Healing... nothing more than healing

[Ancalagon]

Hello

Given how I've accidentally hijacked the other thread, I thought perhaps I should start a new one instead of hijacking it *again* 

But it is an important topic anyway!

How does healing work in the Dresden Universe?  Can magic do it? 

[SoulCatcher78]

It's mentioned in Grave Peril as taking huge amounts of raw power (when Lea fixes the cut on his head).  It'll be interesting so see if there's a specific stunt related to healing (rather than just a skill that might allow a bonus when attempting to stop the bleeding).  Given the lack of magical healing used in the books I have to wonder how much there might be in game.

[Wizard H]

Possibly some minor healing along the lines of the reiki type healing Elaine figured out?  We saw that at work in WN and apparently it is very effective if a little time consuming.

[Rechan]

We've seen a few instances of healing. We know that Injun Joe is the best healer around.

(click to show/hide)

In Full Moon, Harry had a belt buckle that let him keep fighting when he was worn down and exhausted.
Ebenezer had those magic stones that ate pain and allowed Harry to keep on going in Blood Rites.
Harry pulled the "Put the pain out of your mind" trick in Dead Beat.

Evocation causes one mental stress box to fill up when you use it. So I think that the Belt caused Harry's Mental Stress boxes to dump, so he could keep casting.

Maybe the stones or the others let him set aside his consequences (or consequence Aspects), empty his stress boxes, or gave an extra mild consequence?

[SoulCatcher78]

Now there's a great idea for an enchanted item; something that allows us to have an additional consequence (mild or moderate depending on what you wanted to spend on them).  Not necessarily healing but a good way to last longer when the world starts falling apart.

[Ancalagon]

In Fool's moon (which I am re-reading) Harry used a rejuvenation potion that allowed him to ignore a host of injuries (up to having been shot in the shoulder) and exhaustion and be *extremely* effective... for a few minutes at least.  When it wore out he basically collapsed.

But that's not really healing, that's fooling your body.

I would expect that something that would make you heal faster, but not instantaneously, may be easier to accomplish magically.  Perhaps "faith magic" would work better... but that may be the old D&D convention of cleric=walking hospital speaking.

[SoulCatcher78]

I would expect that something that would make you heal faster, but not instantaneously, may be easier to accomplish magically.  Perhaps "faith magic" would work better... but that may be the old D&D convention of cleric=walking hospital speaking.

I could see faith magic stopping the slide into the big dirt nap or healing a specific sickness (spooky magical fever?).  The sort of Raise Dead or Heal type magic that we've seen in other games is going to be a stretch given what they've said about the magic system.  If you were in the Nevernever and one of the Queens was involved, the bending of reality becomes much more probable (but at what price?).

[ClarkValentine]

We provide an example of Elaine's Reiki healing magic - not sure if that's what you had in mind.

[iago]

We provide an example of Elaine's Reiki healing magic - not sure if that's what you had in mind.

The half-page on biomancy goes a little further than that, too.

[Rechan]

Ooo, Biomancy. Now I'm curious.

[LCDarkwood]

It's definitely very far from being over the top - the main purpose of healing magic is to provide justification for recovery or reduce the severity of injuries, rather than remove them instantly.

[breaker]

Well seeing as how magic runs just about everything below sea level in the dresdenverse, if its possible for fey/changelings to have enhanced recovery due to their magical nature, than shouldn't practioner magic be able to accomplish it as well? We know its magically possible, so maybe its something that requires specialization ( Injun Joe? )?

[iago]

Well seeing as how magic runs just about everything below sea level in the dresdenverse, if its possible for fey/changelings to have enhanced recovery due to their magical nature, than shouldn't practioner magic be able to accomplish it as well? We know its magically possible, so maybe its something that requires specialization ( Injun Joe? )?

You or your GM will have to wait until you have the game in hand, read our discussion of why it might be tough, and then decide if our ideas of why it's tough hold water in your version of the Dresdenverse.

[breaker]

Oooh, ouch, *takes social stress damage*

But yah, the main reason I'm fighting on the side of pro-magic healing, is that this is turning out to be a pretty physically brutal game, then again DF is also. Someone mentioned around here that three or four combat situations could cripple your party, but I'm guessing that's kind of the point of the stress system, you have to fight with your head.

[iago]

I'm guessing that's kind of the point of the stress system, you have to fight with your head.

You absolutely do.