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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tomBitonti" data-source="post: 5900675" data-attributes="member: 13107">Monsters vs. playersReposted from:<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/new-horizons-upcoming-edition-d-d/322414-dispensible-d-d-4th-edition-7.html#post5900552" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/new-horizons-upcoming-edition-d-d/322414-dispensible-d-d-4th-edition-7.html#post5900552</a>Re: Healing SurgesReturning to healing surges, is the problem here that monsters (whom the players fight) use different mechanics than the players?That is, players heal. Monsters, barring abilities like fast healing or regeneration, usually don't.Then, that an attack against a monster does real damage, and that a critical does exceptional damage, makes sense. The problem is for players, who have abilities to undo the damage. Narrating the damage as "strain from avoiding a blow" creates a tension with the different narration used for monsters.Why not change healing surges into something that more closely matches the intent? Have a healing surge be used to negate the damage in the first place!Then:DM: The Orc stabs at you; you can tell the blow will likely get past your shield and seems aimed your light side armor.Player: I dodge to the side (using up a heroic xxxhealingxxx surge).Or:Warlord: I shout at the player: Step to the side, you fool!Or:Cleric: I call to my god for mercy, and the Orcs blade is turned aside, leaving the player astonished with his sudden fortune.With a carefully balanced damage budget (which was done in 4E), that could provide a near equivalent value in terms of the amount of damage which was affected.Thx!TomB</blockquote>

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