I don't see it as an exploit, though I can see how you might say that. As it is, we have one player who can throw everyone off. Her being at full power makes the difference between me getting to the silver palace and getting through the whole thing. If it's as intended, I probably wouldn't bother to boost because it's harder to boost in HP than in WB and I wouldn't ever make my money back. One version might be too easy, but the other version is too hard and benefits the larger players in a way that creates a larger imbalance.