View source for Non-Magical Healing Arts (3.5e Variant Rule)

=== THE HEALING SKILL ===

The Healing Skill is at the heart of this article. Each Rank adds more than a simple +1 to the [[SRD:Using_Skills#Skill_Checks|skill check]], so advancing this Skill is important for those seeking ability in the Healing arts. Clerics of good alignment often train this Skill. Clerics of Gods with the Healing domain may consider Healing a class Skill if they choose that domain, that is they may buy this Skill with a single point/rank, no matter the class they are currently raising or their wisdom.

NOTE: On Orlantia, Skill costs are not determined by class association, but are instead determined by whether a character is Challenged (9 or lower), Normal (10 to 13), or Gifted (14 or higher) in the key ability for that Skill. Wisdom is the key ability for the Healing Skill. Clerics of deities with the Healing domain who choose that domain are considered gifted for this purpose, no matter what their Wisdom score may be. If you would like to read about this system, please follow the link below.

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~jamesstarlight/CrossClassSkills.html The Problem Of Cross Class Skills] (A Better Method For Determining Costs Of Class And 'Cross-Class' Skills)


The Healing Skill is useful for recovering some lost HPs, accelerating the normal Healing rate, treating more serious injuries like deep punctures and/or broken bones, as well as mitigating the effects of infections, poisons, and various diseases. But this Skill really shines when used in conjunction with the Herbalism or Apothecary Professions or, even better, the Alchemy Craft. In fact, progression beyond Rank 1 in Healing requires training in the Herbalism or Apothecary Professions (see below).


HEALING RANK 1: The Healer may administer Healing if they begin treatment within 1 minute (10 rounds) of when the injury was taken. The DC for this treatment is 15, and each application takes 1 round. If they succeed, the patient is [[SRD:Stable|stabilized]] and 1 HP is returned to the patient, but only if the wound was 2 HPs or greater. At least 1 HP of damage always remains for EACH injury. Each wound may only be treated ONCE with the Healing skill.

NOTE: I can't stress this enough. Limiting the Healing skill to being usable only ONCE on each injury, and leaving behind at least 1 HP of damage, is the basis of why the system is realistic. No application of this skill - on commoner or adventurer - would allow anyone to walk away unscathed after serious injury. Thus, you may save someone's life after they were mangled in a car crash, but they would not Miraculously walk away without a single scratch. This seems realistic enough for our purposes.

For Healing Rank 1, the GM may assume, for simplicity's sake, to just allow one wound to be treated per patient and be done with it.

I, however, allow each qualifying wound to be treated, and thus keep track of more detail. I like this level of realism and the extra effort is not that much. Greater detail often yields greater realism and greater player immersion. 

Thus, each wound may be treated if it was sustained within the last minute. This requires keeping track of each time the character was hit for more than 1 HP during the last 10 rounds.

EXAMPLE: Joshua the Jolly was hit 4 times during combat, but combat was quickly over after 7 rounds. In order, he was hit for 3 HPs, then 4 HPs, then 2 HPs, and then finally 1 HP. A Rank 1 Healer goes to work on him right away. Since combat lasted less than 10 rounds, all wounds are still within the one-minute time limit. But the 1 HP wound is not really treatable since at least 1 HP damage must remain for each wound. Each wound takes one round to fix so, if they are treated in the wrong order, the first wound may slide outside the time limit. But we will assume the Healer knows what they are doing and treats the 'qualifying' wounds from oldest to newest.

The Healer must Roll three times at a DC of 15, once for each qualifying wound. Assuming they make two of the Rolls, 2 HPs are returned to Joshua. Note that even if there was time, it is not possible to make a second attempt to heal a wound, whether or not the first attempt was successful. Thus, he goes from 10 HPs of damage to 8 HPs of damage. Thereafter, the GM no longer needs to keep track of how much damage there was for each wound or when it occurred - keeping track of the standard 8 HPs of total damage will suffice.

Treatment with the Healing Skill might be attempted during combat. It's riskier - during treatment the Healer is [[SRD:Flat-Footed|flat-footed]], unable to use a shield, and unable to cast spells or attack, or even concentrate and direct existing spells. Furthermore, the Healer provokes [[SRD:Attacks_of_Opportunity|attacks of opportunity]]. This risk may be warranted, however, such as when the Healer is attempting to restore consciousness to a character that has fallen to -1 HPs or less. This may require treating several wounds, for 1 HP each, to raise an unconscious character to positive hit points. It would probably be better to use Magic, but Magic is not always available.

During combat, most will just give First Aid to [[srd:stable|stabilize]] the patient and attempt Healing after combat, since First Aid does not prevent a later Healing treatment. Only a prior Healing [[SRD:Using_Skills#Skill_Checks|skill check]] - successful or not - or expiration of the time limit, or the use of Magical Healing (see [[Non-Magical_Healing_Arts_(3.5e_Variant_Rule)#Magical_Healing|below]]), would prevent treating a particular wound with the Healing skill, and it is often better to deal with the enemy first in all but the most dire of circumstances.

Still, Healing may be attempted mid-combat. If the [[SRD:Using_Skills#Skill_Checks|skill check]] is successful, the treated wound regains 1 HP (for Healing Rank 1) - unless it was only a 1 HP wound, which must remain - and the patient is considered [[srd:stable|stabilized]]. Failure of the [[SRD:Using_Skills#Skill_Checks|skill check]], however, means no further Healing skill treatments may be made for that particular wound, and the patient is NOT stabilized. First Aid may still be rendered (in a later round) to stabilize the patient, or they may attempt to treat a different wound, but the Healing Skill may not be attempted again for the same wound. If there are other qualifying wounds, they may still attempt Healing those.

Of course, failure also means the patient will likely bleed for 1 more HP the next round, so the wisest course of action is usually to render First Aid in one round to [[srd:stable|stabilize]] the patient, and then, if there is time, attempt the Healing Skill on the following round, or later.

NOTE: When a [[srd:dying|dying]] patient loses 1 HP/round from not [[srd:stable|stabilizing]], this is considered overall body HPs and does not increase the severity of any particular wound. It is a loss of blood or damage due to asphyxiation, and only magic or natural healing over time may correct such damage. Thus, a 1 HP wound does not turn into a 2 HP wound at any time, or in general, an N HP wound does not "bleed" and become a (N+1) HP wound. 


Healing Rank 2: Prerequisites: Healing Rank 1, AND (One's Herbalism Profession Ranks and/or Apothecary Profession Ranks must total 1 Rank or more. i.e. Rank 1 in either one of those Professions will suffice).

There are several advantages to Healing Rank 2 beyond a further +1 to one's success Roll. First and foremost, wounds may be treated within 2 minutes of their infliction, and not just one minute.

In general, you will find wounds must be treated within N minutes for a Healer of Rank N. This greatly extends the time since this Skill's limit is measured in minutes, which are 10 rounds each. This extended time often allows the Healer ample time to treat multiple wounds immediately after combat, and what's more, multiple patients, before the wounds pass the time limit and no longer qualify. Each wound takes a number of rounds to treat that equals the number of HPs restored, however, and going from one patient to the next will be assumed to take a minimum of one round in and of itself - perhaps longer, depending on how far away they are.

Also, instead of Healing each wound for 1 HP for each successful Healing Roll, the Rank 2 Healer may Heal each wound for up to 2 HPs. The DC is still 15 for this treatment. As before, at least 1 HP damage must remain for each wound.

NOTE: An unconscious and bleeding patient will, of course, bleed out and die within one or two minutes - 10 to 20 rounds at 1 HP/round is usually lethal - and one may wonder what good the extra time does with advancing Healing Ranks. Quite simply, the extra minutes to begin treatment allows for the treatment of stabilized patients, as well as walking patients, so the time is valuable. This means, however, it is often of utmost importance to render First Aid to an unconscious patient - often even during combat - not to regain a few lost HPs, but to save their very life. You can always make a Healing Skill Roll after someone has received First Aid, as long as you are quick enough.

For Healing Rank 2, the GM may assume, for simplicity's sake, to just allow two wounds to be treated per patient and be done with it. If they only have one wound, then only one wound may be treated, no matter how big it is. And if the wound is only 2 HPs, only 1 HP may be restored since at least 1 HP of damage must remain for each wound.

Remember, each wound takes N rounds to treat, where N is the number of HPs restored. This may be up to the Healer's Full Rank, though it may be less if the wound is smaller, or if the Healer doesn't wish to spend as much time in open combat on a wound. For example, they may elect to Heal a 5 HP wound for only 1 HP, and thus remain flatfooted for only one round.

Once a wound is treated by the Healing Skill and an actual Roll is made - successfully or not - no further Healing Skill may be applied to that particular wound.

Another advantage of the Healing Skill Rank 2 is the Healer effectively stabilizes the patient after one round of treatment, if their Roll was successful or not. This is better than the Rank 1 Healer since the lesser Healer must make their Roll to do this, or they must choose not to risk it and take the time to simply administer First Aid first. The reason this happens is the patient would otherwise continue to bleed at 1 HP/round during a multiple round application, and after one round, the patient is therefore considered stabilized. They do NOT lose 1 HP for that round. Once the Healer begins a treatment - First Aid or Healing past Rank 1, the bleeding is assumed to stop immediately, and no more HPs will be lost. If the Healer is interrupted before one round, however, and does not make their concentration check, the patient is not stabilized, nor are they Healed, and if they had been bleeding they WILL lose 1 HP for that round.


SYNERGY: Having the Herbalism Profession or the Apothecary Profession adds to your Healing Roll in a synergistic manner.
In Orlantia, you add +M to your Healing Roll where M = the highest Rank you have in either the Herbalism or Apothecary Profession, but this bonus may NOT exceed your Healing Rank. Thus, if you have Herbalism Rank 6 but only Healing Rank 3, the synergistic bonus to your Healing Roll from your Herbalism Profession would be only +3, and not +6.


Healing attempts may be interrupted just as spell casting may be interrupted. If damaged while making a Healing attempt, the Healer must make a concentration check. The DC is 10 plus the amount of damage they take. Failure, however, means the Roll was technically never made, so one may still make the attempt later if the time limit has not run out. This is unlike interrupted spells, which are considered lost and no longer prepared once interrupted.


Healing Rank 3: Prerequisites: Healing Rank 2, AND (One's Herbalism Profession Ranks and/or Apothecary Profession Ranks must total 2 Ranks or more).

Or, in general . . .

Healing Rank N: Prerequisites: Healing Rank (N-1), AND (One's Herbalism Profession Ranks and/or Apothecary Profession Ranks must total (N-1) Ranks or more).

When applying their full powers, the Healer Rank N has N minutes to begin treatment of a wound. They may restore up to N HPs for each wound, but a minimum of 1 HP damage must remain for each wound. Also, no more than 4 HPs may be restored for each wound, even if N > 4, unless the Healer also has the Alchemy Profession - more on this later.

The Healer Rank N must spend one flatfooted round for every 1 HP restored. They must make a Skill Check Roll for each wound, and the DC is 15. Added to this Roll to increase the chances of one's success are the following: +(Wisdom Mod), +N (Rank), and +M where M is the highest Rank in the Herbalism or Apothecary Profession, but where M may not exceed N. There may also be situational modifiers or special equipment modifiers, just like any other Skill.


NOTE: Armor penalties do not detract from the Healer's Roll. However, though First Aid may be rendered to a fully armored character, Healing may require the patient's armor - or some of it - to be removed so the Healer may gain access to the wounds. The GM may require several rounds to accomplish this before you may make your Healing Roll. Ask your GM.


EXAMPLE 1: Joyce is a Healer Rank 3, an Herbalist Rank 2, an Apothecary Rank 4, her wisdom is 14, and she has a [[SRD:Healer's Kit|Healer’s kit]]. She must begin treatment of wounds within 3 minutes of their infliction (from Healing Rank 3). For each wound, she must Roll to beat a DC of 15, but adds +3 (from Healing Rank 3), +3 (synergistic bonus due to Rank 4 Apothecary Rank, but limited by Healing Rank 3), +2 (Wisdom Mod), and +2 (Healer's Kit), for a total of +10. Needless to say, Joyce is an exceptional Healer. Each qualifying wound may be Healed up to 3 HPs, though at least 1 HP of damage must remain for each wound.

EXAMPLE 2: Janice is a Healer Rank 4, an Herbalist Rank 2, an Apothecary Rank 3, and her wisdom is 16. She must begin treatment of wounds within 4 minutes of their infliction (from Healing Rank 4). For each wound, she must Roll to beat a DC of 15, but adds +4 (from Healing Rank 4), +3 (synergistic bonus due to Rank 3 Apothecary, the higher of her synergistic skills), and +3 (Wisdom Mod), for a total of +10. Each qualifying wound may be Healed up to 4 HPs, though at least 1 HP of damage must remain for each wound.


It may be assumed that Healers carry the necessary herbs, minerals, and medicines to treat normal minor injuries due to weapons, burns from fire or acid, suffocation, or falling. It is not, however, assumed they have the proper components for the treatment of every poison or disease. They may, of course, purchase and maintain a [[SRD:Healer's Kit|Healer’s kit]] (a steal at 50 GP and a weight of only 1 pound). Otherwise, they have to make a successful Herbalism or Apothecary Roll at DC 15, or a Healing Roll at DC 20, to find the proper ingredients to treat certain maladies. If they succeed and have these items, they must still make a further Healing Roll at DC 15, or for most poisons or diseases, a DC appropriate for those problems. Ask your GM.


In addition to Healing injuries and restoring HPs, anyone with Healing Rank 1 or higher may treat patients for long term care, serious wounds like deep punctures, broken bones, infections, poisons, and/or diseases. These topics are adequately covered on page 69 of the PHB [3.0 edition? The Heal skill is covered on pages 75 and 76 of the 3.5 PHB and deep punctures and broken bones are not addressed].


NOTE: The stated synergy bonus on page 66 of the PHB has been changed and somewhat relaxed. That is, one may gain a synergy bonus far sooner than Rank 5 in the complimentary Skill, and for more than +2 under the right conditions. But in any event, the synergy bonus from the Herbalism or Apothecary Professions shall not exceed one's Healing Rank.
Adopter	reddir +
Author	James L. R. Beach +
Identifier	3.5e Variant Rule +
Rating	Unrated +
Title	Non-Magical Healing Arts +