Erk
2008-08-13, 01:39 AM
I'm using 4e as a springboard to get all kinds of newbies into d&d, as its simplicity is great for them. On the other hand, I find healing surges a little too readily available. I want the option for players to take actual wounds that are harder to heal, but I want it to be easy.
Here's the system I am currently playtesting. It raises the difficulty of the game a little, of course. As an added bonus it makes the Warlord's healing a little better flavoured. They heal morale, but not wounds.
1) HP is now broken into two types, which should probably be recorded separately. Call them Wounds and Morale, if you like: HPW and HPM for short.
I am separating these so that HPW = 1/2 of HPM, rounded down. HPW+HPM should equal full HP. If you find this too tough for your players, reduce the number of HPW and correspondingly increase HPM.
2) Except in special circumstances, damage goes out of HPM first. When HPM reaches 0, damage comes out of HPW instead. Conveniently, when HPM equals 0 the character is also bloodied.
3) Expending a healing surge heals HPM, but not HPW. HPW can be healed through a couple means:
a full rest will heal a number of HPW equal to the character's con modifier.
A successful Heal skill check will double the amount of healing gained from a full rest. The DC equals the damage taken to wounds.
magical healing that adds a bonus to the amount healed (such as a cleric's Healing Lore) can heal that bonus in HPW. In other words, a cleric who heals (surge+3) with magical healing can heal up to 3 points of wounds that way.
--end main rules--
optional 4) I haven't fleshed this rule out fully but I'd like critical hits to deal damage direct to HPW. So far I'm thinking that any damage the critical does above and beyond the regular attack damage is inflicted straight to HPW, even if the character has HPM left.
rule user's discretion: if the character's HPW is dropped to 0, even if HPM remain, the character is stunned until the end of his/her next round ends; then 1 point of damage is transfered from HPM to HPW and the character regains consciousness.
Here's the system I am currently playtesting. It raises the difficulty of the game a little, of course. As an added bonus it makes the Warlord's healing a little better flavoured. They heal morale, but not wounds.
1) HP is now broken into two types, which should probably be recorded separately. Call them Wounds and Morale, if you like: HPW and HPM for short.
I am separating these so that HPW = 1/2 of HPM, rounded down. HPW+HPM should equal full HP. If you find this too tough for your players, reduce the number of HPW and correspondingly increase HPM.
2) Except in special circumstances, damage goes out of HPM first. When HPM reaches 0, damage comes out of HPW instead. Conveniently, when HPM equals 0 the character is also bloodied.
3) Expending a healing surge heals HPM, but not HPW. HPW can be healed through a couple means:
a full rest will heal a number of HPW equal to the character's con modifier.
A successful Heal skill check will double the amount of healing gained from a full rest. The DC equals the damage taken to wounds.
magical healing that adds a bonus to the amount healed (such as a cleric's Healing Lore) can heal that bonus in HPW. In other words, a cleric who heals (surge+3) with magical healing can heal up to 3 points of wounds that way.
--end main rules--
optional 4) I haven't fleshed this rule out fully but I'd like critical hits to deal damage direct to HPW. So far I'm thinking that any damage the critical does above and beyond the regular attack damage is inflicted straight to HPW, even if the character has HPM left.
rule user's discretion: if the character's HPW is dropped to 0, even if HPM remain, the character is stunned until the end of his/her next round ends; then 1 point of damage is transfered from HPM to HPW and the character regains consciousness.