Hit Points and Morale

[Charwoman Gene]

So, fighters can self-heal, parties heal up to full after battles, Clerics, Warlords, and Bards (unconfirmed) heal while performing other actions.

With the traditional Xd6, X=Caster Level Fireball Gone, is it any surprise that the "Cure X Wounds" might be going away.

I think most more physical hp determinations are going bye-bye, in favor of the morale/inspiration hp idea.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Posted it in the thread about the blog, but I think this comment

Fortunately, we were able to get to him with healing, including a strike from Valenae that heals bloodied allies.

implies that healing may be different when a PC reaches the "bloodied" status. I figure the moral/inspiration type healing is fine when above the status, but a real mending of wounds will be required when you drop below.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I wonder if they'll add back in some form of "morale" in terms of battle morale. I could see it being handled as a Will save/defense versus a DC, with the DC being adjusted by Morale status (hobgoblins might be considered "elite", for example, goblins "shaky") and by bloodied status (unbloodied gets a significant bonus, bloodied gets a penalty), etc.

 

[howandwhy99]

I hope they bring Morale back as a Flee condition. Raising hit points based on morale is just another way of removing character death, IMO. (unless you can decrease HP with morale too)

 

[Irda Ranger]

I wonder if they'll add back in some form of "morale" in terms of battle morale.

Why bother? If HP are morale, monsters run away if their HP/morale are low and the DM thinks it makes sense.

I think morale is one of those things that too subjective to really provide rules for, other than general guidelines. The DMG might have suggestions like "Cowardly/Conscript opponents often run away at 1/2 HP (bloodied); while braver opponents will often fight to 1/4 HP." That should be it though. There's too many other variables to account for, and a simple "Use common sense" bit of advice would be more helpful than a chart full of modifiers.

As a simple "for example" as to why a chart would get too complicated too quickly, Goblins (normally cowardly) might fight to the death to protect the creche, while an elite and fearless Dire Crocodile might fight to the death over food but not care at all about protecting its young.

 

[drothgery]

So, fighters can self-heal

I'm going to guess 'fighters self-healing' is a subset of everyone being able to self-heal with something like the Second Wind ability in Star Wars Saga (1/day you can recover 1/4 your HPs as a swift action, assuming you're at 1/2 max HPs or less; there are talents and racial abilities that let you do this more than once per day).

 

[Stalker0]

Perhaps mooks will have a rule that they run once they are bloodied, something like that.

Morale conditions are fine as long as there are kept to a clear minimum. If you just make a morale check at half health, I think that would be a great addition without a great increase in complexity.