HEAL spell?

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

Comments?
Heal (T) (IQ 14)

So, this spell was dropped?

[Chris Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Anomylous

- I'm surprised that the new Regeneration spell is only IQ 15. I would have expected it to be higher. That said, I like it - it fits really well with the paradigm of "magic healing is thorough but takes time; Physicker healing is a quick but limited Band-Aid."

Regeneration is IQ 15, but Summon Lesser Demon, which the caster can use to get a Lesser Wish (which can act like Regeneration only instantly) is IQ 14 and has a lower ST cost. Admittedly getting there via summoning a demon is more risky and fraught with danger, but the Lesser Wish is definitely the way to go if you have the choice.

(The Lesser Wish also can be had by anyone for 500 XP. And it's specified elsewhere that Wishes are only granted by demons. So does that 500 XP involve consorting in some way with a demon? Answer: No, it's more meta than that. But that also means that a Lesser Wish can be seen as a form of "drama points" as seen in some other RPGs. Which IMO is a good thing.)

[larsdangly]

Yes, the lesser wish EXP rule is very good. Very very good. It assigns a substantial but reachable cost for something desirable and cinematic yet not wildly over powered. This will act as a release valve for PC's who have functionally saturated their stats and have all the talents or spells they meaningfully want or need given their IQ level. People will get to this stage after ~10,000 EXP, or about 2 years of normal play, and the they will feel frustrated unless they have something fun to work towards.

[Chris Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

Heal (T) (IQ 14)

...

Comments: There is no HEAL spell in the original game because of concerns that it would make an adventuring party too self-sufficient. I no longer think that is a big problem.
I can imagine making it IQ 13, but no easier; this should be a spell that most wizards don’t have.
Perhaps a Master Physicker who knows this spell would restore lost hits at only 2 ST each? I like synergies between Master Physicker and other kinds of healing.

It's a higher IQ requirement than Drain Strength (IQ 12) used in "reverse", and costs less than Drain Strength. I might make it cost at least as much as Drain Strength. I think the IQ requirement is fine; maybe require Drain Strength and Physicker as prerequisites, and make it cost a total of 5 ST, 4 of which are magical fatigue and 1 as a wound, to heal 1 ST. Maybe Master Physicker reduces it to 3 ST to heal 1, but 1 of those is still taken as a wound. And the wounding portion of that must be incurred as a wound by the caster (or by someone, and it must be voluntary); you can't use additional ST via Staff II, Powerstone, or Aid to offset that, though you can for the 4 magical fatigue. (Though... you can use a Healing Potion to offset it, because that's what Healing Potions are for...)

[Chris Goodwin]

I'd also recommend that when a Physicker or Master Physicker uses a Healing Potion on someone, they can heal additional ST with it. Because they know what they're doing; they're essentially reducing the amount of potion required to heal a given amount of ST.

[Skarg]

I'm so relieved and happy NOT to see that healing spell in the new ITL.

I do not think that ability 4) of the Lesser Wish means that you can restore lost body parts that wouldn't grow back naturally - I think it just restores all your ST and cures diseases.

I think the Lesser Wish for XP thing is a good idea, but I would tend to restrict it to ability 2 & 3, and more limited versions of 1 (like you get to take the best of three rolls if you wish in advance, but not specify a 3 or 18), 4 (like, you get to not die from damage once, and maybe somehow you weren't hurt as bad as you should have been, but no your wounds don't magically vanish), and 5 (spending XP for an insight sounds ok, but not a forced answer to any question).

I don't want my world to know a regeneration spell - too easy, too cheap, and makes crippled people only for the poor or foolish - greatly reduced significance of severe injury - no more nobles or veterans who lost and arm or leg in their adventures. I don't want that, at all. At most, I'd want limb restoration to require something rare, uncertain, dangerous, expensive, and/or interesting to be invested, if possible at all. Otherwise it's too much of removing something I like and find interesting (and realistic/immersive - losing an arm is an actual thing not a temporary setback) from the game.

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by Skarg

I don't want my world to know a regeneration spell - too easy, too cheap, and makes crippled people only for the poor or foolish - greatly reduced significance of severe injury - no more nobles or veterans who lost and arm or leg in their adventures. I don't want that, at all. At most, I'd want limb restoration to require something rare, uncertain, dangerous, expensive, and/or interesting to be invested, if possible at all. Otherwise it's too much of removing something I like and find interesting (and realistic/immersive - losing an arm is an actual thing not a temporary setback) from the game.

Fair enough, though when I suggested the spell it was with the caveat that such healing magic was rare and those who practiced it tended to either dwell in remote locations or be protected and controlled by powerful political interests. So if one wanted to regain some lost aspect, it involved a labourious trek or cajoling/bribing the local lord to grant it to you. It's not a simple "run down to the market for some healing" thing, at least not as I propose it. But certainly making it commonly available takes away a lot from the game, as does any kind of magic that lets one escape the consequences of their actions.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by Shadekeep

Fair enough, though when I suggested the spell it was with the caveat that such healing magic was rare and those who practiced it tended to either dwell in remote locations or be protected and controlled by powerful political interests. So if one wanted to regain some lost aspect, it involved a labourious trek or cajoling/bribing the local lord to grant it to you. It's not a simple "run down to the market for some healing" thing, at least not as I propose it. But certainly making it commonly available takes away a lot from the game, as does any kind of magic that lets one escape the consequences of their actions.

Sure. In such a world, where finding someone who can cast it is an interesting non-trivial adventure, I'd not mind that at all.

And since about 1989 I've been in the habit of tracking what spells are known by who where in my homebrew campaign worlds.

The default setting assumption in Cidri though is that there are powerful wizards for hire organized into Wizards Guilds which you can find in practically any city, so the default assumption would be that if the spell is known, the guild would do what they could to get it, write it down, teach it, and offer it as a service.

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by Skarg

The default setting assumption in Cidri though is that there are powerful wizards for hire organized into Wizards Guilds which you can find in practically any city, so the default assumption would be that if the spell is known, the guild would do what they could to get it, write it down, teach it, and offer it as a service.

Yes, in that situation it makes healing magic too potent and prevalent. I view it in a campaign setting as more like health care in our world - not every procedure is available, when it's available it might not be accessible, and when it's accessible it may not be affordable. So a talent like Regeneration might exist, but only a handful of mages have put in the work to master it, the waiting list to see one such mage may be years long, and a new arm might cost an arm and a leg. ^_^

I concur that making it common takes away a lot of the colour and character of life in the world. I definitely intend access to the powerful forms to be quests unto themselves, such as "take the old blind scholar to the remote temple so that his sight can be restored and he can translate the mysterious scroll for you". But generally speaking, old Hragnar down at the pub who lost an eye in battle is going to have to content himself with an eyepatch.

[Oneiros]

Originally Posted by Skarg

I'm so relieved and happy NOT to see that healing spell in the new ITL.

Well, the PDF we backers received is only a draft at this point. Never say never ;)