One of my biggest pet peeves in tabletop is what I've coined "HP bloat." There's probably a real term for this, but I'm not aware of it. What I mean by HP bloat is, essentially, the way the health (and damage) of enemies and PCs goes up drastically as levels increase. I sincerely hate the fact that a Wizard who has not once taken damage from level 1 to 10 can now somehow survive 5 level 1 bandits stabbing his kidneys for multiple turns by just standing there picking his nose. He doesn't cast anything, he can be totally naked, and by just having a high level he is now far less affected by low-level kidney-stabbing. I just despise that. I think it's fine for very specific characters (such as barbarian-types) to behave like this, but not absolutely everyone.
That goes for enemies, too. I fail to see why a level 1 classless goblin should have drastically less health than a level 4 goblin sorceror. In my eyes, the sorceror should be better at dodging and have defensive spells he can use to deflect attacks, etc.
I understand that HP is an abstraction. When it comes to games that treat HP as anything but "meat points," I'm less upset. See, the low level bandits aren't hitting you in the kidneys, they're missing but causing you to get tired from dodging/less lucky/whatever. Sure. That's a bit better. Still, though, the underlying issue annoys me. It's not like games with HP don't have defense mechanics, why is there a need for an ever-increasing health number? Can't your survivability come down to your magical armor, your skill at dodging/parrying/etc. and defensive abilities?
So, I'm here to ask for examples of systems where your HP between level 1 and max level changes little. It's surely been done before. Systems where fighting is still a good chunk of gameplay, mind you, with adventuring and tactical combat and such. Not necessarily low-fantasy/low-power/investigative/etc.
Also, what's your opinion on this, in general? Does it annoy you too, or do you not mind?
Alexander Sullivan
Well, in Rifts, your HP means shit. So, there you go.
Jose Reyes
In Marvel Heroic, everyone has d12 stress, if you get past that, you're knocked out. Survivability only increases as you invest in resistances or healing SFXs.
Robert Stewart
Any system that doesn't use levels.
Which are a lot of systems. Have you played anything but dnd?
Sebastian Long
>I sincerely hate the fact that a Wizard who has not once taken damage from level 1 to 10 can now somehow survive 5 level 1 bandits stabbing his kidneys for multiple turns by just standing there picking his nose. He doesn't cast anything, he can be totally naked, and by just having a high level he is now far less affected by low-level kidney-stabbing. I just despise that. That's just your opinion. There's nothing objectively bad about this in a fantasy setting.
Nathan Baker
Besides DnD/Pathfinder, in the vein of medieval-fantasy-RPGs, I've also played Iron Kingdoms and Mythras. They were clearly better, but didn't satisfy. I will admit I've yet to play a system with no levels (that was still some kind of adventure game with combat, I've played all kinds of Call of Cthulhu and that kind of thing.) I feel gaining more abilities and spells and powers is pretty important for a long-term game, though, so a system with no levels would likely not satisfy either.
I didn't say that it's objectively bad. I said that I hate it, and that I'm looking for systems without it.
Dominic Diaz
Get right the fuck over it. You're asking for more complication then it's ever worth to satisfy your stunted grognard need for realism
Isaac Carter
I'm not looking for realism, though. I'm looking for something I'd find more believable, easier to suspend my disbelief with. I'd be fine with something completely unrealistic like soul power or divine intervention, so long as it's presented and utilized better than "you are stronger so you have more meat."
Hunter Campbell
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Asher Foster
I've heard many terrible things about GURPS and in fact have been told multiple times by people I trust to never try it.
