2 surges per rest

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Seconded. Hey, is there a thread for 4e solo creation out there? I mean, I know you have some in the Monster Project (which is awesome ), but i was thinking a thread where we could trade design notes. If not maybe we should start one to showcase our homebrew solos?

There have probably been many over the years, but unless they get stickied they fall of the internet (well, to a place where you can't find them). I'm sure there are other sites that do this, but the Angry DM and Sly Flourish both have some really good examples.

I would like to see a new thread. And maybe one on 4e dungeon design (as in how to have a running fight without rests, without being too easy or dropping a whole dungeon on the PCs at once).

 

[the Jester]

Seconded. Hey, is there a thread for 4e solo creation out there? I mean, I know you have some in the Monster Project (which is awesome ), but i was thinking a thread where we could trade design notes. If not maybe we should start one to showcase our homebrew solos?

I'm not sure if there is; I seem to recall one from early in the 4e life cycle, but don't think I really participated. I'd definitely be down for one though.

 

[keterys]

Fwiw, I was actually pondering some sort of limit on # of surges per encounter at one point. I was pondering 3 surges for defenders, 2 for normal PCs, and 1 for "wimpy" PCs (like wizards) - which would mean that there would be a lot less reason to overemphasize in-combat healing or people were much more likely to carry wounds through the day.

Which is not at all like what you're considering in terms of how it would play out, but seems to be coming from a similar desire. If anything, I'd rather encourage people _not_ to extended rest more, though, so any rule that makes dailies more effective and makes people take more extended rests kinda automatically gets a thumbs down from me.

 

[S'mon]

Well, now I feel bad about 'limiting' the PCs, so maybe I'll just
embrace the Superhero-osity and keep to RAW for the rest of this
campaign (levels 17-30). I think kt would work well in a more
sandboxy game but perhaps it's the kind of campaign rule that
needs to be there from the start.

Edit: Trying to type posts with the Smilies bar covering half the typing space
is no fun.

 

[KarinsDad]

Interestingly, I have decided to do the exact opposite for my next campaign. Each PC re-acquires one healing surge per short rest. The reason is that I want the PCs to acquire (through purchase or treasure) more consumable items such as potions of healing and not feel constrained about using them.

But my next campaign is limited in material. No Dragon Magazine, no Essentials, no monster PCs, and many of the books disallowed (no Heroes of Shadows, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dark Sun, etc.). Just PHB1, 2, 3, and the first Powers books (e.g. Martial Power, but not Martial Power 2).

The problem that I repeatedly saw in Paragon was that the synergies derived from the vast plethora of races, feats, powers, and magic items. Limiting the PCs to 9 races, 20 classes, but not the vast amount of feat and item bloat trims out a lot of the synergy uberness.

And incentivizing the players to have and use consumable items minimizes the need to have uber healer Leaders, uber damage Strikers, etc. Each PC has his niche, but it does not need to be specialized to the point that their niche is all of what they do. Course, I haven't yet played with these rules, so this is speculation at this point.

 

[vagabundo]

I'm considering doing 1d4 surges per extended rest when in the wilds (dungeons/wilderness/unusual locations) or when under unsual pressure.

This gives me some leeway when designing the adventures. I can decide when I want to up the threat level.

My first adventure for the new campaign will be HS1 - so in Gorizbadd they won't get much from an extended rest.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I have tinkered with the healing surge recovery rate and extended rest mechanics quite a bit in my games, and I am pretty happy with the results.

The gist of it is that recovering Daily Attack powers from your class progression costs your character healing surges; 4 for your highest, and 3 for your second-highest, and so forth.

I also allow recharge of encounter powers for 2 surges.

Ritual use costs surges instead of coin.

All that, and each day's rest restores 1-4 surges (NOT hp), depending on the conditions present. Overnight campsites or rustic inns where there is little threat gets 2-4, but resting in hostile lands or dungeons returns only 1-2, if you're lucky. Actual, honest-to-goodness Extended rests are just that: extended. You're looking at needing several days, at minimum, in non-hostile surroundings.

It has worked well so far. Most of my PCs like to run lean & risky, blowing their powers to end fights quickly and dealing with the consequences after, namely, that they run low on hit points, and can't count on their dailies being available. The choice of recharging has also added back some of the resource management from earlier edition spellcasters, which some of my players really enjoy.

Here is a link to the thread I made last year about it: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?334409-Nemesis-Destiny-s-Houserules-Thread

Some of my rules may have changed since then. It's been a while.