Bolt-Ons: Unearthed Arcana

[jodyjohnson]

While it wouldn't surprise me to think WotC is thinking about 5e, I would like to see a book of options for 4e that might appeal to certain troublesome areas - kind of a beta for 5e.

For example, the problem with narrative relating to healing surges:

Possibly as simple as having barriers that non-magical surge use can't cross except by Extended rests plus a Heal or Endurance check.

1. Second Wind or between combat surge use can't cross a health barrier.
a. Not bloodied, heal to full.
b. Bloodied, heal up to Bloodied value but not beyond.
c. No non-magical healing beyond stabilization.

After an extended rest make a medium Heal check on another or a medium Endurance check to cross to conscious or bloodied.


Or in regard to the math just toss an option out there for the pure level math (Attack is Level plus proficiency and conditional bonuses, Defenses are Level+14, keeps stats/magic item enhancement just for damage. Use armor and enhancement for Resist All or Resist non-energy.)


Or options to swap out conditions from powers for extra damage or less fiddly statuses


I think we need some 1.x versions of some of the newer design space before we just jump to 2.0 versions.

 

[blalien]

Hit points are meant to abstractly represent the number of hits a character can take before he is knocked unconscious. Every hit does not mean the character is stabbed in the gut. Perhaps he blocked it with his sword, or it was just a scratch, or he moved in just the right way to minimize the damage. Once his HP runs out, his luck runs out too, and the next hit happens to hit him right in the chest. It's the same logic for why James Bond can be in a room with a hundred guys with guns and never get shot, or why Legolas can kill 43 orcs without getting hurt.

The healing surge represents a morale boost. When all seems lost, you dust yourself off and straighten your focus. Maybe you take a bite out of a power bar or remind yourself what you're fighting for. This is a real phenomenon that occurs in a baseball game, an exam, or a long car ride. You can imagine non-magical healing as a stirring war cry, and magical healing as an energy boost. The healing surge daily limit is the length a character can go before becoming utterly exhausted.

Perhaps the PHB could have done a better job explaining this, but it's been apparent in D&D's design philosophy for a long time. There are other RPGs with more realistic damage systems, but that wouldn't be a good fit for D&D.

 

[mneme]

Actually, if you want to make the healing system feel more realistic, the right thing to do is add some mechanics to getting healing surges back during the extended rest. After all, surges are where the damage -really- goes; they represent deep damage that cannot be healed by anything other than bed rest or powerful magic (whether that's "you've been healed on the surface, but your body still knows it's hurt" or "oh, you're still wounded. But if you keel over and die, Sarnak the warlord will go down to hell, track you down, and kill you worse, so you're living on and ignoring it by force of will and fear). Perhaps PCs normally consume cheap but magical restoratives when they go to bed which heal them -- serving as the equivalent of 3rd edition healing potions/wands. But if they lose access to some or all of these for an adventure (or part of same), maybe they can only restore half their lost surges each night, really putting the pressure on?

The other major part of damage that is missing in 4e is semi-permanent wounds that -feel- like wounds -- damaged or missing limbs, painful distracting gut wounds, being blinded, etc; which might be fixable with magic or rest, but will have a demonstrable effect on PCs abilities to fight while they persist. These are -very- dangerous -- make them too easy too achieve and they become better than damage; or you end up with a situation (like the Paizo crit cards in 3.5) where monsters end up hurting the PCs far worse by selecting these conditions [because they're going to lose], but the PCs are better off just going with damage [because they're goiing to win].

Still, creating a house rule that will inflict a semi-permanent condition on a character in a rare condition -- perhaps a fumble (a 1) followed by a crit on the opponent's turn--and then treating the condition like a disease can certainly shake things up. Could do the same thing when a character fumbled a death save (a pretty rare occurance). A would could then only be healed by following it on the condition track (see disease) or a custom ritual (call it Restoration or something).

 

[gyor]

I laughed when I read the thread title. Bolt-ons are a slang for breast implants. So see man mades.

 

[the Jester]

The whole point of the healing surge system is to reduce 15-minute adventuring days, so the idea of putting a "barrier" in place defeats the purpose.

More generally, I agree that a 4e Unearthed Arcana would be nice to see.