Several cure spells in a row

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Several cure spells in a row
« on: February 08, 2013, 06:12:16 AM »
During my first Dungeon World session, soon after a hard fight, Jotun the Cleric cast twice in a row the cure light wounds spell on Hawke the Fighter with a 10+ score. He would have cast it three times but I told him “Hey hey! Aren’t you pushing your luck?”. So he decided to cure Taeros the Druid, instead, and on a 7-9 chose to have the spell revoked.

This happening draw me to ponder about how to deal with this sort of things during the game and their reflections on the fiction. Any thoughts?

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LD

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Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2013, 09:37:49 AM »
I'm confused. Why is the Cleric healing people even a thing that needs to be dealt with?

Would you have said anything if the Cleric was casting Sanctify or Magic Weapon on everyone's rations or swords? Or if they were healing people during the fight? Would you step in if the Paladin got consecutive 10+ rolls on I Am The Law? Or if the Druid used Shapeshifter twice in a row? Or if the Bard fired off a pair of arrows with Volley? Would you have stepped in if someone drank two healing potions after a fight?

You shouldn't ever be trying to work against the players, even though you're the one putting their characters in danger and controlling the monsters. You're supposed to be working with the players to tell an awesome story. Your job as the GM is to make the players feel awesome because their characters are doing awesome things.

If you think the party is getting off too lightly because of the Cleric's healing, you shouldn't be glaring at the Cleric player for having the nerve to heal people after a fight. That just makes him feel bad for doing awesome Cleric things. Instead, try thinking about consequences other than damage which the party will need to deal with after a fight. Maybe that last goblin blade was coated with a poison that leaves the Thief feeling Weak or Shaky? Maybe that wolf's claws and teeth were full of disease and now the Ranger is feeling Sick? That grizzled old warlock spat out a curse with his dying breath and pointed at the Wizard, what did it do? No amount of Cure Light Wounds spells are going to repair the Fighter's shield after it gets cracked in two by an ogre's mighty warhammer.

Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2013, 11:58:59 AM »
This is a fine matter. Most of the Dungeon World players I listened to seem on two fronts: 1) this is bad for the fiction (ask more questions, do a soft move); 2) this is perfectly normal (do not interfere unless they do a 6-).

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sage

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Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2013, 01:11:02 PM »
There's two answers I usually give here:

First, the cleric is pushing his luck, even if you don't say anything about it. He's rolling the dice, so he's risking failure, which means consequences. You don't have to do anything special about that!

The other answer is to clarify what's going on in-game, as that may have consequences. So, for example, is there someone (or something) nearby that might be able to detect divine magic? Three successful spells in a row is likely to draw their attention. How much time is this taking (and what are the other bad things in the area doing during that time)?

Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2013, 02:05:22 PM »
Thanks Sage. Those are other answers other people gave me on the internet in these days. I think I should look at the principles in this kind of situations: in particular begin and end with the fiction, make a move that follows, ask questions and use answers, think dangerous and think offscreen too.

Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2013, 08:58:06 PM »
  Just my inclination, but I've found RPG healing to be more akin to video games.  It feels like the Cleric is dutifully recharging batteries after every skirmish.  In most fantasy fiction, the characters recover quickly from their scrapes and battles, but when they are healed by a cleric it is a miraculous thing. 

  I would honestly be in favour of allowing characters to recover nearly all lost HPs when they have a chance to breathe after a battle.  But when appropriate, give them busted ribs, wrenched joints, or a smashed ruin of a nose.  When the cleric calls upon his faith, it feels more significant. 

  From a rules standpoint, you free up the cleric from his healing duty.  You also free up the party from having to have a cleric.  This also allows the party to continue w/ fewer camps being made.  I suppose cure light wounds would then deal w/ sprains or minor tears.  cure moderate wounds could deal w/ broken bones, and cure serious wounds heal life threatening injuries like pneumothorax or a gangrenous limb.



Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2013, 09:33:29 PM »
I think that's a drift I may well use. I'm going to hit my drawing board and see what I can make :)

Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2013, 01:23:15 PM »
Why bother healing everyone when you can just point them towards:

Make Camp
When you settle in to rest consume a ration. If you’re somewhere dangerous decide the watch order as well. If you have enough XP you may level up. When you wake from at least a few uninterrupted hours of sleep heal damage equal to half your max HP.

It has a lot less inherent risk than just casting spells, the few hours could be a couple or more, and the end result is half hp for everyone. it costs a ration, sure, but it is a ration for each person as an exchange for not rolling all those spells, and if they still feel they need more, than they can cast a few spells.
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Re: Several cure spells in a row
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2013, 10:29:10 AM »
After some consideration, and also some  ruminating on D&D next, I've got a solution I like.  Touch spells travel by touch, and continue to do so. Thus when you and your allies stand in a circle holding hands and singing praises, Cure X Wounds heals everyone in the circle of harm. I figure so long an implied, "the caster may choose to be exempt," then touch spells that do bad things are still cool, and may in face become cooler.

Incidentally, this came out of a line of thought wanting to make healing more effective and less tactical. For DDN I was looking at suggesting CXW be bumped up to a more lengthy casting time to take it out of the tactical second by second combat. I don't think such a concept is beefheart in DW, since time is so damned fluid and tactical means simmering entirely different.