Herremann the Wise
First Post
Hello Everyone,
There seems to have been a degree of consternation amongst posters as to how the new rules for "bloodied", healing, "healing surges" and so on should be interpreted (based upon other hp/healing threads). I'm most probably not as "up" on 4th edition rules as some but perhaps the following idea might be the piece of the puzzle that people are looking for.
There has always been the line drawn in the hit point sand with PCs being fully operational on one side and pretty much incapacitated on the other. The "bloodied" condition (while being a pain for the DM to track) certainly seems to be adding a new dimension to the entire hp mechanic. However, people still seem to be concerned about PCs being "near death" one day, and at full health the next. What if the interpretation is shifted so that you're not really injured (just a few cuts and bruises, a smashed nose perhaps: ie bloodied) until you hit 0 or less? Hit 0 or less though and you're "injured". This is where the nasty stuff can happen.
For example, you could have a table that you roll on (based on a Fort save and damage type or some such) where you can go from unconscious to hamstrung to appendage hacked/bitten off to decapitation. It is in an injured state where the "Magical Healing" of the cleric should come to the fore. Surges are fine when you're up but when you're seriously injured, boy can that cleric and his faith in his deity do some wonders to broken bones etc.
I think there would be some interesting ramifications of such a system. Players won't be quite as willing to have their PCs get into the negatives (but won't be overly gunshy either). Roleplaying-wise, "injuries" can hopefully add to the experience rather than detract.
I suppose there are many pros and cons to such an idea but heh, I thought I'd throw it out there and see what people thought. Could this be the "missing piece of the puzzle" that links the rest of the mechanics together in terms of the concerns many have expressed on other hp threads?
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
There seems to have been a degree of consternation amongst posters as to how the new rules for "bloodied", healing, "healing surges" and so on should be interpreted (based upon other hp/healing threads). I'm most probably not as "up" on 4th edition rules as some but perhaps the following idea might be the piece of the puzzle that people are looking for.
There has always been the line drawn in the hit point sand with PCs being fully operational on one side and pretty much incapacitated on the other. The "bloodied" condition (while being a pain for the DM to track) certainly seems to be adding a new dimension to the entire hp mechanic. However, people still seem to be concerned about PCs being "near death" one day, and at full health the next. What if the interpretation is shifted so that you're not really injured (just a few cuts and bruises, a smashed nose perhaps: ie bloodied) until you hit 0 or less? Hit 0 or less though and you're "injured". This is where the nasty stuff can happen.
For example, you could have a table that you roll on (based on a Fort save and damage type or some such) where you can go from unconscious to hamstrung to appendage hacked/bitten off to decapitation. It is in an injured state where the "Magical Healing" of the cleric should come to the fore. Surges are fine when you're up but when you're seriously injured, boy can that cleric and his faith in his deity do some wonders to broken bones etc.
I think there would be some interesting ramifications of such a system. Players won't be quite as willing to have their PCs get into the negatives (but won't be overly gunshy either). Roleplaying-wise, "injuries" can hopefully add to the experience rather than detract.
I suppose there are many pros and cons to such an idea but heh, I thought I'd throw it out there and see what people thought. Could this be the "missing piece of the puzzle" that links the rest of the mechanics together in terms of the concerns many have expressed on other hp threads?
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise