Is He Damaged?

[Hypersmurf]

I don't see a visual difference here (at least not without a lopped off appendage regrowing in front of them). Also note the DR answer above.

Let's say we hit a creature with a longsword.

A regenerating creature takes non-lethal damage - just like if we hit it with the flat of the sword. A fast-healing creature takes lethal damage that heals on the creature's turn. A creature with wounds-heal-type-DR suffers wounds that heal immediately.

The three behave differently, mechanically. If the healing takes place before the next character's turn in the initiative order, it's DR. If it takes place on the creature's turn, it's fast healing. If the sword caused non-lethal damage instead of lethal damage, it's regeneration.

-Hyp.

 

[Jack Simth]

Let's say we hit a creature with a longsword.

A regenerating creature takes non-lethal damage - just like if we hit it with the flat of the sword. A fast-healing creature takes lethal damage that heals on the creature's turn. A creature with wounds-heal-type-DR suffers wounds that heal immediately.

The three behave differently, mechanically. If the healing takes place before the next character's turn in the initiative order, it's DR. If it takes place on the creature's turn, it's fast healing. If the sword caused non-lethal damage instead of lethal damage, it's regeneration.

-Hyp.

With Fast Healing and Regeneration, there's a mechanical difference (nonlethal vs. lethal) but I have difficulty seeing how there would be a visual difference - for a troll, it's regeneration... but flavor-wise, he's simply healing up at an insane rate .... as is the critter with fast healing. Troll is still cut, troll still bleeds, et cetera - it's just that it doesn't really matter, as the wound isn't cauterized properly. Critter with fast healing gets cut, bleeds, et cetera - but it does matter, as enough of that will kill him, although if it doesn't get too bad, he'll recover.

I tend to tell my players about DR, but not so much about Regeneration / Fast Healing (or at least, not the distinction - they get to watch wounds close up)

 

[Dross]

Let's say we hit a creature with a longsword.

A regenerating creature takes non-lethal damage - just like if we hit it with the flat of the sword. A fast-healing creature takes lethal damage that heals on the creature's turn. A creature with wounds-heal-type-DR suffers wounds that heal immediately.

The three behave differently, mechanically. If the healing takes place before the next character's turn in the initiative order, it's DR. If it takes place on the creature's turn, it's fast healing. If the sword caused non-lethal damage instead of lethal damage, it's regeneration.

-Hyp.

Too rushed to think this one through properly (it's never come up in the games I'ved run), but yeah, can't do the DR/regen trick.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I've noticed my players often expect to know things that their characters would have no way of knowing in combat. Here are some of the most common ones.

-Did it look like I bypassed his damage reduction?
-Did it look like I bypassed his energy resistance?
-Is he regenerating or simply fast healing?
-How many hit points are you down?
-Are you stunned or just dazed?
-Did he just use a spell-like ability?
-Did you stabilize or are you still dying?

DR and energy resistance: I think you can see when something is affected less than you thought. I guess it depends much on how you describe these things: instant healing or damage prevention. Instant healing is very obvious, of course. Still, damage prevention seems to me like something you'd pick up on.

Regen vs fast heailing: I guess that's harder: It is said that a troll just heals right back no matter what you do (unless you use acid of fire, of course), which would look like fast healing. The non-lethal part would suggest that he doesn't take real wounds, though. Let them make a check (spot, knowledge, sense motive, something like that) to discern it.

Total HP damage taken: A character wouldn't know the exact hp another has taken, but then again, there's no such thing as hit points in-game. For monsters, I usually say things like "he's half-dead", "he's wounded badly", "he stands with one (or n-1) leg (s) in his grave) since I won't tell them the enemies' exact HP, but among the party, I have no problem with them saying "I'm down from 100 to 20".

Stunned/Dazed: Yes, you can discern between the two. Dazed is a short, well, dazedness, shaking your head rigorously will help, but stunned is worse: You drop what you're holding and are completely unresponsive.

Spell-Like abilities: Depends. If he suddenly throws a fireball at the party, I won't mind telling them that yes, he did. Other than that, unless there are obvious effects, they would have to succeed on a spot and/or sense motive check to determine it, provided it is even possible.

Dying vs. stabilized: Let them make a quick heal check. How high that check's DC should be is up to the DM. Maybe the bleeding stopped, which might be quite obvious. Maybe it's impossible to discern.