Questions about Wound/Vitality system [Archive] - Wizards Community

Questions about Wound/Vitality system [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
mickshrimpton
03-29-04, 11:18 PM I like the Wound/Vitality system, but there are some questions I find have been left unanswered (to my satisfaction at least).

- Does falling damage come off wounds or vitality? I'm guessing vitality, but that doesn't make logical sense, given that vitality is really a form of "defense" and has nothing to do with physical damage. To me, a fall of 50' is a fall of 50' whether you're 15th level or first.

- If someone is completely defenseless (tied up, sleeping, or whatever) would an attack come off wounds or vitality? Again, as written, it would seem to be vitality... which makes no sense to me again...but I could be wrong.
Jack Daniel
03-29-04, 11:31 PM Other games that use wounds and vitality treat falling damage as vitality damage, just like anything else.

An attack made against a helpless defender is automatically a critical hit, and in the VP/WP system, critical hits deal WP damage, so I think that answers its own question.
Masterful_Norg
03-29-04, 11:50 PM Check here: Link (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209319)
mickshrimpton
03-30-04, 07:55 AM Originally posted by Jack Daniel
Other games that use wounds and vitality treat falling damage as vitality damage, just like anything else.

That's what I figured...but it makes no sense logically. Vitality is a reflection of "fatigue points", etc, so why would falling damage be reduced from that? Falling damage is purely physical after all. Just my opinion, of course, but I do wish D&D had a more logical ruleset sometimes!
Thelon Fairblade
03-30-04, 08:27 AM Consider that falling damage is 1d6 per 10' in DnD, where it is striking hp that are far greater than what a single sword thrust can deal out.

In a VP/WP game, if you want falling to bypass VP, have the falling person make a Reflex save or suffer 1 WP per 10' fallen. Or something similiar.

Otherwise, anyone who falls 30' will die (avg CON 10, avg damage 10.5), period. Now, granted, in Real Life, falling 30' is often rather lethal too -- but if you're going for that kind of lethality, then this is a good system to use.
Salla
03-30-04, 08:51 AM Hmm ... actually, if I'm remembering my Star Wars right, there was a Reflex save involved somewhere. If you made it, you took vitality damage (you landed on your feet or fell well enough that you just got the wind knocked out of you), if you failed you took wound damage (you landed on something you'd rather not have). That makes a degree of sense (or possibly a Tumble check instead of a Reflex save).
Jack Daniel
03-30-04, 12:22 PM People have fallen out of airplanes and survived. I think vitality damage is a perfectly good mechanic.
Salla
03-31-04, 07:57 AM I suddenly imagine god as a DM, looking down at a guy who's fallen out of an airplane ... right next to his DMG is a bunch of dice that came up all 1s. :)
mickshrimpton
03-31-04, 09:52 AM Originally posted by Jack Daniel
People have fallen out of airplanes and survived. I think vitality damage is a perfectly good mechanic.
I also have a friend who shattered his arm after falling three feet onto a pile of bricks. Guess there's just no true way to mimic reality in an RPG!
Jack Daniel
03-31-04, 12:33 PM Originally posted by Salla
I suddenly imagine god as a DM, looking down at a guy who's fallen out of an airplane ... right next to his DMG is a bunch of dice that came up all 1s. :)

Originally posted by mickshrimpton
I also have a friend who shattered his arm after falling three feet onto a pile of bricks. Guess there's just no true way to mimic reality in an RPG!

:rolleyes: And sometimes, God rolls all 6s...
Nathaniel Essex
03-31-04, 12:48 PM 1. Does the damage inflicted by Cause Serious Wounds: Do the automatic +1 per level or somesuch go directly to wounds? If Cure Serious Wounds spell allows a character to heal wounds with there automatic level then is it the other way also?
2. How do people handle the Rogue's Sneak Attack?
3. How does the Defense Bonus option stack when you multiclass? If I'm a 5th level fighter and I Multiclass into Rogue/Ranger/Paladin or something do I follow the Star Wars rules and take -2 to it or what?
Thelon Fairblade
03-31-04, 01:52 PM In the alternative I suggested, Cause Wounds does 1 damage per level to wounds, in addition to normal damage to VP. And since Cause Wounds spells have no save, this can't be avoided.

Rogue sneak attack does full damage to VP, or 1 damage per die to WP. If there is carryover from VP (i.e. 10 VP left, take a 17 point sneak attack), it is lost for that blow.

The UA defense bonus is "take the best column". A Wiz 19 / Fighter 1 gets the best Def Bonus. Most people do it cummulatively per level like in Star Wars, with a -2 when you multiclass.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mickshrimpton 03-29-04, 11:18 PM	I like the Wound/Vitality system, but there are some questions I find have been left unanswered (to my satisfaction at least). - Does falling damage come off wounds or vitality? I'm guessing vitality, but that doesn't make logical sense, given that vitality is really a form of "defense" and has nothing to do with physical damage. To me, a fall of 50' is a fall of 50' whether you're 15th level or first. - If someone is completely defenseless (tied up, sleeping, or whatever) would an attack come off wounds or vitality? Again, as written, it would seem to be vitality... which makes no sense to me again...but I could be wrong.
Jack Daniel 03-29-04, 11:31 PM	Other games that use wounds and vitality treat falling damage as vitality damage, just like anything else. An attack made against a helpless defender is automatically a critical hit, and in the VP/WP system, critical hits deal WP damage, so I think that answers its own question.
Masterful_Norg 03-29-04, 11:50 PM	Check here: Link (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209319)
mickshrimpton 03-30-04, 07:55 AM	Originally posted by Jack Daniel Other games that use wounds and vitality treat falling damage as vitality damage, just like anything else. That's what I figured...but it makes no sense logically. Vitality is a reflection of "fatigue points", etc, so why would falling damage be reduced from that? Falling damage is purely physical after all. Just my opinion, of course, but I do wish D&D had a more logical ruleset sometimes!
Thelon Fairblade 03-30-04, 08:27 AM	Consider that falling damage is 1d6 per 10' in DnD, where it is striking hp that are far greater than what a single sword thrust can deal out. In a VP/WP game, if you want falling to bypass VP, have the falling person make a Reflex save or suffer 1 WP per 10' fallen. Or something similiar. Otherwise, anyone who falls 30' will die (avg CON 10, avg damage 10.5), period. Now, granted, in Real Life, falling 30' is often rather lethal too -- but if you're going for that kind of lethality, then this is a good system to use.
Salla 03-30-04, 08:51 AM	Hmm ... actually, if I'm remembering my Star Wars right, there was a Reflex save involved somewhere. If you made it, you took vitality damage (you landed on your feet or fell well enough that you just got the wind knocked out of you), if you failed you took wound damage (you landed on something you'd rather not have). That makes a degree of sense (or possibly a Tumble check instead of a Reflex save).
Jack Daniel 03-30-04, 12:22 PM	People have fallen out of airplanes and survived. I think vitality damage is a perfectly good mechanic.
Salla 03-31-04, 07:57 AM	I suddenly imagine god as a DM, looking down at a guy who's fallen out of an airplane ... right next to his DMG is a bunch of dice that came up all 1s. :)
mickshrimpton 03-31-04, 09:52 AM	Originally posted by Jack Daniel People have fallen out of airplanes and survived. I think vitality damage is a perfectly good mechanic. I also have a friend who shattered his arm after falling three feet onto a pile of bricks. Guess there's just no true way to mimic reality in an RPG!
Jack Daniel 03-31-04, 12:33 PM	Originally posted by Salla I suddenly imagine god as a DM, looking down at a guy who's fallen out of an airplane ... right next to his DMG is a bunch of dice that came up all 1s. :) Originally posted by mickshrimpton I also have a friend who shattered his arm after falling three feet onto a pile of bricks. Guess there's just no true way to mimic reality in an RPG! :rolleyes: And sometimes, God rolls all 6s...
Nathaniel Essex 03-31-04, 12:48 PM	1. Does the damage inflicted by Cause Serious Wounds: Do the automatic +1 per level or somesuch go directly to wounds? If Cure Serious Wounds spell allows a character to heal wounds with there automatic level then is it the other way also? 2. How do people handle the Rogue's Sneak Attack? 3. How does the Defense Bonus option stack when you multiclass? If I'm a 5th level fighter and I Multiclass into Rogue/Ranger/Paladin or something do I follow the Star Wars rules and take -2 to it or what?
Thelon Fairblade 03-31-04, 01:52 PM	In the alternative I suggested, Cause Wounds does 1 damage per level to wounds, in addition to normal damage to VP. And since Cause Wounds spells have no save, this can't be avoided. Rogue sneak attack does full damage to VP, or 1 damage per die to WP. If there is carryover from VP (i.e. 10 VP left, take a 17 point sneak attack), it is lost for that blow. The UA defense bonus is "take the best column". A Wiz 19 / Fighter 1 gets the best Def Bonus. Most people do it cummulatively per level like in Star Wars, with a -2 when you multiclass.