History Main / HitPoints

* ''TabletopGame/HeroSystem'' has a variation--there is "body" and "stun"; stun recovers fast and body recovers slowly and represents real damage. Body points also don't scale to ridiculous values as your character "gains levels"; they're supposed to represent actual physical toughness, period, not the abstract "magical protections and evasive skill that slowly get eroded away" that D&D hit points represent. A more powerful version of Franchise/SpiderMan, for example, wouldn't have more Body points, he'd instead be better at avoiding damage in the first place. Similarly, a more powerful version of [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]] might only have a couple more Body points than a weak version of the Hulk, the difference instead being how high his Physical Defense and Energy Defense were (a character's defenses are subtracted from all incoming Stun and Body damage before it has a chance to affect them).

In {{First Person Shooter}}s, this number is often ''exactly'' 100, and is taken to be a percentage of the player's normal uninjured health, with "mega health"-type items that cause your health to go above 100 often resulting in your health slowly ticking back down to 100. Ever since ''[[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye]]'', players and enemies often take multiples of damage based on where they are hit, but in the end, [[BoomHeadshot a bullet in the head]] is exactly the same as twelve in the foot, or what have you. This also means that eleven hits to the foot will not only not kill you, but often not even impair your movement - after all, it's OnlyAFleshWound. It's a good thing there are so many [[HealThyself water fountains]] and {{Healing Potion}}s spread about.

[[folder: Other]]

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' has Nanotech as HP, explained as a nanomite charges that heal wounds that Ratchet receives. How precisely this works varies from game to game:

** The [[Videogame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando next game]] overhauled the system substantially. Rachet now gains supplementary nanotech by gaining experience up to a certain maximum, but last 8 points must be obtained through the upgrades, some of which are fiendishly hard to get. Also, the damage taken may be more than 1 HP this time and can be reduced by armor. The next games kept this system with the exception of ditching the necessity to find all upgrades.
** Most games have also vehicles who each have their Armor/HP bar (not implied to be nanotech) and if they come with shield like Ratcher's Star Explorer, those have their own HP too.

** ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'': Jak [[spoiler:and Daxter]] have 8 HP, though most attacks do 2HP damage except some weaklings, and he is also [[InVehicleInvulnerability invulnerable when in vehicle]], which have their own HP (not visible, but the state of the vehicle can be guessed by how much its engines are burning).
** In [[Videogame/Jak3Wastelander next game]] Jak can upgrade his HP from 8 to 16, some endgame monsters deal 4 HP and buggies show their actual HP, as do most EscortMission vehicles.

** In [[Videogame/RatchetAndClank2002]] first game Ratchet had 4 nanotech points, and could find a vendor machine allowing him to buy 1 and 3 more points, up to 8 of total. Any wound in the game costs exactly one HP, minus things that instantly kill Ratchet.

* ''Franchise/JakAndDaxter'':
** ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'': Jak has 3 hitpoints that are refilled by green eco, though you can technically have four if you have full HP and are maxed on green eco as well, which has separate counter. This HP is also shared whith vehicles.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' is something that manages to fall into the gap between the two health systems: a OneHitPointWonder without rings, invulnerable to most things with them. Rings are usually plentiful, and you even get a chance to grab some back if you get hit.

* In the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' games, Aku Aku Masks are the players' hit points. Collecting one mask grants one extra hit point. Getting a second mask upgrades Aku Aku into a golden form, granting two extra hits, and getting three masks results in brief [[InvincibilityPowerUp invincibility]]. Otherwise, Get hit without a mask and [[OneHitPointWonder Crash]] (or Coco) is done for.

[[folder: Fighting Game ]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]

* In the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' games, Aku Aku Masks are the players' hit points. Collecting one mask grants one extra hit point. Getting a second mask upgrades Aku Aku into a golden form, granting two extra hits, and getting three masks results in brief [[InvincibilityPowerUp invincibility]].

->'''Karashi:''' Had enough?
->'''Khrima:''' You know very well that by the definition of hit points that I haven't yet had enough.

* In ''VideoGame/TronDeadlyDiscs'', the player is given a single life, but can take a few hits before he is derezzed. In the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} version, the player character changes colors whenever he gains or loses a hit point.

** this is interestingly referenced in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', where on the genocide route, a similar mechanic is applied during the final boss fight.

* In the ''Franchise/CrashBandicoot'' games, Aku Aku Masks are the players' hit points. Collecting one mask grants one extra hit point. Getting a second mask upgrades Aku Aku into a golden form, granting two extra hits, and getting three masks results in brief [[InvincibilityPowerUp invincibility]].

* ''TabletopGame/HeroSystem'' has a variation--there is "body" and "stun"; stun recovers fast and body recovers slowly and represents real damage. Body points also don't scale to ridiculous values as your character "gains levels"; they're supposed to represent actual physical toughness, period, not the abstract "magical protections and evasive skill that slowly get eroded away" that D&D hit points represent. A more powerful version of Franchise/SpiderMan, for example, wouldn't have more Body points, he'd instead be better at avoiding damage in the first place. Similarly, a more powerful version of TheHulk might only have a couple more Body points than a weak version of the Hulk, the difference instead being how high his Physical Defense and Energy Defense were (a character's defenses are subtracted from all incoming Stun and Body damage before it has a chance to affect them).

->'''[[{{Ninja}} Karashi]]:''' Had enough?
->'''[[BigBad Khrima]]:''' You know very well that by the definition of hit points that I haven't yet had enough.

[[CallAHitPointASmeerp They're not always called "Hit Points,"]] sometimes they are called "Health Points," or are collectively reffered to as "Health Power." If they have an on-screen abbreviation, it's almost always HP. If individual body parts have hitpoints, that's SubSystemDamage. Sometimes entities have MultipleLifeBars, layered in combinations like RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth or for different types of attacks.

[[folder: First Person Shooter ]]

[[folder: Platform Game ]]

[[folder: Real Time Strategy ]]

[[folder: Roguelike ]]

* The ludicrously detailed (and getting more so every day) Roguelike ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' instead has individual hit-point counts for ''each and every one of every single characters' limbs and organs'', even down to little things like fingers and toes. And separate tracks for 'blood loss', 'pain', and 'exhaustion'. The newest version can track each ''layer of tissue''. [[StylisticSuck ASCII graphics]] gives you a ''lot'' of extra space to play with.

[[folder: Role-Playing Game ]]

[[folder: Survival Horror ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Other ]]

** The 3D Mario platforming games like ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' have a traditional LifeMeter that allow Mario to take a certain amount of hits before losing a life and health lost depends on the enemy or hazard. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' uses a more simple life meter where Mario can only take 3 hits before losing a life or 6 hits if he finds a health extending mushroom.