So I have a party that may be super light on healing and I'm considering the variant rule in the DMG's DM Workshop for allowing healing surges. Now, the section states:
"This optional rule allows characters to heal up in the thick of combat and works well for parties that feature few or no characters with healing magic, or for campaigns in which magical healing is rare. As an action, a character can use a healing surge and spend up to half his or her Hit Dice. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character who uses a healing surge can’t do so again until he or she finishes a short or long rest. Under this optional rule, a character regains all spent Hit Dice at the end of a long rest. With a short rest, a character regains Hit Dice equal to his or her level divided by four (minimum of one die). For a more superheroic feel, you can let a character use a healing surge as a bonus action, rather than as an action."
My question on the underlined part is pretty simple, and I'll use an example. First we have a 6th level barbarian with a 16 Constitution. When he uses his healing surge (let's say he goes full in and uses 3 of his Hit Die) does he roll 3d12 + 4 (con modifier) or does he roll 3d12 + 12 (con modifier multiplied for each hit dice)? As an aside, I'm considering this for a 'CurseofStrahd' Campaign where – of the healing classes available (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, and Paladin) – there is one single Paladin. Would the implementation of this optional rule, in your opinion, be a bit too much of a break with the intended feel of Ravenloft and the Domains of Dread? There will also be a sort of village healer the party can avail themselves of (offering general healing and spellcasting services at a small markup (in addition to requesting some vile service), Jeny Greenteeth comes from the Adventurer's League "add-on"). But she's definitely not traveling with the group and she's fairly stationary on a reasonably large map.
Thanks in advance for all the help and advice you can offer
Alright, thanks @DxJxC, I figured it did work that way but it felt almost a little too much. It's certainly making me feel that this optional rule almost requires a slight increase in challenge from encounters by itself, otherwise it kinda breaks things a bit. After all, it's not like I'd be implementing this if the party had a second paladin, a bard, etc.
Technically it's worse than a short rest. The Short Rest specifies a minimum of 0 for health gained from hit dice - but the optional rule doesn't. Meaning an unlucky roll and a negative CON mod can result in being hurt - where a short rest can't.
It's interesting that you gain more HP from the healing surge than a short rest under this rule.
Really?
Short rest
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, up to the character’s maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character’s level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier to it.The character regains hit points equal to the total (minimum of 0). The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.
Healing surge
As an action, a character can use a healing surge and spend up to half his or her Hit Dice. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier.The character regains hit points equal to the total.The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.
They look kind of identical to me except short rest doesn't have a HD limit.
Technically it's worse than a short rest. The Short Rest specifies a minimum of 0 for health gained from hit dice - but the optional rule doesn't. Meaning an unlucky roll and a negative CON mod can result in being hurt - where a short rest can't.
Not a problem. The min 0 is just a reminder, you can't heal by a negative number regardless.
@DxJxC The text shows that the basic short rest when used under normal rules allows for the maximum number of hit die to the character's level (so a 6th level character can heal for 6 dice + con modifier x 6). A healing surge by itself allows for a maximum equal to half the character's level (same character 3 hit dice + con modifier x 3). And a short rest when the healing surge variant rule is in play seems to say, "... With a short rest, a character regains Hit Dice equal to his or her level divided by four (minimum of one die)." (which would be 1 or 2 hit dice depending on rounding + con modifier x 1 or 2).
Which is what you said so that's a my bad for skimming, :P Anyway, point is that under normal rules you can gain more hit points potentially than with the variant rule if you add a surge and short rest together at their maximum. At least the way I understand it. :shrugs
Sure you can get more healing because with the Variant rule a character can regenerate some spent hit dice on a short-rest whereas they can't with the normal rules. That's to be expected because the whole point of the variant rule is to introduce a bit more healing for games where there are no healers.
But also remember that if you spent 3 of your 6 hit dice for a Healing Surge - you'll only have 3 more to spend during your short rest - but you will get some more back once the short rest is over.
@DxJxC The text shows that the basic short rest when used under normal rules allows for the maximum number of hit die to the character's level (so a 6th level character can heal for 6 dice + con modifier x 6). A healing surge by itself allows for a maximum equal to half the character's level (same character 3 hit dice + con modifier x 3). And a short rest when the healing surge variant rule is in play seems to say, "... With a short rest, a character regains Hit Dice equal to his or her level divided by four (minimum of one die)." (which would be 1 or 2 hit dice depending on rounding + con modifier x 1 or 2).
Which is what you said so that's a my bad for skimming, :P Anyway, point is that under normal rules you can gain more hit points potentially than with the variant rule if you add a surge and short rest together at their maximum. At least the way I understand it. :shrugs
The healing surge variant rules restore 1/4 of PCs' hit dice, but don't give free healing equal to 1/4 their HD. They will have to spend hit dice to heal per normal short rest rules.
The point of the variant rule is to give more opportunities for natural healing. So yes you can heal more HP per day than usual. If you want to still give easier combat healing (from lack of heal spells), but don't want to increase the amount of HP recovery per day, just keep the hit dice recovery rules the same (none from short rest, half from long rest).
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So I have a party that may be super light on healing and I'm considering the variant rule in the DMG's DM Workshop for allowing healing surges. Now, the section states:
"This optional rule allows characters to heal up in the thick of combat and works well for parties that feature few or no characters with healing magic, or for campaigns in which magical healing is rare. As an action, a character can use a healing surge and spend up to half his or her Hit Dice. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character who uses a healing surge can’t do so again until he or she finishes a short or long rest. Under this optional rule, a character regains all spent Hit Dice at the end of a long rest. With a short rest, a character regains Hit Dice equal to his or her level divided by four (minimum of one die). For a more superheroic feel, you can let a character use a healing surge as a bonus action, rather than as an action."
My question on the underlined part is pretty simple, and I'll use an example. First we have a 6th level barbarian with a 16 Constitution. When he uses his healing surge (let's say he goes full in and uses 3 of his Hit Die) does he roll 3d12 + 4 (con modifier) or does he roll 3d12 + 12 (con modifier multiplied for each hit dice)? As an aside, I'm considering this for a 'Curse of Strahd' Campaign where – of the healing classes available (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, and Paladin) – there is one single Paladin. Would the implementation of this optional rule, in your opinion, be a bit too much of a break with the intended feel of Ravenloft and the Domains of Dread? There will also be a sort of village healer the party can avail themselves of (offering general healing and spellcasting services at a small markup (in addition to requesting some vile service), Jeny Greenteeth comes from the Adventurer's League "add-on"). But she's definitely not traveling with the group and she's fairly stationary on a reasonably large map.
Thanks in advance for all the help and advice you can offer
Add the CON per hit dice. +12 in your example. "For each hit die spent...add the character's CON mod."
Alright, thanks @DxJxC, I figured it did work that way but it felt almost a little too much. It's certainly making me feel that this optional rule almost requires a slight increase in challenge from encounters by itself, otherwise it kinda breaks things a bit. After all, it's not like I'd be implementing this if the party had a second paladin, a bard, etc.
It basically turns the healing of a short rest into an action.
It's interesting that you gain more HP from the healing surge than a short rest under this rule.
The rules for short rests are identical though, except with this you can only use 1/2 your hit dice, so I’m not sure where you’re getting this from
Technically it's worse than a short rest. The Short Rest specifies a minimum of 0 for health gained from hit dice - but the optional rule doesn't. Meaning an unlucky roll and a negative CON mod can result in being hurt - where a short rest can't.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Really?
They look kind of identical to me except short rest doesn't have a HD limit.
Not a problem. The min 0 is just a reminder, you can't heal by a negative number regardless.
@DxJxC The text shows that the basic short rest when used under normal rules allows for the maximum number of hit die to the character's level (so a 6th level character can heal for 6 dice + con modifier x 6). A healing surge by itself allows for a maximum equal to half the character's level (same character 3 hit dice + con modifier x 3). And a short rest when the healing surge variant rule is in play seems to say, "... With a short rest, a character regains Hit Dice equal to his or her level divided by four (minimum of one die)." (which would be 1 or 2 hit dice depending on rounding + con modifier x 1 or 2).
Which is what you said so that's a my bad for skimming, :P Anyway, point is that under normal rules you can gain more hit points potentially than with the variant rule if you add a surge and short rest together at their maximum. At least the way I understand it. :shrugs
Sure you can get more healing because with the Variant rule a character can regenerate some spent hit dice on a short-rest whereas they can't with the normal rules. That's to be expected because the whole point of the variant rule is to introduce a bit more healing for games where there are no healers.
But also remember that if you spent 3 of your 6 hit dice for a Healing Surge - you'll only have 3 more to spend during your short rest - but you will get some more back once the short rest is over.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
The healing surge variant rules restore 1/4 of PCs' hit dice, but don't give free healing equal to 1/4 their HD. They will have to spend hit dice to heal per normal short rest rules.
The point of the variant rule is to give more opportunities for natural healing. So yes you can heal more HP per day than usual. If you want to still give easier combat healing (from lack of heal spells), but don't want to increase the amount of HP recovery per day, just keep the hit dice recovery rules the same (none from short rest, half from long rest).