4e question,

[2_phatian]

Alright, I have read the PH a number of times and only one thing is driving me insane...Hay, taking penny.... I see, so if you are right then the next world war will be fought with dice...interesting... I hope I am not on the side that get a Natural 1

Any way, healing surges how do they work? Is it a healer that activates them for the player and the character only get a number of heals per day or is can the player activate it himself? If the later one is true then does the cleric abilities that activate healing surges grant that(I believe the prayer is called Prayer of Mending, though I don't have my book with me. So, I could be wrong.) player a free one or still count as a use just one he didn't have to do? I only ask cause, I like to play the healer and this seams to be a big question that I can't find the answer to and it also would be instrumental for character planning.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

2_phatian

Alright, I have read the PH a number of times and only one thing is driving me insane...Hay, taking penny.... I see, so if you are right then the next world war will be fought with dice...interesting... I hope I am not on the side that get a Natural 1

Any way, healing surges how do they work? Is it a healer that activates them for the player and the character only get a number of heals per day or is can the player activate it himself? If the later one is true then does the cleric abilities that activate healing surges grant that(I believe the prayer is called Prayer of Mending, though I don't have my book with me. So, I could be wrong.) player a free one or still count as a use just one he didn't have to do? I only ask cause, I like to play the healer and this seams to be a big question that I can't find the answer to and it also would be instrumental for character planning.

Healing Surges are how you heal in 4th edition. All Leader classes have a healing power that allows the one being healed to use a Healing Surge. The Cleric in particular is one of the best healing classes, due to the fact that at higher levels he adds d6 to the HP gained. Also, when you're down to 1/2 you health, any character can use something called Second Wind, which enables them to use a Healing Surge and get a +2 to all defenses. This is why Defenders usually have the most Healing Surges. When a Leader heals a character, the one being healed loses a surge, unless noted otherwise (Paladin's Lay on Hands).  

[Arc Vembris]

Yes and yes, to an extent.

All players can use Second Wind once per encounter, which lets them spend a surge and regain hit points equal to that value. Leaders and a few other classes have powers that can activate surges in others. In most cases, the healee spends a surge and regains that value of hp, plus a bonus provided by the healer. PCs can't heal if they run out of surges, and they'll need to take an extended rest to regain them.

If a healing powers requires spending a surge, it will say so in the power's description. With some powers, the surge value may get used without spending a surge.

ex1: Paladin's Lay on Hands has the paladin spending the surge, but the target regains hp equal to the value of his or her surge.

ex2. Cleric's Healing Word allows to target to spend a surge +1d6hp, + the cleric's Healer's Lore bonus  

[2_phatian]

Thank you,

So, if a person runs out of healing surges...they are royally screwed then...Right.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

2_phatian

Thank you,

So, if a person runs out of healing surges...they are royally screwed then...Right.

Pretty much. Also, you can use Healing Surges out of battle, to heal yourself to full health. Obviously, you can run out of them fairly fast when out of battle, so you have to think how to spend them.  

[Arc Vembris]

Generally you wanna be at healed up as possible. It's less a question of how to spend them, as it is a question of when to rest for the night.