give it.
I love D&D and Pathfinder, I really do. But Hit Points are one of their classic and sometimes goofy feature that cannot be changed. You need an entirely different system.
As for the situation; I think you acted correctly within your preferences. The others shouldn't have been pissy, I mean it was only a 1d4 dagger. If they want to play in the dirt, they better wash their clothes themselves.
>>45496308
Scars to a barbarian are like tattoos to normal people. They're always thinking about how cool they'll look, they hurt like hell while they're getting them, and when it's all done they'll show em off no matter how stupid they look.
For this reason HP is divided at my table. An amount equal to your Con score of your HP is your actual meat points. These are lost last as you take damage. But, if you loose HP in unavoidable, physical way (such as having a crossbow aimed at your head 6 inches away in a standoff) this HP is lost instead. Loss of this HP can be fatal. In this way even a barb with a con of 18 who allows a dagger physically enter his spleen is gana feel that 1d4.
>>45495696
I lothe d&d and HP as a general rule. But however, I've found the Vitality system to work good. Treat hp as your combat ability to parry and shrug off blows, but if someone gets a crit, it's damage against your actual HP which is your starting HD.
That being said, I've been stabbed, and I've dissected animals. That sick cartilage crunching feel under your blade is one of the most horrifying feelings I can think of, years latter it's still haunting.
I can't really think of cuts and stabs in a playful way at all. So, I guess you did the right thing, but failed your charisma roll.
>>45495696
I playfully wrestled with a friend when drinking, and I'm just a neckbeard. Make us twice-as-pathological violent murderhoboish hardened mercenary barbarian and rogue duo and we might just as well swing blades at each other to get the same kick out of it. And if something bad happens... pfffh, work on your reflex next time, sucker.
>>45495696
The way I've always run hit points (I think this is what the d&d 5e books say about it, too, but I can't recall) is that above half your max HP, you haven't really been physically injured yet. Through a combination of skill, luck, or whatever, you turn away the attack or dodge it or whatever. However, keeping this up forever is exhausting, and thus results in HP lost.
Once your HP gets below half, you start taking minor wounds. Shallow cuts on non-vital areas, minor burns from that fireball. The only attack that's an actual serious wound is whichever one drops you down to 0 HP.
In this explanation, healing magic is just about pumping you full of positive energy, closing wounds and invigorating you.
>>45498260
I kind of thought this my self. If you've got a couple of guys where fighting is their every day norm and they are this tough, then light stabbing might very well move into the realms of whimmsy.
It might be possible for you and your group to both get what you want from this situation too. If your friends are cassualy playing for laughs they can cast you in the stuck up, stickler cleric role. You might even be able to play up to this a little. Meanwhile you get the chance of roleplaying the sane man stuck with psycopaths.There's a job needs doing, these nutters have the skills to do it, you need them, but by god you wish you didn't.
>>45495696
Are you by any chance autistic?
Dude. That was a barbarian she just stabbed. If that dagger was to actually injure him, then I'd fucking be all prissy about it. What sort of barbarian couldn't take 400 knife wounds in the back.
>inb4 Conan The Barbarian
>Inb4 Conan the Barbarian was actually a rogue.
>>45495696
dat sum Ashley Cope arts?
It's because she's a chick and can get away with it, which is something I hate about girl gamers in real life.
If you're playing a game or something and start winning, have a bit of banter or jib at them, and otherwise give them even the slightest reason to, they'll "playfully" take offense and hit you or try to. Don't ask me why, they just do. Not all of them but enough that it bothers me.
Can't count how many times I've been gaming with my friends and make an offhanded comment, and some nerdy girl will act offended like "Oh my god I can't believe you just X!" laughing and turn around and hit me. Or playing in a game with them, and take an action against them or cause them to lose, and they freak out and stand up to lean over and try to hit me.
I thought maybe it was me so I backed off gaming for awhile, but saw it with other guys too, and in other groups, venues, etc... even an anime club I was dragged to a couple times. They're unstable and get away with it. The principle is the same here, "What a perv, I playfully stab him!" and I wouldn't be surprised if she also hit the guy IRL, "Haha it's ok if she stabs me it's just a girl stab!"
>It's ok because they're just girls and they're just playfully hitting and it isn't even that hard!
And I'm not about to turn around and hit them back, but they shouldn't be touching other people at all, let alone hitting.
>>45495696
Mid-level d&d starts going into the fantasy superhero genre. Regenerators and other invincible heroes have been stabbed for less before.
You're not common mortals anymore. Maybe your character still thinks like one, but theirs clearly don't.
>>45500236
>It's because she's a chick and can get away with it, which is something I hate about girl gamers in real life.
Everyone knows this is true, even if they deny it, yet people still wonder why there's so many transsexuals.
>>45495696
It depends on a lot of things, mate.
If you're going for a light-hearted, casual campaign it's perfectly reasonable. Hell, that's how most tabletop was back in the early 90s and the 80s.
If you're going for anything serious, it becomes really really dumb.
Both styles have their place though, so reading the mood is instrumental.
>>45495696
>The barbarian made some lewd and flirtatious remark to her and that's what prompted the stabbing and giggling.
Yeah, bet that this never happened.
>>45495696
Essentially what happened here is that they were having lighthearted fun. What you have to realize is that for the most part, TTRPGs are just lighthearted fun. But no, you went full autistic about it. So, anon, the problem is you. You didn't want to have the kind of fun they were having, and threw a hissy fit about it. Grow the fuck up.
>>45495696
I think the rogue "playfully stabbing" the barbarian after he made a lewd remark is kind of offhand andunrealistic, even in a DnD setting. It was an error in the roleplaying of the other players, and you handled it well by using your own roleplaying (cleric abhors unnecessary violence) to punish them for it. If the damage was insignificant, then the barb shouldn't want for healing anyway. Idk how it turned into an OOC argument. It shouldn't have gone that far, and I couldn't say whose fault that was.
That all said, the rogue and barb could have saved the situation by explaining that the damage was just a tiny cut, because the rogue wasn't really trying to hurt the barbarian, just establish that she wasn't to be fucked with. I'm talking a nick on the cheek, nose, or ear that only sheds a drop or two of blood. Something that shows that the rogue COULD have hurt the barb, but chose not to. A good DM would allow that PC interaction with no damage.
I consider anything over 5th level to be super human so I can see this sort of thing happening
>>45496076
well if you think water will dissolve your skin it's fully possible you'll get infections. Especially if you only have one or two articles of clothing to wear.
Thinking about final fantasy games where someone is confused or asleep. Cleaving with your sword to break confusion is fully justified!
At that point, I suppose the party looks at non-magical weapons like they are children's playthings; considering the apid PC journey to becoming demigods.
It was just two overly powerful beings having a guffaw at the expense of what counts as a conventional mortal weapon.
"Haha, remember when this would have been significant? Those times were shit!"
violence is how barbarians express their joy for life.
>>45499984
>Come on Boromir! You could take like five arrows no problem! I was just playing around when I pierced your lung with my arrow!
-Legolas before getting smacked the fuck down by a true son of Gondor
Who's the semen demon in OP's pic?
>>45495912
Fucking kill yourself you passive-agressive little rat.
>>45502624
Boromir's problem was that he was a level 3 melee ranger with diehard in a level 7 adventure who got separated from the group after failing his will save against an artifact ring with a gaze-based compulsion effect.
>>45502662
>What is image search
Here: http://ashleycope.deviantart.com/art/Yuletide-Past-64528097
>>45502214
Hello Grog
>>45501788
This. "playfully stabbing" and flirting outside of combat shouldn't even have resulted in HP loss. The problem is that HP is an abstraction, but it's a poorly defined abstraction that everybody sees slightly differently, which leads to misunderstandings and stupid situations like in the OP.
>>45495696
Hit Points are not Meat Points.
I've always favored the 4e reasoning that you're not actually taking physical damage until you reach the halfway mark of your HP, upon which you are bloodied.
>>45495696
Is there a system that allows you to use non lethal attacks effectively, but without breaking the game?
Every system we've played seems to be balanced around the idea that characters are always armed. So you try to knock out an enemy and you're just tapping them for a point of damage here and there. Often no damage at all. The system forces you to shoot or stab someone just to avoid looking like a fool even though it's an extreme escalation and completely contrary to your end goal.
Conversely, I've played some systems whose stun rules are so punishing that our GMs have banned stun weapons on the grounds of being far too effective.
Anyone have any house rules that dodge these issues? A stamina stat that's more susceptible to fists or something?
>>45501788
>>45498783
>>45503018
This is all good advice you need to look at OP.
Sit down with your players and make sure everyone is clear on what the tone of the game is and what HP means.
Maybe its just that they don't want to play as serious a tone as you do and think its funny that this Incredible Hulk barbarian can absorb insane amounts of damage.
The important thing is to talk. You could try to see if they can spin it as "playfully cuts his cheek" if you want to have things move toward the tone you want. But if they want to play the game with more of an "anime girlfriend violence" tone then be aware that you're the odd man out.
>>45500236
What the fuck are you talking about? Friend's playfully hit each other all the time. It has nothing to do with gender.
>>45495696
Etety
I have always stood by that an attack roll is an atempt to entirely end a persons life (on knock them out if we're talking non-lethal.) In a battle with two people going at each other with swords, they aren't trying to hack off chunk of flesh one stab at a time, they're gon for the heart, the eyes, vital things to end taht person. An attack roll and damage repersent how close you have come to doing that.
>>45500236
We guys do that, too. I was playing a Black Crusade game where the sorcerer (Tzeench worshipper) was talking shit about my guy (Chaos Undivided worshipper) so I hit him with a chainsword and critted.
We're cool OOC though so we laughed it off, although I'm expecting some magic to "accidentally" hit me in the back.
>>45495696
At this point, if the rogue isn't trying to sneak attack the barb it's unlikely she's even going to break his DR. It's less like two mercenaries stabbing each other over nothing, and it's more like Iron Man punching Thor. It's not the method that matters, it's the point that they're trying to get across.
That said, you would be well within your rights in-character to act as you did, but out of character I'd suggest lightening up a bit more. The main thing is to make sure everyone has fun.
The barbarian player said something lewd and the thief's player responded. it seemed they settled the issue without slowing the game down. You should have let it stand. You focused on the stabbing and not the situation that set it off.
>>45501788
>Idk how it turned into an OOC argument. It shouldn't have gone that far, and I couldn't say whose fault that was.
OP here. I appreciate all the response so far.
Anyway, the OOC argument actually wasn't that big of a deal. After my cleric stated (IC) that he abhors violence for laughs, the rogue said (OOC) that I had a stick up my ass. As in me, the player. I told her exactly what I told you guys: "I can't think of any way you can 'playfully stab' somebody because stabbings usually result in retaliation or calling the cops. So I thought that was kind of fucked up." I think what set her off was that last bit, calling her IC behavior "kind of fucked up" because she came back at me with a bunch of stuff I forget except I do remember she said that I "don't get it" - as in I don't get Pathfinder or RPGs or something. And I came back telling her that she "didn't get it" because she couldn't figure out why I had a problem with picturing a gal ramming an 8 inch blade into a man's chest for laughs. And then the barbarian's player proceeded to step in an "white night" for her. And I guess I just couldn't back down because I don't think they understand why I'd take issue with picturing someone poking 8 inches of steel into somebody for laughs.
But I have been reading the thread and I do understand now that I probably should have envisioned it in a more cartoonish manner, like anime "dimensional hammers" and whatnot. I guess I didn't because up until that point it had been a fairly straight-faced campaign kind of in the tone of Lord of the Rings (I can't recall anybody playfully stabbing anybody in those books).
Anyway, by the time the DM told us all to shut up, she seemed to be sulking since I was now envisioning her character as a murderhobo psychopath, the barbarian's player was pissed because I made her sad and she didn't want to roleplay as giggle-squee stabby-mchappy rogue anymore, and I wasn't about to relent at that moment in time.
>>45495696
The text of your pic is the answer to your problem. Hit points are meant to be an abstraction. In any game I run, and the majority of the games I play, it's assumed that, unless you're Marv, generally speaking, one truly telling blow, be it from a gun, a sword, a blaster, a fireball, a lightsaber, or a dagger, is going to take you out of the fight, even if it doesn't kill you. Hit points are a combination of grit, stamina, and plot-shield that turn telling blows into glancing hits, near misses, and lucky saves. ACTUALLY getting stabbed would probably, at minimum, drain an entire healing surge from the individual, if not automatically drop the stab-ee to bloodied (I run 4e, and I always fluff bloodied as the first hit of signifigance.) Actual HITS are always an oh-shit moment.
Then again, that's just my DM style, not everybody's, but I'm rather opinionated about hit-points. Personally, I find it more immersion/suspension-oif-disbelief breakingto have everybody running around being Marv from sin city, losing gallons of blood on the daily, and walking around like a pin-cushion of arrows, than accepting that fantasy action fights follow certain rising-action genre-conventions, including plot shield, so naturally the PC's and non-minion monsters benefit from those conventions (minions are not necessarily weaker, they're just the schmucks who don't have plot shield.)
>>45506236
Yeah, OP, it's all your fault for being an autistic manchild. Even the serious games will have players making light hearted jokes. You were just too autistic to tell the difference between it and normal play, and took offense at it, and were too stubborn to back down. This is all you clearly in the wrong.
>>45495696
On the one hand, that's retarded.
On the other, he's a Barbarian.
Sounds like everything's in order to me.
>>45506368
If hitpoints are merely an abstraction, why do different weapons deal such drastic differences in damage? Aren't misses and glancing blows defined by AC scores or dodge stats?
>>45506881
>why do different weapons deal such drastic differences in damage?
Think of it this way
>Rule 1: A hit knocks you out of the fight
>Rule 2: You have X plot shield points that you can spend to not get knocked out
>Rule 3: Different attacks cost different ammounts, based on how big and scary they are, because drama, and because flat-plot-shield-points economies like bennies can feel stale
Also, in a lot of systems, if the person with the dagger knows what they hell they are doing (e.g. is a rogue in D&D) the damage difference isn't that much.. The difference between that and a fireball still is, but plot-shielding away a fucking c4 explosion SHOULD take more plot-shield points if I do say so myself.
>Aren't misses and glancing blows defined by AC scores or dodge stats?
Not in an abstracted hit-point system clearly, they determine TRUE hits, which need to be bought off with HIT points.
>>45507084
>plot-shielding away a fucking c4 explosion SHOULD take more plot-shield points
Why? This might work if plot shield points were set based on plot relevance or on some sort of protagonist/sidekick ranking system, but they aren't. They are based on toughness or constitution or whatever. This means the meatiest characters are inexplicably protected, while the scrawnier characters are not.
This only makes sense from the perspective that hit points are modeling actual health. Look at any piece of fiction and your smaller heroes will routinely outlast your big, meathead grunts any day of the week.
>Not in an abstracted hit-point system clearly, they determine TRUE hits, which need to be bought off with HIT points.
But they don't. Because as you said, true hits only happen when someone goes down. So you have two systems that are both regulating when an actual hit occurs. One that's explicitly dealing with hits versus misses, and then another which is some arbitrarily sized pool, often with no upward cap.
Possible house rule for D&D taken mostly from Carcosa
>Do not record HP
>Record max HD, HD size and current HD
>Every time shit goes down, roll your HD pool
>Depending on how many dice you have available ether keep the dice you rolled or record the numbers
>Whenever you take damage subtract it from your largest die result
>If a die is reduced to zero remove it and record that you lost a HD, you can't regain it until you a good, long rest
If you have a wound/crit chart you want to use then you can implement it. Whenever a character would lose a HD give them a choice: they can lose the die or they can take a random wound and keep the die.
However, if the die is lost to a crit or a sneak attack they lose it AND take a wound.
For constitution you can ether have it increase all results by it's bonus or give you additional buffer HD equal to it's bonus.
>>45507516
Sounds good in theory by itself, but I bet you that in practice it adds even more complexity to what is already a convoluted system to begin with.
>>45507516
Basically what >>45507551 said, but could work well with video games, if it could be displayed in an intuitive way on screen.
Assmad caster who can't handle the Martial being better than them at something detected. I bet you're jerking off under your robes thinking about the rogue but know she only wants the barbarians big slab of 100+ HP meat. QQ to your God or something.
Casters get to bend reality, but martials have to be 100% low powered and realistic all the time.
>>45495696
If your character has a legitimate, in character reason to be disgusted by their behavior, then I don't see a reason for you to feel badly about it. Are they bitching specifically about you not healing the wound, or about your views on their actions?
>>45507794
>Are they bitching specifically about you not healing the wound, or about your views on their actions?
My views on their actions.
>>45507869
In character or out?
>>45507900
The problem is that OP didn't realize that the actions were done from an OOC mentality.
The problem is that people disagree on what HP means. Some people take it to mean it's meat points, and this actually works pretty well with the superhero-esque high fantasy adventuring of D&D, where even dying isn't the end of the road. Some people favor a more abstracted approach, and I never quite understood how that worked in the face of things like cure spells, regeneration, and injury poisons. In my experience, though, people who take the abstraction route are also liable to be personally offended by people who take the meat points route. So, in this case, I'd say you probably over-reacted. The barbarian could take a tank to the face, and then slap it back down; a little dagger poke won't realistically matter.
>>45507235
>Why? This might work if plot shield points were set based on plot relevance or on some sort of protagonist/sidekick ranking system, but they aren't. They are based on toughness or constitution or whatever. This means the meatiest characters are inexplicably protected, while the scrawnier characters are not.
I guess the house-rule of "your primary attack stat determines your HP and Surges" became so commonplace to me that I don't think about it anymore. In all fairness, you're right, your plot-shield should be determined by your individual awesome-factor, not just Marv's awesome factor.>>45507235
>But they don't. Because as you said, true hits only happen when someone goes down. So you have two systems that are both regulating when an actual hit occurs. One that's explicitly dealing with hits versus misses, and then another which is some arbitrarily sized pool, often with no upward cap.
It does take some willingness to abstract, just because a system is using a plot-shield system, doesn't mean that theorhetically hitting a dex-like-a-motherfucker monk and hittinga moderately-armored bard should be the same.
Also the thing that your forgetting is that a "plot-shield" miss doesn't HAVE to not hit: it could dramatically graze the cheek, creating a badass scar and delivering poison, or be turning at the last moment to turn what would be a decapitating blow into a wind-knocking-chest-blow who's lethality is absorbed by the chainmail, but not its bruises. A plot-shield save CAN be a non-hit, but isn't always, it's whatever's most dramatically appropriate at the moment.
AC/Dodge is your literal ability to not get hit if you weren't an action hero
Plot-shield is your cinematic action-hero factor.
>>45502675
Thank you. Not that poster, but I am kind of surprised no one said this sooner.
The idea of punishing something because you find it "bad behavior" while not trying to get to the core of the issue (Typically OOC).. I just don't even.
>>45495696
I feel like your problem is you still view the characters as normal humans at this point which you should not. Your barbarian can pretty safely jump off of a 200foot cliff and walk away like nothing happened, that isn't normal by at stretch. So poking him with a dagger for 3% of his HP pool at this point is the same as slapping him when he was merely human and it didn't take any HP away.
I get that your character can be morally against it but OOC you still thinking these are somehow still normal people are in the wrong.
>>45507869
For the OP:
Games are hard sometimes. When you're involved in groups that are new to each other (Or just a single new player to the group), it takes a bit of feeling out to understand each other as players. What people want out of games can vary wildly, and over the course of my PnP career I've seen this quite a bit.
I grew up with a group since high school, and am still actively playing with them today, but I've come to learn a lot about the kinks in our views of the game. For instance we have one player who can not ROLEplay in the slightest, and only can execute defined in game actions. On the other hand we have a player who can either not pay attention to the game closely enough, or is literally off in their own world to the point that they sometimes make up previous events or relate stories that never happened (Or happened differently), often claiming that as "the point of confusion" for current idiotic actions.
My conclusion is that if I were starting a PnP group now, with everyone as new players, I would quickly not be interested in some of the style issues between us. However in this case, we're a group of old friends, and we do it to play together and interact, and we've been dealing with each other for long enough to have an understanding.
With a new group? It's easy to learn if there are issues you really feel are too much to stomach. Although I would advise, rather than determining you loath a certain action or theme, make sure you understand your underlying reason for disliking it, or what you would like a group to do rather than what you are experiencing.
If you really hate just the fact that the game is slap-stick and harboring nonsense, maybe the issue is looking for people who take IC seriously. If the group generally is serious IC but it's just this sort of "in the safety of our company" type side-line joking that bothers you, maybe it's a bit harsh on your end.
If this is a chronic problem of "Barbarian said something I don't like again, so I stab him again." then sure, bring it up. But the way I see it, the situation described by OP was just a meta joke.
"Haha, in this system I can stab my friend with a knife and it doesn't really matter. How silly!"
Lighten up man, a little meta humor every now and then never hurt anyone.
>>45508164
As a slight follow up on that post:
I agree with >>45507946
The only other point I wanted to bring up was that, in all of my years gaming, it wasn't until in the past 3 years that I was really introduced to the idea that HP doesn't equal "the sword stabs you!". The concept that locking swords and fighting for your life is just as "Draining" on your reserves is something I really like, but is something that isn't that common.
If that is the core of your issue? I feel like that is something you'll want to come to grips with, because the vast majority of players view HP damage as "how much blood am I loosing?". If you enjoy the alternative, the abstract, then sweet. There are like minded people out there, but I feel they are far fewer, especially depending on what game system you're dealing with. Perhaps people playing more abstract systems will be more likely to look for abstractions of their actions and results. But games like D&D(3.5 at least) or pathfinder which like to define things and use them for everything? Might be leaning more towards hard numbers.
I would just understand that other people don't hold that concept, maybe try to explain it OOC, but I wouldn't hold much hope for changing people's mind to abstractions. Just know that if you find a group with like minded views, that you'll want to try and keep up with them and value having a group that you feel more at home with.
>>45495696
I would have condemned the action just as you did, up until a point.
There comes a time when you need to look at the group and think "Am I the one causing problems within the group?" and act accordingly, even if you're in the right.
I personally would have broken down before it became an OOC issue and begrudgingly healed the barbarian, with a promise of "Just this once." And if they continued recklessly harming one another for no apparent reason then I would refuse to enable their edgy bullshit any further.
>>45502742
kek
>>45496234
think about this really for a second. A lvl 1 fighter is basically an untrained person right. They dont know how to fight quite yet. So a punch in the gut would topple over this person vs a more seasoned fighter say lvl 5 that could take quite a few gut or face punches. Hp does giv you more health in a real life scenario, hp is that it gives people more durability. Lets say a person is stabbed in the gut which is A crit that does 10 dmg to a level 1 with 8/8 hp. That would be the same as a crit that did 50 dmg to a lvl 5 with 40 health. They both will die from the stab wound. the difference is 10 damage done to a level 1 is a kill but 10 damage to a lvl 5 is not, why? because a sword would go straight through the untrained lvl 1 but the same attack against the veteran was perhaps partially deflected by a shield or he side stepped and so now that crit stab is a slice on the hip or shoulder instead of the gut. Make sense.
>>45509757
You are retarded.
>>45509757
>>45496234
basically more hp just mean you can last longer in a fight. doesnt mean you can take being stabbed multiple times. Killing blows which take people to 0 or below are stabs, beheading w/e whether its 1 hp dmg or 100hp. Your dm has been roleplaying your group wrong.
>>45509841
please explain oh enlightened one without the ad hominems
>>45509866
A first level fighter is anything but untrained. Have you not seen their proficiencies?
>>45509924
you are right, fair enough. But if you gain more proficiency as you level than you are a superior fighter to a lvl 1 hence what would kill a lvl 1, a level 5 could deflect for less damage. All im saying is, hp doesnt allow you to be stabbed 5 times, just allows more survivability in combat
>>45505050
With knives?
>>45495696
OP is officially "that guy"
>>45506236
ah, so the other player started the OOC argument
>>45507657
nigga went full retard
>>45507946
You're still taking damage even in an abstraction system. It's just in the form of muscle fatigue, small abrasions and bruises, sprains, minor cuts, etc. Cure spells remove that kind of stuff.
>>45501150
>I became a transexual so I can reap that fat, sweaty, neck-beard dick while I take a game of pretend frivolously
>>45497997
This sounds like a really good idea. I've always sort of subscribed to the idea of hp being basically how tired you are, as you lose hp you are dodging or deflecting blows, and eventually you are too worn out and one slips though, getting you to zero.
This sort of falls apart when a commoner hurls a piece of dirt for your last hp and you keel over unconscious.
Cool idea anon, i might try it
>>45496062
Fuck no, I ain't healing them.
