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Re: (TFT) Healing spells in TFT.
At 11:37 PM 9/11/03 -0700, Charles Gadda wrote:
...
Really, your explanation simply begs more questions then it answers. For
example, if it is otherworld spirits that do the revival and mending of the
body, then why can't these same spirits be summoned to do a little healing?
Sure, you can explain that, but I am sure yet more questions (and not
necessarily persnickity questions, either - there may well be a genuine
curiousity and desire to know more). Further, by postulating this
necromancy, you open the door for a LOT more questions on how it works, and
maybe even questions on the very nature of the Otherworld in your campaign.
At the least, you'd best be prepared to answer them, and stay a few steps
ahead of overly inquisitive players...
Sure. I always thought there were some interesting questions posed by the
AW spells. For example, when I Summon Myrmidon (tm), does a warrior (or
giant insect ?? - see ITL) vanish from somewhere else? Is there a range
limit to this effect?
There are already otherworldly spirits in AW with comparable costs to
summon to due magical bidding which can include resurrection: demons.
...
Putting aside all of this for a moment, let's step back and just look at
this at the gut level: does it *really* make a lot of sense that we can
raise dead and yet not heal a simple papercut? It is not so much so whether
or not one can come up with some sort of concocted explanation, but does it
REALLY make any sense? If you look at it objectively I think you have to
admit I've got a point, here.
I already admitted you had a point about that. I'm not saying it's
unreasonable to add healing spells. I might say though that it is more
interesting if some games don't have healing spells, and I don't think it's
unreasonable for a GM to want to have such a situation in his game world,
without ruling out the Revival spell.
The point I'm still defending is that there are reasonable interpretations
of AW that don't have to add healing spells or be thought illogical.
For example, the point made by someone else before - "ok, someone could
research a healing spell, but no one here has, because it's nearly as hard
to do as the Revival spell, because it uses the same means, and those means
require a lot." What's illogical about that?
Again, it goes back to the example I cited in an earlier post: A poor fellow
stumbles into the most advanced hospital emergency room in the world with a
brain tumor and a knife in his abdomen. The doctor sees him and exclaims
"Why, we can heal your tumor overnight, but I'm afraid we have no knowledge
on how to stop bleeding and close your wound - - I'm afraid you'll bleed to
death within the hour... very sorry..." This is a very very close metaphor
for the current TFT healing situation.
Now, tell me, does that REALLY make even one iota of sense? I sure don't
think so... and I can't imagine that I'm the only one.
It might, if any of the several explanations are true in the gameworld (or
even in the wizard's understanding).
You're assuming that wizards can master and separate the individual elements
of a spell's effect to do any convenient sub-ability at a reduced cost
and/or complexity, which is at least one big iota of assumption.
TFT magic doesn't work the same way as modern Western scientific medicine.
It's is a psychic ritual that has specific physical effects. It's not
built on a foundation of sub-learning with a rainbow of component abilities
(maybe kinda sorta half-way in GURPS Magic with its prerequisite system,
but not in Advanced Wizard, where spell choice is limited only by IQ level).
Rather, wizards spent months or years developing each spell, which is a
specific recipe with specific costs for a specific effect. That's the way
spells work (and are limited) in AW.
Moreover, a "resurrection" may be an indivisible event, even if there are
several net effects and side-effects on the subject.
Or any of the other possible reasons. Cars don't run without gas. Yes, you
can get fifty men to push the car up the hill, but physical gas is by far
the most efficient way. Same might be true of Revival - ya, you get healing
thrown in for the 50 fatigue. But that doesn't mean there is necessarily a
lower-fatigue spell substitute for healing potion.
...
PvK
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