Getting healing right

[CrimsonNeko]

Also, the point about resting after any encounter isn't taking into account the other bonus in 4th ed for continuing on. I may be low on healing surges, but if I know a boss fight is coming up, I know I'll need any action points I can get, and that means beating at many encounters as possible (every 2 encounters = 1 action point. Action points are reset to 1 after a full rest). If anything, this is also the balance to AP farming, running around looking for random encounters just to get AP. If the AP mechanic was in 3e, you'd just buy one more CLW wand....

 

[Duelpersonality]

Also, the point about resting after any encounter isn't taking into account the other bonus in 4th ed for continuing on. I may be low on healing surges, but if I know a boss fight is coming up, I know I'll need any action points I can get, and that means beating at many encounters as possible (every 2 encounters = 1 action point. Action points are reset to 1 after a full rest). If anything, this is also the balance to AP farming, running around looking for random encounters just to get AP. If the AP mechanic was in 3e, you'd just buy one more CLW wand....

Unfortunately for this argument, action points are limited to one spent per encounter, I believe.

 

[GiMiK1214]

Unfortunately for this argument, action points are limited to one spent per encounter, I believe.

Actually that rule didn't carry over into the KotS quickplay rules. I read through 3 times just to be sure. So taking the DDXP rules and KotS rules as two completely separate animals, I would say yes you can bank them until you take a 6 hour rest.

 

[Dormain1]

IMC currently we have a similar ability to action points, a feat called "heroic surge"

basically for every 4 levels you get a heroic surge, you spend a heroic surge and get a standard move or attack

you can blow them all in one combat but not in one rd.

The only thing the healing surge mechanic really does is to remove those magical toys from the equation.

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"

 

[Stalker0]

Actually that rule didn't carry over into the KotS quickplay rules. I read through 3 times just to be sure. So taking the DDXP rules and KotS rules as two completely separate animals, I would say yes you can bank them until you take a 6 hour rest.

I can see wotc going either way on this one.

On the one hand, they want players using their action points.

On the other hand, they want players to resist the temptation to rest. If you can't use 2 AP in one fight, having 2 AP isn't as useful, and players won't mind resting....reseting their AP to 1.

On the other other hand, WOTC probably doesn't want players to hoard up too much power and blow through boss monster encounter.

 

[Dormain1]

On the other other hand, WOTC probably doesn't want players to hoard up too much power and blow through boss monster encounter.

If they do it means they are making the other encounters harder b/c it is assumed the players have APts

APts get used at the last possible moment or to regain the advantage, ie non fighters using an action point to second wind and attack

 

[Contents May Vary]

Your response to: "Action points are limited to one spent per encounter" was:

Actually that rule didn't carry over into the KotS quickplay rules. I read through 3 times just to be sure. So taking the DDXP rules and KotS rules as two completely separate animals, I would say yes you can bank them until you take a 6 hour rest.

The rule under "Action points" on page 12 of the KotS Adventure book says: "Once per encounter, you can spend an action point".

The rule under "Action points" on page 5 of the quickstart rules also says "Once per encounter, you can spend an action point".

So the rule is in there.

You can accumulate action points, but you just can't spend more than one per encounter.

 

[WalterKovacs]

Your response to: "Action points are limited to one spent per encounter" was:



The rule under "Action points" on page 12 of the KotS Adventure book says: "Once per encounter, you can spend an action point".

The rule under "Action points" on page 5 of the quickstart rules also says "Once per encounter, you can spend an action point".

So the rule is in there.

You can accumulate action points, but you just can't spend more than one per encounter.

Thus the main benefit of 'hoarding' Action points is the ability to use them in back-to-back encounters. With 2 Actions points, you'd be able to go 3 encounters in a row using action points [since after the 2 you did with action points, you'd get another action point for passing the milestone].

 

[Lacyon]

Our 3.5 party does the same thing and I see the same similarity. I however need that extra little bit that the magic wrapper gives things for me to have enough to suspend my disblief about how things work in a fantasy world.

I suspect (if you're interested) you'll be able to put enough of a magic wrapper back on it in 4E.

 

[parvatiquinta]

You've always focused on one fight at a time. That hasn't changed. But I guess what I'm wondering is if a 5 minute rest heals 25% of your HP, why WOULDN'T you retreat and heal up?

You can, certainly. But what if the monsters kill the hostages you wanted to rescue. Or, what if they simply find their mates' corpses, wouldn't they put up better defenses, maybe even search parties, or leave the area altogether.
Or what if you're not necessarily playing in a dungeon?

So where did the gash in your chest go? What happened to the arm the owlbear crushed under its claws?

If you had a gash in your chest, wouldn't the pain numb down your reflexes? Yet you are not slowed not your defenses are lessened. If an owlbear had crushed your arm, how are you ever going to fire your bow? Yet the D&D character doesn't get even the smallest penalty.

So, as long as you have HP, you managed to duck so that your chest and arm are barely scratched. When you hit bloodied, you're starting to falter - but maybe you can draw on some deeper fury within yourself. When you hit 0, well, that hurt - there you have your real gash in the chest, and the pain is so overwhelming you need help now. Badly.

And what happens at high levels? How powerful will your foes have to be to threaten a 10th level fighter with 85 HP 12 20 HP surges per day?

You could have 1000 surges a day, but if in a given encounter you can only spend 1, well, there you have it. This is why Second Wind is limited to 1/encounter, and many other healing powers have similar restrictions, too.

I need to see this play out to know for sure but this really just sings of a system that has padded the game down to a 2 dimensional video game with lots of save points and a respawn if you die.

This last part sounds like some random comment really. What on Earth healing surges have in common with a save point (or respawn) mechanic?