The problem of low hit points on humans

[Epaminondas]

Taqwus,

I am glad we are having an intelligent debate rather than shouting matches. This is what I expected from this forum, as opposed to a Blizzard forum.

Now let me respond to all three of your points:

1. I am not completely sure Herakles is so exceptional as heroes go. Yes, he is probably the greatest hero in the Greek mythos, but the trait you single out for his exceptional character--his half-divine birth--is not so exceptional in Greek myth or other prominent myths. That is, many of the great heroes of various sagas claim to have half-divine births. In Greek myth alone, many--if not the majority--of the greatest heroes do have such pedigrees. For instance, Achilles himself is born of an immortal mother, Thetis (though she was indeed not Zeus or even Hera or Athena but a nymph).

More germane, Pathos does have the same half-divine lineage, and he is nowhere as overpowering as a Herakles or an Achilles. Achilles, it should be pointed out, was not simply another Joe with high "protection." He battled a damn river god in the Iliad!

2. I concede wholeheartedly that Achilles' near-invulnerability is best defined as "Protection" not HP in the context of Dom III. Nonetheless, it is not "Protection" in the sense of armor you "wear" but what is called "Natural" armor or protection. My point is that it is not so easy to separate natural armor or toughness and high constitution or high HPs. But I suppose this has to do with my own conceptual biases.

3. Most of the Iliad's near-superhuman or frankly superhuman heroes were considered as such prior to the Trojan War. Achilles was long considered the best warrior in the world, and that is why the Greeks fetched Odysseus, the most clever among them, to get him to participate in the war. Ajax or Aias was already considered the next greatest warrior. Hector, likewise, was considered the greatest Trojan Warrior. Diomedes' and other heroes' heroic pedigrees were also well-established.

I do agree that the case of Patroclus is an exception, but exceptions do not make an argument--or at least an argument of a general nature.

Finally, regarding Zhang Fei--he died in old age and rather drunk. Since you appear to be familiar with Luo Guanzhong's tale, you know what kind of rear-end kicker he was when in prime and sober!

[Epaminondas]

By the way, I am surprised at the number of replies and interest this thread has generated.

If anything, that shows that a lot of people do agree with me in feeling that there is a problem with the base human commander or hero HPs.

[PvK]

Epaminondas said:
...
If anything, that shows that a lot of people do agree with me in feeling that there is a problem with the base human commander or hero HPs.

Actually, my posts are all about trying to point out that the low hit points on humans is not a problem, and that even if it seems that humans have a survival problem, the HP themselves are not the problem. At most, the damage amounts may be a problem, but the HP ratings are in line.

[Epaminondas]

PvK said:

Actually, my posts are all about trying to point out that the low hit points on humans is not a problem, and that even if it seems that humans have a survival problem, the HP themselves are not the problem. At most, the damage amounts may be a problem, but the HP ratings are in line.

I wasn't referring to you: It's not all about you, even though I often think that way myself!