How *not* to play a healing-spellcaster in 5 easy steps

[crazedgoblin]

if you go randomly healing a certain goblin he might freak out and accuse you of stealing his soul and promtly try to eat you....

[Wraithdur]

lol, crazedgoblin........you probably should have. lol

[darkstorme]

septemVII - 9/18/2006  1:55 PM

Vershanon saw a guy tanking like 5 Red Light goblens, to her Red Light Goblens are Formittable, so she decided to drop a well placed sleep spell, 5 coup de grace's later she asked if he was okay, he responded yes, we go our seperate ways...

... and say, for example, that the individual you "helped" was going through a rite of passage for the culture in which he grew up?  Or had a sense of pride that was crucial to his sense of self?  You might have invalidated the rite, or wounded his pride, in which case he might be devastated - or vengeful.  Acts of kindness are all well and good, but there's a difference between providing help when it is clearly needed or requested, or providing help on a whim.  The latter is at best uncomfortable, and at worst, a deadly insult.  Vershanon may have had good intentions, but in that case, there's a ta'nari paving company that'd like to contract with her.

In fact, if I was playing a cleric I would take a little time for advertisment, tell him something like:  Healee: Hey thanks for the Help there.  Cleric: Not a problem at all, don't forget to attend the Festival of Wealth over at the temple of Deliar, should be worth your time. Healee: thanks I'll look into it! Cleric: *Bow*

A priest of Deliar might very well 'advertise'. Others might prosteletize, or evangelize, but they're just as likely to give a blessing and be on their way.  Not all gods take the aggressive, evangelical path to grow their follower base.

Regardless, unasked-for, possibly unnecessary magic is likely (or should, at any rate) to earn emnity or distaste from those upon whom (or on whose behalf) it is practiced.  Saving someone from certain death is quite another thing, of course.  But unasked-for help is a 50/50 proposition, with regards to the response of the helped individual.

[crazedgoblin]

septemVII - 9/18/2006 1:55 PM Saving someone from certain death is quite another thing.

 
  why else do i keep cure minor wound potions at level 10

[septemVII]

Myst eh? Sorry haven't read much on the evil side of things...


All I was trying to point out though is if you "were" antisocial, you probibly wouldn't bother healing in the first place.

If someone heals, that is a social act. If someone dosen't talk that is an antisocial act.

So someone who heals but dosen't talk, is well, social and antisocial which I don't think is possible.

((EDIT: sorry I guess mist is CN))

[septemVII]

darkstorme - 9/18/2006  6:29 PM

septemVII - 9/18/2006  1:55 PM

Vershanon saw a guy tanking like 5 Red Light goblens, to her Red Light Goblens are Formittable, so she decided to drop a well placed sleep spell, 5 coup de grace's later she asked if he was okay, he responded yes, we go our seperate ways...

... and say, for example, that the individual you "helped" was going through a rite of passage for the culture in which he grew up?  Or had a sense of pride that was crucial to his sense of self?  You might have invalidated the rite, or wounded his pride, in which case he might be devastated - or vengeful.  Acts of kindness are all well and good, but there's a difference between providing help when it is clearly needed or requested, or providing help on a whim.  The latter is at best uncomfortable, and at worst, a deadly insult.  Vershanon may have had good intentions, but in that case, there's a ta'nari paving company that'd like to contract with her.

In fact, if I was playing a cleric I would take a little time for advertisment, tell him something like:  Healee: Hey thanks for the Help there.  Cleric: Not a problem at all, don't forget to attend the Festival of Wealth over at the temple of Deliar, should be worth your time. Healee: thanks I'll look into it! Cleric: *Bow*

A priest of Deliar might very well 'advertise'. Others might prosteletize, or evangelize, but they're just as likely to give a blessing and be on their way.  Not all gods take the aggressive, evangelical path to grow their follower base.

Regardless, unasked-for, possibly unnecessary magic is likely (or should, at any rate) to earn emnity or distaste from those upon whom (or on whose behalf) it is practiced.  Saving someone from certain death is quite another thing, of course.  But unasked-for help is a 50/50 proposition, with regards to the response of the helped individual.

The person being attacked didn't seem to mind, all I was trying to point out was what I said in my last post ^

Same for the Deliar example (last post ^)

I'm not trying to invalidate anyones RP,

But an antisocial (I am being very specific, antisocial as in TOTALLY antisocial, not shy) person probibly wouldn't care much if he/she saw someone dying, they don't know or care about the person.

A shy person might check it out, but wouldn't be bold enough to walk right up and heal them unless asked.


A social person would care and would not only heal them but probibly say a few things too.

MY POINT IS: Don't be two things at once, if your antisocial great, if your shy great, if your social great, if your antisocial\\shy\\social: not so great.

[darkstorme]

septemVII - 9/19/2006  10:41 PM
All I was trying to point out though is if you "were" antisocial, you probibly wouldn't bother healing in the first place.

If someone heals, that is a social act. If someone dosen't talk that is an antisocial act.

So someone who heals but dosen't talk, is well, social and antisocial which I don't think is possible.

I have to respectfully disagree with this, and your subsequent post.  The problem, as I see it, is you have a spectrum defined as "anti-social" (which I read more as amoral than anti-social), "shy", and "social".  What about "gruff", "taciturn", "reserved", "humble", "pious", "hurried", or "responsible"?

Someone who's anti-social (who shuns social gatherings) may not necessarily be amoral, or without any empathy.  They may merely dislike the company of other people.  This does not mean they'd leave someone to die.  It does mean that they'd leave the person as soon as they were certain they would recover (they might linger if they leave the person unconscious, just to make sure nothing attacks the victim during their recovery).  Any anti-social good-aligned character would likely behave in this fashion.  A truly amoral individual would probably be of a neutral alignment.

A shy character, again, might be disinclined to speak, or heal a person in a situation where they're still capable of asking for help, but would still help unprompted if they had the power to do so, in a situation where the person clearly needed help - and a social character would probably volunteer help and be chatty in the meantime.  But there are gruff healers, who want to help people, but are mainly concerned with the victim's health, nothing more, and there are individuals who, while they may be inclined to help and even jump in to aid in a fight, are reserved socially.  Take the stereotypical dwarven character - if there's someone they've not fully opened up to, they may be gruff and short with them, but they'll stand over their fallen body, axe in hand, defending them against any number of enemies if the situation warrants it.  Similarly, there are self-effacing priests whose doctrine encourages healing the sick and injured, but discourages prostelitism - they might say a word or two of comfort, but would move on before any serious conversation might take place.

Finally, there's the responsible good-aligned adventurer.  Encountering a person who seems beset upon beyond their ability to defend themselves, or bleeding to death, they'd likely help.  They have resources/spells/healing ability available to them that lesser characters couldn't even conceive, so it would likely be a bagatelle for them to heal the victim/fight off the attackers.  As such, they would probably be dismissive of any thanks, as well.  "It was nothing - safe travels!"

Just because a character is inclined to help, doesn't mean they're inclined to talk about it.  And, of course, these are all in situations that avoid the previous thread topic - that is, unwanted help.  All these people would likely help if it were needed, but would simply glance over the scene, conclude that their help was unnecessary, and continue on their way, otherwise.

[DiegoBastet]

Ok, but heal me. Thanks. Whenever I'm hurt. Thanks. Hahahaha.

[Hellblazer]

This is one of those topics that several people usually jump in on to defend their particular actions in some particular situation, feeling that it is personally directed at them.

Since "not at full health" does not necessarily mean "near death," and it was mentioned that the person being healed was obviously engaged in some kind of roleplay, I'll just assume this was not a case of someone standing around chatting about the weather with their intestines around their ankles... which usually gets a quick heal and an edging away from the clearly insane guy.

 

Or is a dwarf... does that fall under the masochism?

you would be surprise how many time Lex'or has found people walking off bleeing profusiously or just sitting at a bench doing nothing... At least asking can I heal you is a minimum I do. Although it happens that he doesnt always ask.. depends on his mood.