tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post2235446196628647003..comments2024-03-26T15:35:56.004-04:00Comments on Delta's D&D Hotspot: Are All Hit Dice Created Equal?Deltahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-48136870502570681352009-11-25T01:18:33.962-05:002009-11-25T01:18:33.962-05:00> a set of mass-warfare rules which replicate D...> a set of mass-warfare rules which replicate D&D results with high statistical fidelity.<br /><br />I believe basing a mass combat system off the results of a man-to-man combat system is the wrong way to go about it.<br /><br />Mass combat is different. Formations matter, numbers matter (ability to absorb losses and maintain formation) and large creatures tend to disrupt formations irrespective to their HD (think charging horses and elephants historically). Morale, training, leadership are much larger factors.Norman J. Harman Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01319655075997712313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-14738873099694679192009-11-24T22:48:15.521-05:002009-11-24T22:48:15.521-05:00Well observed. You assume fights are to the death ...Well observed. You assume fights are to the death which may or may not be valid. You don't consider, and I understand why, that in many cases fighting ends in at most wounding followed by healing. <br />So a soldier might have four such fights before a terminal combat, recovering between each bout. Considering all hits absorbed up to death in this way pushes proportions of HTK towards HD again.Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-75140491781470767022009-11-24T08:18:16.384-05:002009-11-24T08:18:16.384-05:00I had to deal with this issue several months ago w...I had to deal with this issue several months ago when thinking about "wasted damage" for a prospective <i>War & Battle</i> supplement for AD&D. With units of 200 individuals in ranks of 20 and files of 10, and variably sized damage dice with unpredictable modifiers, it became clear it would be excessively difficult to model mathematically.<br /><br />Another point to bear in mind is that combatants with more hit points have a greater window of opportunity to withdraw from the front line before being outright killed (depending on what you consider the "retreat" number to be with regard to hit points).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05646247954542936623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-2716127498815036882009-11-24T08:15:16.155-05:002009-11-24T08:15:16.155-05:00Interesting numbers but they completely ignore oth...Interesting numbers but they completely ignore other aspects of level gain such as improved chance to hit, better saves, and so forth.Mark Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13648399258393669436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-17959302853243875822009-11-24T03:47:31.192-05:002009-11-24T03:47:31.192-05:00An interesting post. I'd like to reply tangen...An interesting post. I'd like to reply tangentially by observing that it made me think of a cool "partial damage" mechanism for D&D.<br /><br />Instead of pooling all the hit points into a single hit point total, characters should retain the list of points they gained at each level. So a fourth level fighter's hit points might be recorded as 6+3+4+3 rather than 16. Each "level" must be killed individually.<br /><br />For example, if he takes a hit of 5 points of damage, that would be deemed to have "killed" his fourth level. Any excess killage is wasted.<br /><br />His hit points are now 6+3+4, and furthermore he now fights and saves as a 3rd level fighter until he is healed.<br /><br />Not only does this create a nice model for partial damage, it also would ensure that Chainmail and D&D damage models are parallel as originally intended, because now an Xth level creature will take as many hits to kill it as X single-hit-die creatures.PTRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01804620638450848244noreply@blogger.com