Natural Healing depending on Constituion rather than Level [Archive] - Wizards Community

Natural Healing depending on Constituion rather than Level [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Golden Zealot
09-07-06, 03:30 PM There are a few things about natural healing by raw that really bother me,

1. You get so little hit points, it's barely worth it. This is more realistic, and that has it's own charm, but it's overshadowed by it's uselessness.

2. It is in no way related to a character's constitution score or total hit points, which is linked with the 3rd point

3. Those with less hit points and lower constitution heal more quickly than those with more hit points and higher constitution.

Hit points represent a character's ability to avoid those lethal blows, turning them into mere scrapes and cuts. Fighters are much better at this than wizards, hence fighters get a d10 and wizards a d4. Under the current system, a 4th level fighter resting would gain 4 hit points, as would a 4th level wizard, but for the wizard these points mean so much more.
7 points of damage may represent a nasty cut for a fighter with 34 hit points, but for a wizard with only 16 it is nearly half their hit points, a viscious wound gushing blood.
With a night's rest, this wizards deep wound would become a mostly healed scratch, but for the fighter his nasty cut would become only a slightly smaller cut.
Wizards heal much more than fighters, even though they generally have much lower constituion. This doesn't make any sense at all, so I went about creating a few alternate systems for natural healing.

I will post each option with examples of 4th level and 20th level characters resting using each option, including the raw option. I personaly judge each system based on the percentage of total hit points each character heals, as this to me indicates how serious a wound they can heal. The reason I prefere the last option is because the characters always heal a consistent percentage of their hit points.
All options assume resting for 8 hours, and resting for 24 hours always doubles the result.

RAW
When you rest for eight hours you heal 1 hit point per hit dice.

4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total.
4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 12% of his total.
4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 44% of his total.
4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 80% of his total.

20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 8% of his total.
20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 10% of his total.
20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 28% of his total.
20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 40% of his total.

First Option
Hit points regained from resting = (total hit point capacity / (20 - constituion modifier)) x Hit Dice

4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 9hp after a night’s rest, 23% of his total.
4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 8hp after a night’s rest, 23% of his total.
4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 22% of his total.
4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total.

20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 32hp after a night’s rest, 13% of his total.
20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 22hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total.
20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 3hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total.
20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total.

Second Option
When resting you roll (your constitution modifier,to a minimum of 1) number of dice (of your hit dice type). The result is the amount of hit points you gain. Those with a negative con modifier roll 1 dice, but subtract their con modifier from the result.

4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 19hp after a night’s rest, 50% of his total.
4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 16hp after a night’s rest, 47% of his total.
4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 22% of his total.
4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 20% of his total.

20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 32hp after a night’s rest, 13% of his total.
20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 22hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total.
20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 3hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total.
20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total.

Third Option
This option may require a calculator.
Your constitution score is the percentage of your total hit point capacity that you heal with eight hours of rest.

4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 6hp after a night’s rest, 16% of his total.
4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 5hp after a night’s rest, 16% of his total.
4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 9% of his total.
4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 8% of his total.

20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 46hp after a night’s rest, 20% of his total.
20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 34hp after a night’s rest, 18% of his total.
20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 8hp after a night’s rest, 12% of his total.
20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 5hp after a night’s rest, 10% of his total.

The calulations aren't perfect because they have been rounded, and so calulating backwards (say from the percentage to the con score) will give slightly different results, but they're close enough to get the point across.

I'm posting this in the hope that others will offer their views on the implications and balance of these alternate systems. Also, if anyone has their own house rules that address this problem please feel free to post those as well.:)
Rhialto
09-07-06, 06:27 PM A simpler rule, which takes both class and CON and level ito account:

Each night, you regain 1/10 (round up) of your maximum hit points.

This of course makes healing rates dramatically fast. But that works for the default ruleset, where hit points represent stamina, luck and ability to sidestep that fatal blow rather than actual capacity to survive injuries.

Two possible ways to adjust this are:

1) Change that fraction up or down. Depending on the fraction chosen and your maths ability, you may need a calculator.

2) Change that fraction from being of your maximum hit points to being of the difference between current and maximum hit points.
coppro
09-07-06, 07:10 PM Well, actually, it makes it dramatically slow. 1/10 is lower than most healing, unless your HD is a 12 (or if you roll well, a 10)
Darth Sephiroth
09-07-06, 08:58 PM I've had healing be your level+con modifier
stevetom
09-08-06, 12:05 AM as have i. level + con modifier has always seemed the best option, and it makes much more sense than healing just your HD in hp a night. i have considered using math heavy options like that in the past, but in keeping with the simplicity of the D&D system, i just leave it as level +con modifier. personally, i would find making calculations every time i rest a bit tedious.

keep it simple
Rhialto
09-08-06, 03:54 AM Well, actually, it makes it dramatically slow. 1/10 is lower than most healing, unless your HD is a 12 (or if you roll well, a 10)

Dramatically slow? At 1/10 (round up) of your HP each day, that means you can recover from any mortal world in just 10 days. That's ridiculously fast, not dramatically slow.

And I did note that you could adjust that fraction up or down to suit your taste.
IceFractal
09-08-06, 04:57 AM Yes, but with the current system, an average character (lets say d8 HD, 14 Con) can recover from any mortal wound in 6-7 days, which is still only a minor effect in a world with magical healing. Only for the very toughest would 1/10 be an improvement.

And I agree, Level + Con would be a good way to put natural toughness back into the picture; Level/2 + Con*2 if you want to really emphasize it.
Rhialto
09-08-06, 09:39 AM So if you still think it's too slow, change that divider from 1/10 to 1/6 or whatever. The matsh is way simpler and it gets essentially the same effect.

I still think taking a number and dividing it has to be less brainwork than taking one number, dividing it, and taking another number, looking a related value up on a table, then adding those two numbers together.
Thelon Fairblade
09-08-06, 10:33 AM HP > 0 = you are not mortally wounded.
HP < 0 = you are mortally wounded.

So easy rule, meets believability and still KISS:

"HP >= 0, you heal LEVEL + CON mod with natural healing.
HP < 0, you heal 1pt."

So if you are mortally wounded at -8, it'll be over a week before you reach "Stable" at 0. *Then* you can heal the bumps and bruises and scrapes. In the care of a talented healer, it will be 4 days before you recover to 0 and begin healing.

And that brings up another point -- remember that a trained healer (anyone who can make a DC 15 skll check) doubles the rate of natural healing...

Also, Zealot, you are skewing your numbers. You must also consider the barbarisn with 12 CON, the fighter with 10 CON, the cleric with 8 CON...
lostone
09-12-06, 05:10 PM My group uses this:
you heal an amount of hit points equal to your con modifier + your level.
Seldriss
09-13-06, 08:00 AM My group uses this:
you heal an amount of hit points equal to your con modifier + your level.
Same here, if the recovery is under the help of a healer (the healer can be the character himself).
In some situations, if the character is by himself, the amount I use is Con modifier + class Hit Die (1d4/mage, 1d6/rogue, 1d8/cleric, 1d10/fighter and so on). Multiclassed claracters use the best die.

I also use some advanced healing rules, making First Aid a really useful skill, especially combined with some related feats.
Darkuwa
09-13-06, 08:11 AM I do level+con bonus/night, seems to work well.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Golden Zealot 09-07-06, 03:30 PM	There are a few things about natural healing by raw that really bother me, 1. You get so little hit points, it's barely worth it. This is more realistic, and that has it's own charm, but it's overshadowed by it's uselessness. 2. It is in no way related to a character's constitution score or total hit points, which is linked with the 3rd point 3. Those with less hit points and lower constitution heal more quickly than those with more hit points and higher constitution. Hit points represent a character's ability to avoid those lethal blows, turning them into mere scrapes and cuts. Fighters are much better at this than wizards, hence fighters get a d10 and wizards a d4. Under the current system, a 4th level fighter resting would gain 4 hit points, as would a 4th level wizard, but for the wizard these points mean so much more. 7 points of damage may represent a nasty cut for a fighter with 34 hit points, but for a wizard with only 16 it is nearly half their hit points, a viscious wound gushing blood. With a night's rest, this wizards deep wound would become a mostly healed scratch, but for the fighter his nasty cut would become only a slightly smaller cut. Wizards heal much more than fighters, even though they generally have much lower constituion. This doesn't make any sense at all, so I went about creating a few alternate systems for natural healing. I will post each option with examples of 4th level and 20th level characters resting using each option, including the raw option. I personaly judge each system based on the percentage of total hit points each character heals, as this to me indicates how serious a wound they can heal. The reason I prefere the last option is because the characters always heal a consistent percentage of their hit points. All options assume resting for 8 hours, and resting for 24 hours always doubles the result. RAW When you rest for eight hours you heal 1 hit point per hit dice. 4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total. 4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 12% of his total. 4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 44% of his total. 4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 4hp after a night’s rest, 80% of his total. 20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 8% of his total. 20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 10% of his total. 20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 28% of his total. 20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 20hp after a night’s rest, 40% of his total. First Option Hit points regained from resting = (total hit point capacity / (20 - constituion modifier)) x Hit Dice 4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 9hp after a night’s rest, 23% of his total. 4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 8hp after a night’s rest, 23% of his total. 4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 22% of his total. 4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total. 20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 32hp after a night’s rest, 13% of his total. 20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 22hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total. 20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 3hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total. 20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total. Second Option When resting you roll (your constitution modifier,to a minimum of 1) number of dice (of your hit dice type). The result is the amount of hit points you gain. Those with a negative con modifier roll 1 dice, but subtract their con modifier from the result. 4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 19hp after a night’s rest, 50% of his total. 4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 16hp after a night’s rest, 47% of his total. 4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 22% of his total. 4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 20% of his total. 20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 32hp after a night’s rest, 13% of his total. 20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 22hp after a night’s rest, 11% of his total. 20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 3hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total. 20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 2hp after a night’s rest, 4% of his total. Third Option This option may require a calculator. Your constitution score is the percentage of your total hit point capacity that you heal with eight hours of rest. 4th level barbarian with 16 con and 38hp regains 6hp after a night’s rest, 16% of his total. 4th level fighter with 16 con and 34hp regains 5hp after a night’s rest, 16% of his total. 4th level wizard with 10 con and 9hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 9% of his total. 4th level wizard with 8 con and 5hp regains 1hp after a night’s rest, 8% of his total. 20th level barbarian with 20 con and 230hp regains 46hp after a night’s rest, 20% of his total. 20th level fighter with 18 and 190hp regains 34hp after a night’s rest, 18% of his total. 20th level wizard with 12 con and 70hp regains 8hp after a night’s rest, 12% of his total. 20th level wizard with 10 con and 50hp regains 5hp after a night’s rest, 10% of his total. The calulations aren't perfect because they have been rounded, and so calulating backwards (say from the percentage to the con score) will give slightly different results, but they're close enough to get the point across. I'm posting this in the hope that others will offer their views on the implications and balance of these alternate systems. Also, if anyone has their own house rules that address this problem please feel free to post those as well.:)
Rhialto 09-07-06, 06:27 PM	A simpler rule, which takes both class and CON and level ito account: Each night, you regain 1/10 (round up) of your maximum hit points. This of course makes healing rates dramatically fast. But that works for the default ruleset, where hit points represent stamina, luck and ability to sidestep that fatal blow rather than actual capacity to survive injuries. Two possible ways to adjust this are: 1) Change that fraction up or down. Depending on the fraction chosen and your maths ability, you may need a calculator. 2) Change that fraction from being of your maximum hit points to being of the difference between current and maximum hit points.
coppro 09-07-06, 07:10 PM	Well, actually, it makes it dramatically slow. 1/10 is lower than most healing, unless your HD is a 12 (or if you roll well, a 10)
Darth Sephiroth 09-07-06, 08:58 PM	I've had healing be your level+con modifier
stevetom 09-08-06, 12:05 AM	as have i. level + con modifier has always seemed the best option, and it makes much more sense than healing just your HD in hp a night. i have considered using math heavy options like that in the past, but in keeping with the simplicity of the D&D system, i just leave it as level +con modifier. personally, i would find making calculations every time i rest a bit tedious. keep it simple
Rhialto 09-08-06, 03:54 AM	Well, actually, it makes it dramatically slow. 1/10 is lower than most healing, unless your HD is a 12 (or if you roll well, a 10) Dramatically slow? At 1/10 (round up) of your HP each day, that means you can recover from any mortal world in just 10 days. That's ridiculously fast, not dramatically slow. And I did note that you could adjust that fraction up or down to suit your taste.
IceFractal 09-08-06, 04:57 AM	Yes, but with the current system, an average character (lets say d8 HD, 14 Con) can recover from any mortal wound in 6-7 days, which is still only a minor effect in a world with magical healing. Only for the very toughest would 1/10 be an improvement. And I agree, Level + Con would be a good way to put natural toughness back into the picture; Level/2 + Con*2 if you want to really emphasize it.
Rhialto 09-08-06, 09:39 AM	So if you still think it's too slow, change that divider from 1/10 to 1/6 or whatever. The matsh is way simpler and it gets essentially the same effect. I still think taking a number and dividing it has to be less brainwork than taking one number, dividing it, and taking another number, looking a related value up on a table, then adding those two numbers together.
Thelon Fairblade 09-08-06, 10:33 AM	HP > 0 = you are not mortally wounded. HP < 0 = you are mortally wounded. So easy rule, meets believability and still KISS: "HP >= 0, you heal LEVEL + CON mod with natural healing. HP < 0, you heal 1pt." So if you are mortally wounded at -8, it'll be over a week before you reach "Stable" at 0. Then you can heal the bumps and bruises and scrapes. In the care of a talented healer, it will be 4 days before you recover to 0 and begin healing. And that brings up another point -- remember that a trained healer (anyone who can make a DC 15 skll check) doubles the rate of natural healing... Also, Zealot, you are skewing your numbers. You must also consider the barbarisn with 12 CON, the fighter with 10 CON, the cleric with 8 CON...
lostone 09-12-06, 05:10 PM	My group uses this: you heal an amount of hit points equal to your con modifier + your level.
Seldriss 09-13-06, 08:00 AM	My group uses this: you heal an amount of hit points equal to your con modifier + your level. Same here, if the recovery is under the help of a healer (the healer can be the character himself). In some situations, if the character is by himself, the amount I use is Con modifier + class Hit Die (1d4/mage, 1d6/rogue, 1d8/cleric, 1d10/fighter and so on). Multiclassed claracters use the best die. I also use some advanced healing rules, making First Aid a really useful skill, especially combined with some related feats.
Darkuwa 09-13-06, 08:11 AM	I do level+con bonus/night, seems to work well.