Warlord - Inspiring Word/Aid the Injured

[Trickstergod]

All right, so I initially assumed Inspiring Word allows someone to spend a Healing Surge, gain back a 1/4 of their hitpoints and then gain an additional 1d6 hitpoints.

But then I look at Aid the Injured and see that it takes a Standard action rather than a Minor one like Inspiring Word, it has a touch range rather than burst, and it only heals an amount equal to the Healing Surge.

So...what gives? Does Inspiring Word only heal 1d6 hitpoints? Or does it heal the Healing Surge amount and 1d6, with Aid the Injured meant as "back-up" for when you run out of Inspiring Word uses during an encounter...?

 

[Mort_Q]

Or does it heal the Healing Surge amount and 1d6, with Aid the Injured meant as "back-up" for when you run out of Inspiring Word uses during an encounter...?

This, as near as I can tell.

 

[Nikosandros]

This, as near as I can tell.

It does look pretty weak though.

 

[Trickstergod]

It does look pretty weak though.

My thoughts exactly.

While there definitely were times in my first session where an extra healing surge would have been nice, there were just as many times where giving someone a move action would have been just as good. The difference being that move action would probably have circumvented the need for an extra Healing Surge, both by letting an ally move up then attack on his turn and granting my warlord the opportunity to either, A) Make an attack, or B) Let an ally make an extra attack on my turn.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Inspiring Word allows the user to spend a Healing Surge and adds 1d6 points to the healing.

Aid the Injured only allows to spend a Healing Surge.

Aid the Injured is weaker then Inspiring Word, but it has the distinct advantage of giving you yet another attempt to heal someone during combat. You will first try to rely on Inspiring Word, and only if those are expended, you'll try Aid the Injured. (In some rare cases, you might want to use both in a single round, Minor Action Inspiring Word, Standard Action Aid the Injured).

 

[Nikosandros]

Inspiring Word allows the user to spend a Healing Surge and adds 1d6 points to the healing.

Aid the Injured only allows to spend a Healing Surge.

Aid the Injured is weaker then Inspiring Word, but it has the distinct advantage of giving you yet another attempt to heal someone during combat. You will first try to rely on Inspiring Word, and only if those are expended, you'll try Aid the Injured. (In some rare cases, you might want to use both in a single round, Minor Action Inspiring Word, Standard Action Aid the Injured).

Yes, but there is still the fact that Inspiring Word is of higher level.

 

[Eccles]

Yes, but there is still the fact that Inspiring Word is of higher level.

Nah. Inspiring Word's the 2/encounter freebie you get at 1st level, isn't it?

 

[Kez Darksun]

Nah. Inspiring Word's the 2/encounter freebie you get at 1st level, isn't it?

It is.

 

[Nikosandros]

Nah. Inspiring Word's the 2/encounter freebie you get at 1st level, isn't it?

My mistake. I meant to write Aid the Injured.

That is, my point was that Aid the Injured is weaker despite being of higher level.

 

[IanB]

My mistake. I meant to write Aid the Injured.

That is, my point was that Aid the Injured is weaker despite being of higher level.

Aid the Injured is a power, Inspiring Word is a class feature. You can't really directly make a level/power comparison between the two. Also note that Aid the Injured is a decently valuable utility power for someone multiclassing to warlord to take as an option, and will be more valuable than their 1/day Inspiring Word.

Also compare to the cleric's Cure Light Wounds, which doesn't use a healing surge at all, but is daily instead of encounter.