Healing: This is the ability to treat wounds and diagnose illnesses among humans and demihumans. A successful skill roll allows a character to restore 1d3 hit points to a wounded character. (A related skill, Veterinary Healing, allows similar treatment of animals and monsters.) This skill cannot be used on a wounded character more than once for the same set of wounds. If the character receives new wounds, Healing skill can be applied against the new wounds. The skill is rolled against a set of wounds, not individually against each injury. (The term “set of wounds” usually refers to all the hit points lost by a character in a single combat situation.) If a healer rolls a natural 20 when using this skill, he accidentally inflicts 1d3 points of damage to the patient, and he may not treat that set of wounds again. Successful skill rolls allow the healer to diagnose type of illness. In addition, a roll made by 5 or more will allow the character to determine whether an illness is natural or magically induced.
🩺 Racial Variants #
| Variant | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarven | Bone-Setter | Dwarves specialize in structural trauma. They treat the body like architecture. They gain a +4 bonus when treating broken limbs or crushing injuries, but suffer a -2 when treating delicate “soft” illnesses like fevers. |
| Elven | Botanical Transfusion | Elves use the “blood” of the forest. By using rare saps and mosses, they can perform a check in half the usual time. If they roll a natural 20, they don’t cause damage; the patient simply gains no health as the “poultice withers.” |
| Halfling | Comfort & Convalescence | Halflings believe healing starts in the stomach. They use “culinary medicine.” If the patient is fed a hot meal during treatment, the 1d3 healing is treated as a minimum of 2. |
| Gnomish | Sanitary Precision | Gnomes use specialized tools—tiny lancets, bellows for cleaning wounds, and strong spirits for sterilization. They are +2 to diagnose illnesses, as they look for “micro-signs” others miss. |
🗺️ Regional Variants #
- The Battlefield Surgeon (War-Torn/Industrial)
Trained in “Triage,” where speed is more important than comfort.
- Specialty: Stanch the Bleeding. They can treat two characters at once in a single “set of wounds” period, though they must make a separate roll for each. If they roll a natural 20, the damage dealt is 1d4 instead of 1d3 due to their aggressive methods.
- The Jungle Herbalist (Wilderness/Tropical)
In the tropics, infection is the real killer.
- Specialty: Antiseptic Foraging. They are experts at identifying “Natural vs. Magical” illnesses (+2 bonus). They can find local plants that prevent a wound from festering, ensuring the patient doesn’t suffer any “lingering” penalties from a combat encounter.
- The Plague-Doctor (Metropolitan/Urban)
Trained in the crowded, filth-ridden slums of the capital.
- Specialty: Contagion Mapping. They gain a +4 bonus to diagnose non-magical illnesses. They also know how to create makeshift masks and cloaks that grant the party a +2 to saving throws against catching an airborne disease.
- The Desert “Water-Witch” (Arid/Waste)
Healing in the desert is about Fluid Management.
- Specialty: Heat-Stroke Recovery. They can “cure” the effects of dehydration and heat exhaustion with a successful roll. When treating wounds, if the patient has a full waterskin, the Healer adds +1 to the 1d3 HP restored.
🧪 The “Diagnosis” Mechanic #
As per the rules, a roll made by 5 or more determines if an illness is magical.
- Design Tip: If the healer determines an illness is Magically Induced, they cannot cure it with this skill, but they can identify the “School of Magic” (Abjuration, Necromancy, etc.) involved, providing a +2 bonus to any Cleric or Wizard attempting to Dispel or Remove Curse from the patient.
⚠️ The “Natural 20” Fumble #
Healer’s Note: A natural 20 is the “Critical Failure” of this skill. It represents a slip of the knife, a wrong dosage of hemlock, or an accidental infection.
