Understanding Hitpoints: Traveler's Health System Explained

Traveller is a tabletop role-playing game that uses six-sided dice. The ability of a character to survive damage and trauma is measured by Life Points, which are essentially the same as hit points from other role-playing games. Most characters start with 21 life points, which can be lost due to injury or disease. As damage occurs, shock and trauma cause a character's physical abilities to become impaired. Medical aid and rest can recover lost life points and remove penalties.

Hitpoints are a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck

In the Traveller role-playing game, a character's Life Points (or hit points) determine their ability to survive damage and trauma. Life Points are lost due to injury or disease, and as these points decrease, a character's physical abilities become impaired.

Life Points are a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck. They represent how much abuse a creature can take before being knocked unconscious.

At the start of the game, most characters have 21 Life Points. As damage occurs, shock and trauma cause a character's physical abilities—strength, dexterity or endurance—to become impaired.

• Unhurt (21 Life Points): No hindrance.
• Superficial Wounds (14 to 20 Life Points): No hindrance. A character can recover 2 Life Points per hour with an easy medical check, or 1 point per hour without one.
• Light Wounds (7 to 13 Life Points): A character becomes unconscious for 3d6 minutes when first entering this range. They also suffer a -1 modifier to Strength, Dexterity or Endurance (the player chooses one). For recovery, an average medical check is needed to recover 2 Life Points per day, otherwise, 1 point is recovered per day.
• Serious Wounds (1 to 6 Life Points): A character becomes unconscious for 1d6 hours when first entering this range. They also suffer a -1 modifier to two characteristics chosen among Strength, Dexterity or Endurance (the player chooses two). For recovery, a difficult medical check is required to recover 2 Life Points per day, otherwise, 1 point is recovered per day.
• Death (0 or less Life Points): A difficult medical check must be successfully performed within 8 minutes to recover to 1 Life Point, improving the condition to Serious Wounds. If no successful check is made, death is permanent.
• Destroyed (-21 or fewer Life Points): If a creature suffers a total of 42 or more points of damage, reducing their health to -21 or below, there is nothing physically left to save and recovery is impossible.

Physically enhanced characters with one +2 rating in Strength, Dexterity or Endurance have more Life Points at each health condition level, but the rules for recovery are the same.

Hitpoints can go fully negative before death occurs

In the Traveller Role-Playing Game, a character's hitpoints can go fully negative before death occurs. The average human character has 10 hitpoints and can take about 20HP worth of damage before dying. This means that a character can survive being reduced to -10HP.

Armour subtracts dice of damage from successful attacks before rolling

In the tabletop role-playing game Traveller, armour is an important consideration when it comes to character survival. The system utilizes a straightforward process for determining damage and how armour mitigates it. Armour subtracts a number of dice of damage from successful attacks, providing a buffer against injury and death.

When a character is attacked and the roll indicates a successful hit, the attacker rolls the appropriate number and type of dice to determine damage. However, before these damage dice are rolled, any applicable armour is taken into account. The armour rating dictates how many dice of damage are removed from the roll. For example, if an attacker rolls four damage dice and the defender has an armour rating of two, only two damage dice are rolled, with the armour subtracting the other two potential damage dice.

Armour, therefore, acts as a direct reduction in the potential damage a character might take. Each point of armour removes one die of potential damage. This system is advantageous as it provides a quick and intuitive way to understand how much protection armour offers. A suit of armour with a higher rating will always be preferable as it reduces the potential damage dice that need to be rolled.

The type of armour and its coverage also come into play. Different types of armour might offer varying levels of protection to different body areas. For instance, a flak jacket might provide good protection to the torso but leave the head and limbs vulnerable. In this case, the armour rating would only subtract damage dice from attacks aimed at the torso. Understanding the coverage of armour is crucial for players to make informed decisions about their character's equipment and safety.

Characters with more hitpoints are more difficult to kill

In the Traveller role-playing game, characters with more hit points are more difficult to kill. Hit points represent a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck. While the average human has around 10 hit points, characters with higher strength, dexterity, and endurance will have more.

In combat, hit points can go fully negative before death occurs. This means that a character can take a significant amount of damage before dying. For example, a character with an endurance of 0 will still be alive but will be unable to run long distances or carry heavy loads.

The number of hit points a character has can also influence the way that damage is described narratively. A character with low hit points might be described as having "nine other near-fatal wounds", while a character with high hit points might only be described as "wounded" or "bruised".

Additionally, characters with more hit points may be able to take more risks and make more mistakes during combat without suffering serious consequences. This can add an element of strategy to the game, as players must weigh the benefits of having more hit points against the drawbacks of reduced speed and agility.

In conclusion, characters with more hit points in Traveller have a greater chance of survival and can take more damage before dying. This makes them more difficult to kill and can impact the way that players approach combat and strategize during the game.

Armour class is a damage avoidance mechanic

For example, cloth armour reduces the damage from an autopistol by 2 points on average. This means that the character wearing the cloth armour will take less damage and be less likely to be incapacitated or killed.

Different types of armour provide different levels of protection. For instance, a Protec suit provides more protection than cloth armour in a combat situation, reducing the damage from an autopistol by 4 points on average.

In addition to armour, characters can also use cover and concealment to avoid damage. Taking cover behind objects or diving for cover can provide a defensive bonus, making it more difficult for attackers to hit the character.

The effectiveness of armour and defensive tactics can vary depending on the type of attack. For example, armour-piercing rounds or more powerful firearms can reduce the protection provided by armour. In such cases, taking cover or using evasive manoeuvres may be more effective in avoiding damage.

Overall, armour class in Traveller influences the likelihood of a character being hit and the amount of damage they take. It is an important consideration in combat situations, as it can mean the difference between survival and incapacitation or death.

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