My recent desire to increase tension in my game by limiting the Paladin’t healing has led to a discussion about…

My recent desire to increase tension in my game by limiting the Paladin’t healing has led to a discussion about…

My recent desire to increase tension in my game by limiting the Paladin’t healing has led to a discussion about whether the Paladin can actually heal himself.  When you look at the text it seems to indicate that the Paladin cannot, in fact, heal himself, unless you consider him an ally of himself.  If you look at Clerical healing, however, you also see the “ally” tag, which seems to indicate that the Cleric cannot heal himself either.  Do you guys allow the Paladin and Cleric to use their healing powers on themselves?  If so, how do you account for a roll of 7-9 for the Paladin when that would transfer the very damage and diseases that he is attempting to heal on himself…to himself?

12 thoughts on “My recent desire to increase tension in my game by limiting the Paladin’t healing has led to a discussion about…”

  1. I don’t. I immediately thought the move(?) worked by drawing the wounds, disease, what-not into one’s self, healing the injured party. Kina like Raven of the Teen Titans (who read the pre-Crisis version). Thus it made no logical sense to heal oneself by taking one’s own injuries.

  2. Stephanie Bryant, can you summarize their positions or point me in the right direction to find them?  I’m curious to read what they say.

  3. Agreed with others, paladin with the bad state of taking the damage to himself has a bad state with nowhere to go. You can change it to just limit it where a failure means he must commune similar to the priest to get the ability back. Alternatively you could let them heal themselves with magic but it takes longer like a couple minutes and uninterrupted for it to work.

    Just tell them to go buy healing potions if you don’t want to spend time GM ruling on it, pretty easy to fix either way.

  4. I play a Paladin and I would never heal myself as it seems to go against my class, mechanically and canonically; my powers and abilities must only be used to help others, not myself. I am however not above drinking healing potions as that is not using my holy power for self-interest.

  5. I don’t allow it.  The 6- effect doesn’t make sense considering he is taking the dmg upon himself.  I give the party potions or allow them to make their own to supplement their lack of a dedicated healer.

  6. Another way to add tension can be done similar to Call of Cthulhu RPG, give them a mental stress value similar to hit points & magic/stress can chop away at it until they are mentally a wreck or off to recover.

    Or put them in an area where they have to behave (diplomatic mission or just limiting the natural killing instinct) or the ever popular mind control spell or cursed item affecting some of the players. Paranoia always good at ramping up tension.

  7. Adam Koebel’s comments make sense, particularly regarding the Paladin. They are supposed to represent charity, and would not heal themselves in all likelihood, though they would accept healing from another.

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