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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5431598" data-attributes="member: 42582">Have you read the REH story in which Conan pulls himself of a cross?I don't see that story as any special sort of advocate for healing surges - you might achieve that sort of result in an RPG through any number of mechanical avenues. But it does seem to suggest that a heroic fantasy PC can will him/herself to regain health.Actually, that wouldn't remotely ape the effect of healing surges.The main mechanical function of healing surges is to produce a dramatic dynamic to combat, as the monsters starte out on top, very quicly wear down the PCs' hit points, but then end up losing as the PCs get back up from the canvass and keep fighting. Healing surges are a crucial part of that &quot;getting up from the canvass&quot; part of the game, and the need for the PCs to find ways to recover surges during combat in turn is a big part of the tactics of combat - at least in my experience it drives a whole lot of dymanics in terms of action economy, PCs moving around the battlefield and manipulating the initiative sequence via delaying and the like, etc. Simply quadrupling hit poits would in no sense replicate any of this.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 5431598, member: 42582"] Have you read the REH story in which Conan pulls himself of a cross? I don't see that story as any special sort of advocate for healing surges - you might achieve that sort of result in an RPG through any number of mechanical avenues. But it does seem to suggest that a heroic fantasy PC can will him/herself to regain health. Actually, that wouldn't remotely ape the effect of healing surges. The main mechanical function of healing surges is to produce a dramatic dynamic to combat, as the monsters starte out on top, very quicly wear down the PCs' hit points, but then end up losing as the PCs get back up from the canvass and keep fighting. Healing surges are a crucial part of that "getting up from the canvass" part of the game, and the need for the PCs to find ways to recover surges during combat in turn is a big part of the tactics of combat - at least in my experience it drives a whole lot of dymanics in terms of action economy, PCs moving around the battlefield and manipulating the initiative sequence via delaying and the like, etc. Simply quadrupling hit poits would in no sense replicate any of this. [/QUOTE]

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