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Message: <blockquote data-quote="buddhafrog" data-source="post: 5511054" data-attributes="member: 86605">Dude, you seem pretty argumentative to me.  What I'm saying isn't contradictory - it's just different from your system.  Maybe you're just curious, and if that is the case, I apologize.  I'll try to explain with more detail/examples but I'm not sure how to do so without saying why "mine is better".  So, once more, it's just the way I like it.my system = PC HP - less healing surges - less encounters + slightly more monster damage =  near deathyour system = PC HP + standard healing surges + standard encounters + standard monster damage = near death.Mine does work, I promise.  The math is simple.  But I know yours does too, they just arrive through different means.  Maybe your PC's are threatened b/c each battle could kill them, or b/c they know that after all the encounters, they can't heal themselves properly.  It works.  My PC's are threated b/c each battle could kill them, and b/c they know that after one battle they might not be able to heal themselves fully.The general difference with what I'm doing is this:In one day, my PC's might have two or three battles.  Yours might have five.[I like this better b/c I feel I can get more done with the story/plot]Your monsters bring your PC's down to "near death", but they generally recover by using all of their healing surges.  Several times.  Me too, except I feel the healing is a little less over-the-top (I still have a little uncomfortableness with the notion of being near death and then *presto-healthy*, especially several times a day).  I just allow less surges.  I have less combats.  I often will bump the monster damage output (this varies).  The math may equal the same by the end of the day in that both parties are near death.  With your system, the next day the party is in 100% condition generally.  There is almost no real carryover from their previous day. With my system, I feel like the days run together more, there is more carryover of consequences of actions and together, I feel that both of these add more immersion and fun... for me . There is less room for error, there is a little more role-playing debate about what the next step is going to be when each monster hit takes a greater % of your HP/surge value. The PC's know that even if they can "win" the battle - let's be honest, they generally almost always win - they are more quickly in a threatened state.  After that first battle, they're wary.  I feel it makes them feel more immersed in the story/setting, it makes them plot more, it makes them consider various options besides only "charge - attack!"  Particularly, if they are in a dungeon or in the middle of a more intense part of the story, they will have more than 2-3 encounters per day and then things get really intense.  They know that they need to be ruthless, protect each others' backs, and on occasion run away like a little girl.  (apologies to all the little girls reading this post)Importantly, on the flip side, when they are with allies and in safe settings, there is a greater sense among the players that they are happy and with friends.  They feel healthy b/c they are at top surge value.  IMO, that feeling of waking up in the morning at your friendly local tavern should feel a lot different (in this case, relating to health/energy/healing surge value) than waking up for the fourth morning in a row in a dungeon!  With my players, they feel it.  They feel celebratory, they act more confident, etc.  I see that my players have more variety in their actions and I sense greater immersion b/c consequences (damage and using healing surges) and locations really do matter a lot.With that said, I know the system I run and plan my PC day and encounter levels appropriately.  I love the way it works and could never go back to the standard healing surge method.  But that's just me....... and it wasn't even the intent of the OP.  The OP intent was that I liked how Essentials gave me some of the feeling that I loved when I recently tried Pathfinder (mind you, I haven't played anything from AD&D until 4e).   Essentials in addition to the houserules on healing gave me the feeling I was looking for in my game.</blockquote>

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