"First game to use "hit points" as a term?" Topic
9 Posts
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| Weasel | 17 Jan 2017 9:59 a.m. PST |
Did any game before Dungeons and Dragons use "hit points"? Not as in the general concept but specifically using that term? |
| Hafen von Schlockenberg | 17 Jan 2017 10:09 a.m. PST |
Looks like another candidate for the History of Wargaming board. I wonder how many are still unaware of this board? It could become a valuable resource in the future--if more people knew about it! |
| CATenWolde | 17 Jan 2017 11:14 a.m. PST |
If I remember correctly, Gygax borrowed the term Hit Points (and Armor Class) from a set of naval miniature rules … will do some checking and get back to you. |
 miniMo  | 17 Jan 2017 12:08 p.m. PST |
Looks like "Don't Give up the Ship" link |
| Wretched Peasant Scum | 17 Jan 2017 1:18 p.m. PST |
It was actually a set of Ironclad rules (hence "armor class"). I don't think they were published--maybe locally. |
| vdal1812 | 17 Jan 2017 4:59 p.m. PST |
Was it the Naval rules by Fletcher Pratt. I seem to remember reading that somewhere. |
| (Phil Dutre) | 18 Jan 2017 3:22 a.m. PST |
"Playing at the world" by Jon Peterson has researched this pretty well. He traces the use of Hit Points in D&D through Don;t Give Up the Ship back to Fletcher Pratt's naval game. Which doesn't mean some other early wargames might not have had a concept of endurance or damage accumulation … |
| Martin Rapier | 18 Jan 2017 4:37 a.m. PST |
FP certainly tracked damage, but didn't call them 'hit points'. Armour Classes go back to Fred T Janes naval rules. |
| Weasel | 18 Jan 2017 7:15 a.m. PST |
Just to clarify, I am curious specifically about the term "hit points", not the application :-) |
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