Trouble with Short Rest and Healing Word

[Tony Vargas]

While the idea of resting an extra 5 minutes to get two more healing words may seem a little cheesy, the net effect is that the party uses fewer healing surges, and surges are a daily resource - so it just encourages going longer without a /long/ rest, and probably means, in the long run, the party will get less uses of dailies over thier carrer. That's not a bad thing for a DM trying to keep things challenging.

 

[OpsKT]

I've been considering telling my players they're not allowed to tell each other their character's hit point totals. It is metagaming in a way and it would mean that they would have to roleplay out-of-combat healing (they'd have to describe to the cleric how hurt their character is without saying "I need x or y points of healing"). It might not work for every group (I'm not sure it would work for my group, for that matter, which is probably why I haven't done anything yet).

Just thought I'd throw it out there, though ...

My players never reference Hit Points. But they can actually roleplay without rules telling them to. They only refer to wounded/bloodied and KDFO.

 

[pukunui]

my players never reference hit points. But they can actually roleplay without rules telling them to. They only refer to wounded/bloodied and kdfo.

kdfo?

 

[Kordeth]

kdfo?

Knocked Da Something Eric's Gramma Wouldn't Like Out.

 

[amysrevenge]

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.

I'm playing a cleric right now, and I'm not seeing any extra bookeeping.

At the end of an encounter, I ask "Who is more than one surge down from full". Anyone who says "Me!" gets a Healing Word, anyone who doesn't is on their own. I ask again "Who is more than one surge down?" Repeat until nobody says "Me!" Takes about 30 seconds, and I know how long it takes right away.

And i'm playing RPGA style, with different players at every table - it's not like I'm playing with a bunch of long-time friends who are used to each other's style or anything.

 

[pukunui]

Knocked Da Something Eric's Gramma Wouldn't Like Out.

Ah thanks. I figured it was along the lines of fubar and snafu.

 

[Bleoberis De Ganis]

Clerics are healers, so let them heal. Just tell your players that if they are going to sit around for a while they need to do it somewhere safe or they might get caught out.

When attacking a fort the defenders aren't going to sit in there all day waiting for characters to kill them in small groups. If they attack the gate guards then let them sound the alarm. Time and stealth are important. Patrols are going to be wandering about. They had better move those bodies and hope the patrol doesn't sound the alarm when they are missing.

Other than those type of situations let them do it without problem. Just think about it when they do. If they are doing something dumb punish them for it. Don't punish the for just doing what their characters can do.

 

[keterys]

And i'm playing RPGA style, with different players at every table - it's not like I'm playing with a bunch of long-time friends who are used to each other's style or anything.

Done both and seen people suck at it - also seen people be fine at it. It depends a lot on how beat up people get and whether you've got one or two sorta scatterbrained people.

I mean, I've had to deal with people who were wrong about their surge value, who tracked how many hp they had instead of how much they were down (which is fine) and couldn't quickly translate that into how much healing they needed (which is not fine) and when I've been in situations where a DM did have a fight coming after one short rest, I've had people who were hoarding healing words get pretty screwed because people weren't healing at all otherwise so were left in pretty sorry shape for the fight with the patrol.

So, yeah, taking any of that and turning it straight into 'Okay, everyone heals normal surge + 5 whenever they spend a surge during rest. Next level it becomes +6.' Heck yeah I'd do that.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

Ok, it's rules legal, but I still think it's cheesier than a box of Cheez-its wrapped in a pizza and dropped in a vat of Velveeta somewhere in Wisconsin. Not because I don't want clerics healing outside of combat, but because of the way the system is set up.

I can feel the players trying to pimp the system when they do this. My players can, too. We generally say if you've got encounter healing left over at the end of an encounter, you can just spend that, take your rest, and move on.

 

[Nail]

Ok, it's rules legal, but I still think it's cheesier than a box of Cheez-its wrapped in a pizza and dropped in a vat of Velveeta somewhere in Wisconsin. Not because I don't want clerics healing outside of combat, but because of the way the system is set up.

I can feel the players trying to pimp the system when they do this. My players can, too. We generally say if you've got encounter healing left over at the end of an encounter, you can just spend that, take your rest, and move on.

FWIW, I disagree. Follow this logic:

#1) Clerics heal.

#2) Parties with clerics (or warlords!) heal better than parties without.

#3) Not letting Clerics use their Healing Word out of combat means parties with a cleric heal no better than parties without a cleric.

...and that's just silly.