Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder w/o Cleric?

[Retreater]

I have just started GMing the Shattered Star AP, and I'd like my group to have the option to play without a cleric. Since no players want a cleric, druid, or oracle, I'm afraid healing will be difficult.

Are there any good mechanics for something like a 4E healing surge? Or another way to heal effectively without divine magic? This is a very combat-oriented AP, so I am a little concerned.

Thanks.

 

[ImperatorK]

Give them more healing potions? Provide healer NPCs that will heal them for a price?

 

[Kinak]

Personally, I'd just run with it. The big difference will be in more frequent and longer breaks (multi-day rests to allow for natural healing).

The thing I'd watch out for, especially as you get into mid-levels, is spellcasters starting to outpace the rest of the party due to shorter adventuring days. At that point, start introducing some healing items.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Crothian]

We've played three campaigns and no one has yet to play a Cleric. It can work, the players might have to be a little smarter about dealing with encounters and knowing their limits but I won't worry about it.

 

[frankthedm]

They will be in trouble. In d20 & derivatives damage piles up fast because intelegent foes nail one target at a time. Potions won't be worth the time to drink them. At later level, the game knows you could have access to Heal, so it is going to hit you hard enough you need Heal.

 

[Jester David]

Lots of potions works.
The bard, witch, paladin, and inquisitor can also provide some nice back-up healing and are able to use wands. If you give out some extra wands as treasure that might help. If you have access to the 3e Eberron Campaign book there are things called Endless Wands that are wands usable a set number of times each day. One of those for CLW or CMW might speed healing between fights. (It might also be in the Magic Item Compendium but I'm not 100% on that).

Also check out the Heal Skill and the Treat Deadly Wounds option. Might need to make some extra healer's kits available but it helps.

Another option is to use Hero Points. These are pretty much renamed Action Points. I believe they're in the Advanced Player's Guide, but check the SRD. One option lets you just not die. Very handy.
If you use them, I'd recommend getting glass beads or something physical to remind people. And they can help stop sudden death from unluck.

Onto the actual question:

Are there any good mechanics for something like a 4E healing surge? Or another way to heal effectively without divine magic? This is a very combat-oriented AP, so I am a little concerned.

It's not that hard to house rules a Second Wind option into the game.
Given 3e/PF isn't an Encounter based game where you're expected to be full each fight, you don't want everyone healing 1/4 of their hitpoints. It should be a minor emergency heal to keep going, usable every so often.

Let's see, an easy number to remember would be your Con modifier. Another would be the amount you heal overnight (typically your HD/level but some options might change that). It might be good to split the difference, where you can spend an action to regain either your Con mod or HD in hitpoints (whichever is higher). I'd say a standard action to get match Second Wind feel, but if people are getting their butt handed to them a swift action might work as well. Maybe usable a number of times per day equal to half your level (minimum 1) or 1+1/2 your level.
Would require some playtesting to see how it actually handles at the table.

An alternative draws from 5th Edition/D&D Next where Hit Dice are not just something you gain that represents your level but is a spendable healing resource. In addition to everything else Hit Dice do, you can roll that many dice per day to regain hitpoints. So a level 3 fighter has 3d10 Hit Dice they can spend outside of combat to heal.

 

[Clyde Lee Graham]

I have just started GMing the Shattered Star AP, and I'd like my group to have the option to play without a cleric. Since no players want a cleric, druid, or oracle, I'm afraid healing will be difficult.

Are there any good mechanics for something like a 4E healing surge? Or another way to heal effectively without divine magic? This is a very combat-oriented AP, so I am a little concerned.

Thanks.

While magical healing will likely be necessary, especially at higher levels, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Heal skill...

1) If treated with the heal skill within 24 hours, each person so treated will get back 1hp per level. If you exceed DC by 5, you can add your WIS bonus to that.
2) Long term care, where long term means 8 hours of rest or more: 2hp per level & 2 ability score points (or 4ph/4 stat per 24). No watch for them while recovering.

While this takes time, it's still much faster than real life. A 1st level fighter can recover from near death in three days... not the weeks that everyone seems to assume.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

It's a slog. I've gone through something similar in 2e and d20 Modern, and while there are ways to try to make it work, it's far easier for you as a DM to put some healing into the game. Otherwise you have PCs who can't (or won't) do more than one encounter a day.

I recommend creating an adept NPC and have them travel with the party, with a few wands of Cure Light Wounds. Not a cleric, oracle, etc. Why? Because clerics kick butt, while adepts do not, and this can avoid the DMPC problem.

 

[Evenglare]

May I suggest an alternative method? This is just coming off the top of my head now but... I'm personally not familiar with the AP you are running but could you put some kind of ... enchantment or something in there so a character may be able to cast cure X times/day or something? Maybe he... I dont know... drank some kind of potion that altered him or something. It might be easier than tracking a million potions or wands or whatever.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Reserve points?