My party has no healing magic!

[JoeGKushner]

I try to never force the party to be balanced. If everyone wants to play a fighter, I'm not going to punish them by not letting them hire a cleric, rogue and mage. Of course the motivations of those NPCs may be difficult to determine and there may be issues down the road that wouldn't crop up with standard PC's.

Alchemist are another rotue to go. The Complete Alchemist from Bard Games and Wizards of the Coast (originally Bard Games) has rules for different levels of alchemical potions. I generally try to let divine healing magic be superior, cheaper and 'cleaner' if you will than alchemical goods.

Encouraging the party to take feats that augments their natural healing ability is also one way to do things. I'd avoid making sure that everyone has some permenent healing items though like the old rings of regneration as they just might be a little too unstopable.

 

[hong]

Encouraging the party to take feats that augments their natural healing ability is also one way to do things. I'd avoid making sure that everyone has some permenent healing items though like the old rings of regneration as they just might be a little too unstopable.

I bags the ring of vampiric thread regeneration. Nothing like becoming a multi-post undead monster of the boards!

 

[Endur]

I have handled the no clerical healing problem in different ways in the past.

1) Do nothing (let the PCs handle it the hard way).

2) Make NPC temples and npc adventurer clerics available.

3) Let them buy magic items.

My preference is for the GM to do nothing. If the PCs see the need, let the PCs figure out how they will deal with it. Maybe the PCs don't see a need. Maybe the PCs are so tough that they can walk through adventures without injuries. Maybe they think they have plenty of magic items. Maybe they just don't care.

 

[Pseudonym]

My Tuesday game has a fighter, conjurer, rogue and a ranger. We're all second level in a low power, low magic world, so our lack of healing can be an issue.

We've been using the Vitality/Wound Points system from Hong's site, and it's worked out well. There's still a high element of risk every combat, but not so much that we need to rest for a week between encounters. Your group is higher level that ours, but it may work out just as well for you.

 

[Altalazar]

The easy solution: Stay in town. In fact, go to a different town, one with heavy military presence for protection. Then don't go out at night, and only go anywhere with an armed militia escort. Then you won't take any damage and won't need healing.

 

[DMScott]

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.

Hmm, problem might be in translation of perceptions - Magisters have more than a bit of healing by AU standards. If Tak keeps a couple of wands (or equivalent) of Battle Healing handy, your group should do OK.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Hmm, problem might be in translation of perceptions - Magisters have more than a bit of healing by AU standards. If Tak keeps a couple of wands (or equivalent) of Battle Healing handy, your group should do OK.

DMScott is correct. Magisters have access to all the healing spells in the game except exotic ones. And if they choose to take Exotic Spell, they can get that as well. The issue may be with your magister not wanting to suddenly be the party cleric. "What, I have to heal with my Arcane Blasts?"

Wands of Battle Healing are excellent choices. Since AU does not limit items to their traditional 3E slots, you can make any kind of charged item into a healing one. Consider bracers or amulets of heightened Battle Healing and some potions or oils of greater battle healing (1d6/caster level).

 

[Cbas10]

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.

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.

I'd simply do nothing. If I were in your position, I certainly would not give myself extra work in the form of extra NPCs who were not planned, extra rules that serve only to make healing classes worthless, etc etc. The only concession I might give is to have a little bit less undead roaming around or whatever. Then again, groups without clerics should realize that they should either (A) avoid undead instead of fighting them all (this option only works when the DM is not railroading the players down a specific adventrue) or (B) go recruit one from a nearby city. There are times when characters must simply retreat, run, and flee; players should never be penalized for such, else they will routinely fight to the death like their 3rd Life in a video game.

It seems like they are certainly not newbie players, so if they want to play a game without a healer, let them. I've played in games like that before. Sure, it was a bit more challenging, but it was our choice, after all.

 

[eryndel]

Something I had thought of using for a low magic campaign was the Treat Injury skill from d20 Modern. I don't have the book in front of me but it allows you to heal a few hp with a successful skill check (more with the Surgery feat, but Surgery isn't really thematically appropriate to a medieval game.) Since it eats into the accepted role of the cleric, if you don't like the balance of the skill change you can simply require a feat in order to allow a character to use the Treat Injury abilities.

 

[frankthedm]

My party has no healing magic!

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