Delivering Damage! "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

Image from Wizards of the Coast

Keeping Damage Realistic

Today's word of the day is verisimilitude, the appearance of realness or authenticity. This term is bandied about by us tabletop geeks when discussing the relation between the rules of the game system and the narrative it seeks to create. Whenever the game doesn't seem to reflect the logical reality of the situation, it damages the verisimilitude, the logical truth of the situation. It doesn't have to be realistic in terms of being true to the real world, but it does have to be consistent with the logic of the fictional world it is set in.

A common example of this lack of realness occurs accidentally in games with hit points,  a numerical value representing the health of a character and how close to death or defeat they are. The purpose of this number is really as a countdown timer. Each HP lost is one mark closer to an unfortunate conclusion for the character. But a character can often take this damage without being impeded in any other way. In many games, treating each loss of HP as a physical wound might get downright silly. For instance, in Dungeons and Dragons a player character might have forty or fifty hit points. If they get hit for five points of damage each time, like being cut from an ax blade, they could keep on battling like a champ despite being covered in lacerations. That's why rather than treating every point of damage like a literal wound it's important to keep that countdown timer concept in mind. HP damage doesn't have to represent literal wounds every time. It can also symbolize combat fatigue, a loss of advantage in combat, or a character's luck starting to run out.

Also, any damage taken should be paired with a fictional explanation, so never just leave it at 'you take 'four HP damage.' Whether it is a slight cut on the wrist, an arrow whizzing unnervingly past the head and making them sweat, or a sense of impending doom, let the damage be part of the action of the game rather than an abstract value.

Also, don't even give damage a value if it is either superficial or overwhelming. The game's verisimilitude can be broken in spectacular ways, like a character surviving  a thousand foot drop off a cliff, or an infamous Dungeons and Dragons quirk in which a house cat could kill the average peasant in some editions. Make sure you don't undermine the game by violating the internal logic of its own universe. (Unless your players want that kind of cartoonish action, in which case anything goes!)

Throttling Damage

Keeping track of HP values is important to track the difficulty of your encounters and the capabilities of the players. One common house-rule that can be useful is asking players to declare whenever their character is bloodied, or reduced to half of its total hit points. Frequently asking players what their remaining total is will keep you abreast of the situation and prevent situations like wiping out the entire party unintentionally. At the same time, if HP is too high it may be time to increase the challenge of the following encounters and give them a run for their money. This method of throttling damage and difficulty is especially useful in unfamiliar systems being run in your group for the first time, but it is always a good idea to implement. Throw a couple of easy encounters in the players' way, gauge how much damage was taken, and then use that to get a feel for what level of threats you want to present the players with. And remember that monster HP has just as much influence on this equation as their damage. Apply the same logic to determine the ideal durability of the enemies.

More monster damage= More dangerous encounter.

More monster HP= Longer encounter. (Which could also make it more dangerous)

Image by Toei Animation

Other Forms of Damage

Other games treat damage like a series of injuries or consequences that have a cumulative effect on the character... injuries like broken bones, bruised ribs, or even psychological trauma. Even games with hit point systems often include such effects in the form of magic spells, poisons and other lingering status conditions. This kind of damage gives you something new to work with as a DM, because it is another element for you to use in any given scene. It adds an additional complication to combat and makes the next fight that much harder. In these cases, the type of injury or condition should be proportionate to the amount of damage sustained. A broken leg won't heal overnight without magic, so plan for that being a relatively long-term development for a player. Equally, being grazed with an arrow is something the average action hero deals with on a regular basis, so it shouldn't cripple a character for a week.

Damage isn't the only consequence that players can be faced with, and shouldn't be overused. There are other threats, such as losing inventory items, discovering new dangers to themselves and their allies, or being forced to take additional risks. But whenever damage is delivered, it is a wake up call. Its purpose is to challenge the players, not kill them outright. The ideal scenario allows a solid chance for victory, but at a cost. Sometimes the cost might be a player character's demise, but it shouldn't cost the enjoyment of the campaign. The average damage output can also vary depending on the type of game you are running, and how deadly it is meant to be.

To summarize: Use the 'countdown timer' visual when monitoring the damage and health status of monsters and players alike. Use it to get a better outlook on your game pacing and threat level. Don't let your players think of it that way, though. Encourage them to think in terms of the in-game fiction.

Base your games lethality on the tastes of the players, and review their character statuses when possible. Employ damage and conditions in a way that maintains the verisimilitude of the game, and always describe the damage in an interesting way. Don't roll for damage that is too high or low to quantify. And as always, happy ventures!