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Although I can imagine some of their conjurers summoning or binding outsiders with healing and forcing them to heal others.
Bards yes, Alchemists, yes, Witches and Druids not so much.
Well, the relatively new Healing Hands feat probably helps now that it exists.
As for the years beforehand, iunno. They probably lost a lot more limbs/peasants than other places.
Non-divine healing options off the top of my head: witches, bards, wizard (arcane physician archetype), alchemists, kineticists, occultists, and using the heal skill with feats and the like. So I think they could cope just fine. Witches get a pass as their magic is arcane and they don't worship their patrons.
I'm not a lore expert, but Rahadoum has issues with plague, famine, and desertification from what I read. They probably don't cope all that well. Maybe they import a lot of potions and wands?
Oh maybe that's how some of those secret cults gain members. They offer reliable healing to people that couldn't get it otherwise.
They do have some healing from arcane sources, mostly alchemists and bards. From what I have read witches are probably viewed with suspicion. This means that there is less healing in the kingdom and some types of healing are simply not available.
If you look at the write up of the kingdom this is actually a big problem that they have not solved. They have had issues with the lack of healing and will probably continue to do so. In all honesty this is one thing that stands out about the kingdom.
One thing to keep in mind is that the kingdom is not an enlightened place that has decided that the gods do not exist. It is a kingdom of fanatics that reject the divine and all it stands for. Many of the people who live in it would rather see their children die than to accept divine healing.
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How does real life cope without divine magic?
. . .
Poorly.
I will never understand why in settings where the Gods are real, verifiable, active beings in the world, some people or societies become fanatically anti-religious or anti-theistic. I can understand certain individuals not being involved with religion, disliking a specific deity, or even a country with a history of religious conflict banning organized religion, but telling the Gods "shove off and take your blessings with you" screams bad idea. Why antagonize the beings who literally keep the multiverse running? Rahadoum seems like a perfect example of why that is a terrible idea.
I will never understand why in settings where the Gods are real, verifiable, active beings in the world, some people or societies become fanatically anti-religious or anti-theistic. I can understand certain individuals not being involved with religion, disliking a specific deity, or even a country with a history or religious conflict banning organized religion, but telling the Gods "shove off and take your blessings with you" screams bad idea. Why antagonize the beings who literally keep the multiverse running? Rahadoum seems like a perfect example of why that is a terrible idea.
And then fans/other people get upset with the gods when they actually withdraw their presence.
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I will never understand why in settings where the Gods are real, verifiable, active beings in the world, some people or societies become fanatically anti-religious or anti-theistic. I can understand certain individuals not being involved with religion, disliking a specific deity, or even a country with a history or religious conflict banning organized religion, but telling the Gods "shove off and take your blessings with you" screams bad idea. Why antagonize the beings who literally keep the multiverse running? Rahadoum seems like a perfect example of why that is a terrible idea.
Rahadoum has experienced the woprst side of divine worship: the religious wars betweend the expansionist followers of Sarenrae and local followers of Nethys and Norgorber. The Oath Wars were anded when both sides were defeated by the followers of the Laws of Man.
That happened over 2000 years ago, and Rahadoum was able to survive somewhat, although as other have mentioned, it has sporadic problems with plagues and constant problem with desertificattion. Even though some whisper these are divine punishments for insolence, most keep insisting that divine protection comes at too great price.
Non-divine healing options off the top of my head: witches, bards, wizard (arcane physician archetype), alchemists, kineticists, occultists, and using the heal skill with feats and the like. So I think they could cope just fine. Witches get a pass as their magic is arcane and they don't worship their patrons.
Also add Investigator, Magaambyan Initiate Arcanist(*), Magaambyan Arcanist (prestige class), Pathfinder Savant (prestige class), and Spell Sage Wizard(**).
(*)Technically also Unlettered Arcanist, but it's a rather poor archetype.
(**)After 1st level, synergy of Focused Spells and Spell Study actually makes this better than Arcane Physician (better at removing high DC bad conditions), as long as you don't need to be super-fast at healing, cast a lot of healing spells in 1 day, or cast Breath of Life.
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That happened over 2000 years ago, and Rahadoum was able to survive somewhat, although as other have mentioned, it has sporadic problems with plagues and constant problem with desertification. Even though some whisper these are divine punishments for insolence, most keep insisting that divine protection comes at too great price.
And note that, on the map of the 'Inner Sea' region, Rahadoum has the most 'green' for it's latitude. Thuvia, Osirion and Qadira all seem, visibly, to have *bigger* problems with desertification than gods-forsaken Rahadoum.
I have no idea if this was a deliberate design choice, but, if so, it's deliciously salty, as the place being 'punished' for abandoning the gods seems to be doing better, environmentally, than nations in it's latitude that are bending the knee.
As for healing, it may have been an issue before the APG, but now non-divine healing can be found from Alchemists and Witches, and always could be found from Bards and (celestial bloodline) Sorcerers, and the non-magical Heal skill gets upgrades all the time, with options like the Unchained Rogues Skill Mastery (IIRC), the Healers Handbook, the Healers Hands feat, etc.
There's going to be less more advanced healing magic, like restoring lost levels or regenerating limbs or curing disease, but hit point loss is going to be fairly readily dealt with.
And there's the fun design space for Rahadoum.
This region would have more need for fancy prosthetics, for instance, as the 1 in a 1000 people who could, in any other country, purchase a regenerate spell don't have that option (and it would be mighty suspicious if they were known to have lost a limb and showed up one day with a new one!), don't have that option, and yet have the gold to splurge on a fancy artificial replacement.
Like any set of restrictions, it's also an opportunity.
Most commoners couldn't afford spell casting services anyways, so it's largely irrelevant for most people.
I'm not saying it has no impact, but for most people it probably makes little difference since they wouldn't have access to divine magic even if it were allowed.
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Rahadoum citizens are described as respecting philosophy (including natural philosophy presumably) and being educated and civic minded. I would expect that proper sanitation would make up for a lot of cure disease spells.
One could even argue that not relying on magic to fix this sort of problem would be a huge benefit. In most places in Golarion, the well to do don't have anything personally to fear from disease, while in Rahadoum they do. The have a lot more incentive to prevent it and stop its spread than other nations. This resulting in a healthier and more productive populace isn't all that hard to imagine.
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I will never understand why in settings where the Gods are real, verifiable, active beings in the world, some people or societies become fanatically anti-religious or anti-theistic. I can understand certain individuals not being involved with religion, disliking a specific deity, or even a country with a history of religious conflict banning organized religion, but telling the Gods "shove off and take your blessings with you" screams bad idea. Why antagonize the beings who literally keep the multiverse running? Rahadoum seems like a perfect example of why that is a terrible idea.
Sure, you helped create the world and keep the celestial bodies moving, but why does that mean you have to micromanage my personal life? You stay up in the heavens doing heavenly stuff and I'll keep to myself here on Earth. I mean Golarion.
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Don't forget the occult classes. Mediums channeling the Hierophant and Psychics with the Faith discipline would be no better off than clerics, but Spiritualists or Occultists could provide some acceptable non-divine healing.
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I will never understand why in settings where the Gods are real, verifiable, active beings in the world, some people or societies become fanatically anti-religious or anti-theistic. I can understand certain individuals not being involved with religion, disliking a specific deity, or even a country with a history of religious conflict banning organized religion, but telling the Gods "shove off and take your blessings with you" screams bad idea. Why antagonize the beings who literally keep the multiverse running? Rahadoum seems like a perfect example of why that is a terrible idea.
It's pretty easy to do if the gods are horrible beings.
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On the subject of witches: While their spells are technically arcane, they are still derived via pacts with otherworldly powers. Is there any lore regarding Rahadoum's view of such practices? It doesn't sound like it'd be any better received than oracular magic--both are provided by otherworldly (and often unknown) benefactors, often with unknown or even unfathomable motivations.
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I feel like we'd hear about problems with summoners and conjurers if that was a real problem.
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On the subject of witches: While their spells are technically arcane, they are still derived via pacts with otherworldly powers. Is there any lore regarding Rahadoum's view of such practices? It doesn't sound like it'd be any better received than oracular magic--both are provided by otherworldly (and often unknown) benefactors, often with unknown or even unfathomable motivations.
Here you go:
But in Rahadoum, the worship of gods is explicitly outlawed by the Laws of Man, so the people in that realm must rely on other spellcasters to heal their sick and wounded. This task often falls to Rahadoumi witches, who use the power of their patrons to heal ailments of the body and spirit. Witches’ arts in Rahadoum are seen much more practically than elsewhere, where the general populace might be superstitious about them, though some of the most dedicated followers of the Laws of Man still view witches with a suspicious eye.
On the subject of witches: While their spells are technically arcane, they are still derived via pacts with otherworldly powers. Is there any lore regarding Rahadoum's view of such practices? It doesn't sound like it'd be any better received than oracular magic--both are provided by otherworldly (and often unknown) benefactors, often with unknown or even unfathomable motivations.Here you go:
But in Rahadoum, the worship of gods is explicitly outlawed by the Laws of Man, so the people in that realm must rely on other spellcasters to heal their sick and wounded. This task often falls to Rahadoumi witches, who use the power of their patrons to heal ailments of the body and spirit. Witches’ arts in Rahadoum are seen much more practically than elsewhere, where the general populace might be superstitious about them, though some of the most dedicated followers of the Laws of Man still view witches with a suspicious eye.
Weird. Thanks!
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Weird. Thanks!
It is odd. The Iconic Witch, IIRC, leans towards Desna being her patron, making her way more 'gets her powers from the gods' than a secular Adept or Ranger would be, or even a gods-hating cursed Oracle, and yet, somehow, the rank and file Rahadoumi care only whether or not you are a divine caster or an arcane caster (despite the only in-game mechanic I can find to tell the difference is the arcane sight spell, which is *way* out of reach for a Rahadoumi Commoner 1).
As an added bit of weirdness, even secular users of arcane magic are promoting the tenets of Nethys, whether they worship him or not, and Nethys is one of the three faiths involved in the Oath Wars, so, logically, Rahadoum should be opposed to arcane magic, as well...
Not that logic has anything to do with anything. :)
In a setting that was inspired by Golarion, but used the Core rules, a Cleric of Philosophy (Laws of Man) would be interesting, deriving their power from the notion that people don't need gods, and can stand on their own.
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Note that the Purity Legion probably cracks down on deity worshippers even if they aren't of a divine casting class, so the iconic Witch (Feiya) would probably get in trouble if found out.
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Im gonna keep going on this.
Asmodeus helped create the universe. Asmodeus helped lock up Gozreh. Asmodeus will grant you powers if you worship him and definitely, concretely exists. So why wouldn’t you worship him? Well, maybe you don’t like or trust him, maybe you don’t think his list of achievements entitles him to your time and worship. Its the same principal, just on a larger scale.
Asmodeus probably didn't help create the universe. The creation myth spread by his church involves him, but there are like 3 or 4 other creation myths which contradict that. At the very least, it's unlikely to be true.
Rahadoum views deities as little more than extravagantly powerful outsiders. The reject worshiping them on the grounds that they cause more problems for mortals than the benefits they bestow.
Eh...I wouldn't let wizards do it.
There are plenty of arcane casters with access to healing magic. Even if it's not as easily accessed as divine healing (typically is).
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Rejecting divine magic is what makes Rahandoum unique. Allowing arcane casters easy access to the same spells lessens that impact. Most of the arcane classes that have access to healing magic are not as efficient at it as a divine caster. That allows some healing, but still makes it clear what the people are giving up by rejecting the divine.
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Reading the history of Rahadoum was heartbreaking when I learned of the forced removal of the Red Mantis Assassins.
*Single tear rolls down cheek*
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Non-divine healing options off the top of my head: witches, bards, wizard (arcane physician archetype), alchemists, kineticists, occultists, and using the heal skill with feats and the like. So I think they could cope just fine. Witches get a pass as their magic is arcane and they don't worship their patrons.Also add Investigator, Magaambyan Initiate Arcanist(*), Magaambyan Arcanist (prestige class), Pathfinder Savant (prestige class), and Spell Sage Wizard(**).
(*)Technically also Unlettered Arcanist, but it's a rather poor archetype.
(**)After 1st level, synergy of Focused Spells and Spell Study actually makes this better than Arcane Physician (better at removing high DC bad conditions), as long as you don't need to be super-fast at healing, cast a lot of healing spells in 1 day, or cast Breath of Life.
Skalds draw from the Bard's Spell List too.
I would like to add a reminder that non-Divine, Healing Magic does not have to come from Spells. Witches are great for this with Hexes: [Common] Ameliorating (Su), [Common] Healing Hex (Su), Cook People (Su) {Evil}, [Major] Major Ameliorating (Su), [Major] Major Healing Hex (Su), [Major] Regenerative Sinew (Su), [Major] Witch's Bounty (Su), [Grand] Death Interrupted (Su), [Grand] Forced Reincarnation; [Grand] Life Giver. Additionally you have the [Common] Cauldron (Ex) plus [Major] Witch's Brew (Ex) combination, and the versatility of [Grand] Summon Spirit (Sp).
However, also note that other non-Divine Classes can get these : Magus(Hexcrafter) {Common/Major/Grand}, the non-Spellcasting Rogue(Sylvan Trickster {Common/Major/Grand}, along with the restricted Bard(Hoaxer) {Common - Healing Hex}.
* A small number of Aasimar may rise to healer positions, such as those with Variant Aasimar Abilities - #02 Stabilize (Sp) 3/day, #57 +2 Racial Bonus to Heal checks; #69 Remove Disease (Sp) 1/day.
* Changelings with the Hag Magic Alternate Racial Trait, (i.e., Detect Poison/Stabilize/Celestial Healing/Cure Light Wounds/Delay Disease/Diagnose Disease/Infernal Healing/Remove Sickness).
* Sorcerers with the Celestial Bloodline for the 1st Level Heavenly Fire (Sp) or sacrificing this Bloodline Power to gain a Bloodline Familiar with Heavenly Touch (Su).
* A Magus(Nature-Bonded) gains a small number of Druid Spells.
* Many non-Divine Classes gain some form of Magical Healing Spell, mostly frequently Celestial Healing/Celestial Healing (Greater)/Infernal Healing/Infernal Healing (Greater), (e.g., Summoner, Bloodrager, Vigilante{Magical Child}), standard Wizards; etc.).
* Rahadoum appears to be anti-religion and anti-deity- Shamans do not worship deities, their focus is on Spirits.
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* Rahadoum appears to be anti-religion and anti-deity- Shamans do not worship deities, their focus is on Spirits.
Logically, this would make sense, but Rahadoum seems unfriendly to casters of divine spells, even if they are non-devout Rangers, Adepts, Oracles, Druids, etc. who have no interest in (or even actively hate!) the gods, while having no problem with a caster of arcane spells who follows Nethys in their heart, but keeps their mouth shut and doesn't preach on street corners or wave holy symbols around. (Or, in the case of the Iconic Witch, is an arcane caster who thinks that her powers come from Desna!)
Still, it wouldn't be an *irrational* dislike of religion if it made sense. :)
Apparently being born in Rahadoum gives one a super-power to tell arcane spells from divine spells, which, outside of Rahadoum, requires the arcane sight spell to tell.
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Or maybe they don't know. Are there false positives in the hunt for divine practitioners? I must admit, it'd be a tad ironic to cast a healing spell and be burned at the stake for not being a witch.
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Actually there are a couple of regional feats and maybe even traits that allow the source of a spell to be determined. Admittedly not everyone is going to have access to them, but enough will. I also imagine that there are probably a lot of false accusations of divine magic. If the inquisitor did not use divine magic they would be a perfect fit for the region.
As I said earlier this is not an enlightened kingdom of reasonable people. This is a nation of anti-religious fanatics. A lot of their views are not really that logical. They consider worshiping a god as being a slave to a god, but at the same time slavery is perfectly legal here. While the alignment of the nation is LN it seems to me that there is a strong evil tendency as well.
Non-divine healing options off the top of my head: witches, bards, wizard (arcane physician archetype), alchemists, kineticists, occultists, and using the heal skill with feats and the like. So I think they could cope just fine. Witches get a pass as their magic is arcane and they don't worship their patrons.Also add Investigator, Magaambyan Initiate Arcanist(*), Magaambyan Arcanist (prestige class), Pathfinder Savant (prestige class), and Spell Sage Wizard(**).
(*)Technically also Unlettered Arcanist, but it's a rather poor archetype.
(**)After 1st level, synergy of Focused Spells and Spell Study actually makes this better than Arcane Physician (better at removing high DC bad conditions), as long as you don't need to be super-fast at healing, cast a lot of healing spells in 1 day, or cast Breath of Life.
Skalds draw from the Bard's Spell List too.
{. . .}
Good catch. Skalds are especially good for this for 6/9 casters(*) as long as they don't trade out Spell Kenning and as long as you don't need to cast multiple Cleric spells (other than those already on the Bard spell list) per day (and Scribe Scroll even helps them to prepare for an emergency when that might be the case temporarily), and as long as you don't need a Cleric spell over 6th level(*).
(*)Of course, just being a 6/9 caster instead of a 9/9 caster does hurt for this . . . .
Or maybe they don't know. Are there false positives in the hunt for divine practitioners? I must admit, it'd be a tad ironic to cast a healing spell and be burned at the stake for not being a witch.
Suddenly, I just realized that Rahadoum is the country where a Witch would want to be lighter than a duck . . . .
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Along other lines, I'd expect defense to be valued more in Rahadoum than other places. Everyone recognizes it as important, but in Rahadoum healing is less available. There are witches, alchemists, bards, skalds, etc, but those can be found in all nations alongside religious institutions and healing. While Rahadoum's greater acceptance of witches and other often-marginalized healers might reduce the healing disparity between them and other nations, I would still expect it to be lower overall.
Abjuration magic is probably a more popular school of magic among wizards learning magic because if someone cannot be healed they need to not get hurt in the first place. Probably also employed heavily by the military in times of war, because the lack of healing is especially painful if citizens are actively dying in war. In a similar way, shield techniques are likely favored by adventurers and military alike for the same reasons, to prevent harm is more effective especially if you can't get magical healing soon.
Alchemical remedies can be made by anyone, and are likely more valuable to the elite than in other countries. Everywhere else, a noble or politician with enough money and influence can pay a priest with reasons to support them to stay on hand and deal with issues like poison and disease. But in Rahadoum, having an Antitoxin on-hand might be the only way to survive assassination by poison if it gets through to you. I'd expect the wealthy to by antitoxin in bulk and keep a few vials on them at all times. For large and important cities, it is probably in the best interest of the city and the nation to keep antiplague in reserve for when diseases inevitably break out. The elite obviously still have personal supplies, but I could easily imagine the city having a personal vault of antiplague to strategically deploy to neighborhoods so to prevent the spread of disease.
Admittedly though, this is almost all headcanon.
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If the inquisitor did not use divine magic they would be a perfect fit for the region.
An Inquisitor Archetype that served the Laws of Man as a philosophy and cast spells as an arcane caster could be one route towards this. (Ironically, perhaps initially based on Nethyn teachings, but they've long since buried that scandalous bit of history...)
Similarly, a Ranger Archetype that swaps limited divine spellcasting for limited arcane spellcasting could be fun (and reminiscent of the 1st edition ranger, who had a few 'magic-user' spells, too).
Alternately, an Archetype for some other class, such as the Magus, that gives it some Inquisitor like tonal beats, could be another direction to come from.
As I said earlier, there are a lot of design opportunities inherent in almost any setting restriction. Ban one thing (divine spells), and a dozen less-optimal solutions muscle forward to fill the gap, like undergrowth rushing in to be the first to 'colonize' the open patch of ground under where the shed used to be.
Rahadoum is a nation set in the Golarion setting that banished gods and clerics from their territory. However, that means that they now lack divine magic for healing. I'm wondering how they cope.
Do their Wizards know healing magic? Do they rely on Witches and Bards (who normally have healing magic)? Do they have to rely on the heal skill? Is there something I have over looked?
The Iconic Alhazara's entry directly references Bards being the best healers in Rahadoum :
Beside himself with grief, her father called in the best healers to be found in the godless land, only to discover that the situation was worse than he could have imagined. For when the bards with the healing touch reached out to the fevered child, they were suddenly cast back by a blast of flames that burned the girl's sickbed but left her magically unharmed. Yet even this might have been bearable, had the fleeing bards not revealed the rest of their discovery: that the girl's flames bore no hint of sorcery or arcana. Though Alahazra's staunchly atheist father could scarcely believe it, his proper Rahadoumi household harbored a burgeoning cleric.