Useless New WOTC Spell: Styptic

[Piratecat]

This is not nearly as funny as the potions of true resurrection.

"And he shouldn't go in swimming for.. what?"

"An hour!"

"An hour."

Of course, it depends on whether he's mostly dead or all dead. If he's all dead, there's only one thing you can do.

 

[Angcuru]

Of course, it depends on whether he's mostly dead or all dead. If he's all dead, there's only one thing you can do.

Go through his pockets for loose change.

 

[Hypersmurf]

As far as I can tell the "cure spells stop all bleeding" is more of a house rule that is widely accepted. As I read it, unless the healing has raised the character to full hit points, he or she may still be bleeding.

PHB p129 - Dying section, and Stable Character and Recovery section.

DMG p187 - Wounding weapon special ability.

There are only two occasions when a character is "bleeding". One is if he's below 0 hit points and not stable. The other is if he's been hit by a Wounding attack. A dying character who is cured with a CMiW is stabilised, and therefore no longer bleeding. And Wounding attacks are negated by any Cure spell - including CMiW.

-Hyp.

 

[Aristotle]

I can see that side of the argument. In fact "Wounding" seems to be the only section that directly discusses bleeding... but the spell says it stops bleeding from slashing, piercing, and wounding attacks. Which seems to imply that a character could be bleeding from any of those attacks, even if the character has not been reduced to 0 or fewer hit points.

It certainly makes sense that a character that has lost even a handful of hit points in a swordfight might have superficial cuts, which would certainly be bleeding. One doesn't loose additional hit points for this bleeding becuase it is relatively minor.

I'd rule that a cure spell (that does not fully cure the spell) may not close all of those wounds, and therefore some bleeding may still take place. This would make the spell in question useful, and seems (to me) to be what it implies.

I appear to be in the minority here, and the rules on exactly when a character is "bleeding" seem a bit vague. So I suppose the best I can do is agree to disagree and continue running my game in the way that makes the most sense to me.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It certainly makes sense that a character that has lost even a handful of hit points in a swordfight might have superficial cuts, which would certainly be bleeding. One doesn't loose additional hit points for this bleeding becuase it is relatively minor.

So the advantage of the spell is... what? You don't get blood on the innkeeper's clean sheets?

-Hyp.

 

[Aristotle]

So the advantage of the spell is... what? You don't get blood on the innkeeper's clean sheets?

As I mentioned above... There might be a number of reasons one might not want to be bleeding at all (even if that bleeding won't directly kill you). I suppose it comes down to how creative you are, and how evil your GM is.

Going with my two previous examples...

A character who has lost 50% or more of his hit points and is fleeing persuers had better bind those wounds or find another way to stop the bleeding, else they risk leaving a blood trail which would be quite easy to track.

If a group of characters were to jump into "shark infested waters" and one of those characters has taken wounds (read: is bleeding) and the others have not... The guy who is leaking is probably going to be the number one target for said sharks. Sucks to be him, huh?

 

[Vecna]

If a group of characters were to jump into "shark infested waters" and one of those characters has taken wounds (read: is bleeding) and the others have not... The guy who is leaking is probably going to be the number one target for said sharks. Sucks to be him, huh?

Does the spell remove blood from clothes too?

 

[Ravellion]

This is about as useful as a +1 Warhammer of Cure Light Wounds. Humourous, but useless.

You haven't fought undead lately now have you... or you can take a -4 to hit and do subdual damage to real targets. Which would heal both the subdual and the real damage...

Devil's advocate, Rav

 

[Enceladus]

It's useful to stem the blood flow from when you're unseen servant nicks you while shaving.

 

[Steverooo]

As far as I can tell the "cure spells stop all bleeding" is more of a house rule that is widely accepted. As I read it, unless the healing has raised the character to full hit points, he or she may still be bleeding.

Of course, my knowledge of the d20 rules is sketchy... So I may just be overlooking the obvious. Page references would be appreciated, so that I can justify the correct possition if and when such a thing comes up at one of my own games.

DMG:188; description of Wounding weapons.