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Re: (TFT) Re: Healing spells in TFT
My contribution is below. It's taking too long to type, and I'm making
too many typos, so consider this the first of a four part installment. The
intro is very toung in cheek :-) Kind of like I'm reading a list of new
house rules to my players.
Infection kills. This gem of information is specifically denied to all
characters. No body has a mocroscope. Besides the church has been trying
to teach cleanliness for centuries. Even knowing they should try to stay
clean, the average mercenary still has blood all over them by the time he
makes it to the bar. If that blood is the blood of some monster, there is
no telling what kind of infectious bacteria it might contain.
But this is exactly what players don't want to hear from their GM in a
fantasy game. Something quick and disposeable. A bandage wrap, a fatigue
point, or a potion. "The bar tender grins, pours a strong one, and offers
it to the character. 'Here. This will wash the blood right off.' He
says." Fantasy role players do not make their character's bathe. They are
wholly unsanitary creatures and if they ever took their armor off they would
probably find their skin stuck to it.
Greg Stafford did some excellent work in Pendragon (C) Chaosium, with
knights being attended by squires. They took care of the cooking, cleaning,
and repairing of equipment. And he added a wonderfull set of winter tables,
that made the players actually want to have years go by. And winter was
when people died of aging checks. A very elegant campaign system overall.
I had a secret rule scribbled in my notes that if any character ever
told me that their action was taking a bath, it would be such a cleansing
experience that I would instantly grant that character an extra point to put
in any attribute desired. And finally someone did use the facilities av
ailiable at the "Tea and Bath house." Well, the effect on the players was
electric. I quickly had to rule that the exp only came from the first bath
of a character's life. And further, only the first character to manage to
do it each session would get the point. People still forgot to wash. I
distinctly remember ending a session once and Merlin Scweitzer saying "I
forgot to take a bath, #$%@."
SPELLS
IQ 11
Medicine(T): For 3 points of fatigue this spells allows the proper
application of placebo treatment. The character names the
"treatment/broth/balm" and describes the effects the patient can expect.
The results are determined purely by the GM based on the tone of the
character's narrative. This may result in unexpected/amusing results as the
power of the placebo treatment is fueld by the expectations of the patient.
But if it goes well the character so treated will have a +1 reaction to the
casting wizard after that.
IQ 14
Strong Medicine(C): This spell summons a medicine man from beyond the
grave to appear and heal one character. It costs 3 fatigue to cast and
lasts just long enough to perform a master physicker's work on the character
indicated. It can be renewed to heal another character for 3 fatigue. The
mdicine man will not fight, and will disappear as soon as he is attacked.
But his appearance is also ghostlike, and frightening to the unwounded. Any
unwounded figure that sees the medicine man must save vs. IQ on three dice
or run scared. Just like a regular ghost.
IQ 16
Big Medicine(S): The caster can reverse one wound. They must touch
the wound, or the two parts if joining a severed limb. Except the head. Or
they can do one of the following. Preventative check up, giving one patient
two points of healing in advance for the day. Treat emotional condition,
temporarily suspending a disadvantage for a day. Suspend insanity for a day
(see INSANITY below), or cure an addiction. This spell cost 3 fatigue to
cast.
LANGUAGES
IQ 9
First Aid(1): This language costs 1 point to learn if you are a wizard
or a hero. The most basic medical knowledge. Allows the practicioner to
clean and bandage wounds, treat for shock, stop bleeding, and deduct one
point of injury from every single wound. Record a "First Aid pouch" $10
either on the character's belt or bag. The physicker talent includes the
first aid language. If a character with first Aid assists a Physicker the
physick may treat two people simultaneously.
TALENTS
IQ 10
Apothecary(1): Prerequisite First Aid. The character can procure,
preserve, and administer edicinal herbs. They are familiar with most
medical properties found in plants and will be able to make generic healing
balms that will cure one point of injury overnight if applied directly to a
wound. Rare or magical herbs are not known to the Apothecary until
specifically given the information. An Apothecary has no idea what the
ingreediants of potions are unless told. On a 3D vs. IQ they will know of
the antidote to any poison a character is suffering from (see TOXICOLOGY
below.)
IQ 11
Diagnosis(1): Prerequisite First Aid. The character can identify
diseases ( and by extension the cure, if any), and can determine the extent
of internal injuries. In addition the character has the ability to notice
vampirism, lycanthropy, or possession just like a physicker. A character
with diagnosis can give treatment advice on handling poisons, illnesses, or
wounds over long distances via messages, signals, or telepathy. If the
character on the other end of the communication has First Aid they may do a
full diagnosis on the patient. Physicker automatically includes Diagnosis.
IQ 12
Physicker(2): Detailed medical knowlege allowing the character to deal
with any medical situation up to, but not including, cutting the patient
(see Chirgen below). The doctor will be able to heal 2 points from each
wound (see WOUNDS below) directly treated if they have their chest, but only
1 without it. They can set bones, prescribe physical therapy, and supervise
the healing of a number of patients equal to their IQ.
IQ 14
Chirgen(3): Prerequisite Physicker. Healing by cutting. A chirgen can
restore critcal wounds that cause a character to lose use of a limb. But
they need to do 1D6 points of damage to do it, so the patient may have to
heal up some first. Roll the damage in advance, as the result of the
Chirgen's accessment of the internal injuries or critical wound. In the
case of a severed limb the Chirgen must be present when it happens. They
have exactly seven seconds (the next turn) to be putting the severed parts
together. After that the tissue will have started to protect itself and
will reject the other tissue where it used to be joined. They may also
implant prosthetics if they have an appropriate craft talent to make them.
Chirgens can heal 3 points to any one, and only one, injury, and must wait
for it to heal pefore attempting a second injury. They are also familiar
with various anathesia. An interesting point worth mentioning is that some
of the oldest written laws in the world contain rulings for restitution on
the part of medical persons to those who have been cut in treatment and
either got worse or died. It could be supposed that these laws both
protected Chirgens from the wrath of the immediate family and provided a
threshold of caution so the chirgen wouldn't become kife happy in every
case.
TOXICOLOGY
INSANITY
and
WOUNDS
To appear over the next few days.
David Michael Grouchy II
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