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1991-06-12
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Path: pitt!cadre!pt.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!gatech!hubcap!mrspock
From: mrspock@hubcap.UUCP (Steve Benz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Improved Clerical healing system - Terminology
Message-ID: <1649@hubcap.UUCP>
Date: 17 May 88 21:04:17 GMT
References: <1646@hubcap.UUCP>
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Lines: 62
Discussion of terminology.
--------------------------
Alright, we're getting nowhere unless we're all in sync about what
a HP is. For those of you who haven't memorized the DM Guide, I'll
review the definition:
A HP is composed of several things:
1) Fighting skill -- at avoiding real wounds,
or reduce the degree of a wound.
2) Size, and general ability to get beat up
3) *LUCK* The miraculous ability to dodge blows, magic,
or whatever else gets thrown.
This is _divine_ in source.
4) Energy & enthusiasm. It's mighty hard to keep
fighting without these two. Although this is
natural to an extent, it can be heavily influenced
by divine sources.
Alright, so HP has a signifigant divine component, what exactly is
a divine influence?
Power from the outer planes. Power from the outer planes is
what powers most artifacts, it is the strongest form of magic, but
it's not *specific* magic. That is, it can't be used to form a
+10 battle axe. Now, it could be used to form maybe a +5 battle axe,
but that battle axe would definately have an alignment, a
personality, and a purpose.
The same thing holds true for characters, they're powered (to
some degree) by divine magic, they have a personality, and a mission
(although sometimes they spend a long time figuring out what that
mission is.)
That brings us to complaint #1, why is it a Lawful-Evil cleric
can heal a Chaotic-Good fighter just as adeptly as a Chaotic-Good
cleric can? If you want an answer to that, somewhere in the books, I
believe they claim that that's the reason for having the amount of
the heal based on dice. Now that's pretty stupid in itself, so that's
complaint number two, what the heck are dice for? If the results are a
measure of God's favor, then how come I can roll a 8, a 1, and then an 8
on three consecutive CLW's? Do the God's opinions fluctuate that much?
And another thing (complaint #3) why would a God (or minion thereof)
waste time giving anybody 1 HP back?
On another vein, why is it that a CLW on a peasant is a wonder-heal,
and on a high level fighter it's a drop in the bucket? Does the God
like the peasant better or what? Why is it that a CLW cast on an
injured Wizard is more signifigant than one cast on a high level Ranger?
And then, why is it that a CLW cast by an alcolyte has a 50-50 shot of
being more substantial than that of a High-Priest? And then, why is it
that a single Cleric can keep a low level party pretty much on the up & up
without too much trouble, but as levels increase, that becomes
less and less true?
No matter what, it seems just about all Clerics carry are heal
spells, and that's positively no fun. Most of the time the reason for
this is couched in the above stated complaints about the decreasing
effectiveness of heal spells.
Stay tuned folks, the next installment covers a Cure system that
addresses these issues...