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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vermonter" data-source="post: 4641934" data-attributes="member: 54647">Thinking about Hit PointsThe changes made to hit points and introduction of healing surges I think was one of the biggest a least well explain innovations of the new system.  Quite simply you can't think of hit points in the same way as you did in prior versions of D&D.  Hit points are now more like an exhaustion meter.  They are regularly worn down in combat, and if they reach zero you are unconscious and dying.  Except: it is healing surges that really measure, in a grand scheme of things how close a hero is to death.  A hero with on 1/4 of his hit points left but 8 more healing surges has only used up 25% of his overall endurance for the day.  Yes, he needs to end the combat and get a breather, but then he'll be back to full hit points and 5 healing surges.This means a couple things.  First it means that DMs need to rethink how to describe combat.  That blow in the first combat of the day that renders a character down to 2 hit points left might be major, but chances are in five minutes the player will have shaken it off, even absent magical healing.  So go easy on the descriptions of near dismemberment.The second thing it means is that +1 healing surge is a bigger deal than +1 hit point per level.   In fact, it is at least +1 hit point per level, because the healing surge value is based on 1/4 of the hit points, and all classes get at least 4 hit points per level when they advance.  In face, a high constitution actually has a greater impact in 4e on durability than in prior versions for those classes with extra hit points.For an example, consider a Dwarven Fighter.At level 1 with 12 Con he has 27 hp and 10 surges worth 6 hp.  Daily hit points = 87.At level 1 with 18 Con he has 33 hp and 13 surges worth 8 hp.  Daily hit points = 137.in 3rd edition that would be 11 to 14 or a 27% increase in hit pointsin 4th edition that is a 57% increase in hit pointsLets advance him to level 8 and bump con both times:At level 8 with 14 Con he has 71 hp and 11 surges worth 17 hp.  Daily hit points = 258At level 8 with 20 Con he has 77 hp and 14 surges worth 19 hp.  Daily hit points = 343in 3rd edition that would be (base 6 hp/level) 61 to 85 or a 39% increase in hit pointsin 4th edition it is still a 33% increase in hit pointsSo, as you can see, even though you have "only 6 hit points more" throughout your career with an 18 instead of 12 starting Con, the real survivability impact can be much more.Also, this means that the toughness feat is still quite useful at high levels.  Say our 14 Con level 8 fighter takes it:That means he now has 76 hp and 11 surges worth 19 hp.  Daily hit points = 285Those 5 hit points were a 10% increase in his overall daily survivability.Hope that helps you see why your house rules could really disrupt balance.  Even rolling for hit points I think could be pretty risky.  But then again, I like point buys and to have all my luck in the form of attack and damage rolls.</blockquote>

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