Healing Cantrip

[scholz]

I notice there are no healing cantrips, and I understand why, there is an issue of resource management and such.
Still, I thought I would try one that has some balance. Tell me what you think.

Stitch
Necromantic Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (A piece of dried sinew)
Duration: Instantaneous*
You touch an injured creature, concentrate on the wound and the sinew magically stitches closed wounds, grafts over burns and otherwise closes and protects and injured creature. Heal 1d8 Hit points up to the character’s maximum hit points, AND reduce the target’s maximum Hit points by half that (round down). If as a result of this spell a character’s current Hit Points would exceed their new maximum hit points, adjust the Current Hit points to the new maximum.
The lost Maximum hit points recover after a long rest.

Ex. JerrDan has taken 10 hit points damage of his normal 20 maximum hit points. A Stitch spell is cast on him. He heals 5 hit points and his maximum is reduced by half that 2.5=2. So after the spell he has 15 hps, and 18 maximum hit points. If the spell is cast a second time for 4 hps healing. He would add 4 and subtract 2 from his max. Since his new maximum is 16, he stops at 16 hps.​

The thought is that while this would extend the adventuring of players a bit, the reduction in maximum hit points would keep it from turning into infinite game play.

Criticisms?

 

[Psikerlord#]

I don't mind the idea of this, it does give a definite trade off to any healing it provides. I do think it's quite balanced and could work.

Hmmm. I also like the idea of reducing max hp somehow being tied in to being reduced to zero hp. To discourage the whack-a-mole style heal approach. Maybe when reduced to zero hp, you have to roll all your HD and reduce your max hp by that amount. A bit death spiralish, but then the idea would be not to get reduced to zero hp in the first place (and if you do, it's bad news).

 

[jodyjohnson]

Well you could heal a creature to death, especially prisoners. Leaving them in a severely weakened state unless you allow them a full rest.

 

[Queer Venger]

A Healing kit, which any class can use, does it for my games, dont much see the need for a cantrip when stronger healing sources can be found.

 

[Mistwell]

The playtest had a cantrip healing spell I think?

 

[scholz]

I specifically added "touch an injured creature" to prevent it from being used as an attack. So technically you'd need to wound them, then Stitch them, for that to work. So, I'd be okay with that application, though I wouldn't condone it in a pc.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Criticisms?

One consequence of this spell is that Greater Restoration essentially turns into a kind of a 3/4 heal spell, since it restores your HP maximum. For 300 gp though I don't see that as a problem.

Another consequence is that this spell boosts minion HP by effectively 75%, including undead minions whom you weren't planning on healing anyway, and summoned creatures. You can already heal them of course using the Healer feat, but at least that costs a feat and some medical supplies and not just a cantrip.

While my powergamer instincts are okay with the Greater Restoration combo, the potential for minionmancy does twig my powergamer instincts: squad leader, summoners and necromancers would always want to learn this cantrip, which says to me that it might be too strong and maybe violates implicit 5E design constraints. I think there may be a reason why there is no healing cantrip: bounded accuracy already makes minions super strong, and Stitch makes them even more durable.

So that's my opinion.

 

[Coredump]

Make it willing creature only...

 

[jodyjohnson]

I specifically added "touch an injured creature" to prevent it from being used as an attack. So technically you'd need to wound them, then Stitch them, for that to work. So, I'd be okay with that application, though I wouldn't condone it in a pc.

The potential 'torture' flavor is fine, but it is there.

Overall, I'd go with other options, but the balance seems fine.

 

[El Mahdi]

I like it. It's very Wheel of Time-ish.

The only criticism I see is about bookkeeping. The character sheets (at least the official ones) aren't really set up for recording both your original maximum hit points and your current maximum hit points. It could cause confusion and angst, especially if someone forgets to bump their maximum hit point level back up after a long rest. I can see someone accidentally crossing out their old one to the point they can't recall it, or just flat out erasing it and then forgetting what the original maximum was - especially if there's a long break in between game sessions. One could make the argument that it's their own fault if they forget, but 5E was made as simple as possible for a reason (specifically getting rid of things that increase bookkeeping).

But that's just a minor criticism. Personally, I like it. I've been thinking of adapting Wheel of Time healing into my game anyways. This might do the trick without having to add levels of exhaustion.