el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
In Aquerra campaigns, we have long considered the majority of hit points to represent fighting prowess and ability to resist fatigue and bruising blows, with one's last few hit point and negative hit points actually representing flesh and blood physical punishment - so the presentation in 4E of hit points was not so odd to me or most of my group.
On the other hand, we don't agree on the rapid rate of recovery of those hit points (i.e. healing surges) across the board - instead we have long (since 2E days) connected healing with Base Attack - that is, the better the warrior the better you recover - which also makes sense from the perspective of the amount recovered being in rough proportion to class hit dice.
Thus, a fighter who tends to have more hit point at max recovers them faster than a wizard who tends to have fewer - but both should roughly equally heal in proportion to the max.
We have treated healing like this:
Characters that are not mortally wounded (i.e at negative hit points), or that are mortally wounded but being tended to with the Heal skill, recover hit points at a rate equal to their Base Attack Bonus +1 for every 8 hours of rest/light activity.
For each eight hours of complete bed rest, characters regain hit points equal to their base attack bonus +1 +50% (rounded down). Bed rest means "ideal conditions" - it does not mean on a bedroll in a tent out in the wilderness.
Characters given long-term care by someone with sufficient healing skill (DC 15) regains twice the normal amount for that time period. A skill check must be made for each eight hour period.
Example: a first level fighter (base attack bonus: +1) successfuly tended to by a healer would regain 4 hit points per eight hours of light activity and 6 hit points per eight hours of complete bed rest.
For characters that are mortally wounded with no aid, we still follow the RAW regarding being stable but unattended.
It is probably important to note that it is a feature of Aquerra campaigns that "natural" healing is privileged. Anyone who is a negative hit points who is magically brought back to positives is considered exhausted until they have had an hour's rest, and then fatigued until they have had a total of 8 hour rest. The argument being that the mortal form was not meant to take such repeated punishment. Though spending additional resources (i.e. restoration type spells) can mitigate that exhaustion/fatigue.
We recently instituted a "Second Wind" rule as well:
After any combat in which a character takes damage, she may attempt to gain a second wind by taking 10 minutes of uninterrupted rest or light activity and making a Constitution check (DC 11) to regain a number of hit points equal to her Base Attack Bonus and her level. For every 5 points above the DC an additional number of hit points equal to one-half the base amount (rounded down) is gained. If the character is also suffering from non-lethal damage, he regains an equal amount of this as well. If the check is failed, the second wind ability may not be used again until after the character has had eight hours of light activity or rest, even if she takes more damage in a subsequent combat.
The second wind ability may not be used if the character is exhausted, mortally wounded (i.e. at negative hit points), or still suffering recurring damage from a spell or critical hit result. Damage taken from traps and hazards does not allow for the use of this ability, but it can still be regained if used normally after a combat in which the character has been at all damaged.
Example: Bleys the Aubergine is a 3rd level character with a Base Attack bonus of +2. After a battle in which he took 12 hit points of damage, he leans against the cavern wall and rests for ten minutes, calmly discussing the party's next move. At the end of this time, if he succeeds at his Constitution check (DC 13), he would regain 5 hit points. If he succeeded this roll by 5 or more, he would regain an additional 2 hit points, or if succeeded by 10 he'd regain an additional 4 hit points, etc. .
I know that Second Wind reprsents more hit points regained from a short rest than from the longer 8 hour rests, but it is assumed by us that whatever second wind does not cover represents more firmly felt blows/wounds that need more time/attention to recover from.
We also have house rules for death and dying that are influenced by 4E. You can read themhere.
On the other hand, we don't agree on the rapid rate of recovery of those hit points (i.e. healing surges) across the board - instead we have long (since 2E days) connected healing with Base Attack - that is, the better the warrior the better you recover - which also makes sense from the perspective of the amount recovered being in rough proportion to class hit dice.
Thus, a fighter who tends to have more hit point at max recovers them faster than a wizard who tends to have fewer - but both should roughly equally heal in proportion to the max.
We have treated healing like this:
Characters that are not mortally wounded (i.e at negative hit points), or that are mortally wounded but being tended to with the Heal skill, recover hit points at a rate equal to their Base Attack Bonus +1 for every 8 hours of rest/light activity.
For each eight hours of complete bed rest, characters regain hit points equal to their base attack bonus +1 +50% (rounded down). Bed rest means "ideal conditions" - it does not mean on a bedroll in a tent out in the wilderness.
Characters given long-term care by someone with sufficient healing skill (DC 15) regains twice the normal amount for that time period. A skill check must be made for each eight hour period.
Example: a first level fighter (base attack bonus: +1) successfuly tended to by a healer would regain 4 hit points per eight hours of light activity and 6 hit points per eight hours of complete bed rest.
For characters that are mortally wounded with no aid, we still follow the RAW regarding being stable but unattended.
It is probably important to note that it is a feature of Aquerra campaigns that "natural" healing is privileged. Anyone who is a negative hit points who is magically brought back to positives is considered exhausted until they have had an hour's rest, and then fatigued until they have had a total of 8 hour rest. The argument being that the mortal form was not meant to take such repeated punishment. Though spending additional resources (i.e. restoration type spells) can mitigate that exhaustion/fatigue.
We recently instituted a "Second Wind" rule as well:
After any combat in which a character takes damage, she may attempt to gain a second wind by taking 10 minutes of uninterrupted rest or light activity and making a Constitution check (DC 11) to regain a number of hit points equal to her Base Attack Bonus and her level. For every 5 points above the DC an additional number of hit points equal to one-half the base amount (rounded down) is gained. If the character is also suffering from non-lethal damage, he regains an equal amount of this as well. If the check is failed, the second wind ability may not be used again until after the character has had eight hours of light activity or rest, even if she takes more damage in a subsequent combat.
The second wind ability may not be used if the character is exhausted, mortally wounded (i.e. at negative hit points), or still suffering recurring damage from a spell or critical hit result. Damage taken from traps and hazards does not allow for the use of this ability, but it can still be regained if used normally after a combat in which the character has been at all damaged.
Example: Bleys the Aubergine is a 3rd level character with a Base Attack bonus of +2. After a battle in which he took 12 hit points of damage, he leans against the cavern wall and rests for ten minutes, calmly discussing the party's next move. At the end of this time, if he succeeds at his Constitution check (DC 13), he would regain 5 hit points. If he succeeded this roll by 5 or more, he would regain an additional 2 hit points, or if succeeded by 10 he'd regain an additional 4 hit points, etc. .
I know that Second Wind reprsents more hit points regained from a short rest than from the longer 8 hour rests, but it is assumed by us that whatever second wind does not cover represents more firmly felt blows/wounds that need more time/attention to recover from.
We also have house rules for death and dying that are influenced by 4E. You can read themhere.
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