Healing Spell Material Component
Zath the Spider God of Zamora
cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one "commodity" of the D&D
game that really needs a material component costing some cash. Healing potions
cost 50 gp, thus I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
At first and second level this may seem harsh, but it's usually a good time to
hand out extra gold anyway. Hmmmm. Keep some gold on hand for healing spells
or purchase that new armor?
Does that amount seem reasonable?
Jay
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Sir Bob
message news:3EEFE83F...@qwest.net...
> Just a quick opinion post: I've found that healing spells can be a good
way to
> cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one "commodity" of the
D&D
> game that really needs a material component costing some cash. Healing
potions
> cost 50 gp, thus I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
>
> At first and second level this may seem harsh, but it's usually a good
time to
> hand out extra gold anyway. Hmmmm. Keep some gold on hand for healing
spells
> or purchase that new armor?
>
> Does that amount seem reasonable?
I can't say about the amount, but I've seen exactly this approach used in a
series of D&D-esque fantasy novels to maintain a sense of "gritty" despire
the presence of magical healing. IIRC, the rationale was that clerical
healers were relatively rare and limited in capacity, and while mages could
churn out healing potions by the truckload, they cost an arm and a leg to
produce even *before* the market-price markup.
- Sir Bob.
Jeneth Hawke
> Just a quick opinion post: I've found that healing spells can be a
> good way to cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one
> "commodity" of the D&D game that really needs a material
> component costing some cash. Healing potions cost 50 gp, thus
> I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
>
> At first and second level this may seem harsh, but it's usually a
> good time to hand out extra gold anyway. Hmmmm. Keep some
> gold on hand for healing spells or purchase that new armor?
>
> Does that amount seem reasonable?
It's an interesting idea and the amount seems reasonable, but I'm not sure
that I like using gold as the actual material component. It raises a lot of
"why doesn't this work for other items/spells?" issues and some "why would
god [x] use money to heal the sick?" issues.
I'd be tempted to bump the cost of the component up another 5gp and simply
make the material component a standard 25gp flask of holy water that gets
used up during the casting. Maybe you have to poor it onto the wound or
something?
- Jeneth Hawke
Zath the Spider God of Zamora
> It's an interesting idea and the amount seems reasonable, but I'm not sure
> that I like using gold as the actual material component. It raises a lot of
> "why doesn't this work for other items/spells?" issues and some "why would
> god [x] use money to heal the sick?" issues.
No, it wouldn't be gold. It would be like the wizard spells..'sacrifices in the
amount of x gold.'
BTW, Hyboria is a little different from Tolkienesque worlds like Oerth or Toril.
The religious sects are all led by selfish bastards and most of the Gods are
simple creations to overbear the weak-minded.
>
> I'd be tempted to bump the cost of the component up another 5gp and simply
> make the material component a standard 25gp flask of holy water that gets
> used up during the casting. Maybe you have to poor it onto the wound or
> something?
That's a great idea.
Thanks!
Jay H
Michael Scott Brown
message news:3EEFE83F...@qwest.net...
way to
> cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one "commodity" of the
D&D
> game that really needs a material component costing some cash. Healing
potions
> cost 50 gp, thus I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
Bah.
-Michael
Michael Scott Brown
message
> > I'd be tempted to bump the cost of the component up another 5gp and
simply
> > make the material component a standard 25gp flask of holy water that
gets
> > used up during the casting. Maybe you have to poor it onto the wound or
> > something?
>
> That's a great idea.
> Thanks!
This particular idea is un-Bah.
-Michael
JB
> Just a quick opinion post: I've found that healing spells can be a
good way to
> cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one "commodity" of
the D&D
> game that really needs a material component costing some cash.
Healing potions
> cost 50 gp, thus I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
So now healing potions cost 70gp so now spells cost 40gp so now potions
cost 90gp....
Hint: Healing Potions don't cost money because they're *healing*
potions.
> At first and second level this may seem harsh, but it's usually a good
time to
> hand out extra gold anyway. Hmmmm. Keep some gold on hand for
healing spells
> or purchase that new armor?
>
> Does that amount seem reasonable?
Frankly, no.
J.M. Joensuu
> "Zath the Spider God of Zamora" <jayspamos...@qwest.net> wrote...
> > Just a quick opinion post: I've found that healing spells can be a
> > good way to cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one
> > "commodity" of the D&D game that really needs a material
> > component costing some cash. Healing potions cost 50 gp, thus
> > I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
>
>
> that I like using gold as the actual material component. It raises a lot of
> "why doesn't this work for other items/spells?" issues and some "why would
> god [x] use money to heal the sick?" issues.
>
> I'd be tempted to bump the cost of the component up another 5gp and simply
> make the material component a standard 25gp flask of holy water that gets
> used up during the casting. Maybe you have to poor it onto the wound or
> something?
>
>
> - Jeneth Hawke
Why should the component be poured to ground? I can understand it
being holy water, but it should be poured to the *wounds*, and many
oils and/or herbal brews could be used too.
Material components might be healing herbs too, or almost anything but
gold, really. White marble? Pearl? Pearl might do: first it is
enchanced with positive energy, then it is crunched and the dust is
put to the wounds so that the positive energy heals them...
Anyway, I think that healing spells would rwork anyway, but half the
normal amount. Makes some emergency-saves available. The biggest
problem would be that if the component costs much, they might buy
wands/potions anyway. Frees the spell slots.
-----
Janne Joensuu
Jeneth Hawke
> "Jeneth Hawke" <josef-...@earthlink.network> wrote...
> > I'd be tempted to bump the cost of the component up another
> > 5gp and simply make the material component a standard
> > 25gp flask of holy water that gets used up during the casting.
> > Maybe you have to poor it onto the wound or something?
>
I believe "...onto the wound..." is exactly what I suggested. ;)
- Jeneth Hawke
Zath, the Spider God of Zamora
>>Why should the component be poured to ground? I can understand it
>>being holy water, but it should be poured to the *wounds*...
>
>
That makes sense. We can already see 'player' response to this idea, but it is the one
commodity that could really balance the game in terms of gold. In the world I'm gaming in
it works exceptionally well, because nothing is free..
jh
--
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Justisaur
Zath the Spider God of Zamora wrote:
>
> Just a quick opinion post: I've found that healing spells can be a good way to
> cut down on excess gold in my campaign. It's the one "commodity" of the D&D
> game that really needs a material component costing some cash. Healing potions
> cost 50 gp, thus I've decided to put a 20 gp cost to healing spells.
>
> At first and second level this may seem harsh, but it's usually a good time to
> hand out extra gold anyway. Hmmmm. Keep some gold on hand for healing spells
> or purchase that new armor?
>
> Does that amount seem reasonable?
>
Seems pretty expensive. I'd make it more in the 5gp range for cure
light. Or aproximately 1 gp per hp average.
--
- Justisaur -
check http://justisaur.tripod.com/well.htm for my encounter generator,
xp calculator, and other usefull documents.
Die, Spammers, Die!
Or, to tap into the old beliefs in the power of gems, a combination of
holy water, powdered gems, and maybe a few rare herbs. Different gems
for different levels of healing. Historically, there was no dearth of
really whack ideas about what would keep you alive and what would kill
you.
--Mike
--
Mike Cantrell
Credat Judaeus Apella.
Zath, the Spider God of Zamora
> holy water, powdered gems, and maybe a few rare herbs. Different gems
> for different levels of healing. Historically, there was no dearth of
> really whack ideas about what would keep you alive and what would kill
> you.
>
Some things never change (CDC-2000):
Deaths from adverse reactions to _properly prescribed medications per year: c.90,000
Deaths from medical errors per year (total): 150,000 (NEJM)
Deaths from 15 million chiropractic neck manipulations per year: 5
Deaths from car accidents per year in the U.S.A.: 43,710
Suicides: 29,416
Homicide: 17,191
I wonder what the comparable rates in a fantasy world would be?
Jh, D.C.