Re: DP (was Elves and Souls)

[Steve Ames <steve>]

Good stuff Rick. I'f I'm down to 3DP and then jump to a perfectly
healthy body ... how many DP do I have? In the really real world
I'd be healthy and hale again... arguing that DP are physical things
for the bodied/living folks.

I agree that DP is a mechanism. But understanding how this mechanism
fits into the reality of the game lets us answer questions like the
above rather than speculate on answers.

						-Steve

> Actually Steve, I think you just answered your own question.  Dp is a 
> measurement. More specifically a measurement of how far something is 
> away from being changed into something new, with "new" being defined as 
> more or less broken.  Using some of your examples:
>
> DP is a measurement of the distance between being...
>
> a man and a corpse
>
> a door and a pile of toothpicks
>
> a ship and a shipwreck
>
> an undead and a pile of rotting flesh.
>
> As such, it is a macro encompassing a lot of little measurements to make 
> things simpler to deal with in the game.  DP for a door is not exactly 
> the same as DP for a man, because it's measuring a different state of 
> being.  
>
> After seeing structural points used in other systems, I still prefer the 
> simplicity of using DP universally, because it eliminates the need to 
> define new sets of tables for structural damage.  To me, DP is basically 
> a way of converting damage points, structural points, and several other 
> types of "points" into the same base units.  The advantage of this is it 
> removes the need to do unit conversions on the damage of my broadsword 
> when I switch from attacking a creature to a person or door.   
>  
>
> >> Uh, no.  You going turbo ginsu on a rock wall would result in some
> >> seriously broken bones (since the rock would do more damage to
> >> you than you would be doing to it) or several broken swords (same
> >> reason).  Remember Newton's Third Law here, eh?
> >
> >"ginsu" implied not using his hands. It doesn't shred because walls
> >use real defense values and not AQ adventurer DVs. Lets assume a
> >stone wall. You beat it to death with your sword. Eventually and
> >using up enough swords you'll do some manner of damage to it. Take
> >a hammer and it'll damage it more quickly. A stick of dynamite (6d6
> >damage) and it'll damage even easier.
> >
> >Same applies to that rock golem. Yet you'll go in with a sword do
> >4 attacks in one round and kill it. Eh hem... not.
> >
> >Already "creatures" DP is handled differently than non-creatures. I
> >think we need to seperate them forever and stop using DP when referring
> >to ships as its just confusing. I propose leaving DP for creatures
> >(still leaving the question of explaining exactly what it is other than
> >a cute mechanism) and creating structural points (SP) for 
> non-creatures.
> >DP is a measurement of how much "damage" a creature can take before
> >becoming a non-creature :) SP is a measurement of how much "damage" an
> >object can take before being broken. And of course each of these 
> "pieces"
> >now has SP (probably the same SP if we go strictly by material).
> >
> >If we add an SP columnt to the materials list we can see if a fireball
> >destroyes something (right now if it fails its check it breaks, 
> otherwise
> >it makes it). SP are also differnt than DP in that a _SINGLE_ attack
> >has to breach the mark in order to get an actual break... though 
> weakening
> >may lower the SP value.
> >
> >Yummy. That doeth sound complex :)
> >
> >DP cannot apply to non-creatures is what I'm trying to say *grin*
> >That said I still cannot say what DP is or exactly how it affects
> >creatures (given that there are so many kinds of creatures). 
> >I know when you run out of DP you are no longer a creature.
> >You are:
> >
> >dead	-	if you possessed lifeforce
> >inanimate -	if you didn't
> >
> >discorporated -	if you didn't possess body
> >a corpse - 	if you did
> >
> >So creatures can have lifeforce (or not) and have bodies (or not) and
> >have souls (or not) and minds (or not) and spirits (or not). Therefore
> >DP cannot actually be linked to any of these things. Wow... gotta love
> >that... so (the diatribe continues) DP aren't a thing. DP are a 
> >measurement. A Measurement of what? It can't be of any of the above
> >attributes (mind, soul, spirit, lifeforce, body) as creatures exist
> >with DP and without any one of these attributes.
> >
> >*sigh* DP meaning tired/traumatized doesn't hold up as an animated 
> golem
> >doesn't feel these things... he just keeps going until he is no longer
> >animate.
> >
> >So we've got a list full of a lot of really clever people and truly
> >wizardly rules torquers... _WHAT IS DP_???
> >
> >							-Steve
> >
>
>
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