Alternate Healing Methods

[Goober4473]

I'm trying to move away from basic ideas of cure spells and the like (including fast healing sort of spells), but I don't want characters to die horribly.

So far what I'vw come up with is morel ong-term healing magic, that heals during rest, and using Second Wind from Star Wars Saga, which allows characters to recover some hit points after being reduced to half, but only once per day normally.

Any thoughts?

[Iudex Fatarum]

would this include changing both divine and arcane heal spells (I have played bards that were primary healers)

[Goober4473]

I'm not using normal classes or spellcasting so... Yes and no. I don't need new spells, I need new ways of handling healing entirely. I particularly don't want any character to be just a "healer," and I'm trying to move more towards the martial manuever style of abilities resetting between encounters, rather than per day.

[Telok]

New use for the worthless Heal skill.

Player may make a Heal check to restore hit dice + Con bonus of HP to a wounded comrade. This use takes 20 minutes and may be attempted three time a day per person. You cannot heal a person above their normal maximum HP. This requires a healers kit and uses expendable resources in the form of bandages, splints, ointments, and salves.

DC 15 + hit dice, +5 if the target is over half HP, +5 if treating yourself, +5 if you don't have a healers kit

I'd say to ding them either a copper or a silver per HP healed on the cost, depending on your game.

[Goober4473]

I'd like to avoid equipment requirements for most things, and I'll probably make the Heal skill more useful, but how about magic? Basically, all magic is either at will, or resets like manuevers (in this case after 10 minutes of rest), and allowing direct hp restoration with abilities like that could be overpowered.

[Fizban]

Well, you could take the Draconic Aura feat and get the fast healing one for fast healing 1 to all allies within 20', up to 1/2 max hp.

Or just full on Dragon Shaman, since it gets the auras, increases the bonus, and also gets a lay on hands like ability.

[bugsysservant]

I believe binders bound to Buer can be pretty good at healing, though I'm not sure of the intent of your post. Also, if you're just trying for non-vancian healing, there are a variety of reserve feats which allowing healing without the expenditure of spell slots.

[The_Snark]

This might help out, if you're moving away from healing magic. I've never used it, but it looks like it might help, if you can come up with a reason to have wounds heal that fast (possibly healing magic while resting, like you said, or simply a heroic campaign in which it's appropriate to heal from a sword blow in a day).

[CthulhuM]

You could also use the Vitality and Wounds variant. Under that system, vitality heals naturally at a rate of HD/hour, so players can actually reasonably rest and recover most of their hit points even within the same day.

[Leon]

A Alchemical concoction that converts Lethal to Subdual

[KillianHawkeye]

Change the healing spells so they convert lethal damage into nonlethal damage like in the Wheel of Time RPG. Also, don't allow magical ways to cure nonlethal damage.

Consider disallowing its use on an unconscious target (because their body is too weak), or maybe have the unconscious character make a Fort save or take some Con damage?