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Hit Points replaced with 'Usage Dice'Click to magnify
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Hit Points replaced with 'Usage Dice'

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Suggested Price $1.00

Hit Points replaced with 'Usage Dice'

Usage Dice (UD)
As I understand it, in the Black Hack you don’t track things like individual arrows. Instead, you use a ‘usage dice’ (UD). At the end of the relevant turn, you roll the UD: if you fail, you move down one UD, otherwise you keep the same/current UD.

Applying this to Hit Points
Why - who wants to track pesky Hit Points (HPs) anyway …?

More seriously, the thing that is most ‘fun’ (IMO) about UD is the uncertainty of when the ‘resource’ will expire. Adds a dash of tension.

Hopefully, it makes wounds more significant and so meaningful ...

This idea tries to address these points. So:

  • No tracking individual HPs
  • Tension - will the PC progress a significant step to death on a successful hit
  • Each wound is significant; PCs of the same level can take the same number of significant wounds before death (except high level fighters and clerics, who I've given a bonus 'fortitude D2 usage die' to - think Boromir peppered with arrows and fighting on)

... and I also hope this would make combat a more scary option for players

More thoughts a Usage Die HP reference table by class and level

My Blog

https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com

- - -

I'm very happy for you to pay nothing for this product; that said, even a nominal sum like 50 cents seems to bump this thing up the DriveThru charts and encourages me to make more things like this!

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Reviews (0)
Discussions (3)
Customer avatar
Douglas B July 19, 2021 9:15 pm UTC
This is an interesting proposition. For your reference, the Usage Die mechanism in THE BLACK HACK is similar, but simpler in that the target number for every Usage Die is 3+, no matter the number of faces on the die. Any interest in creating a version that uses this fixed target number (and presumably D3s for the Fortitude bonus dice)?
Customer avatar
David K July 15, 2021 4:26 pm UTC
PURCHASER
interesting idea. maybe have the target for the usage die be set by the damage level of the incoming attack, and you have to roll equal to or greater than that target or else drop to next lowest usage die. example: attacks could be lite roll 3 or better (ie dagger), moderate roll 4 or better (ie hand axe), heavy roll 5 or better (ie longsword), extra heavy roll 6 or better (ie great battle axe). and if the incoming attack needs you to roll higher than your usage die then you just need to roll the highest pip on the usage die. so if the fighter is down to a D4 usage die and is hit by by a longsword... the fighter would need to roll a 4 on the D4 or would drop down to a D2.

really big attacks like breath weapon, fire ball etc would just give a higher target number, and maybe would count as 2 hits to roll against (unless save is made and then only roll against one hit). so if the 8 dice dragon breath hits then target number is 8 times 2 hits. so if you had UD 8 you could fail and drop...See more
Customer avatar
Rainer G July 14, 2021 2:24 pm UTC
PURCHASER
You still are tracking UD value so not much differance from tracking HP. You already have the uncertainty of the next damage, be it a dagger, a fireball, or a failed saving throw. Also, this might make combats a little slower as now everyone hit will be rolling a UD to determine if they actually take damage.
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Customer avatar
Brady C July 14, 2021 6:18 pm UTC
I think this is a good mechanic for armor, but that's been done hasn't it?
Reply
Customer avatar
Goblins H July 14, 2021 6:46 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
This is more of an observation on the usage dice system per se. For example, some people think it is easier to track individual arrows, others prefer to abstract the process with a usage die. Your mileage may vary (as they say). But, yes it needs some work.

Dice rolling - you replace a damage roll with a UD roll.
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File Last Updated:
July 14, 2021
This title was added to our catalog on July 14, 2021.