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<blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8412558" data-attributes="member: 16814">No, they only resemble each other in a very superficial sense -- you can spend them to recover hitpoints.&nbsp; That's the extent of the comparison, though.&nbsp; Healing surges were a pacing mechanism while hit dice are not.&nbsp; Healing surges where used to power both self and other PC healing options, hit dice don't.&nbsp; Healing surges individually represented significant healing reserves, hit dice do not (outside of very low levels).&nbsp; Healing surges were used to power some magic items and non-healing class powers, hit dice are not.&nbsp; Healing surges were used as a cost for failure (again, pacing), hit dice are not.The only place they are similar is that when you take a rest, you can expend both healing surges and hit dice to regain hitpoints.&nbsp; The very big difference is how healing surges were THE pacing mechanism for 4e and how hit dice have very little to no impact on pacing in 5e.&nbsp; Running low on hit dice isn't really much of a concern in 5e, whereas it was the signal to look for an extended rest in 4e.&nbsp; Prior to this, you were fine in 4e to continue pressing.&nbsp; This alone makes a huge difference between healing surges and hit dice -- they serve as a fundamental part of the structure of 4e throughout and in 5e they're there alright.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ovinomancer, post: 8412558, member: 16814"] No, they only resemble each other in a very superficial sense -- you can spend them to recover hitpoints. That's the extent of the comparison, though. Healing surges were a pacing mechanism while hit dice are not. Healing surges where used to power both self and other PC healing options, hit dice don't. Healing surges individually represented significant healing reserves, hit dice do not (outside of very low levels). Healing surges were used to power some magic items and non-healing class powers, hit dice are not. Healing surges were used as a cost for failure (again, pacing), hit dice are not. The only place they are similar is that when you take a rest, you can expend both healing surges and hit dice to regain hitpoints. The very big difference is how healing surges were THE pacing mechanism for 4e and how hit dice have very little to no impact on pacing in 5e. Running low on hit dice isn't really much of a concern in 5e, whereas it was the signal to look for an extended rest in 4e. Prior to this, you were fine in 4e to continue pressing. This alone makes a huge difference between healing surges and hit dice -- they serve as a fundamental part of the structure of 4e throughout and in 5e they're there alright. [/QUOTE]

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