What do you prefer in your d6 game, Wound Threshold or Body Points?

I have only ever played WEG 1st Ed Star Wars and thought the Wound Threshold idea worked well.

What's your preference and why.

Wounds are how I roll, but I can see where Body Points can carry their own, hitpointy flavor.  

I just don't want to calculate their percentage thresholds is all.

I like the body points myself. Of course the last time I play D6 was with a bunch of guys that had mainly played D&D. So it was easier for them to grab on to as well.

Quote from: enelsonWhat do you prefer in your d6 game, Wound Threshold or Body Points?

I have only ever played WEG 1st Ed Star Wars and thought the Wound Threshold idea worked well.

What's your preference and why.

For me it's Wound Threshold as I do not feel the Body Points really capture the feel of being wounded like Wound Threshold does

Hello Everyone:

I'm very much a Wound Threshold guy. As a gamemaster it allows me to fudge wounds -- usually in the player's favor -- for dramatic effect and ease of play. It's much easier to say "Oh, you rolled a 12 on your Strength? Hmmm, looks like you're incapacitated" than dealing with "You take 32 points of damage...oh, your character is dead? Ooops."

(Yes, a gamemaster using body points can keep track of all the characters' body point totals and fudge the damage rolls to suit the game, but I'm not that organized in play.)

Of course, I usually play fast and loose with any game system, including D6. I'm more of a storytelling gamemaster than a rules/number-crunchy one.

Best regards,

Peter Schweighofer
Griffon Publishing Studio
//www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/

Pete Schweighofer just chimed in and that's beautiful.

Can I pump your hand, man?  You have done good things.

I like wound threshold, because that's how WEG Star Wars, my first exposure to D6 did it.

I like a lot of the other new stuff in D6 Adventure, though.

Quote from: Griffon86Hello Everyone:

I'm very much a Wound Threshold guy. As a gamemaster it allows me to fudge wounds -- usually in the player's favor -- for dramatic effect and ease of play. It's much easier to say "Oh, you rolled a 12 on your Strength? Hmmm, looks like you're incapacitated" than dealing with "You take 32 points of damage...oh, your character is dead? Ooops."

Best regards,

Peter Schweighofer
Griffon Publishing Studio
//www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/

  I agree with you on this point.

  Wound Thresholds really do give you the ability to do dramatic effect (expecially when you are going for dramatic).

  For me, Hit points just aren't realistic to me.  I have run/played games that used them and I basically went with the flow, but to me hit points never felt right.

Hello Everyone:

To me hit points/body points comes from what I view as the arbitrary level system of D&D and D20. D6 does a great job of defining a character by skills and abilities rather than set levels. What level game designer am I? I don't know; I'm much better describing my own skills. Hit points seem like an arbitrary definition of how much damage someone can take. When I first started playing D&D, I'd joke when players asked me how many hit points a monster had..."Hmmm, let's see, the digital LED display on the monster's forehead says '29 Hit Points'." Very much like some computer games these days, which is fine considering how much D20 caters to the min/maxing computer game crowd where "leveling up" means boosting attributes, skills, hit points, special combat moves, and spells.

One of the joys of the current version of D6 games is that West End gives you the option of using Wound Thresholds or Body Points. Putting that kind of flexibility in the hands of players and gamemasters is really in the spirit of one core rule we had in the days of D6 Star Wars: if the rules are getting in the way of having fun, get rid of the rules. Do what makes for the most fun in your game.

Apologies, I ramble too much.

Dr. Rotwang, it's always good to see loyal fans, particularly those who've really appreciated my work all these years. Thank you for the compliments. I'm glad you've enjoyed my game material in the past, and I hope you (and everyone else) checks out what I'm doing now and in the future.

Best regards,

Peter Schweighofer
Griffon Publishing Studio
//www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/

Quote from: Griffon86Dr. Rotwang, it's always good to see loyal fans, particularly those who've really appreciated my work all these years. Thank you for the compliments. I'm glad you've enjoyed my game material in the past, and I hope you (and everyone else) checks out what I'm doing now and in the future.

Like Trapped in the Museum and Pulp Egypt and stuff?  Museum was loads of fun.

My (IMHO) personal answer to the question:

I thought the Body Points was the best addition to the new D6 books...But I've never been a fan of wound systems.  I know there are a million arguments to why wound systems are superior, but to me simplicity is key.  I have no problem with (in fact I prefer) an abstract gamish hit point system that simply shows you exactly how long you have before you die and when you better run from a fight or get some healing.

P.S.  Realism simulation (beyond common sense) in my games means very little to me.