How come the common magic spell Heal was nerfed in errata?

[cthulhudarren]

Was it balance, or to make divine casters more powerful?

 

[Mongoose Pete]

Was it balance, or to make divine casters more powerful?

It was primarily balance. We wanted to make a Serious Wound something which, whilst not life-threatening, can still hobble an injured character... at least temporarily - rather than just being fixed by a ubiquitous common magic spell after every combat.

Personally I prefer the idea of fractures, muscle tears or concussions having persistent effects. If it cramps your own sense of verisimilitude or campaign style then feel free to ignore it. :wink:

 

[Vagni]

As tough as it makes Common Magic healing I like the idea that Heal just can't handle anything beyond healing a few HP's and stabilising a Major Wound.

It was always too easy to just cast Heal 6 then leap up and carry on fighting in the older versions of RQ. Convenient, but just felt too easy.

A possible compromise for a house rule would to allow Heal to deal with more serious injuries, but also require a successful First Aid or Healing skill roll at the same time to line all the bones and veins up properly. If you fail then the location is still stabilised but effectively useless until higher magic can be used. Don't even think about a fumble...."er, Thorgrim, don't mean to be ungrateful, but why is my foot pointing backwards!!" :lol:

But then there are always Hero Points as well, or that one use 'Heal Body' amulet your Priest might lend you for a mission....

 

[cthulhudarren]

I'll probably house-rule this spell into something in the middle. Stabilize major wounds... maybe can heal once by x number of points per day by this method?

My players are not likely to start having a caster at all, as I plan to run a low magic world loosely based on northern Europe, using the Norse Pantheon of gods. The players will be small town kids with no experience, and no common magic is known in their town.

I plan on them being mentored by a hermit, who they meet in the wild and may teach some common magic as rewards for deeds done. I was thinking of a (D&D style) Druid-type hermit.

So this will be very dangerous for the characters! No healing. Maybe I'll have to devise some kind of poultices or something that give minor healing so the players won't be completely screwed in the meantime.

Please feel free to shoot holes in this scenario!

 

[Vagni]

I'll probably house-rule this spell into something in the middle. Stabilize major wounds... maybe can heal once by x number of points per day by this method?

My players are not likely to start having a caster at all, as I plan to run a low magic world loosely based on northern Europe, using the Norse Pantheon of gods. The players will be small town kids with no experience, and no common magic is known in their town.

I plan on them being mentored by a hermit, who they meet in the wild and may teach some common magic as rewards for deeds done. I was thinking of a (D&D style) Druid-type hermit.

So this will be very dangerous for the characters! No healing. Maybe I'll have to devise some kind of poultices or something that give minor healing so the players won't be completely screwed in the meantime.

Please feel free to shoot holes in this scenario!

Sounds good to me. Playing these types of PC can be a lot of fun.

One suggestion, based on a chapter in Kormac's Saga, is to allow external 'supernatural' healing by making some kind of sacrifice. In the saga (as best as I can recall off the cuff) a local wise woman suggests killing a bull and reddening a local Elf mound/barrow with the blood to help heal a mortally wounded character. The Elf's accept the sacrifice and heal the man in the night.

Another possibility is 'healing stones' that are occasionally mentioned in the sagas. They are rubbed on a wound and will heal it. They are often associated with a specific sword and are the only way of healing damage from that weapon.

Perhaps you could make the Heal spell a little less powerful by saying it heals HP damage on a 1 HP per combat action for a minor wound, 1 HP per round for a serious wound and 1HP per hour for a major wound. This makes the spell useful enough but does mean they will have to take things very carefully and have to retreat and regroup a lot with dangerous foes (I keep thinking of the guy in 'The Princess Bride' who was brought back from the dead but was temporarily paralysed, bits of his body stated to 'wake up' as time went on :lol: ).

Another thought is the Druid could perhaps bind them a couple of one-use healing spirits that act as a one use divine 'Heal Wound' or 'Heal Body' spell, they then depart to the spirit world once they have done their thing.

 

[cthulhudarren]

I'll probably house-rule this spell into something in the middle. Stabilize major wounds... maybe can heal once by x number of points per day by this method?

My players are not likely to start having a caster at all, as I plan to run a low magic world loosely based on northern Europe, using the Norse Pantheon of gods. The players will be small town kids with no experience, and no common magic is known in their town.

I plan on them being mentored by a hermit, who they meet in the wild and may teach some common magic as rewards for deeds done. I was thinking of a (D&D style) Druid-type hermit.

So this will be very dangerous for the characters! No healing. Maybe I'll have to devise some kind of poultices or something that give minor healing so the players won't be completely screwed in the meantime.

Please feel free to shoot holes in this scenario!

Sounds good to me. Playing these types of PC can be a lot of fun.

One suggestion, based on a chapter in Kormac's Saga, is to allow external 'supernatural' healing by making some kind of sacrifice. In the saga (as best as I can recall off the cuff) a local wise woman suggests killing a bull and reddening a local Elf mound/barrow with the blood to help heal a mortally wounded character. The Elf's accept the sacrifice and heal the man in the night.

Another possibility is 'healing stones' that are occasionally mentioned in the sagas. They are rubbed on a wound and will heal it. They are often associated with a specific sword and are the only way of healing damage from that weapon.

I like these ideas, especially the first one! Thanks.

I haven't decided whether or not the druid is a shaman or divine caster. I was hoping to leave the shaman stuff/spirit binding out of the game until we're more familiar with the other rules. Mt players to be are complete n00bs to RQ. I myself haven't played it since... say 1986.