Healing Without a Cleric....

[CCamfield]

If you can search, this topic has come up several times in House Rules.

My humble solution when running an adventure for a clericless party was to give combat healing a DC of 15 - target's Con bonus, which would heal 1 hp per level of the character. Limit 1/encounter.

 

[Henry]

My preference is to let the party live with their actions, because in a party without a healer, simply resting is no longer the time-consumer it once was.

In the "old days," you gained 1 hit point per day, and only if you rested. After a week, the rate bumped up a bit, but it was still SLOW.

Now, due to over half of the core classes having curing magic, having magic items able to cure, having very fast heal rates of 1 hit point per level per day, etc., you have characters that even when thrashed within an inch of their lives, are usually out of commission for no more than 10 to 15 days!

If a party wants to heal faster than that, they need at the very least a druid, in my opinion. But the heal skill bumping up is a passable way to do it, if you are determined to have the party heal faster.

 

[AeroDm]

You may be suprised at how little healing is actually needed. Without a cleric game time goes slower because people actually rest for a week to recoop (something that I think is good/realistic). They spend their money on healing potions that they then use like water which is a great way to be able to throw treasure at players without it overpowering them. They are cautious, creative, and actually fear for their lives.

I had a group with a bard/fighter, a paldin, and a ranger. In this camp I also allowed the Heal skill to return 1 hp/10 on the DC useable 1/day. They all had minor healing abilities and the heal skill, which allowed them to recover quite well. A few GP sunk in a wand of cure light and a cleric wasn't even missed.

 

[Ian O'Rourke]

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

Well, that is the point, in any particular battle the character has no more HP than normal. So if they die, due to loss fo HP, they are dead.

The Reserve is just meant to simulate the HP given be healing AND the ability of action heroes to have a lot of blood on them in a fight but be relatively fighting fit for the next fight.

It worked well for me anyway, other people may have different viewpoints.

 

[dvvega]

Well, that is the point, in any particular battle the character has no more HP than normal. So if they die, due to loss fo HP, they are dead.

The Reserve is just meant to simulate the HP given be healing AND the ability of action heroes to have a lot of blood on them in a fight but be relatively fighting fit for the next fight.

It worked well for me anyway, other people may have different viewpoints.

By supplying this hit point pool, you're essentially giving them a personal cleric. In fact its much better than a cleric since it doesn't run out of spells, draw AOO, require concentration, etc.

 

[CCamfield]

By supplying this hit point pool, you're essentially giving them a personal cleric. In fact its much better than a cleric since it doesn't run out of spells, draw AOO, require concentration, etc.

Except, if you'd read the post closely, it's not accessible during a fight.

Ian, I think it's a pretty good idea for a really heroic feel.

 

[Beholder Bob]

What type of low magic world are you going for? My own game is low magic, so there are few classes available with healing, let alone magic items such as potions and wands. The method I use are a limited number of quasi-magic (more amazing then magic) alchemical and herbal concoctions:

30 gp, 25 DC Alchemy Healing Salve This sticky green paste requires a full round to rub into a wound, healing 1d4 damage. A creature can benefit from this only 1/day. This is weaker then tome & blood alchemical healing item, but the one they list is practically a potion of healing (it heals 1 hp less, but is much cheaper to make!!)

15 gp, 17 DC Herbalism Healer's Kiss Ointment When this green ointment is applied with a successful stabilize check, it heals a creature at negative HP's by 1 HP damage, but more then 1 treatment a day causes 1 temporary CON damage per extra application.
35 gp, 22 DC Herbalism Healing Paste This blue paste is rubbed into a creatures wound, healing 1d6 HP. A creature can benefit from this only 1/day.
50 gp, 20 DC Herbalism Healing Broth This sweet juice fills a mason jar aids the body to heal itself after sleeping 8+ hours, healing them HP = their HD.

Other then that - I do allow the healing skill to be used to increase the minimum amount healed from spells, salve, paste, and ointment:

Healing: can be used to enhance magic or psionic healing, taking 1 full minute per die of healing with item, spell, ability, or psionic power – to increase the minimum number rolled with the healing. Both subject & healer are prone & provoke attacks of opportunity. A natural 1 results in minimal healing results (as if all 1’s were rolled). The new minimum may never exceed the die type rolled.

DC 20 1 becomes a 2
DC 25 1-2 becomes a 3
DC 30 1-3 becomes a 4
DC 35 1-4 becomes a 5

 

[Gwarok]

Our campaign handles damage in this way. Until your HP have been dropped to below your CON, its all subdual damage. After that, the damage reflects actual damage to your body resulting in -2 to most checks and rolls, and a movement penalty. I like this system alot and it removes some of the goofy possibilities of a guy actually taking a few dozens sword hits to the face and still being up to a few more hours of dungeon crawling.

And since the damage is mostly subdual, it comes back with a few hours rest. Healing is still needed of course for the really tough fights, but all in all its a bit more realistic.

 

[AuraSeer]

Healing hp is great, but don't forget all the other ways to get injured. Clerics have spells to deal with disease, poison, ability damage, and so on. In order to prepare for all these, a clericless party needs to spend a lot of money on potions and scrolls.

 

[Beholder Bob]

Healing hp is great, but don't forget all the other ways to get injured. Clerics have spells to deal with disease, poison, ability damage, and so on. In order to prepare for all these, a clericless party needs to spend a lot of money on potions and scrolls.

Ahh - but in a low magic world, these clerics are less common, and so are the potions and scrolls (and one would assume more valuable then, too, so more expensive). Healing skill becomes very important, as does masterwork healers kits, and additional herbal & alchemical products. Also, professional healers become the most important visit when going into a town/city after a rough adventure. These types of damage, too, should also reduce in frequency - less magic sources to hit you with them.