Hit Point variants

[Bruno]

Vitality Reserve parallels the game mechanic, but I like Doug's suggestion of some Luck(Aspect, Combat) - whichever is appropriate depends on the description of the spell/effect from D&D, though, since of course D&D HP are both things, and a certain amount of Enhanced Dodge, Parry, and Block besides.

So when converting to GURPS, you could quickly approximate with Vitality Reserve but I think you'd gain more by picking a mechanic based on the effect fluff text.

For a barbarian's rage ability (the first source of temp HP that springs to mind because I'm all about the barbarians), Vitality Reserve seems just fine to me.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Bruno

For a barbarian's rage ability (the first source of temp HP that springs to mind because I'm all about the barbarians), Vitality Reserve seems just fine to me.

In 5e I think it'd be straight-up Injury Tolerance so that wounds are halved, since the barbarian doesn't get temp HP, but instead Resistance to non-magical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage.

[Kalzazz]

The first thing I think of is the Vest of False Life from 3.0

Overall I prefer to just tweak the fluff when I ran DnD, so that if 2 damage kills a generic person (level 1 commoner), then a 200 HP person can walk around functioning perfectly after taking 99 seemingly mortal wounds 'the ork cut your head off, removed your heart, and put his sword through both your lungs and you've been trampled by a triceratops' 'rough day st the job, I could use an ale' 'swiss cheese has less holes than you, how can you drink an ale? 'I've got some experience at this . . . look, if wizards can fly and summon fire and teleport then people can drink ale without watertight anatomy'

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

In 5e I think it'd be straight-up Injury Tolerance so that wounds are halved, since the barbarian doesn't get temp HP, but instead Resistance to non-magical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage.

Ooo. Stylistically, I like Injury Tolerance to mundane-sourced crushing, cutting, and impaling better. Mundane is "Very Common", going to the typical weapon damage types only is probably knocking it down to Common, so -40%. Pretty good.

Is Resistance in 5e like it was in 3 and 4e (basically, DR?)
3e used resistance sparingly and with really big numbers, as a non-absolute version of Immunity (so like, DR 30 vs Acid)
4e used resistance liberally and with really small numbers, to reward using the "right" damage type while not totally hosing someone who specialized in the "wrong" damage type (not unusual to see DR 2-5 in the first 10 levels).

As used in 3e, I'd call IT:DR 1/3 or better closer conceptually than DR - the design goal was to make it a lot less effective, while still allowing someone to "power through" if they really had no other choice.
As used in 4e, I'd call DR conceptually closer - nibbling at the damage rather than radically changing how useful it is.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Is Resistance in 5e like it was in 3 and 4e (basically, DR?)

In 5e, there are two things that could legit be abbreviated DR, which is painful

Damage Resistance straight-up halves damage rolls from that type. Get hit with a mace for 1d8+4 bludgeoning? You will take half of 5-12 damage, for 2-6. It effectively kinda-sorta doubles the barbarian's HP while raging.

Damage *Reduction* is that which GURPS folks recognize as our DR. A straight-up subtraction from damage. So if a Barbarian had Damage Reduction 3, and got hit with that same mace, he'd take 2-9 damage.

[Celti]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

In 5e, there are two things that could legit be abbreviated DR, which is painful[...]

What's even more painful is that GURPS uses those same names for the completely opposite effects! (Injury Tolerance: Damage Reduction is the go-to trait for “takes half damage/injury,” after all...)

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

In 5e, there are two things that could legit be abbreviated DR, which is painful

You mean, like how GURPS 4e has two things that can legit be abbreviated DR? (I do wish IT:DR had been named IT:Damage Divisor).

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Anthony

You mean, like how GURPS 4e has two things that can legit be abbreviated DR? (I do wish IT:DR had been named IT:Damage Divisor).

Yes, just like that. That I see the difficulty with the one does not preclude difficulty with the other.

[weby]

In my current high power fantasy game I use the vitality reserves as "D&D style" additional hitpoints. There are also many effects that can grant temporary such. The combination seems to well well for the need.

The crippling can be dome by using "Accumulated Wounds" from B420