Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Braids 08-20-07, 05:02 AM	For a long time I've been trying to simplify classes down to the Generic Classes, but healers always proved to throw a wrench in my plans. How can I keep the healer running across the battlefield and still be safe enough to keep going without making them uber powerful characters in the process. One of the recent 4e videos opened my eyes. Rather than force players to be healers and fall into those 4 basic rolesl I want to encourage players to play anything. I want to make healing magic optional without making the characters so powerful they know they can't be defeated, but for the life of me I can't figure out any way to do this. Any ideas?
bobothechimp 08-20-07, 05:56 AM	It's roles, not rolls. Sorry, that just really bugs me.
DCAnderson 08-20-07, 06:11 AM	Yah I thought this was going to be a thread on how to play diceless DnD. Which might actually be pretty cool. Any ideas?
nonsi 08-20-07, 06:35 AM	Let me see if I got it correct. What you actually want is a single spell casting class that can be customized to whatever concept the player wishes to build ? Before I go on, let me know if I'm in the right direction and how things are tied to "without making the characters so powerful they know they can't be defeated".
Braids 08-20-07, 03:38 PM	Let me see if I got it correct. What you actually want is a single spell casting class that can be customized to whatever concept the player wishes to build ? That's part of the plan, but I already have that. What I want is to make it easy for characters to survive without healing magic without giving the characters so many other benefits that they feel like they can never be killed. Yah I thought this was going to be a thread on how to play diceless DnD. Which might actually be pretty cool. Any ideas? "As you walk through the door you set off a trap. You fail your reflex save and die....okay, here are your new characters."
enlightened 08-20-07, 04:19 PM	No more rolls. If this thread is not, in fact, about Diceless D&D, then why haven't you corrected your title yet? It is very misleading.
Braids 08-20-07, 04:38 PM	If this thread is not, in fact, about Diceless D&D, then why haven't you corrected your title yet? It is very misleading. It amuses me. Plus I don't know how to change thread titles. [Never mind, I figured it out.]
Fireclave 08-20-07, 05:02 PM	How can I keep the healer running across the battlefield and still be safe enough to keep going without making them uber powerful characters in the process. 1) Start with the Bard 2) ??? 3) Profit
GraphiteGolem 08-20-07, 05:45 PM	How much fighting do you want in your game, for starters? Make fighing more dangerous by eliminating healing magic entirely, and you have less need for it, as the party will pick their battles more carefully. There's an alternative magic system in UA that allows anyone to cast a spell, they just have to go through a ritual. Not so useful in the thick of fighting, but it's good for downtime as everyone holds hands and prays for the barbarian to live. Or you could just let everyone know the body adjustment and psionic restoration powers at a manifester level equal to their character level. Healers, heal thyselves. Make them all trolls. Make potions/wands (especially wands) cheaper, and make UMD a class skill for everyone There's probably an alternate method of HP tracking in UA, but I don't remember right now. That might serve your purpose too, at least for not making healing an absolute necessity... Good luck!
Holy_Beholder 08-20-07, 06:20 PM	I would give players Action Points, like from Ebberon, or d20 modern. Or a stronger version you can use to negate an attack(takes two), turn a death into a -9 and stable, or do other things like that. They could also use them to confirm a critical automatically, among other things. Or just be a little more generous with potions.
Tequila_Sunrise 08-20-07, 09:30 PM	Well, you need a way for any character to heal him/herself. Options include: give everyone fast healing, make available potions/wands of vigor or any other pretense which you can think of to give your players the ability to regenerate. Alternatively, if healing magic was significantly weaker, it wouldn't be an inherently important role within the party. For example if cure spells only healed their base dice, and not caster level, it would be a lot more important to have an extra damage dealer to end the fight quickly than it would be to have a healer.
Jethr0Paladin 08-21-07, 11:09 AM	Did no one play Neverwinter Nights? Healing kits have a use in that game. So does the healing skill. It restores your HP when you use them together. Also, fireclave, gb2/b.
Fireclave 08-21-07, 04:29 PM	Also, fireclave, gb2/b. Huh? :confused:
Braids 08-21-07, 04:43 PM	Got some good imput. Think I may have an idea of how I'm going to do things. Also, Rules 1 & 2 Jethr0Paladin, do you know them?
GraphiteGolem 08-21-07, 05:08 PM	Got some good imput. Think I may have an idea of how I'm going to do things. So what are you going to do? :confused:
Braids 08-22-07, 03:33 AM	So what are you going to do? :confused: lol, I'll post it when I get things hammered out...someday.
Urmar 08-26-07, 11:30 PM	Well if you want to go really "classless" and away from predefined roles, check out 2nd Edition "Skills and Powers." I'm sure you could get one from eBay for the price of shipping. It was clumsily done, but it turned D&D into a point-buy system hybrid. If you wanted an arcane caster with sneak attack and an animal companion, it was possible. Or, you could play GURPS. I've had some similar dilemmas in my campaigns, but I've been rescued by having players that enjoyed playing clerics.