How do you explain overnight Healing in your game?

[coyote6]

John McClane had a lot of lingering damage that was not going away overnight, especially after running over the glass.

Yeah, but it didn't slow him down at the time, during the adventure, nor did it have any long term effect -- he was fine in time for the next movie, and never mentioned any lingering or extended issues. If the sequel had picked up the next day, with Hans' brother out for revenge right away, you can bet McClane would have somehow made it through. Ergo, it's the John McClane -- he's beat up, and when it doesn't matter, he's gingerly moving -- but he's still able to fight, jump, scramble, etc. He'll heal during the unspecified downtime.

(It's not that different from WWE, IMO; it looks dramatic, and heroic.)

 

[Obryn]

I generally don't even worry about it, but when I choose to describe it, I mention how the party's clerics and paladins are working their ritual magics, the fighters are bandaging their wounds, the bard is casting spells of rejuvenation, and the warlord is brewing up some battlefield healing poultices made of dirt, twigs, and sharp glass.

I mean, I could say, "The cleric brings out his wand of cure light wounds, and goes around tapping the group with it," but that just seems unnecessary.

-O

 

[Regicide]

Yeah, but it didn't slow him down at the time

Maybe you should watch the movie again.

 

[keterys]

Maybe you should watch the movie again.

I missed when he took an extended rest during it.

But, totally aside from that, I agree, we should watch the movie again

 

[Nytmare]

The characters are beaten to a pulp in the fight of their lives, they barely survive and all their heal surges are used up. They take an extended rest and boom! All health is back. If there was no access to a healing power, how do you add it to the story that they are fine and dandy 8 hours later?

Hit points and healing surges do not directly scale to any kind of visual cues of how beat up you are. Being at full hitpoints doesn't mean that you're not beaten, bruised, and limping, and being at 1 hp with no surges doesn't mean that you're holding your guts in with one hand.

Saying that they're fine and dandy is about as much of a DM flub as saying that the party is dry after they come in from the rain.

 

[Bumbles]

Dude, it's like the Simpsons or Family Guy. Things happen, then the next episode, it's miraculously fixed.

If you must have an explanation, then a wizard did it.

 

[N0Man]

I guess you could say that mine is the "John McClane" approach as well. They don't magically heal all their wounds. They just bandage, stitch themselves up, and do enough to keep them up and going.

Characters with full hit points aren't characters that have no injuries, they are characters who are fully capable to fight.

I have considered using Disease path mechanics to emulate wounds though, but I don't know if I'll bother.

 

[Gunpowder]

Characters with full hit points aren't characters that have no injuries, they are characters who are fully capable to fight.

This.

Plus most parties have someone who can use healing magic mean being at 100% fighting capacity the next day is fine.

 

[Regicide]

Hit points and healing surges do not directly scale to any kind of visual cues of how beat up you are.

Except they do since bloodied is readily apparent as is, with a couple exceptions, dying.

 

[keterys]

Sure, but I've seen a bloodied enemy described as one who had _first blood_ drawn, with every damage before that not drawing any blood at all... and I've also seen a bloodied foe described as one that was near cripple, blood dripping from every orifice as it recklessly tries to take someone down before dying.

A PC who is 'Dying' is likely not all _that_ injured considering that a few moments brings them back to working order. In movies people get shot in bullet proof vests and fall unconscious for a scene, but aren't truly hurt. Apparently the same roughly applies to D&D.