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jackHow close to death are you?
You start with a number of hit points. You can recover some every short rest, but only so many times. You regain almost everything overnight.
Usually individual fights shouldn't be a threat to killing players. You should usually only go down to zero hit points if you're unluckily the target of a critical hit, or get stuck on the front line of combat when you don't want to be. As long as the rest of the party are ok, they can usually get you out of trouble.
Unlike previous editions, having a dedicating healing character is something some groups have and some don't, it's not a prerequisite to adventuring at all.
My current players have had a couple of harder combats, sorry :) But usually, you should start worrying when you're going into combat already injured, or fighting something way out of your league. If you feel like you're regularly fighting stuff that can kill you from maximum hit points, you should probably ask your GM to bring those up a bit less often (again, we overdid this a bit, sorry, it happens sometimes).
Specifics of natural healing
A fourth level fighter Ferda has gained d10+CON hit points four times, once for each level. A bit more at first level.
She also has four SOMETHING she can spend to regain lost hit points. Each short rest (an hour of sitting around caring for weapons, bandaging wounds, discussing tactics, etc), she can spend one or more SOMETHING and gain d10+CON hit points for each.
In a long rest (overnight, in a safe location), she regains all her hit points and regains up to half-rounded-up of her maximum SOMETHING.
In older editions of dnd, there weren't any short rests, instead a cleric spent spells to heal people. Now characters naturally regain some hit points, and spells or healing potions are extra, or are special because they can heal instantly during combat, instead of only when you have time to rest.
I would prefer to call the SOMETHING something like "recuperation dice". And honestly, I'd rather they just healed a fixed amount, not a die roll. But dnd decided they were the same thing as you rolled when you levelled up, and should be called "hit dice". This is supposed to make it simpler, but I think it's just confusing.
Other forms of healing
In addition to natural healing, some classes can cast healing spells which are really useful because they're quick enough to heal someone during combat. You may also be able to find potions that have a similar effect. In my game, there are also sometimes less flashy magic items which give additional "slow" healing.
If you have a choice between multiple forms of healing, it doesn't make that much difference which you use, but if you want a short primer it's usually best to use your character's natural healing with recuperation dice first, because that replenishes for free. Then use any healing spells (which also replenish, but the spell slots might be useful for other things). Then use any consumable items. But you might choose differently depending on the situation. If you have more than enough healing potions, you might prefer to save spell slots for other things, or if you have an ability that lets you spend hit dice on other effects, you might prefer to spend a healing spells.
You start with a number of hit points. You can recover some every short rest, but only so many times. You regain almost everything overnight.
Usually individual fights shouldn't be a threat to killing players. You should usually only go down to zero hit points if you're unluckily the target of a critical hit, or get stuck on the front line of combat when you don't want to be. As long as the rest of the party are ok, they can usually get you out of trouble.
Unlike previous editions, having a dedicating healing character is something some groups have and some don't, it's not a prerequisite to adventuring at all.
My current players have had a couple of harder combats, sorry :) But usually, you should start worrying when you're going into combat already injured, or fighting something way out of your league. If you feel like you're regularly fighting stuff that can kill you from maximum hit points, you should probably ask your GM to bring those up a bit less often (again, we overdid this a bit, sorry, it happens sometimes).
Specifics of natural healing
A fourth level fighter Ferda has gained d10+CON hit points four times, once for each level. A bit more at first level.
She also has four SOMETHING she can spend to regain lost hit points. Each short rest (an hour of sitting around caring for weapons, bandaging wounds, discussing tactics, etc), she can spend one or more SOMETHING and gain d10+CON hit points for each.
In a long rest (overnight, in a safe location), she regains all her hit points and regains up to half-rounded-up of her maximum SOMETHING.
In older editions of dnd, there weren't any short rests, instead a cleric spent spells to heal people. Now characters naturally regain some hit points, and spells or healing potions are extra, or are special because they can heal instantly during combat, instead of only when you have time to rest.
I would prefer to call the SOMETHING something like "recuperation dice". And honestly, I'd rather they just healed a fixed amount, not a die roll. But dnd decided they were the same thing as you rolled when you levelled up, and should be called "hit dice". This is supposed to make it simpler, but I think it's just confusing.
Other forms of healing
In addition to natural healing, some classes can cast healing spells which are really useful because they're quick enough to heal someone during combat. You may also be able to find potions that have a similar effect. In my game, there are also sometimes less flashy magic items which give additional "slow" healing.
If you have a choice between multiple forms of healing, it doesn't make that much difference which you use, but if you want a short primer it's usually best to use your character's natural healing with recuperation dice first, because that replenishes for free. Then use any healing spells (which also replenish, but the spell slots might be useful for other things). Then use any consumable items. But you might choose differently depending on the situation. If you have more than enough healing potions, you might prefer to save spell slots for other things, or if you have an ability that lets you spend hit dice on other effects, you might prefer to spend a healing spells.
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Date: 2019-05-11 07:07 am (UTC)Anon
Date: 2019-05-11 07:09 am (UTC)