Clerics and Healing in Character

[Ragin' Halfling]

My group is pretty role-play intensive but I've noticed that in some aspects they still follow more roll-play tactics. One of the issues I've been thinking about is the cleric's healing spells.

In a standard game, the cleric heals characters after combat to full HP. This is a good tactic. In a character driven campaign, however, it seems that the cleric wouldn't waste his healing abilities on someone who is just down a few HP. Basically, it comes down to how HP are interpreted. The PHB describes HP as a combination of luck, stamina, divine favor, and actual physical resistance. Therefor, when a level three character takes a hit, it doesn't necessarilly mean that he is cleaved and bleeding. It could mean that he parried the blow, and is a little more tired than he was before.

In Spycraft and Starwars the have expanded on this model by changing HP to Vitality, and adding Wounds. When a character gets "hit" he looses Vitality, representing a wearing down as the character gets a "close call," the bullet (or whatever) misses him by mere millimeters. When Vitality is gone, he starts taking Wound damage, meaning he is actually taking damage.

In D&D the idea is the same, but the system is not as elaborate. When do characters actually start taking damage? When will a cleric feel compelled to use his god given power to heal? Would he use it to heal minor cuts and bruises that could be healed with a night or two of rest?

I believe that he would not. He would conserve his power to heal those who are near death, or dying of sickness. He recieves his powers from his god, and would not use them just because he can. The Heal skill would be used in place of magical healing.

What do you think?

 

[Chasmodai]

I've always seen HP and 'taking damage' as a combination of losing stamina and having actual wounds being inflicted on yourself. Taking 20 damage would possibly mean that you dodged the blow, but not well enough, so know you have a gash in your side or whatever.

As to when a cleric starts to heal people? Perhaps when someone is bleeding profusely (about a quarter HP gone). It does seem a bit metagame, but there's not much you can do about it. It may only be a few bruises and cuts, but the more winded you are, the less well you can dodge and parry future blows.

Hope that helps,
Chasmodai

 

[KarinsDad]

In D&D the idea is the same, but the system is not as elaborate. When do characters actually start taking damage?

Actually, in DND, the idea is different. Hit points represent actual damage and the ability to turn serious damage into lesser damage.

Characters actually start taking damage once they take one point of damage.

When will a cleric feel compelled to use his god given power to heal? Would he use it to heal minor cuts and bruises that could be healed with a night or two of rest?

I believe that he would not. He would conserve his power to heal those who are near death, or dying of sickness. He recieves his powers from his god, and would not use them just because he can. The Heal skill would be used in place of magical healing.

What do you think?

I think that the player should decide, not the DM.

If a Cleric uses up his spells to cure the party, then he does not have those spells to do other things. Pros and Cons.

I do not consider this metagaming. I consider it choice.

The PC is injured. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. From experience, the Cleric knows that if he is injured, even a little bit, the PC will not be as capable in the long run in a fight.

With the interpretation that minor injuries are not relevant both to the Cleric, and his God, this disagrees with the in game reality that characters cannot fight as long (on average) when wounded as when not wounded. I would think that both the Cleric and his God would be concerned about that.

 

[Nareau]

IMC, I just ask the characters to say, "Help, I'm moderately wounded!" We go by the "HP damage = visible cuts/bruises/burns" model. The HP system is so abstract as it is, I don't see any real value in having it represent anything so vague as "wearing you down."

Spider

 

[DM_Matt]

IMC, I just ask the characters to say, "Help, I'm moderately wounded!" We go by the "HP damage = visible cuts/bruises/burns" model. The HP system is so abstract as it is, I don't see any real value in having it represent anything so vague as "wearing you down."

Spider

IMC the party keeps enough wands and potions on hand that they never run out of healing in a day...If they cant spare the spells, they lose the money in consumables, but either way, everyone gets healed.