If I eliminated the cleric class....

[mmadsen]

You have quite a few healing options:

1. Use a Wound/Vitality system (a la Star Wars), where (a) low-level characters start with more hit points (Con + D&D hp), and (b) most injuries (the Vitality part) heal quickly without magic.
2. Use a Defense bonus (again, a la Star Wars), so characters will get hit less often.
3. Apply armor as DR not AC. (OK, not exactly a healing issue, but something to think about.)
4. Allow Wizards & Sorcerers to cast healing spells (and whatever other spells you'd like them to have).
5. Allow alchemical healing potions.
6. Allow Healing skill (perhaps with the help of Knowledge[Nature]) to heal significant damage via healing herbs, etc.

 

[Akunin]

Are you ditching Druids, as well?

 

[wolfpunk]

In my campaign setting, I did something along the lines of removing the cleric. I made the cleric an npc class only. I created a detailed panthenon, and the npc priest classes for each one. The players now have to go to clerics for healing etc. The benefit of this is, I can make it cost money, I can make it cost a mission, I can make it cost whatever I feel equates to an equivalent trade. By making various different deities, I can have it so that a priest one on deity might not heal them, or would make it very expensive, and yet a different deity would do it for free. I have a detailed list of what temples and shrines exist in which place. The players simply have to find the one where they think their chances are the best.

It has worked pretty well. It makes it a bit more lethal combat wise, but I have made non-magical versions of healing potions, and medicine kits and things like that to compensate a bit.l

 

[Buttercup]

Are you ditching Druids, as well?

As a player class, yes. They will be on a new and different world, so a player druid wouldn't have the requisite familiarity with the planet. Perhaps, down the road that could change. I doubt it though.

 

[Buttercup]

You know, I'm liking the implications of this more and more. The gods of this new world could be indifferent, or even capricious. The players could encounter communities/cults that were trying to appease some god or other, to no avail. And without clerics, I wouldn't have to fuss with domains. There could be hundreds of deities worshiped, with about the same payback you would get from praying to the tree in your back yard.

I like this very much indeed.

 

[Darklone]

Well...

I had a campaign where the players were not allowed to start as clerics at first. I had some first aid rules and upgraded healing as well as giving lesser healing spells to arcane casters (I never understood why they should not be able to heal in the first case... flavor? bah. That's not flavour for me).

Things I used there:

- healing for arcane casters. Not much and long casting time.
- First aid. A heal check right after combat cured some hitpoints.
- Alchemy skill and profession herbalist allowed some DC 15 healing potions.
- All healed damage was converted into subdual btw.
- If you got healed, you got half your con mod plus BAB back to show that hardy chars don't take longer to heal. For higher level spells this was multiplied with spelllevel. This upgraded healing spells, so the few sorcerers and wizzies didn't had to use all their spells for healing.

The WoT rules with healing converting into subdual damage stopped the D&D typical fighter-goes-down-fighter-is-healed-up and goes down again ... If you don't like that stand up game, use something like that.

Later in the game the players got a cleric, but the group splitted up more than once and they still survived several combats in a row without losses and healing.

Buttercup? this is the campaign with halfdwarves and no halforcs, elves, gnomes and so?

Read Old Ones halfdwarves (khazardyn)? Btw, if you do this as PBeM, gimme a call

 

[Buttercup]

Re: Well...

Buttercup? this is the campaign with halfdwarves and no halforcs, elves, gnomes and so?

Read Old Ones halfdwarves (khazardyn)? Btw, if you do this as PBeM, gimme a call

\

Actually, Darklone, this is preliminary work for an actual real world game. My message board game has the features you mention. (I can't stand elves, so if I'm gonna DM, then it's rule 0 for the obnoxious little gits.) However, the message board game has 8 players and a waiting list. But if I need a player in the future, I'll keep you in mind.

 

[Darklone]

Ah!

Another member of the F.A.E... (Federation against elves)

Btw, how did your city episode work? Got a little storyhour for us ?

 

[Buttercup]

They're still in the city. One of them has been captured, they have a big honking magic sword in their possession that they recently discovered belongs to a Duke who wants it back very badly, there appear to be multiple conspiracies going on, involving slavers, a religious prophecy, a snake lady, a poisoner and a wizard's familiar that might really be a demon, and tomorrow (game time) a riotous 3 day festival that happens only once every 14 years begins.

But other than that, it's pretty quiet.

At least two of my players come here, so I don't want to say too much. Perhaps I will do a story hour when they finish up in the city.

 

[Darklone]

But other than that, it's pretty quiet.

At least two of my players come here, so I don't want to say too much. Perhaps I will do a story hour when they finish up in the city.

That's how I like it. There's nothing like a day off work in the city to relax!