Agamon
Adventurer
Stat bonuses are a part of the base, where it goes from there is where the flatter math actually matters. Giving different PCs a higher stat bonus at the start makes them a bit more different mechanically.
D&D 5E Starter Set Cleric Sheet
Stat bonuses are a part of the base, where it goes from there is where the flatter math actually matters. Giving different PCs a higher stat bonus at the start makes them a bit more different mechanically.
One thing I'm not liking is how different Preserve Life is from Second Wind.
Second Wind heals 1d10+Level and takes a Bonus (minor) Action, but can only target the fighter.
Preserve Life heals 5*Level and takes an Action, can only heal characters up to half their hp, but can spread the healing out in precise numbers among multiple allies.
At level 2, Fighter gets 1d10+2, averaging to 7.5. Cleric gets 10. So from the start it's already outstripped, with the cleric version being 33% stronger.
At level 10, Fighter gets 1d10+10, average of 15.5, while the cleric gets 50. That's 222% stronger, and it only becomes more extreme.
More simply, Preserve Life is something that a Cleric is going to want to use all 20 levels, while Second Wind is something that's only going to be relevant in those first few levels.
What I'll probably end up doing is have Second Wind heal based on max hp of the fighter rather than the level. So at 100 hp, make it d10+25.
Second Wind heals 1d10+Level and takes a Bonus (minor) Action, but can only target the fighter.
Preserve Life heals 5*Level and takes an Action, can only heal characters up to half their hp, but can spread the healing out in precise numbers among multiple allies.
At level 2, Fighter gets 1d10+2, averaging to 7.5. Cleric gets 10. So from the start it's already outstripped, with the cleric version being 33% stronger.
At level 10, Fighter gets 1d10+10, average of 15.5, while the cleric gets 50. That's 222% stronger, and it only becomes more extreme.
More simply, Preserve Life is something that a Cleric is going to want to use all 20 levels, while Second Wind is something that's only going to be relevant in those first few levels.
What I'll probably end up doing is have Second Wind heal based on max hp of the fighter rather than the level. So at 100 hp, make it d10+25.
Plaguescarred
D&D Playtester for WoTC since 2012
Preserved Life also can now be used up to 30 feet away rather than 25 feet away.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Philosophical difference in system preference: Fighters aren't healers and so shouldn't be able to heal themselves anyway. If I end up running 5e this one goes out the window.
Clerics are healers, so the idea here is fine; but it shouldn't be so precise. Maybe a flat 5+level points to 2+level targets?
Lanefan
Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
This is a feature, not a bug.
It's a Cleric specializing in healing - that's their thing. Why on earth would an ordinary Fighter have an ability to heal himself anywhere near as good as a Cleric specialized in healing?
I've no problem with the Cleric healing better the Fighter. Getting 33% more juice, spreading it out, and being able to deliver precise numbers are all big advantages over Second Wind that show that it really is the Cleric's specialty.
It's that the gap between the two grows the higher in level you go that I have a problem with. Abilities should scale properly with level, not become mostly obsolete as hp skyrockets.
It's that the gap between the two grows the higher in level you go that I have a problem with. Abilities should scale properly with level, not become mostly obsolete as hp skyrockets.
Thank you!
As much as I detest Second Wind as it currently stands (unless with the vitality and wounds module it restores vitality like one would assume given rational designers), I agree with you. Abilities should remain pertinent through the levels otherwise the game time they take up becomes more of a burden and less of a benefit to the game as a whole. If I were designing Second Wind, I would let it restore all vitality points as a reaction to them going to 0. I want fighters to have nice, yet plausible things. Making it involuntary (why would it be?) by making it a reaction removes the ability to spam it in rests, and restoring all vitality in one shot removes the desire to. Win Win.
Anyone notice anything else? Dwarves have 25 speed. I looked this up here on this sheet after checking the magic item exerpt with the boots of striding, it wouldn't make sense as an item if it didn't benefit anyone.
It's a good day for D&D.
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They had that in the October playtest packet as well, as well as the ability that heavy armour doesn't reduce their speed.
Falling Icicle
Adventurer
The fighter also has a big advantage in that his second wind is a bonus action, while the cleric has to spend his action to use his healing. I also wouldn't say that the fighter's second wind becomes mostly obsolete later. At 20th level, that's 1d10 + 20 (avg. 26) hp, which is still a pretty nice ability. It may not be as big of a percentage of your hit points as it was at level 1, but the same is true of damage and other sources of healing, like cure spells. Those don't scale at the same rate hps do either. For example, a 20th level fighter has 4 attacks, and thus does 4x as much as a 1st level fighter, but has 20x the hit points. A 1st level magic missile (3d4 + 3, avg. 10.5) can easily one-shot a low level creature or character, but a 9th level magic missile (11d4 + 11, avg. 38.5) is probably only going to inflict around 1/5th of a high level monster's hp.
We also don't know if fighters will get additional uses of second wind per encounter or if the ability scales in some other way. All we know is what it does from levels 1-5.
