D&D 5E Should the Fighter's "Second Wind" ability grant temporary HP instead of regular HP?

The Black Ranger

First Post

• Jun 21, 2014

• #1

Upon looking at the starter character sheet, I have noticed that the fighter's "Second Wind" ability grants actual HP. In my opinion, granting THP seems more fitting. I imagine a fighter temporarily shrugging off some of his previous wounds and will just deal with them after the fight. I don't imagine the fighter actually recovering.

 

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Grydan

First Post

• Jun 21, 2014

• #2

No. As others have pointed out elsewhere, effective use of temporary hit points is having them in place before taking damage (thereby preventing as much real damage as possible). This runs directly counter to the idea of a second wind, which is a recovery rather than a pre-emptive event.

 

Frostmarrow

First Post

• Jun 21, 2014

• #3

HTML:

The Black Ranger said:

Upon looking at the starter character sheet, I have noticed that the fighter's "Second Wind" ability grants actual HP. In my opinion, granting THP seems more fitting. I imagine a fighter temporarily shrugging off some of his previous wounds and will just deal with them after the fight. I don't imagine the fighter actually recovering.

Click to expand...

To me, the only hit point that represents physical damage is the first.
Hp no. 2 and up are fictionary, room for description.

 

Plaguescarred

D&D Playtester for WoTC since 2012

• Jun 21, 2014

• #4

Grydan said:

No. As others have pointed out elsewhere, effective use of temporary hit points is having them in place before taking damage (thereby preventing as much real damage as possible). This runs directly counter to the idea of a second wind, which is a recovery rather than a pre-emptive event.

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I agree with you

 

P

Paraxis

Explorer

• Jun 21, 2014

• #5

It is a bit late to ask this question in a large sense. The rules are the rules now. If you like the idea of house ruling Second Wind and want validation, a better pole would be, "Do you plan on house ruling Second Wind and if yes, how?".

I don't plan on making a change to it unless I shorten the length of a short rest, which I just might do but that is because I want to prevent people from spamming short rests. So if I change it, it would be so that you can only use it while at half hit points, or as a reaction to taking damage.

 

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pemerton

Legend

• Jun 21, 2014

• #6

The Black Ranger said:

I imagine a fighter temporarily shrugging off some of his previous wounds and will just deal with them after the fight. I don't imagine the fighter actually recovering.

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Temp hp don't work that way, though - assuming that they are actually depleted by taking further damage, they are no more temporary than "real" hp.

To get the effect you describe you would need something like the HP gain from temp increases to CON in 3E (like barbarian rage): something like "Second Wind heals 1d10 hp, but at the end of the combat you take 1d10 hp damage."

 

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Ti-bob

Explorer

• Jun 21, 2014

• #7

I suggest than "Second Wind" grant temporary HP, but regular HP if used within 1 "Short Rest" of taking damage, or else only if under half hp.

 

Last edited: Jun 22, 2014

Obryn

Hero

• Jun 21, 2014

• #8

If you really hate the idea of the fighter healing damage, replace Second Wind with Adrenaline Surge (or Battle Frenzy or Stalwart Defense) and let them spend a bonus action at the start of combat to get 1d10+level temporary hps, regained after a short rest.

I don't know how a total abstraction like "temporary hps" fixes any simulation concerns, but I guess I don't need to.

 

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(Psi)SeveredHead

Adventurer

• Jun 21, 2014

• #9

Only if healing is cheap and easy out of combat... and in D&DN, it isn't really.

13th Age has a fairly similar healing system, but it does one thing better: the number of "recoveries". Most PCs get 8 per day, and fighters get 9. (Fighters can also 1/encounter spend a recovery as the equivalent of a minor/swift action.)

In the last D&DN playtest packet I tested, 1st-level PCs get one "Hit Die" per day. Just the one. Temp hp aren't going to help a 1st-level fighter much unless it's a swift action.

 

sidonunspa

First Post

• Jun 21, 2014

• #10

heck

I'm planing on changing it to a parry/dodge mechanic in my home games....