Arcane vs Divine Healing

[Samloyal23]

This is just an idea brewing in my head. To create a clearer distinction between these types of magic, I have the thought that arcane healing is less "miraculous" and more mechanical/scientific in its approach. It is less neat and clean, more risky. It comes with a price, whether in pain, side effects, time, or money. So, for instance, how about a spell that stops and infection by using a blast of negative energy to kill the germs? Sure, it hurts the patient, too, that's the price of using arcane secrets instead of the miracle of divine intervention. Need to stop a bleeding wound? Sorry, no miracles, we have to magically cauterize the would with a blast of heat. Want to replace a lost limb? That's going to take a while, we have to grow the part in a tank of alchemical solutions and severed parts from corpses so it makes a good match. Thoughts?

 

[Chalice]

I like the idea. The devil, as always, would be in the implementation.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Make it an Arcane-only reserve feat.

For instance, if you have a fire spell over a certain level, you can do 1d4 damage to cauterize a bleeding wound.

If you have a negstive energy spell over a certain level, you could do 1d4 damage to cure a disease.

If you have a conjuration spell over a certain level, you could do regenerate a limb, but it gives the target -2 Con for one day.

 

[TKDB]

From a game balance standpoint (assuming 3.X) it's kind of iffy. It takes away the one area where a wizard might be considered to have a "weakness". Though on the other hand, it's kind of a drop in the bucket, really, and there are already a few ways (albeit limited) for an arcane caster to do some healing (such as by summoning a monster with a healing ability).

However, from a flavor perspective, I love it.

 

[Sekhmet]

Make it an Arcane-only reserve feat.

For instance, if you have a fire spell over a certain level, you can do 1d4 damage to cauterize a bleeding wound.

If you have a negstive energy spell over a certain level, you could do 1d4 damage to cure a disease.

If you have a conjuration spell over a certain level, you could do regenerate a limb, but it gives the target -2 Con for one day.

Wouldn't this make the Cleric's role almost nonexistent for these purposes?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Not really.

The cleric will ALWAYS have access to healing spells as long as he has spells, the arcanist will only have this if they haven't cast thë spell from which the Reserve feat draws its healing power.

The cleric's spells have no downsides. All of these Reserve feats would have some drawback for the beneficiary of the feat's use.

Clerics have a broad range of healing powers available at all times, at all levels- for no feat cost. The reserve feats won't cover all the bases, and will be limited by level and breadth, with significant opportunity costs.

 

[xigbar]

Check the Absorption spell. Complete Arcane.

 

[Sekhmet]

Not really.

The cleric will ALWAYS have access to healing spells as long as he has spells, the arcanist will only have this if they haven't cast thë spell from which the Reserve feat draws its healing power.

The cleric's spells have no downsides. All of these Reserve feats would have some drawback for the beneficiary of the feat's use.

Clerics have a broad range of healing powers available at all times, at all levels- for no feat cost. The reserve feats won't cover all the bases, and will be limited by level and breadth, with significant opportunity costs.

I didn't suggest Clerics would be useless in other realms of healing, only in addressing these specific options.
What is 1d4 damage, or a small negative on your Con stat, when you're replacing Remove Disease and a portion of Regeneration at will?

These drawbacks aren't enough to even consider not holding onto a Conjuration or Negative Energy spell kept in reserve.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

1) Sometimes, you can't hold back that spell that your Reserve feat depends on.

2) I'm not a pro RPG designer, and those were thrown together in 2 minutes. Tweak them as you like to make them balanced for your campaign.

 

[James the Newbie]

Just thought id pop this link in http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/324654-3-x-arcane-healing-spells.html as it has compiled some of the ways to do it already

I agree that cauterizing a wound makes sense, but without a feat or successful heal check, the chances of the wound you cause getting infected are high, and generally a neat cut wont hurt nearly as bad as fire, your better off sewing it shut, or you will really mess that person up

Negative energy purging disease while at first seeming feasible, after all, anything is possible with a high enough DC check (well almost) What your doing is looking at a microscopic level, and targeting the bad stuff, if the spell isn't designed to do it, and it isn't medicine, I question it

And regrowing a limb seems fairly out of order to me (I don't know if polymorph or alter self spells could do that, there pretty useful, id buy it, especially polymorph any object transforming you, into you but with an arm again, duration perminant). But shoving a new conjured limb on would mean a mental link, most likely similar to that of animate object, or that of a summoned creature, the limb would be shoddy at best.

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I know that it looks like im attacking your idea's a bit here, I don't mean to cause arguments (Especialy over the internet D: ) But I personally feel wizards have enough power, and that they certainly don't need more forms of utility.

Having said all of this, treating burns with an ice spell, or neutralising acid with summon water seems a little bit more on their level, basic first aid, leave the rest to the group healer.