Druid discussion vis a vis their healing capabilities

[Kalyth]

ZeroCharisma wrote:

Kalyth wrote:

Circle of Spring

I'd permit my players to add that spell to their repertoire. It has a very nice symmetry. It seems like an elegant addition to the healing druid's portfolio.

Heres another spell idea.

The Passing of Seasons
Conjuration (Healing) or Transmutation (may be more appropriate)
Level: Drd 4
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Concentration (up to one minute per level)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless); see text

All wounds heal in time though at times one may not have the time to wait. This rite allows a druid to speed the recovery process of a wounded creature. Each minute the subject is affected by this spell it recover as if it had completely rested one full day. This restores both hitpoint and ability damage and even removes the fatigued and exhausted conditions like normal rest would. An 8th level character subjected to this spell would recover 16 hitpoints and 2 ability points each minute this spell is maintained. The druid must remain in contact with the subject throughout the spell or the effect ends and the subject gains no further recovery.

This magic does not heal the subjects wounds as much as it accelerates their bodies natural healing capabilities. It is important to note that the subject is treated as if real time had passed along with the healing for the subject. If the subject is currentely being effected by a disease or poison its effects progress as well at a rate of one day per minute that passes while this spell is in effect. This could cause a disease to ravage the targets body more quickly or the subject could recover from its effects sooner. The disease or poison is handle just as if the appropriate amount of time had pased (1 day per minute of the spell effect) and the subject makes any appropraite saving throws and applies any ability damage just as if normal time had passed. This spell however had no effect on magical diseases, curses or afflictions. Likewise it does not allow a spellcaster to recover expended spells or spell like abilites as it only effects the subjects biological functions. The magic sustains the subject and does not increase the subjects need to eat or drink during this time, though the subject may show signs of the "passage of time", growing facial hair or stubble, fingernail length, etc. While subject to this spell the target can not also be treated with the heal skill as thier recovery process is accelerated far beyond the capabilities of that skill.

I debated between level 3 and 4 for this spell ultimately desided on 4th due to its similarities to Restoration. This spell can heal far more damage than Cure Critical and in many cases Heal but sinse the healing is over an extended period of time requiring both caster and subject to forgo other activities i settled for 4th (maybe 5th if I had to : ). Basically I would love to see druids as just a capable healers as clerics just not combat medics.

[Set]

Kalyth wrote:

The Passing of Seasons [SNIP]

That's pretty spiffy.

A system where this sort of 'accelerated natural healing' was the only healing option would be interesting, as it can be tweaked to be inherently based on the level of the recipient, more than the level of the caster. A 2nd level-ish version that lasts only a single minute, and provides a days worth of healing, for instance, would be neat, and, unlike Cure Moderate Wounds, which gets increasingly useless as the party's hit point scores hit triple digits, scales with the level of the recipient.

Having a day's rations (both food and water) being the material component for this spell would be kinda poetic. The materials are absorbed into the recipient during the spellcasting, and sustain him for a 'virtual day.'

I kind of like a division between Cleric healing (all at once) and Druid healing (regenerative or 'over-time' healing). I've gotten used to it from online gaming, but it also fits the concept of Druids doing things in a more 'naturalistic' manner, working with nature, while the Clerics are calling on their gods to use otherworldly forces to 'fix this, now.'

[JoelF847]

Kalyth wrote:

Heres another spell idea.

The Passing of Seasons

I also really like this idea. A 1st level version could simply make an 8 hour rest count as a full day's rest. At low levels, this wouldn't be as effective as a cure light wounds, but at higher levels it would be better.

[SirUrza]

Personally I always saw the Druid's ability to heal as a way to heal themselves in melee, and more importantly their animal companion. Basically saying that the Druid can heal so the Cleric doesn't have to heal the pet.

[Emperor7]

Been reading the Runelords series by David Farland. The Earth King, etc. gained healing/restoration by being buried (partially or fully) in the earth, covered with leaves, etc. Fitting visual.

[ZeroCharisma]

It's another excellent spell and flavorful as well. I might add either a unique component (rations is good, perhaps I'd be more comfortable with something a little more expensive) or mayhap the conditional that, if interrupted, either the druid or his patient (or both) gain the dazed condition for x number of rounds, to represent rejoining the natural flow of time after their accelerated temporal hiccup.