new playtest report by Steve Winter

[Traycor]

Remember that HP in D&D doesn't represent just physical harm. Minor cuts, bruises, etc. A higher level character has more HP, not because he's suddenly more resilient to cutting blades, but because he's learned how to roll with the bunch, to twist aside the blade, and to generally avoid that killing blow.

Thus, it was always ridiculous that divine magic was the only source of instant healing. Yes, suddenly curing a deadly cut that's spurting arterial blood... miracle!

That old Dwarf catching his breath, manning-up and rolling with more blows? The gods be praised!!!

Seriously, there should always have been alternative means to gaining HP. Maybe for negative HP (-1 through -9), divine healing would be required, but in other situations...

Examples:

A fellow party-member dies: the rest of the part gets enraged/inspired and gains HP to fight on.

A party member lands a really good hit (critical); the rest of the party gets inspired and fights on.

After a long road and many wounds, a Bard recounts a story of legendary heroes... the PCs are inspired, heal some HP, and continue on to the climatic battle.

A leader character (like Tanis Half-elven) rallies his comrades for one final push. Heal HP and fight on... no maggots needed.

This is how I imagine it will be.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Yeah, yeah, and the paladin is an obnoxious joy-kill who smites allies for doing questionable things, the thief steals from every PC in there sleep, the elf looks down at everyone with disgust and hubris, the halfling whines about wanting to go home everytime something remotely dangerous appears, the wizard flaunts his intellectual superiority over the common riff-raff (everyone not matching his INT score) and the cleric evangelizes about his god relentlessly until the other PCs convert just to shut him up.

Nothing new to see. Move along.

Yep, that's D&D.

Also dwarf = drunk* belligerent git.


* Why are dwarves never happy drunks or morose drunks? They're always punch-you-in-the-face drunks.

 

[Nebulous]

I see. Warlord is an alternate healer. I'm just going to have to wait and see this game in its entirety before I can really judge it. All these test reports and tidbits aren't giving me a real good feel for the new game.

I can see they made more abilities innate, which I don't mind so much as long as there are still options as you lvl to tailor a character. I would imagine they have to keep options open for characters or they wouldn't have much room to make supplements.

Agreed. We make so many assumptions about rules we just don't understand. Out of context the whole healing thing is hard to swallow. But it might end up being a better game than D&D has ever been, so we'll see.

 

[Someone]

Well, I can't wait to shout "THIS IS MY +1 FROST SHOCKING LONG SWORD. THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS ONE IS MINE. WITHOUT ME, MY MAGIC ITEMS ARE USELESS. WITHOUT MY MAGIC ITEMS I'M USELESS"

 

[erf_beto]

A leader character (like Tanis Half-elven) rallies his comrades for one final push. Heal HP and fight on... no maggots needed.

Tanis! He's been my model of warlord.
Coming to think about it, Hank from D&D cartoon is a warlord too.

 

[Fifth Element]

* "Wolbur the warrior rises, fully healed, for the 3rd time, his blood and former internal organs littering the battlefield and finaly take down the blackguard"

Who said anything about "fully healed"? I think you're reading things into the situation that are not there. At least from what we've been told.

 

[SteveC]

There's a default way people to play things with antisocial stereotypes, and I think this thread has coined it. e.g. Half-orcs are often played as dumb, violent bullies. Coincidence? Nope. They're half stupid, violent monsters. 1E Assassins were sometimes played as threatening or outright murdering other PCs if they didn't get their way (via the good old assassination chart), which is why they were excluded from 2E. Same thing. The "warlord" is going to get played as a rude, obnoxious drill sergeant by many, many players...it's a no-brainer.

I would suggest instead that it will be more likely influenced by films like Beowulf or 300. Gamers are well read people who go see movies to the point where they can quote (far too) many of them verbatim. I don't think you'll have much to worry about.

The line against the darkness is drawn here, today! For your family! For your people! For the King! For Pelor!

There you go.

--Steve

 

[Sir Brennen]

Who said anything about "fully healed"? I think you're reading things into the situation that are not there. At least from what we've been told.

Exactly. It's likely that the character will still be "bloodied". I'm picturing (since we're referencing so many movies) it'll be more like John McLane getting stunned a moment after the latest big explosion or excessive fist-fight, still limping along with his bandaged foot and a sword duct taped to his back...

 

[Aloïsius]

Exactly. It's likely that the character will still be "bloodied". I'm picturing (since we're referencing so many movies) it'll be more like John McLane getting stunned a moment after the latest big explosion or excessive fist-fight, still limping along with his bandaged foot and a sword duct taped to his back...

When you are mortaly wounded (in 3e -1 hit point and dying) this is not a mere "getting stunned". In 4e, we have seen playtest reports where characters were close to the equivalent of -9 hit points. I have no problem with a bloodied character fighting. I have a problem with dying characters suddenly able to fight. It buggers me in 3e and it looks like it will bugger me in 4e.
Especialy if they have been "revived" by a a warlord shouting insults at them

 

[BeauNiddle]

Exactly. It's likely that the character will still be "bloodied". I'm picturing (since we're referencing so many movies) it'll be more like John McLane getting stunned a moment after the latest big explosion or excessive fist-fight, still limping along with his bandaged foot and a sword duct taped to his back...

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

"Stop saying that!"


or the even greater

"To the pain"