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<blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 5118010" data-attributes="member: 40522">The entire healing surge thing is something that I both love and hate about 4E. The overall mechanics are solid, I think, but they do require you to phrase your narrative in certain ways.First of all, hit points are an abstraction. Hit points don't necessarily represent literal wounds. After all, if you hit a 1st-level fighter for 10 points of damage, it's not the same thing as hitting a 10th-level fighter for 10 points of damage. For the 1st-level fighter, that 10 hit points are far more important--you might describe it as a severe, bleeding wound that needs immediate attention. For the 10th-level fighter, it's an injury, but not a life-threatening one. You might describe such a wound as one that rattles you for a moment, then leaves the area numb and sore. This is the sort of thing that every version of the game requires you to decide for yourself, to phrase in your own unique narrative style.Healing surges aren't the equivalent of spells. When you spend a surge through your second wind (which any character can do now), you're basically taking a moment to catch your breath and gather your wits, drawing on an inner reserve of strength to keep fighting. It's your &quot;fighting spirit,&quot; if you will. Your wounds don't literally stop bleeding and heal. Rather, you grit your teeth, suck up the pain like a man, and keep fighting.You might describe the cleric's healing word power as a wash of divine light that mends flesh, but you certainly wouldn't describe the warlord's inspiring word that way. They represent two entirely different effects within the context of the setting. The results (and the mechanics) are just similar.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dykstrav, post: 5118010, member: 40522"] The entire healing surge thing is something that I both love and hate about 4E. The overall mechanics are solid, I think, but they do require you to phrase your narrative in certain ways. First of all, hit points are an abstraction. Hit points don't necessarily represent literal wounds. After all, if you hit a 1st-level fighter for 10 points of damage, it's not the same thing as hitting a 10th-level fighter for 10 points of damage. For the 1st-level fighter, that 10 hit points are far more important--you might describe it as a severe, bleeding wound that needs immediate attention. For the 10th-level fighter, it's an injury, but not a life-threatening one. You might describe such a wound as one that rattles you for a moment, then leaves the area numb and sore. This is the sort of thing that every version of the game requires you to decide for yourself, to phrase in your own unique narrative style. Healing surges aren't the equivalent of spells. When you spend a surge through your second wind (which any character can do now), you're basically taking a moment to catch your breath and gather your wits, drawing on an inner reserve of strength to keep fighting. It's your "fighting spirit," if you will. Your wounds don't literally stop bleeding and heal. Rather, you grit your teeth, suck up the pain like a man, and keep fighting. You might describe the cleric's [I]healing word[/I] power as a wash of divine light that mends flesh, but you certainly wouldn't describe the warlord's [I]inspiring word[/I] that way. They represent two entirely different effects within the context of the setting. The results (and the mechanics) are just similar. [/QUOTE]

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