How do we account for healing (and related abilities) for "min-max" or "powergaming"?

[keterys]

More than Healer's Mercy and Healing Word as far as healing goes becomes redundant. But granting saves is always a good thing.

Only when conditions are an issue, which varies quite a bit from game to game.

I've heard of games where the DMs focus so much on daze and stun that the average fight is 18 rounds long and they barely get to act every other round. Personally, I tend to do ongoing damage and slow/immobilize a lot, but daze, weaken, stun get pulled out for more special occasions, and I rarely use more than two things you can save against in one fight.

For example, my LFR warlord found the feat which gives my party a save when they action point not particularly useful compared to almost any other option. Part of it is because people don't hold onto their AP until they need the save, but another part is just that I only found saves particularly useful once an adventure, if that.

I still consider getting rid of Shake It Off for that reason, and I don't particularly care for any other 6th or 2nd level options in that power slot. Warlord attacks which grant saves no longer hold my interest. I'd maybe consider a daily that gave everyone a save. Maybe.

Sacred Flame, though, is an extremely good power. Versatility is a good thing there, and it's not really taking up the slot of a more effective power.

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Skalgrim, I must say that I simply disagree - from my experience, groups spend healing surges when they need them, and the healing surge use is not affected by whether one knows how long the day is or not, as groups use their surges as needed.

Personally, I can't see how a group would benefit from not spending surges when they know they have a longer day (or don't know the day length) - there is little benefit of going into the next encounter down 1/4+ HPs, except where using surges would result in a wastage of healing (aka healing over ones maximum hit points).

Now, this isn't true for surgeless healing, or dailing healing triggers, but as I said before those get used when needed, regardless of the expected day length.

So, I do agree that the expected day length does affect the use of daily powers, but not healing surges per se.

That isn't to say it doesn't effect group tactics (ranger doesn't know if it will be a long day or not, so after spending 50% of its surges, decides to play more concevatively), but I can't see how (except in rare circumstances and where there might be wastage), it isn't better to spend surges to heal one's damage when one takes it.