Re: (TFT) Healing spells in TFT.

["Charles Gadda" <cgadda@earthlink.net>]

There seem to be two extreme schools of thought on the matter of healing in
TFT. The extreme Nazi right (joke, guys...) is the "NEIN!!! HEALING IST
VERBOTEN! ONLY UNTERMENSCHEN NEED HEALING! SIEG HEIL!!" school which,
undoubtedly after many bad D&D experiences, has concluded that all magical
healing is "bad" and therefore must be banned.

On the extreme communist left (another joke, guys...) is the school of
thought that magical healing is a bourgeoisie luxury but that the
proletariat masses should be allowed to heal at supernormal rates.

I submit both schools are out of whack, though both do have some interesting
points and ideas. Neither approach is wrong - each style can work quite
well, so long as everyone in the game group likes it. However, it is wrong
to conclude that these are the only two possible approaches.

I tend to find that Erol's views regarding risk and so forth make more
sense, particularly if one plays TFT canon which can be remarkably deadly.
In other words, I am not wholly interested in seeing a good, well played
character slaughtered because of a single bad die roll - I should like a bit
more "margin for error". While the current situation may be "realistic"
there comes a point where it is a bit much. I feel that the worries about
risks being reduced to nothing and healing being over exploited are quite
overblown. The former is incorrect, given the sheer deadliness of combat -
keep in mind that no amount of healing can make up for the fact that a
single triple damage roll can kill you outright, a point not addressed by
any in the extreme "right wing" of healing. Also, keep in mind that
seriously injured people suffer negative combat modifiers, which is also not
mentioned. I fail to see how any player could consider combat "low risk" -
this is hardly D&D where the monsters have to whittle down a 120 hit point
fighter. As for over-exploitation, that is more a problem of lax game
mastering, rather than strictly player sneakiness. If this situation has
arisen, suggest the GM look into mirror for solution.

I did not comprehend the objection with GURPS healing - my understanding is
that it only heals up to 3 points per DAY (maximum). That is hardly
excessive, and certainly nowhere near approaches the situation one finds
with D&D. Given an HT (in GURPS) of, say, 12, this is only 25% of ones total
"hit points" - contrast with D&D where a single Cure Light Wounds can heal a
d8 of damage, which is upwards of 80% of a 1st level fighter's max hit
points (sans constitution bonus); and this may be administered multiple
times! The two are not comparable at all.

On the other hand, Erol's healing rates make injuries a bit of a joke. It is
not a horrible approach, and a suitable rationale is in place, but it is a
bit unrealistic.

Interestingly, my biggest objection to not having a Healing spell has
nothing to do with the points discussed. Rather it is the inherent,
fundamentally violent illogic of magical healing not existing in the first
place. Consider:
1. TFT assumes a magical gameworld (admittedly one can disregard Wizard and
play a non-magic world, but this extreme case is not being considered here)
2. Wizards with alchemy talent can make healing potions.
3. Wizards with alchemy talent may also make Youth potions, which
essentially "heal" aging.
4. Powerful wizards may use a Cleansing spell to cure disease (actually by
killing the microorganism, but the specifics need not concern us here)
5. Even more powerful wizards may actually ***raise the dead***

So let me see if I understand: we have a magical universe in which all of
the above is possible, and yet we cannot manage even a simple Healing
spell?!?!!?!?!? That's easily the STUPIDEST thing I've ever heard! (well,
not really, but you have to admit its pretty silly on the face of it). This
internal consistency hole is so huge and glaring one could sail a Kuwaiti
oil tanker through it!

So, yes, healing spells ***MUST*** exist - if they don't, then the GM is on
a pretty sharp meat-hook to provide a convincing explanation as to why this
is the case. And while that may be possible, one would have to go through
some serious gyrations to make something even mildly plausible that does not
make you look like an idiot. But why go through the unnecessary bother?

The principle objection seems to be one of out of control healing, but there
are plenty of sensible ways to restrict healing and keep it in line (max
amount healed, fST cost, and uses per day). Draconian prohibitions are
wholly illogical and unnecessary. The worries about diminished risk strike
me as overblown, as well - right along with the alleged "benefits" to
gameplay of eliminating healing spells.

Obviously, any TFT magical healing should follow the GURPS model, rather
than D&D. Though I would recommend a more thorough overhaul of the whole
rules section pertaining to wounds and healing, to include talents, and so
forth.

To limit the size of this message, I am putting the whole rules realignment
and into a separate message (forthcoming - I am in the middle of re-painting
our bedroom, along with pulling up the carpeting and refinishing the
hardwood floors in same - not a trivial task).
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"