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Message: <blockquote data-quote="blalien" data-source="post: 5706758" data-attributes="member: 41954">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.</blockquote>