I thought I would share my houserules for healing in 5e. Healing in the core game is just way too much for my tastes. While the DMG does provide some other options, they aren't exactly what I am looking for. I don't want an ultra-gritty game, nor do I want 4e's absurd amounts of healing. Anyhoo, here are my ideas:
-Eliminate healer feat
-Overnight healing only heals 1 hp (I'm a sucker for tradition, sue me)
-You can spend HD during short or long rest. You regain half of your current HD rounded down (minimum 1) overnight. So if you are a 6th level fighter but take a long rest with only 3 HD left, you only regain 1 HD the following day. If you take a long rest with no remaining HD, you start the next day with 1.
-Healer's kits work as written, they're just no longer able to be buffed by the healer feat
-Healing potions are not typically found for sale
This gives me the balance I am looking for. You still have ability to recuperate at a reasonable rate, but resource management comes more into play and the traditional healing roles are reinforced.
Do you houserule 5e healing? What is your system?
I haven't implemented it yet (on a DM hiatus), but mine is quite similar.
ReplyDelete- Heal 1 HP + Con Bonus (min 1 HP total) per long rest.
- Regain 1/2 Hit Dice per long rest (as per rules)
- Not sure what to do with Healer feat yet, but will probably also remove it.
- Healing potions are available, but not plentiful
So, I'm basically a little more generous with Hit Dice and it seems a tiny bit less fiddly to not worry about the player's current HD to determine how many he or she gets back.
I've never liked forcing Clerics to use all their spell power in healing the party. That's why a lot of players never wanted to be Clerics in the old versions, so while I prefer slower healing, I also don't want to hamstring the healer classes into being only the medic.
First impression of 5e WAS too much healing ability, like 4, everyone was a 'super being', i hate it! Then I had a change of heart. I now see 5e healing from another dirrection. HPs are an abstract measurement of how well a character can avoid damage, not take damage. A sword through the gut will kill most characters, but low level characters usually can't avoid sword thrust's full potential damage and get an injury equal to their total HP and die. A higher level character, through experience and better favor with the Gods, isn't as panicked in a fight or emergency; will turn with a blow, and generally change a gut piercing into a glancing cut, or spit out a poison quicker, or aim to bounce off pit walls in a fall so as not to pulp themselves on landing, or just have more of the overseeing Gods interest and get a devine helping hand. This is why I see higher level characters having more HP - so they can take more potentially fatal attacks or incidents and survive - not that they are stab proof rhino-hide super beings.
ReplyDeleteI still use the DMG alternative of no HP regain with short rests, and a roll of your HP dice after a long rest, and only half of your used HD (round up) available after the next night's long rest. I still allow healers.
This allows some damage to carry over subsequent in-game days, but keeps characters that aren't outright killed in an encounter active. Remember, in my take of the rules a low level or high level character can still be killed instantly from a slit throat during sleep, and a 60hp warrior with 30hp damage will look similar to a 8hp warrior with 4hp damage.
I'm leaning toward no short rest, and replacing long rest hp gain with either full or 1/2 HD recovery.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I don't mind the healing feats and spells and such, and even have no problem for class abilities like the fighter's "second wind." It's just that short rest mechanic that really bother's (and full hp overnight).
I like your healing rules. It will eliminate people trying to short then long rest so they can spend their HD and then get them right back.
ReplyDelete