Healing Surges innate Blessed band aids

[Xyl]

So, I don't have to take damage anymore either?

Whether you take damage, and how much, is determined by the DM. What that damage looks like in the game world can be determined by either the DM or the player, depending on your playstyle. Damage is a player-world concept, not a game-world concept.

 

[Storm-Bringer]

"I attack the orc" is input.

"I cut the orc's head off, my sword cleaving straight through and leaving an arc of blood behind it." is also input.

"The orc lunges at me, but I sidestep. Its axe crashes into the ground an inch from my foot. It snarls, and I smell its fetid breath." is input, too.

But only one of those is an action.

Secondly, what if the DM said the exact same thing as your last example instead of 'Orc missed'? How is that qualitatively better?

 

[Xyl]

As in, my character fell down the stairs, was 'hit' by three arrows, poisoned, in the middle of a fireball, and mauled by a bear over the course of the day. I could describe that character as bleeding out his eyes, holding his guts in with one hand, and barely able to stand. But, since I used my healing surges to get back up to full, none of those wounds have any effect on my character.

If you were playing in my campaign and described your wounds like that, I would expect you to roleplay the effects on your character, not handwave them away.

 

[Lacyon]

As in, my character fell down the stairs, was 'hit' by three arrows, poisoned, in the middle of a fireball, and mauled by a bear over the course of the day. I could describe that character as bleeding out his eyes, holding his guts in with one hand, and barely able to stand. But, since I used my healing surges to get back up to full, none of those wounds have any effect on my character.

Except that you're down X healing surges, making each successive 'hit' bring you closer to death.

But, that kind of 'narrative control' is better?

Better than "my character fell down the stairs, was 'hit' by three arrows, poisoned, in the middle of a fireball, and mauled by a bear over the course of the day. I could describe that character as bleeding out his eyes, holding his guts in with one hand, and barely able to stand. But he can still kill a dozen kobolds without breaking a sweat."

Better than "my character fell down the stairs, was 'hit' by three arrows, poisoned, in the middle of a fireball, and mauled by a bear over the course of the day. I could describe that character as bleeding out his eyes, holding his guts in with one hand, and barely able to stand. But he rested for a couple days and none of those wounds have any effect on my character."

Not better than "my character fell down a stairway while wrestling a terrorist, suffered massive blunt trauma to the head and torso, was shot at repeatedly, walked 30 feet over broken glass, and lost a pint or more of blood. But since he got to the bathroom, pulled the glass out of his feet, bandaged them up, smoked a cigarette and got a solid pep talk from the friendly neighborhood police officer, he's ready to kill another dozen or so terrorists."

 

[Xyl]

But only one of those is an action.

Secondly, what if the DM said the exact same thing as your last example instead of 'Orc missed'? How is that qualitatively better?

The orc hit! Do you have any idea how bad orc breath smells?

 

[Storm-Bringer]

Then he didn't. Still lost some hit points, off course.

Hold on, isn't that limiting my narrative control?

Well, pretending for a moment that this useless abonimation of a skill is still in 4E, if you can make a good explaination for it yes. More likely, no, you can't.

Any good explanation? And the DM is required to accept it?

The rules won't prevent bad DMing per se. But if the DMG actually contains guidelines and reminders that you can do this stuff - and how you can do this stuff - can turn mediocre (like me) or inexperienced DMs into better ones. DM skills can be learned (or so I hope), a good book can help you with there. Off course, a DM on a power-trip that wants to tell "his" story (instead of writing a novel) might not be persuaded by this. But once he got the boot, a DMG with such rules/guidelines/advice might help one of the players in the remaining group becoming a DM, and possibly even passable, and over time even a great one.

Hmmm... I am seeing a trend. The problem seems to be less with the rules than with bad DMing...

 

[Lacyon]

Hold on, isn't that limiting my narrative control?

No.

 

[Xyl]

Hold on, isn't that limiting my narrative control?

Yes. So?

 

[Rel]

The snark and sarcasm level in here is creeping toward the unacceptable. Let's tone it down, please.

 

[Storm-Bringer]

The orc hit! Do you have any idea how bad orc breath smells?

Good one.