How should D&D handle healing?

[Najo]

The recent threads about 4e and 5e merits and flaws got me thinking about the 4e healing system, and attempts that designers have made since 3.X to try and improve the feel of healing and take burden off the cleric. There is a variety of alternative systems out there, but of them all 4e and its healing surges were interesting in that a) they healed a percentage of total hitpoints and b) they restricted the amount of healing per day a character can receive.

So my question, how would you like to see healing handled in D&D?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I really like the HD idea from 5e but wish it went a little farther.

I think the cure spells should heal you a HD+casters Wis mod then add an extra HD per level it is cast by. but not cost HD

You can spend your HD to heal between fights, and every night you get to regain them all, but no regular healing for the night... if you rest a whole day you can heal to full...

 

[DEFCON 1]

I honestly don't care. Because whatever they write down in the book... if I don't like it, I'm going to change it.

That's the whole point of the game in the first place.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Like AD&D.

 

[n00bdragon]

It depends entirely on the nature of the game. For a heroic dungeon crawl with room after room of deadly traps and fights healing obviously needs to be a lot more common. In a gritty attrition game of crawling through catacombs and trying to survive then something with almost no healing is probably preferable.

 

[I'm A Banana]

If I had my druthers...

1. That Which Heals HP is also That Which Heals Wounds: Since HP are mostly meaty to me, only things capable of actually un-doing physical injury should be capable of restoring hit points. Yes to rest and clerical magic and even "taking an action to bandage your wounds." No to morale.
2. Dwindling HP Is The Right Feel: HP are not an encounter resource, they are an adventure resource, so losing HP is meant to be slow and over the course of many encounters. Mechanics like healing surges move that up a level at least, so no thanks. I'd rather have a big pool of HP that almost is never full than have a little pool of HP with limited "refills."
3. All Characters Should Be Able To Heal Some Baseline Amount: Clerics should not be the only healers. They're welcome to be the best, but they don't get to be the lone character capable of it. I like the idea of a Second Wind as something any character can do once per day or so, and I think training in the Heal skill (or the equivalent) should basically be enough to serve as the party healer.

Those are the big things, I think. HD is weird. Healing Surges are not what I want. Morale Healing doesn't jibe with my style. I want a single pool of HP that gets depleted from physical injury, but that also isn't just the god-guy's responsibility to top up.

 

[Storminator]

Nothing shows the need for multiple approaches like healing. There's no one method that will get majority approval. I doubt you could get 75% acceptance if you had 4 different methods to choose from.

PS

 

[mlund]

I just want consistent rationale.

If HP are meat then you eat the death spiral. Losing meat means being crippled as you head down to 0. Legend of the Five Rings RPG handles this. It's way more deadly than D&D, though, and I don't think it would sell. Healing would need to be purely magical in the short-term or excruciatingly slow by mundane means.

However, if HP doesn't cause you any physical injury beyond "making the bars go down" then it's not significant meat damage. It's just a buffer between you and death. When HP run out you're helpless to prevent a potentially mortal wound and take it on the chin. I'd like some sort of "lingering wound" mechanic there for being maimed in some way when you hit 0HP or lower. It would take specific magic to clear the maiming, but just about any mundane means of "healing" could be used to replace Hit Points themselves.

- Marty Lund

 

[Raith5]

I like a system where hp are more than just a number than goes up and down. As such, I like the 4th ed notion that healing was resource where lifting hp was limited and thus a strategic choice.

I also think that some form of recovery/second wind action is pretty crucial. I think it is the primary way you can enable martial only/low magic/zero cleric campaigns to be supported. Personally I have zero problem rationalising "morale" healing as real hp but I guess temporary hp may be a more palatable option for some.

 

[Hussar]

If you go the "mostly meat" route then go the way that AdnD did it. PC's didn't get hit so often and monsters individually don't do that much damage.

Otherwise, be up front about it and say that HP are only meat for that last hit that puts you down.

Or better yet, have both systems and let DM's pick what they want.