Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Kane
So I ask you once again, "Now that your enemies are fallen and unconscious, but not DEAD-DEAD, what does your party do NOW?"
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I have to say, I don't see any problem with giving TFT characters a generous (or at least
any) "out of the fight but still alive" zone. It doesn't matter a whit for the original incarnation of Melee as one-shot gladiator-type fights, true – but for a continuing campaign, players are sure going to want more than "Oops, zero HP - make a new character!".
And if that means a by-the-rules GM feels the need to give monsters the same benefit, well, I don't see it mattering often (if ever). A defeated monster is actually still alive? Big deal; by the time it heals up, the heroes are 500 leagues and a half dozen play sessions away.
Actually, I think there's a solution that should make everyone happy. If someone hasn't mentioned this already: In classic TFT style, keep the death thing pretty strict. Set a level of negative HP (equal to -ST?) that means "tough luck, you're dead". Maybe set a very small range of negative HP that means "you're out of the fight but you'll survive". But - here's the key - let the range between those two mean "you're still alive but definitely
dying."
That should work the way we want for both PCs and monsters. PCs in that zone (and they may visit there
a lot) are dying, but that's OK – as long as there's a surviving comrade to provide potions, healing magic, or just bandaging after the fight, the downed PC will (probably) survive. That's good for campaign play.
Dying monsters, meanwhile, almost certainty
won't survive. Lone monsters have no comrades to provide aid. Bestial/dumb monsters may have comrades, but don't have healing spells or skills. No need to worry about whether the PCs truly finished off the beasts. Just let 'em bleed out and die.
The only exceptions will be monsters with surviving comrades who may be able to effect a rescue. And that
could lead to dilemmas: "I don't care how many arrows we stuck into the Orc chieftain; we gotta go back and make sure he's dead!" "No! There's no time! More Orcs are pounding down the doors!" Yeah, that can be a tough call for the players. Which, I think, is exactly the sort of thing we're looking for in the game!