Fast Healing, Regeneration [Archive] - Wizards Community

Fast Healing, Regeneration [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lord_of_Vain
11-25-07, 12:40 PM What is the difference between fast healing and regeneration? And if a monster has say, 30 of each, does it restore 30 or 60 health a round?
Talisman
11-25-07, 01:16 PM Fast healing is like normal healing, just...fast. It heals anything that causes hp damage, unless the effect specifically notes that it is immune to normal healing. Fast healing will not save you if you drop to -10 hp; you can't heal if you're dead.

Regeneration converts all damage except for certain types (typically fire and acid) into nonlethal damage, and heals the nonlethal damage at the stated rate. Regeneration is more powerful than fast healing since it keeps you alive at -10 or lower (provided the damage is from something regeneration can heal), but less powerful because certain types of damage go right through it anc cannot be healed by it.

A creature with fast healing 30 and regeneration 30 heals 60 hit points per round. You (as the GM) can apply the healing in whatever order makes sense. For instance, if the creature can't regenerate fire damage, you can apply the fast healing to the fire damage and the regeneration to weapon damage.
Lord_of_Vain
11-25-07, 01:33 PM Ok thanks that helps.
Kernath
11-25-07, 10:10 PM You (as the GM) can apply the healing in whatever order makes sense. For instance, if the creature can't regenerate fire damage, you can apply the fast healing to the fire damage and the regeneration to weapon damage.

No, you can apply the healing in the order that the rules explain. You can apply the regeneration before the fast healing, but fast healing still heals subdual damage (if there's any left) before real damage. As much as you might like to have fast healing negate the players' ability to bypass regeneration, it won't, and house ruling a creature in such a fashion deserves a significant increase in CR.
Kain_Darkwind
11-25-07, 11:11 PM Talisman got it nearly right, except that he doesn't understand how nonlethal damage works.

Nonlethal damage is tracked entirely separately from damage, and it goes up, rather than down. If you have 5 hit points and I hit you for 3 nonlethal damage, you still have 5 hit points. You also have 3 nonlethal damage.

If your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you are staggered, and if it exceeds your current hit points, you are unconscious.

Regeneration does not save you from going to -10 hit points. If you hit -10 hit points, you are dead and regen will not function.

However, regen means that only a few attacks deal you actual lethal hit point damage.

Take a troll with 50 hit points. If you hit him with a sword, you deal him nonlethal damage. Even if you chop him into little bits, dealing 1000 points of damage, you only deal nonlethal damage to him. The troll still has 50 hit points, it is still alive, and once it regenerates that nonlethal damage away, it will wake up and eat babies again.

However, dealing the troll fire/acid damage will deal real hit point damage to the troll, which will come off the 50hp. If it is reduced to -10 hit points with acid and fire damage, it will die, and your babies will be safe.

Now, if you have fast healing, according to the rules, it heals nonlethal damage first. So what Talisman said about applying it where you want to is wrong. However, if there is no nonlethal damage, it will heal the real damage and it is not bypassed by any function.

So, take the troll with 50 hp again. Let's say he has fast healing 5 and regen 5. If you hit him with a sword for 20 damage, he has 50 hp and 20 nonlethal damage. His regen will heal 5 points of the nonlethal damage, and his fast healing will heal 5 points of nonlethal damage, leaving him with 50 hp and 10 nonlethal damage.

Next round, a murderous peasant swings a torch into the troll, dealing it 5 fire damage. Our troll now has 45 hit points and 10 nonlethal damage. Fast healing 5, regen 5, our troll now has 45 hit points and 0 nonlethal damage.

Next round, the peasant stabs the troll with a pitchfork, dealing 5 nonlethal damage. Our troll now has 45 hit points and 5 nonlethal damage. Regen heals 5 points of nonlethal, and fast healing can now begin healing lethal damage. Our troll is back up to 50 hit points with no nonlethal damage.

Get it? Regen heals nonlethal, fast healing heals nonlethal first and then lethal damage.
Lord_of_Vain
11-26-07, 03:26 PM Ah yes, makes sense. Thanks for the help.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lord_of_Vain 11-25-07, 12:40 PM	What is the difference between fast healing and regeneration? And if a monster has say, 30 of each, does it restore 30 or 60 health a round?
Talisman 11-25-07, 01:16 PM	Fast healing is like normal healing, just...fast. It heals anything that causes hp damage, unless the effect specifically notes that it is immune to normal healing. Fast healing will not save you if you drop to -10 hp; you can't heal if you're dead. Regeneration converts all damage except for certain types (typically fire and acid) into nonlethal damage, and heals the nonlethal damage at the stated rate. Regeneration is more powerful than fast healing since it keeps you alive at -10 or lower (provided the damage is from something regeneration can heal), but less powerful because certain types of damage go right through it anc cannot be healed by it. A creature with fast healing 30 and regeneration 30 heals 60 hit points per round. You (as the GM) can apply the healing in whatever order makes sense. For instance, if the creature can't regenerate fire damage, you can apply the fast healing to the fire damage and the regeneration to weapon damage.
Lord_of_Vain 11-25-07, 01:33 PM	Ok thanks that helps.
Kernath 11-25-07, 10:10 PM	You (as the GM) can apply the healing in whatever order makes sense. For instance, if the creature can't regenerate fire damage, you can apply the fast healing to the fire damage and the regeneration to weapon damage. No, you can apply the healing in the order that the rules explain. You can apply the regeneration before the fast healing, but fast healing still heals subdual damage (if there's any left) before real damage. As much as you might like to have fast healing negate the players' ability to bypass regeneration, it won't, and house ruling a creature in such a fashion deserves a significant increase in CR.
Kain_Darkwind 11-25-07, 11:11 PM	Talisman got it nearly right, except that he doesn't understand how nonlethal damage works. Nonlethal damage is tracked entirely separately from damage, and it goes up, rather than down. If you have 5 hit points and I hit you for 3 nonlethal damage, you still have 5 hit points. You also have 3 nonlethal damage. If your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you are staggered, and if it exceeds your current hit points, you are unconscious. Regeneration does not save you from going to -10 hit points. If you hit -10 hit points, you are dead and regen will not function. However, regen means that only a few attacks deal you actual lethal hit point damage. Take a troll with 50 hit points. If you hit him with a sword, you deal him nonlethal damage. Even if you chop him into little bits, dealing 1000 points of damage, you only deal nonlethal damage to him. The troll still has 50 hit points, it is still alive, and once it regenerates that nonlethal damage away, it will wake up and eat babies again. However, dealing the troll fire/acid damage will deal real hit point damage to the troll, which will come off the 50hp. If it is reduced to -10 hit points with acid and fire damage, it will die, and your babies will be safe. Now, if you have fast healing, according to the rules, it heals nonlethal damage first. So what Talisman said about applying it where you want to is wrong. However, if there is no nonlethal damage, it will heal the real damage and it is not bypassed by any function. So, take the troll with 50 hp again. Let's say he has fast healing 5 and regen 5. If you hit him with a sword for 20 damage, he has 50 hp and 20 nonlethal damage. His regen will heal 5 points of the nonlethal damage, and his fast healing will heal 5 points of nonlethal damage, leaving him with 50 hp and 10 nonlethal damage. Next round, a murderous peasant swings a torch into the troll, dealing it 5 fire damage. Our troll now has 45 hit points and 10 nonlethal damage. Fast healing 5, regen 5, our troll now has 45 hit points and 0 nonlethal damage. Next round, the peasant stabs the troll with a pitchfork, dealing 5 nonlethal damage. Our troll now has 45 hit points and 5 nonlethal damage. Regen heals 5 points of nonlethal, and fast healing can now begin healing lethal damage. Our troll is back up to 50 hit points with no nonlethal damage. Get it? Regen heals nonlethal, fast healing heals nonlethal first and then lethal damage.
Lord_of_Vain 11-26-07, 03:26 PM	Ah yes, makes sense. Thanks for the help.