Clerics can't heal (NPCs)?

[Jack99]

Based on the wording of healing word I'd say that yes it only works if you have healing surges to spend. The text reads that you can spend an healing surge and get an additional d6+x. Not only does spending a healing surge appear to be a "cost" but the term "additional" suggests it's only comes in addition to the healing you get from the surge.

Plus the whole point of healing surges appears to be to set a limit to the amount people can be healed in one day, which would be completely cricumvented if you could just spend a half hour after the fight to word of healing everyone back to full without any surges being spent.

As for the NPC combat injury example, it's no different then trying to heal somebody out of healing surges. They have just been injured too seriously for a healing word to help them.

Notice the "can" in the text? If you had to spend a healing surge in order to benefit from healing, wouldn't the text read something like: The target spends a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+x hitpoints? Granted English is only my third language, so I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the "can" is the key word, if you will, and if spending a surge was mandatory, the wording would be different.

Cheers,

 

[HeinorNY]

Notice the "can" in the text? If you had to spend a healing surge in order to benefit from healing, wouldn't the text read something like: The target spends a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+x hitpoints? Granted English is only my third language, so I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the "can" is the key word, if you will, and if spending a surge was mandatory, the wording would be different.

Cheers,

The "can" is there because maybe the target doesn't want to be healed that time.

 

[FadedC]

I believe all abilities that can trigger healing surges have the word "can" in them. I think this is because they don't want anyone to be forced to spend a healing surge if they are say mistakenly targeted with healing word or drink a potion that turns out to be a healing potion. Otherwise a cleric who turns on his party could potentially use healing spells to drain all of somebodies surges or something wierd like that.

So yeah you dont have to spend a surge, but if you don't you get no benfit from healing word.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

A RECTUM!

4Elephant can POOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the most important scoop in this whole thread.

 

[Lacyon]

Notice the "can" in the text? If you had to spend a healing surge in order to benefit from healing, wouldn't the text read something like: The target spends a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+x hitpoints? Granted English is only my third language, so I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the "can" is the key word, if you will, and if spending a surge was mandatory, the wording would be different.

Cheers,

"Can" presumably just means that the target has the option of not accepting the use of that healing surge. So that a wicked NPC cleric doesn't just keep "healing" you all night long to run you out of healing surges for the next day*, but if you don't spend a healing surge, you may not get any "additional" healing, because there's nothing for it to add to.

* Which, come to think of it, sounds like a wicked cool Grima Wormtongue-style ability. But it doesn't need to be part of a power called "Healing Words".

 

[Vempyre]

A healing surge isn't the ability to heal 25% of HP. It's the potential to heal that much or even do other things, based on the trigger/use. A healing surge, then, is a resource tapped by other powers, such as second wind (use a healing surge to heal as a standard action) or the cleric's healing word (allow an ally to use a healing surge to heal and add 1d6 to the total healed).

NPCs and monsters do have a certain number of healing surges. That number is easy to remember, and it makes an NPC or monster far less resilient than an typical PC—on purpose. (PCs are extraordinary heroes of great destiny.) Only exceptions to the norm need to be shown in the stat block.

Sweet, more crunch.

 

[HeinorNY]

Sweet, more crunch.

Yes! Thanks Derren.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Sweet, more crunch.

Mmmm... sweet crunchy 4Elephant poop.

 

[Jack99]

Mmmm... sweet crunchy 4Elephant poop.

What's with that fecenation of yours?

 

[RigaMortus2]

Erhm........

The text for healing word says:
Effect: the target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+4 (most likely cha modifier, but whatever) hps.

Nowhere does it say that if you have no healing surges left (or to begin with) you do not get the additional healing of 1d6+4.

Ergo, anyone without healing surges would just be healed 1d6+4 hps.


Cheers

The way I read it is that you use a healing surge AND heal 1d6+4. If you don't use a healing surge, you don't get the additional 1d6+4.