Healing Without a Cleric....

[FCWesel]

I was trying to figure out a way to make those groups without magical healing talent a bit more self sufficient in the ways of healing. This would also be helpful in worlds were magical healing is rarer or non-existent.

The HEAL skill could be used this way:
For every 5 points rolled on a Heal Check the Healer could aid someone in taking 1D3 HP in damage and converting it into Non-Lethal/Subdual damage.

A character can receive only 1 heal check per encounter.



Ointments of Wound Relief:
This herbal (or even alchemical) ointment heals 1D8 HP outright and another 1D8 additional HP damage is turned into Non-Lethal/Subdual damage.

A character can receive only gain benefit from this 2/day.



Thoughts?

 

[Stalker0]

I think T&B has an alchemical healing salve that heals 1d8. But I like the idea of converting to subdual.

 

[Altalazar]

That's one way. Another is to have NPC healing available, for a price.

Yet another is the tried-n-true wand of healing that can do cure light wounds, with a lot of charges (to get the characters through the early years...) or perhaps with a limited use per day. But then you'd need someone able to use it. Perhaps an item not as specific to class for use would be better.

The last option is just have everyone be REALLY careful.

 

[Nifft]

A Bard, Druid, Ranger, or Paladin + some Wands of Cure Light Wounds... who needs a Cleric?

-- N

 

[Darklone]

A Bard, Druid, Ranger, or Paladin + some Wands of Cure Light Wounds... who needs a Cleric?

-- N

I had a campaign once... the group was level 5 before they had a cleric. The Fast Healer feat was pretty popular and having a safe place to rest for a week was pretty important for survival.

 

[Ian O'Rourke]

I ran a shot campaign with no Clerical healing (it was a mythical version of Europe - think Robin of Sherwood) and I found the Omega World rules worked perfectly.

The characters had their HP and a HP Pool. The HP Pool was set to the same amount as their HP. The rules:

(1) Any damage was taken from HP

(2) Characters could xfer damage from the Pool to their HP between scenes

(3) Characters healed at twice the normal rate and the HP was healed first and then the pool

(4) Any healing that did exist healed the Pool

This has numerous effects:

(1) Characters last twice as long without any single battle being effected (as they can only xfer between scenes)

(2) All healing is done outside of combat

(3) All healing can be described as anything as it is only healing the Pool, not real HP, so it may be bard giving inspiration, a Bard applying a salve, whatever.

It worked really well.

 

[Nifft]

I suppose Druids count as Clerics, but if not, I had a party of Ranger, Wizard, Druid, Fighter/Aristocrat that made it to level 10 without ever having a Cleric.

-- N

 

[jgsugden]

A character rogue (with a decent UMD skill), paladin, ranger, druid, or bard can heal PCs with wands of CLW, CMW or CSW. They provide a lot of healing punch, though they'll need a few restoration, remove curse, remove disease, etc ... scrolls as well.

This is by far the best mothod of keeping a cleric-less party healthy. If the PC cleric can not make it to a session, I often drop a few extra healing potions or a low charge healing wand into an early treasure chest to keep the PCs afloat.

 

[Ferox4]

I ran a shot campaign with no Clerical healing (it was a mythical version of Europe - think Robin of Sherwood) and I found the Omega World rules worked perfectly.

The characters had their HP and a HP Pool. The HP Pool was set to the same amount as their HP. The rules:

(1) Any damage was taken from HP

(2) Characters could xfer damage from the Pool to their HP between scenes

(3) Characters healed at twice the normal rate and the HP was healed first and then the pool

(4) Any healing that did exist healed the Pool

This has numerous effects:

(1) Characters last twice as long without any single battle being effected (as they can only xfer between scenes)

(2) All healing is done outside of combat

(3) All healing can be described as anything as it is only healing the Pool, not real HP, so it may be bard giving inspiration, a Bard applying a salve, whatever.

It worked really well.

Okay, but what happens if a character dies during a battle?

I am starting a new, low-magic campaign and this thread interested me because I need some alternatives for healing.

Camapigning w/o a Cleric can be pretty hazardous - they are arguably the most powerful class in 3.x. (And no, I am not looking to debate this point).

Cheers

 

[dvvega]

Okay, but what happens if a character dies during a battle?

I am starting a new, low-magic campaign and this thread interested me because I need some alternatives for healing.

Camapigning w/o a Cleric can be pretty hazardous - they are arguably the most powerful class in 3.x. (And no, I am not looking to debate this point).

Cheers

As many have mentioned, there are at least 4 classes with cure spells on their spell lists. A wand of CLW is the most cost-effective way to handle healing amongst a non-clerical party.

The alchemical salve is 50gp for 1d8, expensive, however in low-magic it would be worth it to have on hand. One note is that it takes a full-round to heal, so it wouldn't save someone on -9 (depending on timing).

It would really depend on what you mean by low-magic. If you mean removing clerics from the world (they being rare or something) then the above comments are valid.

If you are removing all magic to NPC status (sort of like a Lankhmar-esque world) where there were no clerics, but Black/White Wizards which filled the role of Wizard and Cleric then either up the healing rate to something like 1 hp/level per day no matter what, double if resting.

One thing you MUST be aware of however is the lack of restoration spells that will occur with no clerics. Ability damage will be much more dangerous if it is permanent.