Trouble with Short Rest and Healing Word

[TheLordWinter]

I am afraid I must disagree with your assessment of the out of combat healing. If the players were using second winds, then they would be able to spend one healing surge per short rest. After that, they would then need another short rest (since out of combat, it requires 5 minutes or resting to regain use of an encounter power. As is, the healing surge itself is something of an abstract value which PCs and NPCs have access to, and Second Wind is a per encounter, in combat ability, which allows PCs to use one of those healing surges.

 

[Subumloc]

PHB Pag. 263, Short Rest heading:

Spend Healing Surges: After a short rest, you can spend as many healing surges as you want.

 

[DreamChaser]

PHB Pag. 263, Short Rest heading:

Spend Healing Surges: After a short rest, you can spend as many healing surges as you want.

Super. Yeah...I quoted this above too....

I concede the rules lawyering part of the Second Wind BUT I still put forth that any DM that makes this an issue is undermining themselves not the players / characters.

You either have long short rests OR you allow it to get done in a normal short rest...

If you interrupt the short rests with encounters, you end up reducing the overall number or relevant encounters that you can throw. If you don't interrupt, you have long rests.

The ultimate result: just give it to them.

DC

 

[TheLordWinter]

...I still put forth that any DM that makes this an issue is undermining themselves not the players / characters.

I'm afraid I don't really follow you here. My main issue was the book keeping going on. Also at higher levels, it becomes almost moot to add an additional 1d6 hit points when the healing surge itself is recovering so many more.

Whiel it can certainly make a difference at the earlier levels, I'd rather avoid it since it slows down, not in game-time but in real-world time, the process of resting. I would prefer the players simply sink the appropriate number of healing surges, mark themselves back to however much health they need to be at and continue on. Having to sort out who is down a few extra hit points and potentially arguing over who needs the bonus hit points more can grind a game session to a halt in my experience.

 

[Obryn]

I'm afraid I don't really follow you here. My main issue was the book keeping going on. Also at higher levels, it becomes almost moot to add an additional 1d6 hit points when the healing surge itself is recovering so many more.

Both Healing Word and Inspiring Word scale upwards with level. They get additional d6's.

-O

 

[keterys]

I'd rather avoid it since it slows down, not in game-time but in real-world time, the process of resting. I would prefer the players simply sink the appropriate number of healing surges, mark themselves back to however much health they need to be at and continue on.

Yeah, that's the same problem I have. I don't mind them getting the extra healing, I just don't like the extra bookkeeping.

That's why I suggested (but have not used) the 'no X words out of combat, just add level to all surge amounts during short rests'. +Level (+Wis for the cleric) is pretty comparable. Worse at level 1,2 and 6, better at most levels. And no extra rests, no asking who is hurt how much, just mark and go.

 

[wedgeski]

I have no problem with the rule in general, but I enforce a simple fixed roll on Healing Word: 3 points per die. So, add the cleric's Wis modifier for Healer's Lore, and that's your bonus to your healing surge. Stops lots of tedious die rolling and tutting of players as 1's come up while their mate got a 6.

In my mind this is simply one of the great benefits of bringing a cleric along. Other Leaders have -- and will have -- different strengths, but your cleric can get you on your feet that much more quickly between encounters. The Healing Surge mechanic prevents abuse, and everyone's happy, players and DM.

 

[DreamChaser]

I'm afraid I don't really follow you here. My main issue was the book keeping going on. Also at higher levels, it becomes almost moot to add an additional 1d6 hit points when the healing surge itself is recovering so many more.

Whiel it can certainly make a difference at the earlier levels, I'd rather avoid it since it slows down, not in game-time but in real-world time, the process of resting. I would prefer the players simply sink the appropriate number of healing surges, mark themselves back to however much health they need to be at and continue on. Having to sort out who is down a few extra hit points and potentially arguing over who needs the bonus hit points more can grind a game session to a halt in my experience.

What I'm talking about is reducing the bookkeeping. Allow everyone who is choosing to spend healing surges the benefit their leader's healing bonus and don't quibble with how long it takes. No sorting, no worrying about extra long short rests. After a short rest (~5 minutes) everyone is as healed as they want to spend the (boosted) healing surges to achieve.

DC

 

[DreamChaser]

The Healing Surge mechanic prevents abuse, and everyone's happy, players and DM.

This.

 

[burntgerbil]

Howabout a houserule for that to simplify bookkeeping -

During a short rest, you can spend X healing surges to regain HP. If you spend more than one surge and have a leader in the party, lose X - 1 surges, minimum 1 surge.

OR

Once during a short rest, if the party has a leader in it, players may regain hitpoints as though they spent a healing surge. Players may not use this again until after the next encounter.


This is slightly more powerful and might result in the party resting to regain AP's and Dailies but signifigantly cuts down on bookkeeping by achieving the same result without all the dicerolling and math-ulation.