Three Hits from Death

To really appreciate change, humans require the change be at least 20% different. Less than that, and the change doesn't feel impactful. On the flip side, huge swings of 50% or more can often take us aback, feeling too dramatic. Three, one third, and 33% are very happy mediums that are both noticeably important and yet not overly powerful.

This 33% change can be seen in all sorts of successful games. In the Zelda series, each boss requires three hits to defeat. This makes each successful hit feel like tremendous progress, without having the challenge be too easy or beaten by luck. In D&D, old school dungeons would have players die with the drop of a single die roll, no matter how powerful they were or how well the players prepared. In the most recent 5th edition, each character now has three death saves that must all fail for the character to truly die. This keeps the intensity of each roll high without causing the frustration of a single stroke of bad luck.

A good starting point for any RPG design is giving each hero three health points (in whatever form is appropriate to the game). This keeps them three hits from death at any point, producing immediate intensity from potential danger, while maintaining a heroic status of being able to take a few blows. From there, designers can tweak the formula based on their specific mechanics; but from full dungeon grinds to the most treacherous stealth missions, it's important to find the perfect balance of success and failure. Games should maintain the 33% pattern unless they have a very specific reason to deviate.

Three hits from death is close enough to be weary but far enough to be adventurous. From Pokemon to Dark Souls, it's easy to find the 33% pattern in many of your favorite games!