The Price of War

One of the most common observations I hear about The Hero's Journey is that the game looks, on paper, to have a high lethality. It's a bit more complicated than that and I wanted to talk about it for a second. In THJ2e, characters receive a flat Endurance at character creation, have two hit dice at 2nd and 3rd level, then receive a small bonus every level thereafter, maxing out at 10th level. This means that statistically speaking, a Warrior who rolled maximum Endurance at 2nd and 3rd level who has a Resolve of 18 would have a total Endurance of 51. That's the absolute maximum possible in the game, with some very, very rare exceptions.

Now, statistically speaking that means that a such a character shot by a Heavy Crossbow (which does the most base damage in the game of 1d12) could be slain after being shot 5 times. Given that player characters often face off against multiple foes, that means such a powerhouse character could get whittled down very quickly. Not to mention, if they are reduced to zero Endurance, there is a chance of a Grievous Wound or even death. That doesn't even take into account powerhouse magic spells like Flame Bright & Sacred, which has the Wreathed and Consumed option. This spell inflicts 1d6 Endurance per level of the caster. Given that it is a Journeyman spell, this means the Wizard must be at least 4th level to cast that spell in the first place, thus giving the spell minimum damage of 4d6 - twice the damage of the most powerful weapon in the game, with a statistical average damage equal to that of the Heavy Crossbow's maximum damage. That's terrifying. Given how quickly someone can be shredded in combat or how a few poor rolls could bring a character dangerously close to death, why would anyone choose to enter combat? 

They wouldn't. 

Most average people avoid violence until it is the absolute last option available - especially lethal violence. Choosing to go into battle is dangerous and unpredictable. I wanted combat in THJ2e to reflect that. When a player character chooses to draw a weapon and enter battle willingly they should know they are putting their life at risk. When they choose to go into a monster-infested forest, they should feel afraid that they might not come out because the map says "Here There Be Dragons." Wizards should be able to wield spells that are capable of incinerating foes, because magic is powerful and terrible, and scary and so are those who wield it. When someone is named a Wizard, that title alone is cause to pause and take notice. In addition, the stories which inspired the game presented combat as a climax. It's not a cure all of whatever problem the player characters face. They're not going into the dungeon to "kill the zoo" and take its treasure. 

To use an example, in The Hobbit you do not see any real combat until the entire party has to be rescued from a group of giant spiders. Prior to that you see a group of fourteen characters face off against trolls, goblins, and angry elves. What do they do in every instance? They attempt to talk their way out of things first and then when battle seems imminent, they recognize the danger they're in and make a retreat. Even when facing off against those spiders, the protagonist engages in a tactical retreat with the goal of rescuing his friends - not fighting the monsters. And when the fight seems impossible to avoid, he tells his friends to run knowing he will stand and defend them and likely die in the process. When the novel climaxes with the Battle of Five Armies (which much time is spent trying to avoid by a very wise Wizard), the focus is not on the battle itself - but on the mourning that comes from the losses and foolishness of the whole affair. When you choose to risk your life, it needs to be a real risk with real consequences.

The Hero's Journey further reinforces its lack of focus on combat as a solution because player characters never receive XP for defeating a monster as an end. Fighting off a terrible evil in defense of something good and true is XP-worthy, but not combat for combat's sake. That's senseless risk.

So the next time you're playing The Hero's Journey (or maybe another RPG) stop and think about what it really means to draw a sword and take a life. The great heroes in the stories that inspired this game certainly did that, and they are remembered as heroes because they recognized that taking a life and risking one's own life is a dangerous, dangerous thing.