The eternal question: Are you your own ally?

18 thoughts on “The eternal question: Are you your own ally?”

1. /sub

2. I guess the real question is to the authors/creators… is the term “Ally” intended to have a distinct in-game meaning? Or is it just a fluff word intended to be interpreted however one wishes?

3. Look the player in the eyes. Ask “I don’t know, are you?”

4. You can’t form an alliance with yourself therefore you can’t be your own ally. That’s my opinion.

5. On the other hand, I think we’ve all had moments where you feel like you’re the only ally you’ve got, right?

6. In general, I treat ally as including yourself.  I handle strange cases on a case by case basis.  A paladin, for example, would need to roll 10+ in order to heal himself, since otherwise he both heals and harms himself for the same amount and it’s a wash.

7. Would you even let a Paladin attempt a roll to Lay On Hands on himself? It seems ridiculous. 

8. It’s never come up in a game, but I think I’d allow 1 try, and the result stands for the current damage total.  The cleric can cast Cure Lt Wnds on himself, I don’t see why allowing a paladin 1 chance to beseech his god to heal him with a 10+ needed to succeed would be game breaking.

9. I can see a battered and bloody Paladin calling on their god for the strength to keep fighting, so sure.

10. I think most people are their worst enemies before they are their own allies.

11. It’s worth noting that Lay on Hands doesn’t say “ally”. “When you touch someone, skin to skin…”

12. You are your own ally, in general.

13. There was a long discussion of the paladins Lay on Hands ability (several if I recall). According to Adam Koebel, no the Paladin can not.

    More info here:

    https://plus.google.com/u/0/112507662527787769890/posts/3HradqiEdMb

14. fwiw, i allow self-ally and paladin self-targeting for laying on hands… which is a risky proposition in that it only succeeds on a 10+.

15. Yeah, the Paladin is a case that kind of works either way. I’d say that on a 7-9 self-Lay-on-Hands you get some kind of complication, not just “now you’ve got your own wounds.” Getting rid of it doesn’t hurt anything either.

16. I’m with Jeff Johnston , it is a divinely granted power so if you need to renew yourself to keep up the fight why not?

    I think I would limit it if the player started using it selfishly, for example healing himself when there are other wounded to mend.  (and even that may depend on the god . . . )

17. I know Sage’s answer; I’ve seen it before. But the book has some things which say “Yourself or an ally”, which suggests they’re distinct. The 2nd Ed ought to do something about that.

    For my game, I followed the standard advice of the DW forum, and asked each player who their allies were, and each gave a different answer; the Cleric’s allies include himself (anyone willing to pray to his God), the Wizard’s don’t (those bereft of Arcane magic). 

18. Well, it would suggest they’re distinct if the book is written in exclusive language and not in “we’re just folks talkin'” language. I lean more towards the latter option in my interpreting of the text. It’s just folks talkin’. Still, I like your  in game  style 🙂

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