Getting healing right

[Blackeagle]

What's the point of making this At-Will, but with a "special" that you can only use it once per day? Why not just make it daily?

I believe it's been established that Lay On Hands can be used a number of times per day equal to the Paladin's Wis modifier. This particular paladin just happens to have a Wis mod of +1.

 

[Phoenix8008]

Thanks to Keterys and JohnSnow for the confirmation. This system is just blowing me away. And then when I realized this morning that taking an extended rest heals ALL HP's up to full!? Wow, I was amazed. Can't wait to DM this system and this first adventure.

 

[Simplicity]

Thanks for all the help, keterys. Some of these powers really could have used an extra word or two to make things precise.

 

[crosswiredmind]

Not correct according to what I'm reading on page 12 of the Adventure Book. Under "Healing in Combat" in the second paragraph it says "Even when a PC is unconscious, the power uses the PC's healing surge to restore hit points."

Ah the joys of quickstart rules. They say a PC cannot spend a healing surge while uncoscious, then they give us a power that says it allows the PC to spend a surge, and exception that says powers do allow a PC to spend a surge while unconscious.

I hope the real rules have fewer exceptions than tis example.

 

[Lacyon]

Ah the joys of quickstart rules. They say a PC cannot spend a healing surge while uncoscious, then they give us a power that says it allows the PC to spend a surge, and exception that says powers do allow a PC to spend a surge while unconscious.

I hope the real rules have fewer exceptions than tis example.

Presumably, the PCs cannot use the default, powerless, out of combat, "spend a healing surge" option while unconscious.

Certainly they can't use a Second Wind while unconscious, as that requires a standard action.

Powers which require no action on the unconscious character's part shouldn't be implicated by either of those facts.

 

[Naszir]

Ah the joys of quickstart rules. They say a PC cannot spend a healing surge while uncoscious, then they give us a power that says it allows the PC to spend a surge, and exception that says powers do allow a PC to spend a surge while unconscious.

I hope the real rules have fewer exceptions than tis example.

Since this is an exception based rules system this may disappoint you. Remember, exception rules trump general rules.

 

[Blackbrrd]

So, let us say we have a dwarven fighter multiclassed to cleric battling a dragon. The dwarf has 19 con and the toughness feat. He has 37 hp and a healing surge is 9hp.

In a fight he can be healed twice by healing word:
2x 9hp (healing surge) + 1d6 +3 ~ 31

He can also be healed by a paladins (16wis) lay on hands for
3x 9hp = 27 hp

He can use his own healing word for:
9hp +1d6 ~ 12 hp

He can use his second wind for:
9hp

Total: 79 hp over a minimum of 3 rounds.

In other words, he can take 37 (base hp) + 79 (healed hp) = 116 hp of damage before going down.

At level 2 he has 7 more hp for a total of 44 and his healing surge heals 11 hp.
The cleric gets cure light wounds that enables the fighter to use another healing surge.
He himself gets a utility power (can't remember its name) that heals 2d6+3

He can now heal
Clerics Healing word(2x11+2d6+6)~35
Paladins lay on hands (3x11) = 33
Fighters Healing word (11+1d6) ~ 14
Second wind 11
Fighter ability (2d6+3) = 10
Total=103.

In other words he can take 103+44 = 147 damage in 3 rounds before he goes down.

That is one seriously tough Dwarven fighter!!!

 

[crosswiredmind]

Since this is an exception based rules system this may disappoint you. Remember, exception rules trump general rules.

I know. It's going to be a rules lawyers dream come true. The people that can find the trump cards in the rules will have a field day.

If they would just change the wording to "as if the character had spent a healing surge" then it would not require anyone to track down every possible exception.

And won't it be a joy when exceptions conflict or contradict each other.

 

[Mouseferatu]

If they would just change the wording to "as if the character had spent a healing surge" then it would not require anyone to track down every possible exception.

But that wouldn't accomplish the same thing, because the spell does cost a surge. Trust me, as someone who's played a 4E character who got down to 0 surges remaining in one day, the fact that most healing magic draws on limited resources is important.

 

[Stormtalon]

Plus in this case, the exception makes sense. Sure, you can't trigger your own healing surge while unconscious -- you can't do much of anything besides make Death Saves. Thing is, when the Cleric uses his Healing Word on you and triggers one of your surges, it's the Cleric doing the work, not you.

Think of it like this: you're someone with a heart condition, and you carry some nitro tablets with you in case of emergency. If you catch it soon enough, you can pop a pill under your tongue and probably stave off the worst. If you pass out, a bystander who knows what they're doing can either pop a pill under your tongue for your or perform CPR.

Those little pills are your healing surges. Of course, with D&D being a heroic game, healing surges are a tad more reliable.

And the paladin? He's the guy nearby who pulls a nitro pill out of his own bottle....