Campbell
Relaxed Intensity
Let me preface this post by saying that I am an avowed fan of using a much more narrative take on hit points than is normal around these parts.
With the discussion around long rests, the HD mechanic, and hp recovery in this forum since the release of the play test I've realized that part of the disconnect that I have with the meat space interpretation of hit points is that I tend to see Clerical Healing different than most people. The idea that a Cleric reaches down to someone and literally brings someone back from the brink of death, closing all wounds and basically erasing all wounds is something I find incredibly distasteful from an aesthetic and narrative sense.
How do you view clerical healing?
With the discussion around long rests, the HD mechanic, and hp recovery in this forum since the release of the play test I've realized that part of the disconnect that I have with the meat space interpretation of hit points is that I tend to see Clerical Healing different than most people. The idea that a Cleric reaches down to someone and literally brings someone back from the brink of death, closing all wounds and basically erasing all wounds is something I find incredibly distasteful from an aesthetic and narrative sense.
- It erases signs of battle. The grizzled veteran who carries marks of victories and losses over a long career of military experience is something that appeals greatly to me.
- I don't like what it says about how warefare must be waged. If magical healing becomes is too advantageous than secular armies cannot exist with any hope of success. You need clerics on the front lines and must have religious support to embark on any military campaign. I really like to include stories that pit secular authorities against religious institutions.
- I like to include elements of spirituality in the healing process. A cleric doesn't just restore your body. He affirms your spirit and restores your vigor.
- I like the idea that there are some wounds that are beyond a cleric's care or require the coordinated efforts of several priests. I like the idea of houses of healing.
- I hate the idea of balancing Clerics solely as a healing battery. I'm okay with the idea that Clerics will use some of their spell slots for healing, but I find the game much more interesting if that's only part of what they do.
- I view the Cleric as part leader of men, part spiritual adviser, part divine emissary. The way healing interacts with the fiction should reflect that.
- I know its unusual but the way magic interacts with the fiction portrayed by the game is really important to me. It needs to justify its existence thematically. This is why the knock spell bothers me as an arcane spell. Its too subtle for the way I view sorcery. Arcane magic is about throwing off the limitations of reality. The wizard does not use magic to become adept at stealth - he uses invisibility to circumvent the way light waves work.
How do you view clerical healing?