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Clerics Hurting to Heal

The funny thing is that people said 4E took a lot of things from WoW. The Cataclysm expansion of WoW saw them take many things from 4E, like the whole damage to heal. Discipline priests especially Smite enemies and heal for the same amount of damage to the lowest health person nearby. If they heal themselves they heal for half. When I first saw that change I immediately thought of 4E healing.

Some of the people who pointed out that things that happen from Effect rather than Hit will happen regardless of the outcome of your attack make a good point. You get a swat at the bad guy so you feel like you're doing something instead of just standing back waiting for people to take damage. At the same time, Bob can use a surge as you wave your healing hand his way.

The powers where the heal actually comes from the Hit portion, I either think of as the cleric sort of siphoned off some of the person's life force and converted it into healing. Or that everyone's life force is a much more tangible thing in the world of D&D and the Cleric and other healers can direct the escaping energies where they want them to go.
 

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The powers where the heal actually comes from the Hit portion, I either think of as the cleric sort of siphoned off some of the person's life force and converted it into healing. Or that everyone's life force is a much more tangible thing in the world of D&D and the Cleric and other healers can direct the escaping energies where they want them to go.


I think it also depends how you view HP. We've always viewed them as more than wounds; they also represent fatigue, exertion, condition, and momentum. Getting to 1 hp doesn't necessarily mean I'm bleeding out of every orifice; I could simply be beaten, bruised, worn out because the orc's savagery has driven me backwards, attack after attack, until my shield arm hurts and every step is like climbing up a hill in full plate. Which, hey, maybe you're doing anyway.

Viewed in this light, powers that restore HP after you hit an opponent are akin to making a big play in a sporting event. We're tired, we're beat, but hey, Joe just plugged the orc in the face, dammit if that doesn't give me an extra boost of energy and desire to take the bad guy down.
 

Even so, I also like Mneme (I believe) saying "I'll bash this guy and while he's off balance, heal my friend -- which succeeds or fails as a unit" as a way to rationalize those that are 'hurt to heal'

Yes, this is exactly what I said/meant.
 

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