Trouble with Short Rest and Healing Word

[Jarjaxle]

Can a cleric use their "Healing Word" power outside of combat?
How often can it be used?
Can they use "Healing Word" during a short rest?
What if they used it during the previous combat?
What if they did not?

Here is the situation at my game table:
Each and every time there is a short rest taken, the players want and expect to have each and every healing surge buffed (+1d6+wisdom modifier) by the cleric in the party.

This, for some reason, really bothers me. It does not seem right. It does not seem to me that this is what the developers intended. I can't really explain why I feel like this. It has something to do with the fact that the major reason to rest for the party is to regain their healing surges and with a cleric in the party it just about doubles their healing power, and therefore, doubles the amount the party uptime.

During their first adventure the party never slept between levels 1 and 2 and only rested once between levels 2 and 3. Is this what was intended?

The PC's left Winterhaven for Keep on the Shadowfell and almost never made it back for the encounter in the graveyard. (Only through my urging and roleplaying was I able to get them there)

If this is true then it makes the Cleric a much better choice for the leader slot in a party, much better then the Warlord in my opinion.

At first I implemented an "it takes 5-min to recharge your encounter powers" rule. This only caused the party to now calculate out all the time they needed to complete a full round of healing. A short rest has now become:

Combat (used Healing Word)
Short rest (5 min)
Short rest (5 min and uses Healing Word twice on one PC)
Short rest (5 min)
Short rest (5 min and uses Healing Word twice on the second PC)
Short rest (5 min)
Short rest (5 min and uses Healing Word twice on the Third PC)

That is a 30-min short rest!
A 30-min rest really wrecks havoc on certain story elements. How reasonable is it to have PC's charge into an Underdark Stronghold, kill the gate guards and then take 30 min. in the entry way resting?

So, I tried wandering monsters to interrupt this. First time it was exciting, but soon after that it turned (in my players eyes) into a DM (who does not like what we are doing) vs. PCs (who want to do what they feel the rules allow) situation.

"We can't rest here, 'wandering' monsters will somehow find us" - glares at DM

This moves the game back to a 3rd-Edition feel of the players vs. the DM - an atmosphere I do not want my 4E game.

So I really don't know what to do. I need help and I would really love to hear from a designer who says something like, "You can only use Healing Word once (for 2 healing surges) during a short rest."
However, I don't think it will be that cut and dried.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[James McMurray]

The PHB says this is possible. However, you should not hamper the logical flow of your game world to accomodate it. If they hang out inside an enemy stronghold and then whine when enemies show up, perhaps they should play Candyland or My Little Pony instead.

Healing Word after a short rest is great for those times when you know you're safe. If you don't know you're safe, it's a liability because you may be attacked while the cleric has no heals available.

Tell the players "more thining, less glaring."

 

[fba827]

Yeah, it is an example used in the PHB as exactly that (using healing word outside of combat). Note that your point of it taking 5 minutes between every 2 uses is exactly what you should do.

So it's use twice, take a short rest to recover it, then use twice again, then another short rest, etc. So they are eating away at time whenever they do this. It may not always be a big deal but if they are trying to rest in a room while undead are knocking at the door, then, yes, it does matter how long and who is getting the healing first (in case they get interupted ;-) )

 

[Kalbutt]

Personally, I would let them have their way with the short rests. It seems it's the way the rules intend anyway (phb 263 - powers while you rest).

Your players seem to have fun when they discover little tactics like that, let them, but maybe you can try to find other ways to challenge them. You can throw the odd wandering monsters during rests, but maybe give your adventure a timer of some sort ("You have until the end of the day to free the hostage or he is executed"), so they may think twice before expanding their rests.

You can also design more challenging encounters so that they have used up more of their surges after each encounter, that would balance the added efficiency of Healing Word.

Just my 0.02

 

[keterys]

If it really bothers you, I suggest making the following modifications:

1) Add an in combat restriction to the healing word type abilities. Something like 'Must be used within five minutes (before a short rest) of being injured'
2) Give anyone with those types of abilities 'You and all allies within sight gain a <Level, or Level + Wis for clerics> bonus to healing surges taken during a short rest'
3) Move on, without having to take the time to roll, track how many rests, or otherwise bothering people.

 

[Thanee]

"You can only use Healing Word once (for 2 healing surges) during a short rest."

Not a designer, but... "You can only use Healing Word once (for 2 healing surges) during a short rest."

You can make multiple short rests, however.


And... why not?

Either they have the time and can do it, or they don't have the time, and have to use their healing surges without the cleric's bonuses sometimes.

Otherwise, a simple solution could be to just allow the class healing powers without any limit during a short rest outside of combat.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Chen_93]

Our cleric does the same thing, but rarely does it take more than 2 healing words (i.e., and extra 5 min) for all the healing to get done in addition to the regular surge use. An extra 5 min after that (total of 15 minutes rest time) should be MORE than enough to heal everyone to full.

 

[burntgerbil]

There was a question about this a few months ago - and a designer responded to it - Mike Mearls, maybe. They reinforced that it was planned to be that way, even if not explicitly spelled out in the PHB. I remember hearing about several Wizard's staff members reminding players that it was possible and using it to great effect during the DDXP.

Anyone know that thread offhand ?

 

[Rhianni32]

I guess it depends on what type of dungeons you run.
If they are the old school type where a monster never leaves its confined pen until its meant to be killed and all doors are soundproof to death cries on the other side then your players have a point. Please note that there is nothing wrong with this approach and these can be fun dungeons. I am not putting them down.


If you have more 'realistic' dungeons then sometimes Joe the orc might want to go see what his buddy is up to down the hallway. Or perhaps he just wants to go outside for a smoke break. Your players should understand that wandering monsters arent necessarily limited to random encouter charts.

Lastily there is nowhere in the books that I found that said an encounter only starts when the players initiate it.

 

[cmbarona]

If this is true then it makes the Cleric a much better choice for the leader slot in a party, much better then the Warlord in my opinion.

I'm a little confused about this statement. Healing Word and Inspiring Word are exactly the same, mechanically speaking. Did I miss something?