this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2025
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That's more of a DM/GM description issue than a gaming issue. Like nothing about what you said is specific to DnD, it's just how the person is going to describe the person. But even then I prefer it that way. I don't know what the situation is going to be like until I try to fuck with that. Also, you could just ask to size him up. Insight checks exist, perception checks exist, etc. But I'm kinda pro-having the enemies vague. I loathe video games where I see a number above an enemies head and know whether or not I can defeat them. I'm here to roleplay, not be told immediately whether or not I can take the dude.
I don't need to know their exact stats, but I like (for example) having a system where you know a human's health ranges from 6 to 10, and a gun does at least 3 damage, so you can be pretty sure if you shoot him four times he's down. None of this, "Well, he's a 12th level accountant so he has 78 hp".
Maybe I mostly just dislike how vague HP is in D&D.
But it was probably mostly a GM issue.
I find it hard to roleplay when I don't know what is in the world. Things that are very different (high level stuff, low level stuff) getting basically the same description is distracting. In real life, you get a lot of information looking at someone.
Maybe I'm still just annoyed at that game where we were all 10th level and so were the basic ass soldiers.
D&D (and most derivatives) also has the issue of the only hit point that matters is the last one
Never thought about it before, but the two systems I like most don't do that.
In chronicles of darkness, you get penalties when any of your last 3 health boxes (out of 6-10) are marked. In fate, you start getting Consequences, and those both adversely affect you and provide bonuses for your opponents.
I think some people don't like this because it can cause a death spiral, where whoever gets injured first is likely to get more injured from the penalties. But, that makes sense for a lot of genres.
I routinely found it extremely irritating in BG3 when I'd do a sneak attack critical, and then the enemy would have like 3 HP left, and then they'd turn around and attack just as hard as if i'd done nothing. Unsatisfying.