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Five Tips for Staying Healthy This Thanksgiving
by Delphine Lynx December 2, 2002

Just a few very quick thoughts on implementing several methods of healing more original than restoring x health via y potion. Like most of you out there, I am rather occupied with the holidays this week, but will be back next week with a full length article. A happy thanksgiving and/or Hanukkah to those for whom it applies.


"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time--pills or stairs."

    - Joan Welsh

  • I've always been fond of systems which allowed a spell to convert HP -> Mana or Mana -> HP. Not necessarily at a 1:1 ratio, but such spells are always very nice. With the former, it may provide you a boost, but at the risk of later death... the latter can save you quickly, but may potentially cripple you when you need that mana.

  • Applying a delay to traditional healing potions can help to balance their effect a bit. In doing so, you do not inhibit their usefulness as far as pre or post fight boosting, but they can no longer serve to save a character in a pinch. They are thus forced to rely on:

  • Implement specialized healing items. Rarely does a character absolutely need to recover completely and immediately - typically it's one of the two. Therefore, you can implement items which heal instantly... but with a later penalty. Or heal instantly, but only along very limited lines or in select circumstances.

  • Make sure there is always something to restore [most] any ailment. Unless it's an exceptional situation, there should be nothing a character faces for which there isn't some sort of appropriate antidote. Nothing frustrates players more than to have an ordinary foe cause them some problem which prevents their hunting for quite a bit of real time (which isn't to say it's unfair to do to a player who doesn't have the antidote, so long as there is an antidote).

  • Stick to spells for the more immediate, consequence free healing. Whereas any player can swallow a pill or quaf a potion, it typically requires a group to have access to the variety of spells which you can make necessary for immediate survival. By limiting generally available healing, then, you can urge players toward cooperative play, while still allowing those who nevertheless prefer the solo hunt to rely on your specialized potions.

  • Five Tips for Staying Healthy This Thanksgiving - copyright © 2002 by Delphine Lynx - All rights reserved.


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