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View Full Version : Sweet combination! - Vitality Points and Players Roll



Altair_the_Vexed
2010-06-07, 04:55 PM
Just thought I'd share with you something that my group are trying out which we all seem to like.
Maybe I like it way more than is natural, but then I've been looking for something like this for ages... :smallbiggrin:

We're using the Vitality and Wound Points variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/vitalityAndWoundPoints.htm). We're also using the players Roll all the Dice variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/playersRollAllTheDice.htm).

Between those two rules, we've suddenly got player characters dodging all the blows until they get hit and take Wound damage.

Putting that roll in the hands of the player makes the bad guys' attacks all about heroically avoiding the blow, rather than waiting for the inevitable. It's a subtle shift, but it feels much more heroic, more active.

Sometimes, dodging is easy (they beat the defence DC). Sometimes the dodge is hard to make (they miss the defence DC, and take Vitality damage).

But they (almost) always dodge.

Only when a critical hit is scored, or they run out of Vitality do the PCs get hit - and then they make a save to avoid being knocked out.

Weirdly, it's all the heroic action and all the grittiness I ever wanted in just two little variants. The heroes are heroic because they don't get hit. The action is still gritty because getting hit is often instantly bad.

Just thought I'd share. :smallsmile: