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Old 10-10-2019, 07:55 PM   #1
JimmyPlenty
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Physickers and mishaps

RAW: Physickers heal 2 points per mishap. If Clumsy Charlie falls in a pit and takes 3 points damage, the physicker can heal 2 points of it. If he falls again into a pit for three points, the physicaker can heal him again.

But what about combat? Is it considered one big mishap? Or is every attack considered a mishap?

I imagine for simplicity, it is one big mishap, but it doesn't clearly state it in the rules.

Of course, I would think it would also make sense for each attack to be it's own mishap. A guy that gets it with 10 1-point combat hits (small wounds) could be healed fully. (they all could be healed within an hour). And a guy that gets hit with one thawck at one 10 point hit would only gets 2 points. However, this takes some paperwork.
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Old 10-10-2019, 08:34 PM   #2
TippetsTX
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

Personally, I never liked the term 'mishap'. Physickers treat 'wounds' or 'injuries'. If you get cut on the arm, the Physicker can bandage it up. If you break a leg, they will splint it. Each injury is a distinct instance of physical damage which the Physicker can attempt to treat. There's no logic, therefore, in restricting them to one application of the talent per combat, although it might be reasonable to implement a rule of diminishing returns to reflect how multiple wounds might compound.
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Old 10-10-2019, 09:29 PM   #3
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

Is there a huge difference between an unarmored person getting chopped once with a battle axe or stabbed three times with a rapier WRT wound management? What if both weapons were poisoned?
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Old 10-10-2019, 09:36 PM   #4
larsdangly
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

This is a key issue, and has been discussed multiple times on these boards. The gist of the discussion the last time I recall (which included input from SJ) was that the intent is you get one Physicker patch-up per combat, not per injury. There are several justifications you could give for this - it simplifies book keeping because you don't have to track each injury (probably the best reason), and this is the 'hard mode' of play, which should appeal to all grognards everywhere. The other option, which is contrary to the intent of RAW but a common house rule, is to let physickers treat each wound. This has the advantages of making more physical sense and making play easier on the PCs (if you go for that sort of soft stuff). It does present problems however. E.g., if you take damage over the course of several turns of continuous exposure to fire, is that one 'injury' or several? Etc. I've been playing RAW for the last year (i.e., hard mode), but would find it perfectly understandable if someone wanted to go the other way.
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Old 10-10-2019, 10:01 PM   #5
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

We always considered every wound to be healable individually by physickers, if enough physickers are available to heal all the wounds in time. If it takes 5 minutes, and healing can be done for an uninterrupted hour after combat, that's up to 12 wounds per physicker.

It seemed intolerably illogical to us (even as 11-year-old novices) to have it based on "fights", since we couldn't (and I still can't) rationalize why the concept of "fights" would govern the ability to heal wounds or not.


And, this also has the side-effect that minor injuries don't wear down an adventuring party nearly as quickly. It meant that we could manage healing on adventures pretty well, without needing to have lots of magic healing potions or stop to have everyone rest too often. And it was also nice because while it provides a lot of healing, unlike adding lots of magic healing, it does not have the annoying effect of removing the seriousness of large wounds from the game, because each wound can only be healed so much by a physicker.
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Old 10-10-2019, 11:51 PM   #6
Jeff Lord
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

This is what I wrote on 12/31/18:

"I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind those advocating that the physicker is able to treat each "wound."

Let's say I've got a ST 11 archer. He takes four discrete "wounds" of three points each (3/3/3/3). This takes him down to -1 ST. But with a master physicker and 20 minutes, he would be doing cartwheels? And if (however unlikely) the same thing happened five more times that day he'd still be at his full ST 11?

I realize that each roll might simulate one wound in a one-second GURPS turn, but TFT has a more abstracted five-second turn, so a lot can happen. A roll of 8 points of damage from a two-handed sword could certainly be imagined to have come from a single blow, but the same 8 damage roll from a dagger in HTH might be three or more quick thrusts in a five second span. I think the notion that a single roll for damage equates to a single "wound," in this case, might be oversimplified."

So, with respect, I think we should consider carefully when using words such as "logical" and "illogical." From where I stand, a physicker treating each "wound" is "intolerably illogical" (see above example). I think Steve got it right with RAW and his stated intent. Treating each damage roll as a separate "mishap" can be a perfectly fine, but no more logical, house rule for those who prefer it.
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Old 10-11-2019, 12:45 AM   #7
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Lord View Post
So, with respect, I think we should consider carefully when using words such as "logical" and "illogical." From where I stand, a physicker treating each "wound" is "intolerably illogical" (see above example). I think Steve got it right with RAW and his stated intent. Treating each damage roll as a separate "mishap" can be a perfectly fine, but no more logical, house rule for those who prefer it.
I don't mean to disrespect anyone by using the word "logic", but rather to say our ideas about healing logic were why we played it that way, and logic has always been my focus, and the reason I play SJ RPGs rather than almost all others - because they are logic-oriented and mostly make lots of sense.

This probably isn't the right forum to have a really detailed back-and-forth discussion about healing theory. And such discussions have been had on this forum a few times already.

I do see your points, but I see them as separate points that want separate consideration. But if you want to get into another discussion about it, I'd be happy to do so in the House Rules sub-forum.
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Old 10-11-2019, 01:05 AM   #8
JimmyPlenty
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Lord View Post
This is what I wrote on 12/31/18:

"I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind those advocating that the physicker is able to treat each "wound."

Let's say I've got a ST 11 archer. He takes four discrete "wounds" of three points each (3/3/3/3). This takes him down to -1 ST. But with a master physicker and 20 minutes, he would be doing cartwheels? And if (however unlikely) the same thing happened five more times that day he'd still be at his full ST 11?
This is the idea of Hit Points being more of an abstraction than actual wounds. So, in your example, with RAW, be considered one fight were a lot of attacks happened, but only one or two really mattered (and loss of blood, shock...etc.) for 12 points. A Physicker saves them, but they are still pretty messed up.
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Old 10-11-2019, 01:38 AM   #9
Jeff Lord
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

@JimmyPlenty - Precisely; the example I gave was to show how the treatment per wound idea could be seen as (deeply) flawed. RAW yields the result you describe. The archer in question would indeed be pretty messed up with only 2 strength remaining (assuming a master physicker). With treatment per wound, he could be on death's door numerous times during the course of any given day and yet be at the peak of health come nightfall. This seems off to me.

@Skarg - I'm a huge fan of logic as well. I think the RAW are logical. You and your friends came to a certain conclusion about healing back in the day regarding the logic of the physicker rules. My friends and I came to another. So who's more logical? ;)

I've stated before (in previous threads) that this discussion was more suited to the House Rules sub-forum. I'd be more than happy to pick it up there.
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Old 10-11-2019, 12:34 PM   #10
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Physickers and mishaps

Ok, I started a new thread there.
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