Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Is there a way to have mental Hit Points with DF?

b-dog · 07-01-2020, 10:25 AM

I get it that Dungeon Fantasy is just about physical combat. I think that is why there is a Hit Point system so that your PC can attack monsters but gets reduced in power as he gets hit it return. The Hit Point system makes combat fun because you must conserve your Hit points while you fight. If the Hit Points get low then the PC must drink a potion of Healing, get a Healing spell or retreat. The PC does not just die with one strike unless it is an extremely powerful monster. The PC also gets a chance to defend too.

But when the PC is exposed to an Eldritch horror from beyond he just rolls dice and if he succeeds he is ok but if he fails he is unplayable. The same is true for a charm person spell, the PC rolls and if he succeeds he resists and if he fails the PC is unplayable. The same is true for terror from undead and demons.

So in the mind attack situation it is very boring. Succeed or fail. If the physical combat was like this then nobody would want to play DF at all. It would just come down to one roll.

Is there a way to have a hit point system for DF so that mental attacks would be fun and the PCs would have some defense and maybe some attrition time before they become unplayable? Or is there another way to have terror attacks and mental attacks that are as fun to play as the Hit Point system is? Or is that just beyond to ability of GURPS to handle?

07-01-2020, 10:25 AM	#1
b-dog Join Date: Nov 2006	Is there a way to have mental Hit Points with DF? I get it that Dungeon Fantasy is just about physical combat. I think that is why there is a Hit Point system so that your PC can attack monsters but gets reduced in power as he gets hit it return. The Hit Point system makes combat fun because you must conserve your Hit points while you fight. If the Hit Points get low then the PC must drink a potion of Healing, get a Healing spell or retreat. The PC does not just die with one strike unless it is an extremely powerful monster. The PC also gets a chance to defend too. But when the PC is exposed to an Eldritch horror from beyond he just rolls dice and if he succeeds he is ok but if he fails he is unplayable. The same is true for a charm person spell, the PC rolls and if he succeeds he resists and if he fails the PC is unplayable. The same is true for terror from undead and demons. So in the mind attack situation it is very boring. Succeed or fail. If the physical combat was like this then nobody would want to play DF at all. It would just come down to one roll. Is there a way to have a hit point system for DF so that mental attacks would be fun and the PCs would have some defense and maybe some attrition time before they become unplayable? Or is there another way to have terror attacks and mental attacks that are as fun to play as the Hit Point system is? Or is that just beyond to ability of GURPS to handle?