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I don't get the dislike of healing surges
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<blockquote data-quote="Gargoyle" data-source="post: 5698047" data-attributes="member: 529"><p>I miss the simplicity of hit points without healing surges. </p><p></p><p>As far as their abstract nature...</p><p></p><p>I had a discussion with a player about hit points years ago, I forget the edition. I explained that I felt that hit points represented more than just damage taken, it was also exhaustion and luck. The DMG at the time backed me up on that. His reply was that "Well, then if that poisoned blade didn't actually hit me, why do I need to Save vs Poison?"</p><p></p><p>I didn't have a good response to that, and I still don't.</p><p></p><p>Healing surges plus non magical healing in 4e makes the down side of the abstract nature of hit points worse by creating scenarios that strain the suspension of disbelief. The fighter takes massive damage from the claws of a horrible dragon which the DM describes in gory detail. He gets his second wind, the warlord tells him to shake it off, and five seconds after the dragon is dead the fighter is ready to take on the next encounter - all without magic.</p><p></p><p>So what happens? The DM stops narrating descriptions of the fight.</p><p></p><p>Hit points are a snap to explain. Healing hit points with magic or even a healing skill is easy to accept as real in a fantasy game. Surges are harder to comprehend, and healing what was described in the narrative as real wounds with no magic is tough to enjoy. </p><p></p><p>I'm not saying I'm completely against healing surges, but they do cause problems.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gargoyle, post: 5698047, member: 529"] I miss the simplicity of hit points without healing surges. As far as their abstract nature... I had a discussion with a player about hit points years ago, I forget the edition. I explained that I felt that hit points represented more than just damage taken, it was also exhaustion and luck. The DMG at the time backed me up on that. His reply was that "Well, then if that poisoned blade didn't actually hit me, why do I need to Save vs Poison?" I didn't have a good response to that, and I still don't. Healing surges plus non magical healing in 4e makes the down side of the abstract nature of hit points worse by creating scenarios that strain the suspension of disbelief. The fighter takes massive damage from the claws of a horrible dragon which the DM describes in gory detail. He gets his second wind, the warlord tells him to shake it off, and five seconds after the dragon is dead the fighter is ready to take on the next encounter - all without magic. So what happens? The DM stops narrating descriptions of the fight. Hit points are a snap to explain. Healing hit points with magic or even a healing skill is easy to accept as real in a fantasy game. Surges are harder to comprehend, and healing what was described in the narrative as real wounds with no magic is tough to enjoy. I'm not saying I'm completely against healing surges, but they do cause problems. [/QUOTE]
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I don't get the dislike of healing surges
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