03-11-2016, 03:31 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
|
[RPM] Limits on Healing
I'm working on a handout for a low fantasy campaign, very much in the vein of Leiber, Howard and Asprin's Thieves' World anthologies. I'm taking a few flavor cues from the d20 version of Thieves' World, and among one of the principles I'd like to adapt is limitations on healing magic. Basically, straight-on patch-the-wound-healing magic does not exist. Magic does not have to power to directly restore; instead, "healing" is done through transferring damage to another subject (much like the Empathetic version of the Healing advantages presented in Powers), it has some price that affects the healed individual, or it can, at best, only accelerate the healing process.
This would of course greatly limit the effects of Restore Body in RPM. My players are fine with the idea of healing magic working like this, but I'd love some advice on the mechanics. Should my notes on RPM in the handout simply include a clause that states something along the lines of: "RPM cannot directly heal without some sort of catch, and all rituals aimed at healing the body must include effects to accommodate this." |
03-11-2016, 04:20 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Kenai, Alaska
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Well you could just outlaw Greater path of body effects. With a lesser effect the best healing magic could do is double whatever current first aid healing is. Now if you're just TL3 first aid shock treating is 1d6-3 and that includes the 1hp from bandaging. So you'd be looking at the greatest possible instant healing spell restoring 1d6-2 or just 2 hp when it's cast. For comparison GURPS says modern TL8 median can heal twice that in 10 minutes.
|
03-11-2016, 04:38 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Lancashire, UK
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Another suggestion: you could have a house rule making the burning HP a mandatory part of fuelling healing rituals. For example, specifying that at least 20% of the power accumulated must come from this source (adjust figure to suit, naturally). This would have the advantage of scaling to however big a ritual a character wants to produce.
|
03-11-2016, 06:18 AM | #4 | ||
Join Date: Feb 2016
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
03-11-2016, 06:50 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: USA, Arizona, Mesa
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
You could rule that all Healing effects are actually Salving effects: see Salving Magic in Pyramid #3/13: Thaumatology. Essentially, Salving magic is magic that cancels the effects of injury and promotes natural healing, but you're still injured and in danger of dying from further injury until you heal naturally.
|
03-11-2016, 05:24 PM | #6 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
My Twitter My w23 Stuff My Blog Latest GURPS Book: Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Thieves Latest TFT Book: The Sunken Library Become a Patron! |
||
03-11-2016, 05:42 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Sounds like that would do you. E.g., a direct healing spell would use Lesser Restore Body and Lesser Destroy Body, and does as much damage to the caster as it heals. If you add range etc. you can target someone else instead. Alternately, you can use Lesser Restore Body + Altered Traits (Rapid Healing) +Adds a bonus (HT rolls, Narrow) +Duration 1 week +Subject Weight 300 lbs, and there's no backlash; they'll just heal real fast for that week.
|
03-11-2016, 06:40 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
RPM would not fit into the majority of the low fantasy settings, like Howard's Conan, though the Path/Book Ritual Magic from GURPS: Thaumatology could be suitable. I would actually suggest adapting Sorcery from 2nd Edition Conan the RPG, by Mongoose Games, which was designed for a low fantasy setting.
|
03-12-2016, 08:07 AM | #9 | |||
Join Date: Feb 2016
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I don't have the Conan RPG book :( |
|||
03-12-2016, 05:52 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
|
Re: [RPM] Limits on Healing
Hey, thanks. :-) That's what the blog is there for. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
__________________
My Twitter My w23 Stuff My Blog Latest GURPS Book: Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Thieves Latest TFT Book: The Sunken Library Become a Patron! |
Tags |
healing, ritual path magic |
|
|