D&D 5E Additive versus subtractive modularity

[Blackbrrd]

It shouldn't be particularily hard to add a module that incorporates damage levels into hp that don't go away with "martial healing" or it's kind.

You basically add an injury when you go below a certain threshold per fight. For instance at 66, 33 and 0% health you get a minor, medium and serious wound. These don't go away when you heal up with your martial healing, but goes away if you get magical healing (minor wound = level 1 spell, medium wound = level 2 spell, serious wound level 3 spell)

Using your martial healing might help you avoid anything but minor wounds, so it's useful, but you need magical healing to get back into shape.

They have already stated that there will be a optional wounds rule, so for the ones that doesn't like the default hp mechanic that the rest of us like, they can use that. Or create their own that suits their particular game.

So, there you have it, additive modularity can fix the issue some people have with "martial healing". If the optional wounds rule doesn't suit your needs, it should be pretty easy to extrapolate from the idea I made here. Should maybe take you an hour or two.

 

[evileeyore]

Could steal a page from FATE and have using Second Wind and other such "non-magical healing" cause a Consequence (like a wound) that requires long term healing (or more sparkly snowflake magical healing).

 

[Hussar]

Considering a wounds/vitality module exists in the new DMG (allegedly), I'm pretty sure that that module will interact with second wind.

An easy way would be second wind only restores vitality.

 

[evileeyore]

Considering a wounds/vitality module exists in the new DMG (allegedly), I'm pretty sure that that module will interact with second wind.

An easy way would be second wind only restores vitality.

Then.... I am really not understanding the angst over this "issue".

 

[Lanefan]

Considering a wounds/vitality module exists in the new DMG (allegedly), I'm pretty sure that that module will interact with second wind.

An easy way would be second wind only restores vitality.

I'd take that as almost a given.

My concern is how adventure design is going to interact with not just Second Wind but the overall amount of healing a party is assumed to have. This is one thing that makes 4e adventures difficult to run (as intended) in a non-4e system: the adventure writers are assuming 4e-level healing and rest rates which most non-4e games just don't have.

I'd rather not hit the same issue with 5e adventures (which I'm in general holding fairly high expectations for).

Lanefan

 

[MechaPilot]

I'd take that as almost a given.

My concern is how adventure design is going to interact with not just Second Wind but the overall amount of healing a party is assumed to have. This is one thing that makes 4e adventures difficult to run (as intended) in a non-4e system: the adventure writers are assuming 4e-level healing and rest rates which most non-4e games just don't have.

I'd rather not hit the same issue with 5e adventures (which I'm in general holding fairly high expectations for).

Lanefan

Wouldn't designing the adventures around the assumption of more healing actually result in the old-school feel when you remove that healing because it would do the following:

1) less healing encourages PC to avoid combat when they can.
2) less healing makes more combat encounters per day more dangerous, which in turn encourages PC to plot strategies to improve their chances of survival and/or victory.

 

[Lanefan]

Wouldn't designing the adventures around the assumption of more healing actually result in the old-school feel when you remove that healing because it would do the following:

1) less healing encourages PC to avoid combat when they can.
2) less healing makes more combat encounters per day more dangerous, which in turn encourages PC to plot strategies to improve their chances of survival and/or victory.

Oh it certainly does; which is fine.

Problems arise if the adventure is written with the idea that the party is on any sort of a clock to get it done. A 4e party using wise resource management can hardcore their way through an adventure in one go that might take a 1e party several tries with rest days in between; and if there's a 24-hour deadline before the BBEG kills the princess, well...

The other corollary annoyance with both 3e and 4e adventures is the assumption* of sometimes multi-level character advancement during and within the adventure - for games that don't have fast advancement and-or have training/downtime rules this makes such adventures easier than intended at the start and-or harder (sometimes much harder) than intended at the end.

* - and by 'assumption' here I mean the writers sometimes even put it in the modules "by this point the characters should be level x"

Lanefan

 

[MechaPilot]

Oh it certainly does; which is fine.

Problems arise if the adventure is written with the idea that the party is on any sort of a clock to get it done. A 4e party using wise resource management can hardcore their way through an adventure in one go that might take a 1e party several tries with rest days in between; and if there's a 24-hour deadline before the BBEG kills the princess, well...

The other corollary annoyance with both 3e and 4e adventures is the assumption* of sometimes multi-level character advancement during and within the adventure - for games that don't have fast advancement and-or have training/downtime rules this makes such adventures easier than intended at the start and-or harder (sometimes much harder) than intended at the end.

* - and by 'assumption' here I mean the writers sometimes even put it in the modules "by this point the characters should be level x"

Lanefan

Fortunately, deadlines are easy to change when one DMs.

The other issue that you bring up is harder to fix, but not too hard. It simply comes down to either swapping out the monsters or adding or subtracting from the number of monsters present.

In the end, I think every DM has to put in a little work when they are using a published adventure. You either have to adjust for numbers of PCs, for parties that are missing certain classes (like clerics for example), or adjusting NPC races to fit a different campaign setting.

 

[Agamon]

My concern is how adventure design is going to interact with not just Second Wind but the overall amount of healing a party is assumed to have. This is one thing that makes 4e adventures difficult to run (as intended) in a non-4e system: the adventure writers are assuming 4e-level healing and rest rates which most non-4e games just don't have.

I'd rather not hit the same issue with 5e adventures (which I'm in general holding fairly high expectations for).

The adventures released over the past year have been usable with 3.5, 4e and 5e rules. No rules assumptions, so I doubt there's much to worry about.

 

[Emerikol]

I think there is a widely held belief by some that people like myself are seeking a wound and vitality module. Perhaps some people would like that but I'm very much for the simplicity of hit points. Whether it was intended or not, we can debate that another time, I was able in older editions of D&D to play with my view of hit points. It worked well enough and the feel of the game was right. I really don't need or really want anything more in the healing department.

For whatever reason, it seems my exact approach is inconceivable to the devs as an option that many might want.

Another thing about 5e. There are not that many features that send me soaring. I do really like big feats and the option to opt out with a passive +2 to attribute. That is the one innovation I consider great. Most everything else is just okay. I could accept most of it but its not really better than the counterpart in 3e. I do like the emphasis on rulings not rules or DM empowerment but almost any old school game will give you that.

For me it's a rare case anyway where good things can overcome something really bad in a game. The entire philosophy of fast healing is like a poison pill in an otherwise decent game.

Note thats all my opinion value judgment wise and purely my own.