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5 years ago ::
Mar 02, 2008 - 5:42PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Sep 23, 2007
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Healing surges seems like a neat-o thing but do they make any sense? I mean, take this for example:
DM: "The goblin kicks over the table and stabs Kodos in the thigh with his sword! The wound is deep and blood pours down your leg, splashing onto the floor."
Kodos: "Ouch! That hurts! I'm almost dead! I'll.... clench my teeth real hard and have a heal surge."
DM: "Uh... okay... The wound in your thigh suddenly closes and the bleeding stops and you feel better..."
The mechanic is convenient but really leaves me scratching my head as to how it can be explained. If it were magic, no problem. Miracles from the gods? Sure. But how a whole party of adventurers who just had the crap beat out of them with claws, swords, fire and hammers can just rest under a tree for six hours and then be totally healed and smiles is a bit much.
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5 years ago ::
Mar 02, 2008 - 6:02PM
#2
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Think of your classic movie heroes that get shot in the arm. They fall back behind the wall, tear of a strip of shirt, bind the wound and plunge back into the fracas wailing like a banshee. If that doesn't help, watch some pro wrestling. That'll give you an idea of how people shake off life-threatening injuries!  SB
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5 years ago ::
Mar 02, 2008 - 6:14PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Apr 14, 2007
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Yeah think of it more along the lines of... Well it depends on how the Healing Surge is used.
Second Wind: You toughen up, shrug off the pain and charge back in.
Cleric: Cleric healing, easy enough to visualize.
Potion: Potion healing, easy enough to visualize.
Heal-Check: Bandaging it up quickly, perhaps take a swig of whisky to bite off the pain.
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5 years ago ::
Mar 02, 2008 - 7:10PM
#4
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Also, remember that hit point loss does not necessarily mean physical damage. Hit points are abstract. While they can be a measure of physical resilience, they also include fatigue and general defensive prowess, willpower, and fighting spirit. Using a healing surge could simply be taking a moment to catch your breath before diving back into the fray.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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5 years ago ::
Mar 02, 2008 - 7:23PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jul 24, 2004
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My impression of healing surge is that it is mechanically similar to the iron heart endurance maneuver from tome of battle. You push aside the pain of your injuries to fight on past mortal limits.
If you have half or fewer of your full normal hit points remaining, you can initiate this maneuver to heal hit points equal to 2
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5 years ago ::
Mar 02, 2008 - 7:54PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Oct 15, 2007
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Salla said it best.
Hit Points are not Health Points.
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5 years ago ::
Mar 03, 2008 - 1:56PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jan 23, 2004
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Kodos: "Ouch! That hurts! I'm almost dead! I'll.... clench my teeth real hard and have a heal surge."
DM: "Uh... okay... The wound in your thigh suddenly closes and the bleeding stops and you feel better..."
Just change it to DM: "Grinding your teeth you see a red mist rise in your eyes as you wery nearly go berserk. Your fury allows you to throw yourself back into the action at once, but you'll need rest before being able to do this again." (Five minutes worth of rest )
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5 years ago ::
Mar 03, 2008 - 10:18PM
#8
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Yeah i like the fact that you can technically still feel fully 100% (ie max health) but still be coved in wounds that need to heal naturally.
Like returning from the adventure in good spirits, and with the scars to prove your bravery in the faces of the danger you took on.
You remember being a kid right? You'd fall of your bike and wallow on the ground in pain for a few minutes, then be right back in the mix, good as new! It makes sense to me.
Plus normal people don't get healing surges (or action points for that matter) because the players are supposed to be heros. They are supposed to have limits far past those of the average run of the mill farmer type.
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5 years ago ::
Mar 03, 2008 - 10:55PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jan 12, 2008
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If you want to take one of the new mechanics literally, you haven't even started bleeding until you're down half your hit points...
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5 years ago ::
Mar 04, 2008 - 2:57PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Mar 29, 2005
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The mechanic is convenient but really leaves me scratching my head as to how it can be explained. If it were magic, no problem. Miracles from the gods? Sure. But how a whole party of adventurers who just had the crap beat out of them with claws, swords, fire and hammers can just rest under a tree for six hours and then be totally healed and smiles is a bit much.
Healing surges are a great idea, heroic adventurers and all that, but I do have a problem with being totally healed after resting six hours. So if all the characters are nearly killed, barely escaping a TPK, they only need to take a six hour nap and everything is ok? Are all PCs automatically blessed by the gods or what?
Does this apply to all characters including NPCs? If a famer is nearly trampled to death by his livestock in the morning and he sleeps for six hours is he ok in time for diner?
I know fantasy games require suspension of disbelief, but this is really out there.
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