My party has no healing magic!

[blackshirt5]

OR more precisely, very little.

I'm starting a game very soon(Monday! Monday! Monday!), and I've got the cast of characters assembled. Unfortunately, something has been lost in the translation(from D&D 3rd to AU/FCtF): healing.

Agon, formerly a Holy Warrior/Fighter, is now a Warmain 1/Hero 10/Specialist 1.
Angcuru, formerly a Ranger, is now Hero 6/Unfettered 6.
Greymore, the party's former Cleric/Fighter, is now a Warmain 1/Hero 8/Specialist 2/Gadgeteer 1.
Tak, the Party Wizard, is now an Unfettered 1/Magister 10/Hero 1.

And there's still a new 5th character, but he's either an Oathsworn/Hero or an Unfettered/Hero with ghosting powers.

So, there's really very little healing(Tak has a bit, but he's mostly a combat and utility mage).

What should I do about this? Agon and Greymore especially don't have a ton of HP, being mostly Hero Levels.

 

[GrayIguana]

I just had this with my new group of PCs. It actually worked out great. The group has mainly fighter types and all were at 4th level.

Paladin
AU Giant 3/ Barbarian 1
Ranger
Ranger

I compensated for a lack of a cleric by allowing the characters to discover an alchemist who could sell them potions. They poored a fair portion of their wealth into healing potions, and visited the paladin's temple for dire emergencies. The group had to negotiate a lot, but in the end they eliminated so many threats that more NPCs ended up owing them favors.

The adventure was also entirely outdoors. They were hunting an enemy with many minions and would enter lairs that would only contain 4 to 5 encounters at most, so there were no long dungeon dives.

It was probably one of the best sessions we've had in a long time, and no one felt forced to play the cleric.

 

[kirinke]

hmmm

what you could do is allow one of the characters the ability to heal, say cure light wounds, mass 3x a day. that might work. yes it is a plot device and a quick one at that and later on, you could take it away for some reason or another.

 

[blackshirt5]

Ah; well this will contain long dungeon dives; also they'll probably be spending a decent amount of time away from civilization, as it isn't efficient to run back to the boat and sail to their Port City(it's a few days sailing sometimes).

 

[blackshirt5]

what you could do is allow one of the characters the ability to heal, say cure light wounds, mass 3x a day. that might work. yes it is a plot device and a quick one at that and later on, you could take it away for some reason or another.

Eh, I think that'd end up throwing the game out of balance; there is a Healing power in FCTF, but nobody has it yet, they could always take it later on when they level up.

Right now I think I might end up going with a proliferation of healing potions and the ability to hire mercenary healers(which was always gonna be there anyway; the port city they're in has a subculture of adventurers that they can hire all types of mercenaries from).

 

[WonkaMania]

This is looking similar to what is going to happen in my campaign, no one is going to be playing a cleric. Solution? Simple!

They are a group of adventurers, right? They know that there are such things as clerics, and that none of them are one. They know that they need the services of a cleric.. so... they go out and hire one! Either someone gains a cohort/follower, or they just pick up a new equal member to the group, roleplayed by you!

~Wonka

 

[Crothian]

I have the same problem. I have done two things. The first was expand the heaql skill so that it can heal HP. But they need a check of 20+ to actually heal more then 2 hp using the skill. The other was allow them to find a rod that casts cure light wounds 5/day. It happens to be the first part of the rod of seven parts, so it helps them and sets up future plot.

 

[blackshirt5]

Hmm; I like that last idea, Crothian. I like it a lot.

*Begins plotting a story that will require them to go throughout the archipelago and raid multiple dungeons, racing against time vs. another group of adventurers working for a demon*

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

Well, I was going to suggest having them rescue a cleric from one of the dungeons, but you'll probably get more mileage out of Crothian's idea.

Also, wands of curing are pretty inexpensive considering what you get out of them. But I'm not familiar enough with AU classes to know whether or not anyone could use such a wand.

If you do get a rod, let's hope they know how to use it. One group of mine found a rod of healing and it took them something like four days to realize that they could use it to cure the blindness on the poor paladin.

I was wondering- where's the quote in your sig from? A story hour or game log?

 

[blackshirt5]

My Werewolf one, I oughta take down as I'm updating and expanding it; it's based on a chronicle from 4 years ago, when I was 16 and still in high school, but it's expanded and rewritten in some places, so that continuity(pop culture, like Matrix Reloaded reference in the first chapter) and characterization(I remember a few choice occasions where my character concept was seriously messed with by the DM); plus, the 5th member of the pack was seriously forgettable(seriously! I can't even remember what he was all about!) and thus replaced with Standing Stone. Also, it focuses more on Colin "Mav" O'Russ, especially his romance with Greta, something I didn't feel like doing in a group full of guys.

And Isles of Adventure and Danger: Castle Zelyon is gonna be a game log once we start(this Monday).

I might later on put up some of the "Chronicles of Hanza Ro", which is the story of the Last Valor Knight, Hanza Ro, as he travels the world, seeking to rescue his daughter from his former mentor, Kaeyel Jax, and avenge his wife's murder at the hands of the Dragon Knights.