Doing more or less with Healing Surges

Healing surges are one of those cool features from 4e that seem a bit under used. Gradually over the course of the game they showed up fueling items and martial practices and similar things.

At some level I would be tempted to merge them with dailies to simplify things so that digging deep for heroic reserves mentioned in Martial Dailies for instance came out of a singular pool. Some have complained that it seemed like characters had too many hs but if you actually used them for more things both offensive and defensive then the number might not be as much of an issue.

I actually like there use in Martial Practices and wish that had been explored more... as well.

Vampire would be a start to look for inspiration, as many of their abilities were able t be fueled by dumping surges into them.

I'm not keen on the idea of having powers take surges to use, but I do entertain the idea of using surges to recover powers faster (akin to Surge recharge items), or make powers stronger (ala vampire).

On a related note another thing that was popular was the magic item which enabled the spending of hit points to increase your attack damage by a related amount ... I actually re-flavored the enchanted variously from a symbiote to an ability to over exert once self for instance with grandmaster training called a sacrifice move. (Gotta love abstract hit points.)

Vampires do indeed seem to have an interesting dynamic (a shame they were such a locked down singularity).

Bloodmages I like to flavor as the Witchcraft of "Thrice fold returns" you are in effect spending your luck to empower your casting.