Overhealing


Homebrew and House Rules


So massive damage is dealing 50% of someone's HP with one hit and then they need to pass a fort save or die. That's awesome and all but what if you don't want to kill them?

Overhealing-If a heal spell brings a target to 150% (minimum 50 HP heal) than the target must make a will save not to be knocked unconscious.

Any thoughts, ideas, alterations?


My opinion on Overhealing is as follows:

1. When Overhealing occurs, the player has the highest negative effect removed.

2. If there are no negative effects on the player, they gain temporary hitpoints equal to the number of hitpoints that put them over 100% health.

3. Overhealing cannot occur with a character above 75% maximum health. If I allow this to happen, people just heal themselves to gain extra defensive ability.


In reference to Warboss666:

Gaining temp HPs via cure spells is incredibly powerful... the spell False Life (level 2) gives 1d10+1 per CL (max +10) for 1 hr/lvl

If cure spells work in this way, than a lvl 1 spell (CLW) will give nearly the same amount of temp hps as False Life but with no time limit on the temp hps, and will also cure the highest lvl negative effect (Geas? for example). That is a level 1 spell, you can see how it would drastically effect the game I hope.

.....

Tatsua:

Doesn't the Positive Energy Plane do something like this, except if a character reaches a certain amount of temp hps they explode or something? Maybe adding an effect to positive channeling (and lay on hands, plus any other purely positive energy effect) making it only target a single creature per use to provide temp hps = to a normal channel/positive energy effect? That drastically reduces the chances the PCs get knocked unconscious by "baddies" who can cast Heal.. who then rape and murder as they see fit, and gives the ability some hard limits. Just a thought.


I think knocking someone unconscious with a heal spell would be pretty nifty ;3
I like the idea ^^
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If you set the duration to 1 round / per caster level then it is only good directly before or in battle.
So in the heat of battle a strong heal is not completely wasted and protects the person for a few rounds.

But it can't be used effectively outside of combat because it does not last long enough.

And you could make a feat out of it. It would be pretty cool feat for a healer. But definitely limit the duration. Maybe the feat lets the temp. HPs last for minutes / level?


I think the only spell in the game that can overheal would be Heal. Even a 10d6 channel energy probably won't do it.


Sounds like an interesting way for a good cleric to deal non-lethal knockout damage at very low or very high levels. Doesn't sound too effective mid-range.


Sounds like it unjustly punishes people for using the only healing spell worth anything in the game: Heal and its derivatives. Healing in general is very bad in this game, and this only makes high end healing worse. It punishes people for casting heal before an errant critical hit could take out their ally. At CL 12, heal restores 120 Hp. His fighter friend only has around 71 base HP. Even with a +6 Con, that's 143 Hp. If your fighter drops to half his life (71 HP) and you cast heal, you almost knock him unconscious (48/50 HP to knock him unconscious). If you have any bonuses to caster level (via robes, ioun stone, traits, or anything) then you will kill your fighter instead of healing them (full HP + unconscious = coup de grace fodder).

If you were doing anything to healing, then for goodness sakes buff the hell out of it. Warboss666 is right. If anything it should also come packed with a free ailment removal; though such is nearly useless since healing is so horribly weak that nothing except Heal and its higher variations will ever do this; and even then, they already do remove most ailments.


I just don't see the point of this. I don't see the need for it. I don't see what it adds to the game. I don't understand why you'd want to punish the party for using a powerful heal spell.

I just don't get it.


Adamantine Dragon wrote:

I just don't see the point of this. I don't see the need for it. I don't see what it adds to the game. I don't understand why you'd want to punish the party for using a powerful heal spell.

I just don't get it.

Pretty much my thoughts on the matter too, my friend. :o

Scarab Sages

I like the idea, because too much of anything is never good, but...
if your goal is to have an effective one-shot for knock-outs, why not just allow a Knock-Out against flat-footed opponents, with a Fort DC of 10 + 1/2 BAB + Str/Dex. That way the rogue or fighter can do it to.


The use would be offensive casting at low levels. At 1st level, casting a 1d8+1 CLW at a 4hp goblin will, depending on how you round it, autokill or nearly autokill if they fail their saving throw.


I would rather see a feat, spell effect, class ability, or magical item that takes overheal and distributes it to other injured party members, perhaps within 30' of the initial target healed.

Now THAT would be a fun and helpful mechanic.

Hmmm... In fact, I might have to work with my group and come up with something.

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