If you want to use DCC for campaign milieus with no gods or distant uncaring evil gods only (such as Sword & Sorcery) what options would you recommend?
Heroes still need SOME source of healing, right? But what if you -for campaign reasons- wish to cut off Clerics from their generous Lay on Hands ability?
Note: To me at least this is not exactly the same concern I have found discussed here and on reddit etc - that Clerics are "too powerful". But it is of course related.
Are there any DCC sourcebooks that offer Cleric-like replacement classes balanced to not offer "free" healing? What advice do these give on how to offer healing in other ways?
Magical healing potions is perhaps the first idea. But these are no more appropriate to Sword & Sorcery than healbot Clerics.
Allowing more generous nightly rest is one idea. Yet I'm loath to entirely abandon the need for recuperation. 5th Edition D&D basically isn't interested in rest periods, and so basically make you fully healed after taking a long rest.
Instead I'm wondering if ideas like the 5E Inspired Leader feat can be found anywhere, dressed up like a DCC rule. Clerics already depend on Personality after all. See here for an introduction to the idea:
https://blackcitadelrpg.com/inspiring-l ... -guide-5e/
Or perhaps you want me to simply keep Clerics as-is? How would you then explain lay on hands in terms "compatible" with Sword & Sorcery?
My ideal game uses mechanics to explain why characters rest up between adventures, while still allowing "emergency healing" when heroism is called for. Forcing the party to enter a monster cave at low health even though you COULD have healed up is not fun. Just asking players to tell stories of how they recuperate even though the game rules don't mandate it feels silly, and can be just as unfun. DCC at least uses Disapproval to make Clerics hesitate using healing when it's a luxury rather than a necessity.
Maybe every hero can burn a point of Stamina to heal a Hit Die (or their level's worth of Hit Dice). This way they trade long-term exhaustion for short-term combat readiness, even when there's no Cleric present (or the Cleric doesn't want to heal you, or the Cleric can't heal you)
Any other great ideas?
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Regards
Zapp