Board Thread:Midian Q&A/@comment-24302820-20140226071800

I have been contemplating changing somethings around. These aren't terribly big changes, but they are pretty core to the game engine, so I wanted to ask here. Specifically, I was thinking about increasing the saving throw bonuses to one per level (instead of every even level) and decreasing the hit point increase to +1 per level (rather than +2).

I checked the numbers for both proposals up to level 50 using a Dwarf and a Human as test cases. If any species could help me test out survivability mechanics, it'd be those two. Both the saving throw and hit point modifications worked rather well in all cases.

Changing saving throws does two things. One, it makes it easier to level up your character. Really. It's easier to remember to decrement saves, rep, and hits all by one, than it is to remember a second 'rule' about adding a saving throw every other level. Second, this would give characters a few more points to play with. Okay, it would double them, but that really isn't all that much. Given that Midian has multiple categories of saving throws--potentially an unlimited number of them--there are many different sinks for those points. This change doesn't really increase the bonuses to any given category by more than a point or two, even at very high character levels.

Hit points are a bit trickier. For one, they are more near and dear to player characters' hearts. For another, I'm suggesting a decrease. There is the benefit that this change is easier to remember, as noted above. Also, we gain much greater verisimiltude without really changing game lethality all that much. With both test cases, the characters were about twice as hard to kill at tenth level, and three times as tough at twentieth. Before modifying hit point capacity raises, the Human was twice as hard to kill at fifth level, thrice at tenth, and five times tougher at 20th. With the Dwarf's increased survivability (particularly noteworthy at lower levels) the multiples aren't as noticeable, but the Human just scaled far too much.

To mitigate the reduction in hit point capacity gains for level advancement, I was further proposing that I go back through the level bonuses for the more warrior-type classes and increase their maximum hit points, especially for the more 'tanktastic' toe-to-toe sluggers. That is, classes like scouts or sicarii would get more modest increases (rather than the 'nuthin' that they currently get) while defenders, soldiers, or martial artists would get more liberal increases. Classes that are not as likely to gain lots of scars and calluses as part of their daily routine (or characters without classes) would not benefit from these increases. This, I believe, would make the game more believable, especially as regards high level non-fighters. A high level wizard or syndic who never gets dirty shouldn't be tougher than a mid-level Dwarf knight who battles every day, especially tougher by about 50 hits.

Another point to consider for reducing hit point capacity increases is that, especially at higher levels, weapon skill becomes far, far more important a factor than durability of flesh. That is, with expert (and higher) warriors the increased damage for weapon accuracy, especially on a critical hit, can end the life of even the stoutest soldier in a hit or three. As Savielly Tartakower said, at that level it's whomever makes the next-to-last mistake. Reducing the overlarge maximum capacity for hit points might just help keep players from becoming as complacent--even reckless--in battle. That is, they aren't as likely to see that high number and think that they can go charging into a battle where they are hopelessly, and obviously, outmatched. Instead, I'm hoping for a little more forethought and common sense... at least, that's my theory...  