Healing Surges innate Blessed band aids

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Madness, blasphemy . . . or 4TH EDITION! ?

Some might say it could be all three. So was it a logical OR, and not a logical XOR?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

See, this would not have worked if he was shirtless.

Well, we will always assume that McLane has at least one opponent lying around that has a shirt.

And off course, he can run out of Healing Surges, eventually. But usually, he first runs out of opponents.

At what level do I get "Destroy helicopter with car"?

Well, the whole scenario was "kingdom-threatening", so I guess it must be a paragon ability. Though I am not sure I could make a case for"surfing on harrier jets" being anything but an epic ability.

By the way, If it's true that there are Epic Levels allow abilities that start with "Once per day, when you die", Jack Bauer must be epic level. Now just consider if McLane or Bauer is higher level...

 

[WhatGravitas]

There are others, but I'm just missing them. The key ingredient in all of them though is their cinematic natures; the more "realistic" a game is, the longer healing seems to take.

Yeah, there are also systems with damage saves (i.e. no hp system) - M&M and True20. Where a weapon can hit you without effect, same for Savage Worlds, as the damage must roll over your Toughness to have any effect. And even then, if you're only shaken, you can undo that without any investment of resources.

It's just very odd for people who have seen the (somewhat unrealistic) hp system for a long time, also propagated through various video games, who use it very D&D-like.

Cheers, LT.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Though I am not sure I could make a case for"surfing on harrier jets" being anything but an epic ability.

Just being pedantic here but he was surfing on a JSF not a Harrier. Even though they won't be past the test squadron phase for a few years.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Just being pedantic here but he was surfing on a JSF not a Harrier. Even though they won't be past the test squadron phase for a few years.

I guess they are still testing the wing stability so that they can take the additional weight (and resulting instability) of a well-trained man (80 to 120 kg?)?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

As I've said a number of times, I can't think of a single other RPG where a character can innately heal themselves without referencing the healing "action" to Spells, long term rest, charms or potions, innate special abilities like fast healing and class ability D&D monks ability or OD&D mystics ability regeneration not in GURPS Ars Magica, Rifts.

Rolemaster... concussion hits heal very fast. Fighters with high con easily heal 1/8 of their hp in one hour of sleep.

only wounds by crits take you out for a week, a month or forever... (a very nice simulationistic system. But i prefer games where you don´t have to worry about a severed leg on a regular basis)

 

[Ydars]

As someone who has done a bit of test cutting with a sword, I can tell you that actually getting even a razor sharp sword to CUT is NOT easy. As a result, most blows by non-experts are not at the correct angle (which for a sword has an incredibly low tolerance for error) and results in a slap that hurts, leaves a mark but doesn't even break skin (if you are wearing armour). Most people can manage to cut a target only by moving the weapon very slowly. It takes years of practise to be able to cut everytime moving your sword at normal speed even attacking a stationary target. When you factor in parrys, shields, armour and the fact your opponent is moving, most hits are not going to be serious, although they can really hurt or break ribs.

Polearm fighting is the same; many blows end up coming from quarterstaff or halfstaff like moves that deal crush damage that is more easily strugged off than a serious cut. This is because grappling was actually an absolutely ESSENTIAL part of sword and polearm combat and so one tactic everyone would employ against a longsword (which is actually wielded two handed) or a polearm, was to get inside the point and attack the man (usually with a dagger).

So I would argue that HP represent your ability to make that minor tweak to your opponents attack that makes it fail to cut or connect. It sort of represents exhaustion and mental/physical effort as much as damage. Because let's face it; one sword chop and you are out of action so an accurate combat system would HAVE to mean that all wounds affect skills, combat ability etc.

Since HP loss doesn't do this in D&D, HP cannot represent pure physical damage.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Ah . . . the wicked secret begins to be revealed that players might actually have some narrative control in an interactive, cooperative game.

Nah, that couldn't be it. Who would be mad enough to do that?

Bring it on! My group and I are mad enough to play it

"Wow, that goblin harpooner impaled you and dragged you half across the battlefield, kicking and screaming with the weapon going through your gut and out your spine! How do you feel?"

"I'll be perfectly OK in five minutes."

However I really don't like this ability, even after becoming a reformed simulationist! But I never like all of any rules, so I will always expect to house-rule some Catching on clothing etc is fine by me and (as this is a monster) unless my PCs are naked, not a common occurance, this won't be a big problem.
Edit: ah and the hook in the skin idea I also like....if you have ever caught a fish hook even slightly in your hand you can easily see a 4 year old pulling around arnie schwarzeneger. And once it is out, very little long term damage

 

[Ingolf]

He will be perfectly OK in 5 minutes ruleswise.
As DM would you really tell the player that his wound just disappears after 5 minutes of resting?

WHAT wound?

There is no wound. That's the point we're trying to make.

 

[Ingolf]

If hit points don't represent physical well being, then why are they lost due to damage (swords, fireballs, falling, etc)? The idea of hit points representing things like morale, luck and other weird things fails completely when you really stop to think about it.

But the concept of a 10th level character being able to survive 10 more sword thrusts than a 1st level character DOESN'T?

If you want a game that realistically models damage and healing, D&D has never been a good choice.