D&D 5E Wheelchair options. Do these seem balanced?

[Jaeger]

Fighting in a wheelchair should be (more) disadvantageous than being on your feet. There's too many drawbacks especially in a combat scenario ...

Dude! I know right?

I don't see why fighting in a wheelchair should give disadvantage. Nothing stops you from swinging a maul or a rapier. ...

You have obviously never done any kind of fencing.

Someone in a wheelchair's compromised mobility is a dead man. It's inevitable.

I think the design would probably evolve though to meet some of these challenges. And there is magic to make something more resilient against things like orcs attacking the wheels.

Yes, like a level 1 heal spell. Then the PC can walk.

Or if the player insists it is a 'condition' of some type, then the group springs for a level 5 greater restoration spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

If the player insist that they have no legs, then the party springs for a level 7 regenerate spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

was thinking about this as well, there are SO many ways a fantasy world could solve the problem.

Like healing spells.

The willful suspension of disbelief required for people to treat the "combat wheelchair" as a viable and serious thing in high-magic D&D is truly next-level.

 

[Tonguez]

The willful suspension of disbelief required for people to treat the "combat wheelchair" as a viable and serious thing in high-magic D&D is truly next-level.

So a 1st level spell to restore full mobility to a person with paraplegia is fine but a healthy person in a wheelchair excelling at combat is willful suspension of disbelief?

I really do think people are missing the point and approaching this idea from an ablest perspective.

Nb
1. My father was tetraplegic for 22 years, so Im sensitive to these things
2. I hate Healing spells that do more than basic first aid can (hence I require a med kit or healer skill to use them)

 

[Voadam]

You have obviously never done any kind of fencing.

Someone in a wheelchair's compromised mobility is a dead man. It's inevitable.

I don't know, I have seen actual wheelchair fencing at competitions which was cool and impressive and so fantasy wheelchair fencing seems fine to me if you are already getting past the wheelchairs on not flat floors issue of general adventuring.

 

[Voadam]

Yes, like a level 1 heal spell. Then the PC can walk.

Obviously not. Use of your legs is not taken away or restored by hp (until you drop unconscious with functional legs).

Or if the player insists it is a 'condition' of some type, then the group springs for a level 5 greater restoration spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

Does not seem to be under the conditions cured by greater restoration.

Greater Restoration
5th-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (diamond dust w orth at least 100 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous
You imbue a creature you touch with positive energy to undo a debilitating effect. You can reduce the target’s exhaustion level by one, or end one of the following effects on the target:
• One effect that charmed or petrified the target
• One curse, including the target’s attunement to a cursed magic item
• Any reduction to one of the target’s ability scores
• One effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum

If the player insist that they have no legs, then the party springs for a level 7 regenerate spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

If they are an amputee then 7th level regenerate is a D&D traditional spell that can restore the lost limbs.

 

[MGibster]

So a 1st level spell to restore full mobility to a person with paraplegia is fine but a healthy person in a wheelchair excelling at combat is willful suspension of disbelief?

Both require willful suspension of disbelief it's just that we're used to one and not the other. I personally don't care if we just say the PC in the chair had enough training to overcome whatever disadvantages it would normally have. I'm a bit ambivalent about wheelchairs in D&D as they look a bit too modern for my tastes and it looks out of place. But if a player wanted the character to have one I'm unlikely to object.

 

[Tonguez]

Generally in wheelchair self defence the advice is to target the opponents knees, eyes, grappling the head or knockdowns. The general idea is to get the opponent prone so you both have limited mobility.
So grappler feat would be useful

 

[Bohandas]

Dude! I know right?



You have obviously never done any kind of fencing.

Someone in a wheelchair's compromised mobility is a dead man. It's inevitable.




Yes, like a level 1 heal spell. Then the PC can walk.

Or if the player insists it is a 'condition' of some type, then the group springs for a level 5 greater restoration spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

If the player insist that they have no legs, then the party springs for a level 7 regenerate spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.




Like healing spells.

The willful suspension of disbelief required for people to treat the "combat wheelchair" as a viable and serious thing in high-magic D&D is truly next-level.

Healing spells won't do anything if the person's legs were missing or non-functional to begin with

Have you ever seen the movie FDR: American Badass, where he had his wheel tricked out with werewolf fighting gear?

BTW, here's the clip (warning, some coarse language)

 

[jgsugden]

Just a few thoughts: Characters in D&D can do a lot of things that are not realistic. There is no reason why PCs in wheelchairs can't do the same as all the other PCs. The standard, to me, should be what tells a good story, not what simulates reality the best.

Easy access to a mending cantrip may be a good idea. In my setting I have common magic items that allow any to cast a specified cantrip three times a day, and many wands that can cast first level rituals or cantrips at will. They've never proven to be overpowered.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Yes, like a level 1 heal spell. Then the PC can walk.

Or if the player insists it is a 'condition' of some type, then the group springs for a level 5 greater restoration spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

If the player insist that they have no legs, then the party springs for a level 7 regenerate spell ASAP. Then the PC can walk.

The player wants to play a fantastic character like themselves? The party patronizes and insults the crap out of them until the leave the group to find a more couth and accepting one.

~Verisimilitude~ and ~Suspension of Disbelief~ are more important than including and being decent to people, apparently.

 

[Jaeger]

So a 1st level spell to restore full mobility to a person with paraplegia is fine but a healthy person in a wheelchair excelling at combat is willful suspension of disbelief?

I specifically said: "The willful suspension of disbelief required for people to treat the "combat wheelchair" as a viable and serious thing in high-magic D&D is truly next level."

It seems you accept that D&D has a lot of 'because dragons'. Especially with spells.

So since we have already established 'because dragons' with spells, it only follows that there is no need for a 'combat wheelchair' in a D&D high magic setting; because healing spells.

I don't know, I have seen actual wheelchair fencing at competitions which was cool and impressive and so fantasy wheelchair fencing seems fine to me if you are already getting past the wheelchairs on not flat floors issue of general adventuring.

Did you stick around for the fully ambulatory vs. wheelchair competition?

Does not seem to be under the conditions cured by greater restoration.

If your GM is being a restrictive pendant you might have to dig deeper into the spell list.

If you want to be picky; 6th level heal will do the trick. If you want to be really really picky; you have 9th level power word heal as a go to as well, which explicitly cures paralysis.

Healing spells won't do anything if the person's legs were missing or non-functional to begin with ...

Says who? We have already established 'because dragons' with spells. And power word heal explicitly cures paralysis.

If your legs were lopped off and never recovered; I'll readily concede that RAW standard healing spells don't cut the mustard.

Which is why the PC's party will spring for the Clone spell. Then the PC can walk.

... party patronizes and insults ... ~Verisimilitude~ and ~Suspension of Disbelief~ are more important than including and being decent to people, apparently.

What!? Who said anything about the party patronizing and insulting anyone?

How is wanting to cure a fellow party member and friend PC in a fantasy D&D game not being decent? That is a rather odd stance to take.

Why so restrictive?