Wand of healing: Everybody pitch in?

[Aberzanzorax]

Our group has a debate going about wands of healing (cure light wounds level 1).

It is smarter to just drop the 750gp on a wand of healing than it is to use up cleric spells, particularly higher level spells on "between fights" healing.

That's not the debate. We all agree on that (though some of you may not).

The question is, who should pay for it? Should this come out of party treasure?

One member of our group is opposed to that, stating that the cleric's role is to heal, and hence should buy that as his own treasure (just as the fighter has to buy his or her own magic weapon). He argues that everyone benefits when the wizard casts fireball or uses a wand to do so, and this is also true for the cleric.

Alternately, other members of the group claim that healing is different and more of a communal resource. Hence, the group should pitch in for the wand, but with the expectation that it is used for/on them whenever requested (as they own a stake in it).

Finally, a "compromise" is for every player to buy their OWN wand, and that is all the "between battle" healing that they get-they get it from their own wand with their own charges.

What do you all think?

 

[Kask]

The question is, who should pay for it? Should this come out of party treasure?

Here is an apt analogy; If your group was a self funded commando group (soldiers of fortune), would you make the medic pay for the groups medical supplies? Would you require individuals pay for their ammo? Would you require the heavy weapons expert pay for the RPGs? Or, would you guys be a team?

 

[Vurt]

When dividing up loot, my group generally throws in an extra share for the "party", which is then used for party expenses like cure-sticks, potions, bags of holding, diamonds and/or diamond dust for raise dead and the like.

In practice this seems to work very well for us. Think of it like paying for insurance.

 

[Bardsandsages]

The cleric's roll is not to heal. The cleric's roll is to tend to the needs of his flock (or his allies). Considering the range of potent buff and support spells clerics have, why anyone would think the cleric should just be healing is beyond me.

If it is possible to buy a wand of healing (and honestly the entire logic of this arguement assumes a Magical Walmart approach to the setting) then if the group wants the cleric to heal, the group should pay for the healing.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever played with a group that DIDN'T have the players helping each other out, even with magic weapons. Our group generally allots so much of the treasure we find to "group funds" just for things like this. The group fund gets assigned an equal share of the loot, and that money is used for stuff that benefits the entire party. Generally, this is used for expendable items (wands, potions, scrolls, room and board, etc). Not just to upgrade permanent gear. And yeah, if we can get our hands of a wand of fireballs for the mage so he can save some of his spell slots, your damn straight we'll take that out of the group funds.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Every group I was with always just pitched in on the cost. Everyone who could use one was provided with a wand. We'd occasionally have someone who didn't want to pitch in but they'd usually change their tune after a long combat where the "Healer" had blown through their daily spells and wouldn't use a charge from the group wand to heal the injured penny pincher.

 

[Kask]

If it is possible to buy a wand of healing (and honestly the entire logic of this arguement assumes a Magical Walmart approach to the setting)

I agree but the OP's DM obviously is running that type of game. So, best to stick to the problem at hand.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Let me clarify that requiring the cleric to pay for it is not my position, but that of someone in our group. As such, I might fail to adequately present his points. But, I'll give it a shot:

He isn't against party treasure for things like raise dead for a fallen party member. He is against it for the day to day use of stuff. Our group has always used personal treasure for things like a wand of fireballs, which is why I brought that up.

He once made the comparison of the wand of healing to a thief's having to put ranks into disable device. It's a chore that comes with the class. It's not the only role (I may have overcharacterized it with that word) but it is a part of their "job"...the unpleasant part (or the part with little glory).


Personally, I think the wand of healing is different in that it really and truly benefits everyone in ways that a fireball does not. Healing means a longer day for everyone, and it means that one party member doesn't have to use up combat potential in order to just keep the ball rolling. Are there other ways people see this as different, or do you think it really is the same as a wand of fireballs?

Edit: Yes it is a mage mart kind of game. (But what if the wands were created by the pcs with magic item crafting feats? Would that make a difference?)

 

[Kask]

He is against it for the day to day use of stuff. Our group has always used personal treasure for things like a wand of fireballs, which is why I brought that up.

The best way to handle is to have everyone else chip in and tell him that he won't get it used on him.

Problem solved.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

HA!

It's not that he is being a jerk, it's that he has a real philosophical difference with the idea of group vs player treasure.

If it wasn't used on him, he'd still expect the cleric to use spells up on him.


Also, notably, he has played clerics and still sticks to his guns on this idea. (i.e. either pays for the wand himself or uses up his healing spells)

 

[ExploderWizard]

It really comes down to the personalities involved. Both sides of the argument make sense depending on point of view. From a player/metagame perspective it can be good to make all magic purchases communal no matter who uses the items in order to make the team better overall.

From a roleplaying standpoint, if there are very greedy/miserly personalities involved then it might be down to pay per use charges being levied upon anyone needing a charge from the "cleric's" wand.