Ok another question, how do people generally handle healing spells? I don't have the pdf in front of me but if I recall the recommendation was something like 2hp paid for 1d6+1 healed.
I think it said that 1hp was (among other things) healing/harming one point, then add to get +1d6, etc.
Anybody have any other recommended variation for healing, regeneration, "temporary" hp, etc?
I love the system, allowing for open-ended spellcasting where you negotiate for the HP cost, but since that's new for me and my players I figure I'll get a few general ideas.
Also, have people had specific powers that you pay with a "once a day" cost vs the HP cost? Like the traditional paladin "lay on hands" ability?
Thanks!
Once a day powers are usually modeled with Specialist Training. Something like Paladin Healing: Once per day a Paladin can lay on hands to heal Level x 2 HP.
ReplyDeleteI'd have suggested the exact same thing as Brett Slocum for laying on hands.
ReplyDeleteIn my games, I don't remember much magical healing happening besides the occasional potion (which works just like in D&D). I suppose it's due to a mix of players avoiding fights, and the game being generous with overnight healing (1 hit die, plus food Δ if the player wants to roll it again after the normal daily use).
From memory, specialist training was more about being near-supernaturally good at a specific ability (so that you didn't have to test for it), where as "magic" was for supernatural abilities and you paid for them in some way.
ReplyDeleteLay hands, to me, is more "magic" than not, given it's healing powers. Making it a specialist ability would require that they take specialist and magical training, in addition to probably wanting combat, given they are paladins, which seems like a challenge for that kind of class.
My logic was that the point behind the HP-cost of magic is taht you can dial the effect up/down as you like (fire bolt vs fireball vs firewall, etc). Since this had a very specific ability, it seems reasonable to instead treat it as a daily.
For my game I think it'll be okay, we are already playing a bit fast and loose with powers/abilities in general (we lean more toward colab. storytelling vs. simulation) but didn't want to accidentally break the system.
Basically, how would you create a healer-type character?
You can certainly make laying on of hands be a spell, which means that they can cast it at will, as long as their HP holds out. A healer-type would have "Healing", "Neutralize Poison", "Regenerate Limb", "Remove Curse", etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Related, how would you handle innate magical/racial abilities? Like, for example, if a character has a natural regeneration ability (similar to how a troll works).
ReplyDeleteOne of my players would like to have a natural ability of regenerating an additional 1hp per day, would you treat this as a passive spell slot?
Another obvious example of the above would be darkvision, breathing underwater/amphibious, some kind of natural boost to armor, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis is for player characters, not NPCs/Monsters (Macchiato or otherwise...).
I'm not strict on the once per day Specialist Training. As long as the ability is restricted, and can't be used all the time, I'm okay with it. So Darkvision would be a Specialist slot since it only works in the dark. I'd do the same with breathing underwater. Not much call for it in the air, so it's limited enough.
ReplyDeleteI've also done things like "*Backstab*: double damage on a successful attack that the opponent didn't see coming." (I already give everyone Advantage on attacks the opponent didn't see coming.)
I tend to treat racial abilities as part as the trait. Dwarves see in the dark, frogfolk breathe underwater, ghosts go through walls, etc. I just make sure there are drawbacks to each race.
ReplyDeleteFor example, your troll character would have their free 1HP regeneration a day, but maybe they smell terrible? So they have to use a lot of perfume in social environments and are easy to track. If you talk to the player I'm sure they'll be happy to come up with something that they'd like to roleplay.
In any case, I wouldn't make a player use a spell or a ability for a small thing like this or darkvision.
Regarding spell like specialist abilities, it's something you decide for your campaign. If it feels too much like a spell, then you can certainly rule it needs to be a spell.
Thanks! Fortunately this player has a downside too (his spells do more damage to use than normal, but he has a weak passive daily regeneration).
ReplyDelete