Hit Points vs. Trauma Gauge
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One of the topics that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is homebrew games. If you decide to create your own homebrew game system, you invariably have to start making decisions on what mechanics you will introduce into the system. One of those mechanics that I’ve been contemplating over is the damage and wound mechanic of games. The two most popular ways of gauging whether a character is incapacitated or dies is by using either a hit point mechanic or a trauma gauge mechanic. Both mechanics have advantages and disadvantages to using them.
Hit Points
The most popular example of a system that uses a hit point mechanic is Dungeons & Dragons. However, there are many other systems that use hit point mechanics, such as all of the Palladium games, Star Wars d20 and Saga Edition, and many other games. This mechanic essentially provides a way of determining how injured a character is, how close they are to death, and at what point they will actually die.
The major benefit of the hit point mechanic is that is provides an easy way to manage character damage and death. It is very easy for players and game masters to understand how wounded their character is because it has a numeric value for them to gauge this.
The major negative effect of a hit point mechanic is that it normally ignores the realistic incremental effects of wounds. Often there is little negative to taking damage until your hit points completely run out. In this sense, hit points ignore realism in favor of a more simple approach.
Another negative effect of a hit point mechanic is that the range of possible hit point values often expands as the game progresses. This can make it more difficult to gear obstacles towards the players. However, there are some games that do a good job at scaling challenges against the characters as they level, like 4th Edition D&D.
Trauma Gauge
There are many games that use a trauma gauge as their means of measuring harmful effects against characters. Some of the more popular examples of games that use trauma gauges are Shadowrun, Star Wars (d6), and World of Darkness.
The major benefit of having a trauma gauge in the game system is that it is more realistic in describing the incremental nature of injuries than hit points. The more a character gets injured, the weaker they become. This is a fairly realistic approach to representing damage in a roleplaying game.
The major negative aspect of having a trauma gauge in the game system is that it requires more math and bookkeeping for the players and game master. This is due to the increasingly negative effects of the trauma gauge as wounds and injuries increase on a character or NPC.
Another negative aspect of the trauma gauge is also the ‘death spiral’. The more a character gets hurt, the more the negative modifiers start to stack up, and the less effective the character becomes. This can lead to the character being even easier to injure and stacking up more negative modifiers, thus spiraling into further damage and eventually death. Although this is often more realistic than a hit point mechanic, it definitely can be frustrating for some players.
Which Damage Mechanic Is Better?
Obviously both damage mechanics serve different purposes. I think the hit point mechanic works very well in some games, while a trauma gauge mechanic may be more appropriate for other games. I think which mechanic you should use depends on what type of game you are playing or designing.
A hit point mechanic is good for games where you are willing to sacrifice realism for simplicity (i.e. a more rules-light system). This mechanic is also good if you are willing to accept the sudden loss of effectiveness that happens once your character runs out of hit points. Going from 100% effectiveness to being incapacitated is usually fairly common in hit points systems.
A trauma gauge is good for games where you want to simulate a more realistic injury system that includes incremental effects from injuries. Since a trauma gauge also typically requires more calculations than a hit point mechanic, it is probably better for systems that are willing to accept the additional modifier demands (i.e. a more rules-heavy system). Also, trauma gauges typically work better if you want to incorporate rules dealing with injuries, not just unconsciousness and death.
As I have stated, I think each mechanic has its place. Obviously game system creation is an area of infinite possibility. You could create a game system that incorporates both of these mechanics, or neither of them. In general though, most systems fall into one of these two categories.
Which damage mechanic do you like better, hit points or trauma gauge?
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June 8, 2009 at 8:31 am
For me, it depends on the game I’m playing. For D&D, Hit Points is just something my brain accepts as it’s been a staple of that paticular game. For 7th Sea, I love the wound system as it lends itself to that cinematic feel. Regarding realism, Seenity’s Trauma Gauge (call it that if you will) works really nicely for differentiating damage inflicted by someone popping you in the face with their fist and someone shooting you in the face with their gun.
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June 8, 2009 at 9:45 am
One problem with trauma is that it’s not very realistic in the short term, which is mostly where combat happens. The body has all sorts of physiological mechanisms that actively work to counter-act the death spiral and reduce your awareness of just how debilitated you are…at least until combat’s over. I suppose the GM could impose the penalties secretly unless the character fails a shock save and is incapacitated…but I suspect a lot of players would balk at that.
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June 8, 2009 at 10:00 am
I like using both. When I did up piecemeal (my own little fantasy heartbreaker) I set up Luck Points to act as Hitpoints. They represent the cinematic score of minor wounds and inexplicable near misses (such as when the Storm Troopers just can’t hit Luke).
When they run out (or in special conditions) you hit Body Points, which never go up, are in short supply, and cause incremental penalties as you take damage (leading to the death spiral).
But thats me, rather than either/or I always think, why not both!
June 8, 2009 at 10:00 am
@ Geekbob – I’ve never tried 7th Sea but the cover art has always attracted me to the books. And, it seems to be popular enough to be in many roleplaying stores. I’ll have to check it out more in depth soon.
@ Joshua – I don’t think you can get THAT realistic in a game. I mean, hit points doesn’t mimic realism at all. You’re either up or you’re out in most systems. At least a trauma gauge does mimic the wearing down aspect of being damaged in a fight.
June 8, 2009 at 10:01 am
You mentioned Star Wars Saga Edition, but forgot to mention the most important aspect: it uses both mechanics.
Saga uses Hit Points and all of the good that comes with it, while adding on top of it a Trauma Gauge in the form of the “Condition Track”.
There are issues with the core implementation of the Condition Track in Saga Edition — minor tweaks that are necessary to provide the level of realism a Trauma Gauge can add — but even the default rules are surprisingly playable.
Having played a lot of RPGs over the years, I’ve found Saga Edition to be one of the best — and the Condition Track is one of the reasons.
June 8, 2009 at 10:39 am
@ Zzarchov – I like systems that use both too. Although I don’t recall a system that uses both that isn’t level-based. I prefer systems that aren’t level-based because for the most part they seem to allow more flexibility for the players.
@ Randolpho – Yes, SWSE does use a condition track, I had forgotten about that because it has been a while since I played it. I think that game has a pretty good damage mechanic system. Although, the game does seem a little rules-heavy in some areas, which I’m not a huge fan of. But as for their damage system, I think it is pretty solid.
June 8, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I like the concept of the Trauma Gauge, but when I’m looking for heroic theatrics, I think Hit Points are the way to go.
Now, with Saga Edition, if I remember correctly, the condition penalties applied to D20 rolls AND Defenses. A -10 penalty to attack and defense seemed like a little too much for me.
I guess I can’t have my cake and eat it too, huh?
June 8, 2009 at 8:35 pm
What’s interesting is the belief that people get “worn down” in a fight, thus making the death spiral system have more verisimilitude than most hit point systems.
My own experience is that people fight BETTER once the fight gets going, and then are rendered hors de combat suddenly, not incrementally.
That said, I’ve also set up a working death spiral rules set for my D&D games that still use hit points. Because my players and I *like* the death spiral even though we agree it is not in any way realistic.
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June 8, 2009 at 11:18 pm
@ Tourq – I’d have to revisit the full SWSE combat session to remember how much I like/dislike their wound setup. But I don’t remember having too many issues with it.
@ Dyson Logos – Well, I fight with people at my job everyday. You do get worn down as fights go on. There is an initial burst when the fight starts, your adrenaline starts going, and you realize “yeah, this is happening”. But if you get injured at some point in the fight, there is NO WAY it helps you or makes you fight better. You may start fighting like an animal trapped in a corner, but that is a last despiration attempt. Real fighting isn’t like sport fighting or MMA. Most fights don’t go past a minute in the real world, because normal people get worn down too fast or incapacitated. Add weapons into it, and they last even less.
June 9, 2009 at 6:55 am
Anyone who’s familiar with my gaming style knows I generally distain hit points but there is an extra-special pit of hate in my charred little heart for level-based hit points which I attribute 90% of all GM frustrations to and believe stunts a gamer’s intellect eventually filling their heads with the extra hamburger the hit points represent.
White Wolf’s Health Level system is passable, but I’m working on a trauma system based on hit location that is easy to manage and actually functions like real trauma would which is something I’ve seen very few games do, and even less do competently. I’m stoked to see how it’s received.
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June 9, 2009 at 7:18 am
Like most long time gamers I have a homebrew system that I’ve made and it uses a hybrid of the two systems. As a character looses ‘hit points’ their physical stats drop making it harder to continue fighting.
One thing I incorporated was the option for the character to make a willpower check to temporarily ignore the effects of the damage once per day. This added that heroic last ditch do-or-die flare that lets the PCs attempt truly heroic actions even when they are badly hurt. This created several edge of your seat cinematic scenes that helped shape the game and the character’s reputations.
June 9, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Personally I prefer a trauma system but have been toying with a system that mixes trauma with toughness and size to kind of make a system that morphs with the actual character. The main problem with HP is that, of course, you have some tiny wizard that can take a dragons breath and come out generally untouched and then you could have some huge brute that dies from the flick of a sharp stick.
I think trauma gauges really mimic what happens as you get hurt….someone mentioned shock but generally you get shock from unexpected damage or the body/mind’s inability to really comprehend what’s going on. Most players are playing characters that are experienced or have a clue of what is going to happen when they get hurt therefore shock is kind of a moot point.
June 10, 2009 at 4:40 am
@ Helmsman – Honestly, I’m not just saying this as a happy go-lucky blogger, I’d love to see a trauma gauge system that you describe. I think it is damn hard to design a trauma gauge system with hit location that is realistic and quick.
@ SirGryphon – That is an interesting approach with the last ditch effort. I’ve seen it done in two games that I can remember. I don’t remember either being particularly great, but I think the idea has merit if done well.
@ Bryan – I prefer the trauma system to. When it comes to sacrificing realism for speed, damage is one of the areas I DON’T mind slowing things down to get it right. Unless you want to play a video game RPG like D&D 4e.
June 10, 2009 at 5:26 am
Well I like to think it’s quick. Our combat is second by second so all attacks are made in real-time. There is only one roll per attack. The attacker rolls to hit and the result of that die roll threads to determine hit location, and trauma. Trauma works off of a 5 level scale, zero being insignificant, a cut or a bruise that poses no damage other than asthetic (though a zero point hit to the pelvis will stun a guy for a second). And a level 5 trauma is effectively a mangled and unusable body part. Any level 5 trauma will force rolls to see if a character just outright dies, though central body parts will obviously make this roll much harder and an arm or a hand isn’t as dire. Lots of level 2 and 3 traumas to the head neck and chest will force these sorts of rolls too… and there’s bleeding to contend with as well. It sounds pretty complex but everything needed to references is right on the front of the character sheet so it’s pretty quick.
I’d love to go on about it more, but I’m sorta constrained by confidentiality agreements. Keep in touch though, I do occasionally entertain playtesters and any game consultants who are willing to come under the legal umbrella.
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June 17, 2009 at 5:31 am
@ Zzarchov: I also use them both in my system.
After years of practice in martial arts (mostly kendo), I know that I’ll never go for realism in my games, because it would mean characters killing or dying in every single round.
I go for cinematic action instead, using a “stamina points” system that can be added as an optional rule in many different games, D&D included.
I’m currently working on a rule system called Vadlym. In this system, PCs’ stamina is measured with a basic value of Endurance and a derived number of Endurance Points (usually, Endurance*5).
Endurance points represents minor buises, cuts on the clothes and fatiguing dodges every hero is allowed to receive in any given movie.
When EPs drop to 0, or under definite conditions (coup de graces, poisons, critical hits…), characters can receive actual wounds. Every wound causes a loss of the basic Endurance. This means that an hurt PC is prone to be more vulnerable and weak. It’s like being under effects that lower your CON in D&D.
This is the “realistic” part of the system: Endurance can be reduced to 0 in one-two hits, and wounded PCs are relly less effective in combat, so being hit is something players will try to avoid as much as they can.
@ Samuel: I don’t know if there are games out there that use them both and don’t use levels. Vadlym does, and a rule like this can be effectively added to most of the system (I use this in D&D 4th ed. and Cyberpunk 2020).
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