Paladin Heal in GURPS

[Vynticator]

I'm trying to build a paladin-type warrior in GURPS. One key problem I'm having is that Healing power works off IQ. Is there a way to tweak things so I don't have to have him above-averagely intelligent or scholarly yet still strong in this 'faith' skill? Talent, perhaps? Can you have a talent with a Power-based skill among the 5? Or is there a secondary IQ stat that power users/mages could use to boost IQ for the purpose of this power alone? Like a very limited type of Magery?

Not sure how best to model it. He's basically a knight with once per day Lay on Hands (own race only, limited use).

Any assistance appreciated!

[Anders]

"Uses Other Attribute" is +20%. I would base it on Will.

[Varyon]

In addition to Anders’ suggestion, there’s also Reliable, which is +5% per +1 to relevant rolls. As for your own suggestion, Talent can indeed add to Powers (in the form of a Power Talent). This is a case of adding to those Powers that have a Power Limitation - in the case of a Paladin, probably Divine. Those work best if you’ve got multiple abilities to with the same Power Limitation, of course.

[Vynticator]

Thanks, both of you for swift and excellent responses!

[ham2anv]

Another option is "Skills for Everyone" (Powers, p. 162), which lets you buy an IQ/H skill for your Healing ability. The system in GURPS Psionic Powers uses this option for all of its abilities.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by ham2anv

Another option is "Skills for Everyone" (Powers, p. 162), which lets you buy an IQ/H skill for your Healing ability.
The system in GURPS Psionic Powers uses this option for all of its abilities.

+10% reliable (+2 bonus) costs 3 points which ends up being cheaper than 4 points per +1 that skills end up as so you'd probably want to max out reliable at +10 before going with a skill unless GM made it mandatory

Maybe there are ways "Techniques" could be used for Healing too? Like buying off penalties only for diseases, only for afflictions, only for HP or only for FP?

Mandatory skills (especially with a brutal default like -6) helps at least slightly to curtail the massive power advantage points invested in advantages tend to have over skills in a lot of cases.

Though one of the issues there is some advantages don't even involve attribute rolls to sub skills for.

[AlexanderHowl]

I think that a better bang for your buck situation would be to have Paladins use HT-based magic, allow Paladins to purchase up to four levels of Power Investiture, and give them around 20 spells per level of Power Investiture. In that case, a deity grants the right type of magic to fit the capabilities of the Paladin.

[Plane]

also wondering how you'd do the Holy Bolt type situation of "harms undead, heals everything else"

closest might be Link +10% but it's kind of expensive for something where 2 halves would never coincide on a single target

Alternative Attack wouldn't work since it requires picking one or other

[AlexanderHowl]

That would be more of a feature of the undead than an aspect of the paladin magic: Healed by Necromancy spells/Harmed by Healing spells [0]. In that case, I would have undead receive 1 HP per FP spent on a H Necromancy spell and 2 HP per FP spent on a VH Necromancy spells (any Necromancy spell could target them for healing purposes) while they would suffer 1d HP per FP spent on a Healing spell (any Healing spell could target them for damaging purposes).

[Gumby Bush]

Originally Posted by Plane

also wondering how you'd do the Holy Bolt type situation of "harms undead, heals everything else"

closest might be Link +10% but it's kind of expensive for something where 2 halves would never coincide on a single target

Alternative Attack wouldn't work since it requires picking one or other

I'd be inclined to start with:
IA (No Wounding -50%; Wounding (Undead Only -20%) +40%)
Healing (Follow-Up, IA, +0%; Faith Healing +20%)
Alter the "Undead Only" to reflect how common they are compared to other foes, of course. Faith Healing should cover not healing undead.

AlexanderHowl's notion of a feature on the Undead's end works if it's a setting design level decision, but if it's just this one ability--or some selection of them--it won't.