We were just going through the Starter Kit, and our fighter fell into the pit. The damage took him down to 2 hit points.
He didn't have any other way to heal himself, but he did have the "Second Wind" ability. It seemed a little funny that he could heal himself 1d10 + 1 while he was in combat.
I get that it's intended for combat, but any thoughts on how to explain that he'll just have to keep walking along at 2 hit points until he's lucky enough to get in a fight?
What would stop him from getting in a 'duel' with another character, just so that he could have a 'turn' on which to use it?
There is no such thing as "in combat". All that it means when you are is in combat, is that the specific timing is very important for the purpose of how things resolve, so you have to bother with rolling initiative and taking discrete actions in six-second increments.
Your fighter can use Second Wind just fine, as long as it's available. He'll need to take a short rest before he can use it a second time, though.
If you sit around for several hours at a time, the fighter can continue to use second wind to fully heal without combat.
But if you sit around for 8 hours, everyone does that anyways. So the fighter simply get's to heal a bit faster then everyone else.
Interesting.
The way I was reading it, "On his turn" had a specific meaning that only applied during a set of turns where we'd determined Initiative.
isaacpriestley wrote:
Second wind has that issue of why can’t it be used more often, it’s hard to rationalize within the game, just treat it as is, the ability to shake off minor damage and move on. This, along with the healing rules in general are all mmo leftovers for the younger fan base.
quode wrote:
isaacpriestley wrote:
I would hardly call something that recharges only after a short or long rest "spammable." If your game doesn't have consequences for loafing about like potential random encounters or enemies completing their goals before the PCs have a chance to stop them, then that's a problem with your game that your players are exploiting and not a problem with Second Wind. Mike Mearls even mentioned this in the unboxing video.
Saelorn wrote:
iserith wrote:
iserith wrote:
Psikerlord wrote:
mellored wrote:
actually I should confess, that in actual play, spamming second wind is pretty unlikely most of the time.... so if/when it does arise, the fighter is just more durable than ever, and that does suit fighters down to the ground.... I guess my slow healing preference is raising its head too.... I dunno it can be awfully strong, but then provided your whole party are not fighters, the group as a whole will still suffer from resource attrition over time allowing the DM to keep the pressure on. still... I prefer in combat only.
Psikerlord wrote:
While I don't think it is "broken," I do think 2nd wind is more interesting if its used in combat only. I might houserule that you can only use it if you've taken damage since your previous turn.
mellored wrote:
Psikerlord wrote:
2Chlorobutanal wrote:
Psikerlord wrote:
2Chlorobutanal wrote:
I think I found this in another thread on this forum somewhere, but this is how I'll be handling it in my games:
"A short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading and tending to wounds."
I've bolded the relevant part. I'm also ruling that "walking around" isn't strenuous enough to end a rest, so that particular bag of rats is moot. Use those hit dice to heal up. That's what they're for. It may satisfy the letter of the rule, but it's not lining up with the spirit of the rule, which I find just as important.
isaacpriestley wrote:
The key to this for me is - does a character even have bonus actions outside of combat?
In my game, as it's an open question (there is no explicit rules entry saying these rules constructs exist outside of combat), this is answered an emphatic NO.
It will only be usable in combat in my games, as I feel it very much should be...
The narrative should drive these decisions.
Does it makes sense within our shared story that the character in question may draw upon their well of stamina to protect themselves from harm? If so, second wind is appropriate. If not, it shouldn't be permitted.
The bonus action stipulation is applicable only for adjudication of the action economy; it is not a limiting descriptor that denies the capability in situations where granular reliance on the action economy is unnecessary.
Caliburn101. wrote:
Bantam wrote:
Caliburn101. wrote:
A fighter's Second Wind ability is effectively an extra HD + Level they can spend per rest that just happens to be usable in combat.
If you do not allow characters to use bonus actions outside of combat, then you stop the ability to cast spells outside of combat that are bonus actions in casting time.
At my table, I strive to say "yes" to my players; unless a rule says "no," and logic otherwise dictates it as completely impossible, I allow it. If you've never reached your "second wind" during a marathon, then you might not understand how reinvigorating it is to catch an extra boost of energy outside of a fight. 
At the end of the day, you cannot "spam," or "abuse" second wind as a fighter. It simply means you are better at catching a boost of energy and pushing on than the rest of your friends - inside or outside of combat - which is pretty expected. As for all the "4e in 5e" conversation... I try to steer clear of that line of thinking so that I can see the game in its own shell of balance. Otherwise, 4e is very hard to enjoy compared to the other editions I've adored through the last 22 years. Alone? It's great. Compared to my love for 3.5's Book of Exalted Deeds? Abomination from the Far Realm.
Happy Gaming.
jaelis wrote: