Mike Mearls Happy Fun Hour: The Warlord

[Tony Vargas]

If all the best case scenario takes is having a rogue in the party then that's surely not the same kind of overly optimized best case scenario that he was implying didn't get looked at.

Rogue was the specific example he gave.
Balance: just not a big deal.

No, it doesn't. There is nothing about the Warlord which screams "must heal immediately, as a multiclass level dip healer option". None.

If you're saying there shouldn't be multiclass healer 1-level dips, you're several classes too late.

I didn't say it was an "unreasonable concept" I said there is nothing about the Warlord that makes healing a "must" for first level. It would be just as reasonable to have it happen at level 3 for example.

At first level, a lucky shot can drop your dpr star, first round, putting the party behind the curve, and spiral to a tpk. Support characters interrupt that spiral.

 

[Yaarel]

Simple rule? Gain a level of exhaustion when reduced to 0hp? Makes things like whack a mole with healing word and healer feat mean something.

Sometimes simple is best. Reaching zero means, the character did get a wound. So, automatically a level of exhaustion.



It would be nice to coordinate the exhaustion level with extent of damage. For example.

Exhaustion 2 (speed ½) can mean an arm bone was fractured, about 2d6 weeks to heal.
Exhaustion 5 (speed 0) can mean a complication takes 2d6 months to heal.
Exhaustion 6 (death) can mean the arm amputated or permanently paralyzed. (Maybe only spell level 7 or higher can regenerate?)



Some kind of translation from exhaustion to injury.



Maybe the first death save if successful means you stay conscious. Failure means stunned. The second failed death save means unconscious.



By the way, superficial ‘bloodied’ damage when less than half hit points, like black eyes and bleeding cuts, tend to heal within 2d6 days. So prepare to wear bandages for some days after a fight − even while at full hit points!

As a gaming convenience.
• Half hit points: 2d6 days to heal negligible marks of combat
• Zero hit points, exhaustion 2: 2d6 weeks to heal
• Zero hit points, exhaustion 5: 2d6 months to heal
• Zero hit points, exhaustion 6: permanent injury

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

By the way, if anyone wanted to watch the episode, it's archived on Twitch right now.

It's right here, actually

 

[Azzy]

The problem is, you can't do that in 5e without magic. A Warlord can't remove status ailments like poison or disease. He can't raise a dead ally. He has no access to divination or transportation magic. No access to survival magic like goodberry, create food or rope trick. And at high level, he's going to lack even reasonable buffs and debuffs that can match mindblank, antipathy, or holy aura. There is no way to match these abilities without magic or extreme handwaving.

While removing certain conditions may not make sense, conditions like Frightened and Charmed seem like easy candidates for non-magical removal. Then, there's also room for condition mitigations (where the condition isn't removed, but temporarily halted or otherwise mitigated) that can be explained without magic.

 

[Yaarel]

Rogue sets a precedent with nonmagical Slippery Mind, if I recall correctly.

 

[mellored]

I didn't say it was an "unreasonable concept" I said there is nothing about the Warlord that makes healing a "must" for first level. It would be just as reasonable to have it happen at level 3 for example.

I don't see any issue with minimal healing at 1st. Even if it's only 1 HP per short rest. That's enough to stand someone back up.
Hmm...

As a bonus action, you can give someone 1 HP + THP equal to your warlord level. You can use this twice per short rest.

 

[Mistwell]

For the existing classes, some signature abilities come at first level, while others come at later levels, depending on the class. For example, Druid Shapechange, Fighter Action Surge and Extra Attacks, Paladin Smites, Monk Ki, these all come at later levels. However Rogue Sneak Attack and Barbarian Rage come at first level.

My point is, it can go either way for Warlord as well. There is no "must have" about healing at first level for this class. And as I think it should be a sub-class, I think it's probably best fit to be at a later level unless it's some variant on the fighter's self-healing.

 

[Yaarel]

If I understood Happy Hour correctly.

The warlord properly heals. The unusual aspect is, ‘overhealing’. Extra healing is retained as temporary hit points.

For example, a level 1 character has, say 13 hit points. Takes damage and is now at 8. The warlord inspires 8 hit points of healing. This brings the fatigued character from 8, back to 13, with an extra 3 hit points as temporary hit points. So, for a duration of time, the character is now entering combat with a total of 16 hit points.

I really like this. It covers both aspects of truly healing nonphysical hit points − and also instilling extra confidence, alertness, coached tactical acumen.

The flavor is awesome.

 

[Yaarel]

"must have"

4e designs the warlord class for the ‘leader’ role, as an alternative to cleric, at level 1.

 

[mellored]

Reaching zero means, the character did get a wound.

That gives me an idea.

"When an ally is reduced to 0 HP, and does not die from massive damage, you can use your reaction to have it reduced to 1 HP instead. They also gain THP"

It's not "healing" if they never reach 0.