How do you heal?

[brian333]

The question of healing and how it takes place in game has been discussed at length, but what hasn't been discussed is the role-play of healing.

I'm wondering if we've neglected an opportunity for roleplay?

For example, a cure spell from a cleric of Lathander might be portrayed in this way:

*After quickly cleaning the wound with a linen cloth, he holds the cloth over the wound with one hand and prays. A warm light spreads from his holy symbol and droplets of blood vanish as the light grows. When the cleric removes the now clean cloth it reveals only clean, unscarred skin. (Or slightly bloody cloth to reveal a healing wound, or drenched rag to reveal a horrid wound which is at least no longer bleeding.)*

Now, that's a rather lengthy emote, but I'm sure others can come up with better ways to say what they imagine is happening as their cleric heals. For example, a Loviatarian cleric might ask the player in a tell to emote pain as his devine power seals the wound, or a druid's cures may resemble time-stop films of roots growing together to seal the wound.

Needless to say, this isn't for everyday use, but it may be useful in after-battle situations, or in other predominantly role-play situations where a little flavor could help define your character's unique qualities.

[fred]

Jul 30, 2009 11:59:24 GMT -5 brian333 said:

I'm wondering if we've neglected an opportunity for roleplay?

Don't think we have, no... I see a lot of people do some emotes for healing.

None quite as scary as the ones by Eberk.

No, wait, I take that back... Milly's are scarier.

[EDM Neo]

I see them occasionally used, but not regularly with any real depth (people like Eberk and Milly being the exceptions)... just because you don't often have time to type up a lengthy description when combat's involved. I usually just settle for a brief *patches him up* or *digs out some healing supplies* for after combat, myself, and don't bother in-combat.

Celith has performed Abby-style surgery a handful of times, with his familiar serving as a (grumpy) nurse and everything, but it's rare, and never anywhere or anytime that combat is even a remote possibility. Actually in combat, I imagine him using custom designed spells to magically aid in the application of bandages, salves, etc (maybe something to, for example, magically guide salve and a bandage under someone's armor directly and quickly to a bruise without needing to remove said armor, etc), and to further accelerate their already magical functioning, but it's extremely, extremely rare that I have the opportunity to emote it (I don't think I ever actually have).

[Lady Frost]

Well, I for one can say, if you actually do ever find yourself being healed by Zodika, outside of combat dressings or regenerations, you will know it. Its not a simple *wraps wounds and kisses it better* Sure your wounds are healed afterwards but its not a pleasant path to get there. It's a good 5 or 10 minutes of requiring tithes and emoting.

[ancientempathy]

You should see Kenji and I heal people ;D

*pushes breasts back together*

[Munroe]

There have been a few cases where Lydia has done mundane surgery, setting broken bones and the like, and in those cases, I try to suggest the pain is intense. (These surgeries usually end with Lydia making a Heal check and/or using a healing kit.)

If it involves casting Cure spells I usually just RP delivering the spell by touch, since it is a touch spell. Since Cure spells are Conjuration spells, I assume they conjure positive energy in the right grade for healing. If they don't completely heal the wound, I guess the positive energy wasn't enough to generate enough new flesh.

I always RP that Cure spells that heal a wound closed actually heal wounds in such a way that they don't leave scars. This is why, even after completely healing a wound with a Healing Kit, Lydia will still cast Cure Minor Wounds on a person. She's actually topping off the "natural" healing with a little positive energy to prevent scarring.

[Lady Frost]

Jul 30, 2009 17:01:34 GMT -5 Munroe said:

I always RP that Cure spells that heal a wound closed actually heal wounds in such a way that they don't leave scars. This is why, even after completely healing a wound with a Healing Kit, Lydia will still cast Cure Minor Wounds on a person. She's actually topping off the "natural" healing with a little positive energy to prevent scarring.

I RP this as well. Zoe will commonly come back from an adventure and have certain wounds reopened so that they can be healed properly with magic to remove scarring.

[catmage]

With Ailren, I generally just emote a quick little chant. The rare occasion that I've RP'd it further, he generally chants a prayer to Tiamat, or Tamara, the draconic goddess of healing, even though he's casting as a bard and not a cleric.

When he's healing someone from wounds that they got for being stupid, he generally delivers the "touch" spell as a slap to the back of the head.

[DM Hawk]

This may be a little off from the core topic, but I think the RP of injury and healing go hand in hand.

I'm pretty conditional with it. If in a large group or on a fast pace adventure or quest, it's usually something like *binds a tournequet around the wound*

In a slower pace or with a smaller group, more RP goes into the healing. Depending on the mood the RP and descriptors can range from intense to humorous ("That arrow could not help but land in your arse").

How a wounded PC is behaving will impact my actions. If they are RPing badly wounded for what it really should be, I try to match the RP.

It is often that I see the seriousness of badly wounded or near death conditions glossed over and healed without more ado than whipping out the Healer's Handbook. I'm no exception to this as again I usually let the size of the group or pace of the group impact the RP of the injury and healing. It also can get tedious RPing every injury in a big adventure or when playing for a long duration.

I was impressed one night in ye ancient past when I saw two Purple Dragon PCs (Glewien and Aelrik) limping back from a battle in a badly wounded state. They were supporting each other and RPing the frustration of injuries slowing them down while being in the need of haste. They could have slapped on a half-dozen healing kits and jumped right back, but instead they chose to play out the hand they were dealt a little bit. That made an impression on me.

I've probably missed out on good interaction because I don't follow that example as often as I could.

I'd like to put a suggestion forward, that I've tried adopting but haven't disciplined myself to practice on a regular basis: Only allow your character one healing kit in the aftermath of the fight. Let that application of healing be the first aid you could render/receive after the fight. The rest of the injuries have to carried with you and played out, or solved with the magic of healing potions.

Let the only exception to this be a healing PC (cleric, paladin, druid, etc.) using magic (not additional kits) who in context have deeper healing resources to call upon.

This would give opportunity to RP injuries and would enhance the worth of the Party's Healer (see pole elsewhere in forum .

Think about your favorite stories in movies or books - things wouldn't be as intense if the main character always bounced back from hardships without blinking an eye. In my view, the best stories are the ones where the hero/heroine get the crap beat out of them and they press on anyway, bearing the hardships, wounds, and scars.

Just a thought

[EDM Neo]

Similarly a bit off-topic, but still related...

Disclaimer: The following's just my opinion, etc, etc, you know the drill.

I think the descriptions of "near death," "badly wounded," "injured," etc, are a bit deceptive... -sometimes-, I think it does make sense to play it out just as it says in the label, that is, limping and really beaten up, like you described in your example of Aelrik and Glewien, Hawkrune. But other times, it doesn't have to be.

I've always thought of HP as abstract. It might mean physical injury, but it just as often might mean just slowly tiring out, or having your will worn down, or even just running out of luck. For example, there used to be a hin monk named Dalo who, when injured, would emote appearing as of yet physically unharmed, but as if he was clearly having trouble focusing, appearing twitchy, paranoid, a bit sluggish, and so on... losing his ability to continue to avoid actual lethal physical damage as his HP went down, until he finally was worn down enough that an enemy could land a solid blow.

Basically, I think that there is a place for roleplaying being heavily physically injured, to the point that it effects your ability to move and so on, but it doesn't necessarily -need- to mean you're heavily physically injured. This also helps to explain why HP increases with experience... the higher leveled wizard with 30 HP isn't actually able to survive being stabbed with a dagger ten times, only losing any strength or mobility on the tenth (where a level 1 wizard might be knocked unconscious or killed by the first stab, and may bleed out if the former), he's just had enough combat experience to maybe barely duck and parry the first nine blows (actually taking HP damage as he's worn out, but not being physically harmed), until by the tenth, he's exhausted enough that he lets it slip through and he takes a stab to the gut.

[Lady Frost]

Similarly a bit off-topic, but still related...

Disclaimer: The following's just my opinion, etc, etc, you know the drill.

I think the descriptions of "near death," "badly wounded," "injured," etc, are a bit deceptive... -sometimes-, I think it does make sense to play it out just as it says in the label, that is, limping and really beaten up, like you described in your example of Aelrik and Glewien, Hawkrune. But other times, it doesn't have to be.

I've always thought of HP as abstract. It might mean physical injury, but it just as often might mean just slowly tiring out, or having your will worn down, or even just running out of luck. For example, there used to be a hin monk named Dalo who, when injured, would emote appearing as of yet physically unharmed, but as if he was clearly having trouble focusing, appearing twitchy, paranoid, a bit sluggish, and so on... losing his ability to continue to avoid actual lethal physical damage as his HP went down, until he finally was worn down enough that an enemy could land a solid blow.

Basically, I think that there is a place for roleplaying being heavily physically injured, to the point that it effects your ability to move and so on, but it doesn't necessarily -need- to mean you're heavily physically injured.

I agree for the most part, otherwise, running away at near death, or even continuing to actually put up a fight, would hardly be possible. I do think that "near death" though, should be extreme. Either you are bleeding out, or so tired you can barely keep your eyes open, maybe drained of so much of your life that you hardly function right, something. Seeing someone walk into town at "near death" and go sell and chat doesn't make sense to me in whatever case you want to RP Hit Points.

[EDM Neo]

I would definitely want to see some emote explaining such a heavily wounded character's condition, so that I can react properly, agreed on that.

(and just a note, I edited my post to add another paragraph or so of explanation after you posted, Zoe)

[gainreduction]

Jul 30, 2009 15:27:09 GMT -5 @ancientempathy said:

You should see Kenji and I heal people ;D

*Pushes his own entrails back in after giant slaughters him*

LOL

[brian333]

Hey! Kasur always emotes his wounds!

Okay, so he's a stoic and is emoting being unaffected by the intense pain, which may _look_ like just ignoring his condition!

My favorite is when he says, "I'm allright, that's ogre blood. Things wouldn't stop bleeding on me."