Attribute Scores as Hit Points

After reading this post on the blog Aboleth Overlords, I started musing about how I could condense the rules I use. I have a tendency to strive for minimalism regardless, as I prefer the perceived elegance of minimalist rules. But sometimes, in practice my drive for minimalism can suck the soul out of a game, and that isn't always for the best. Imagine a "minimalist" Dungeon Crawl Classics - that's an oxymoron. So, I have to tread lightly.

Keeping that in mind, I do have on particular idea percolating in the back of my thoughts. What if I removed Hit Points?

It isn't a novel idea - the Cypher System does it, as does the fantasy pen-and-paper RPG Forbidden Lands. I'm certain other examples exist as well. Here's a take that also removes damage rolls.

My current adventure uses 5th Edition style attack rolls: roll a d20 and add your bonuses to beat their Armor Class. I'd keep that.

My attribute scores only exist as bonuses: -3 to +3. That means attacks will deal damage directly to those bonuses. Normal attacks would reduce your score by 1. Heavy attacks (two-handed weapons) would reduce your score by 2. Certain monster attacks could be even more deadly.

When you take damage when you're already at -3, you accrue points of Exhaustion or some other condition equal to the damage taken. If your inventory fills up with those conditions, you die.

(Note: you could also handle this without a slot-based inventory system. I'd simplify things and say that, if you ever accrue the same condition twice (effectively dropping to -5 in that attribute), you fall unconscious).

A man preparing to lose some attribute bonuses

So, what attributes do attacks damage? Brute force attacks hurt your Strength. Precision attacks hurt your Dexterity. Psychic attacks hurt your Intelligence. Eldritch abilities go after your Wisdom. Divine strikes attack your Charisma. Magic damage can run the gamut.

Some attributes do step on the toes of others. Do divine strikes attack Wisdom or Charisma? Does a crack shot from a bowman hurt your Dexterity or Strength? And what about Constitution? Is it your last line of defense? Does it just control your item slots (aka, your hit points)?

Because of this, I would likely seek to condense my attribute list if I implemented this hack. Something like Strength, Dexterity, Willpower (or, Fortitude, Reflex, Will).