Jun 18, 2025
Hrothgar stands guard (David Sutherland from "Damage Permanency or How Hrothgar One-Ear Got His Name" by James M Ward, Dragon 23, TSR, March 1979) The article included 2 pages of tables and explanations for permanently lowering a character's attributes or abilities after being reduced to 1 or 2 hit points. It also included a long editor's note, presumably by Dragon editor Tim Kask, stating that this might be applicable to some games line Metamorphosis Alpha or Gamma World but not to D&D or AD&D where hit points represent a combination of many factors, not simply flesh being injured. For similar reasons Gary Gygax was on record as opposing permanent damage, critical hits, or critical fumbles in D&D/AD&D.