What is healing?	Why no healing?	Magic-user healing	New magic-user spells	-
Dragon #148	-	-	-	-

Villem was dying. His breathing became ragged and irregular, and his
eyes glazed over as he muttered a prayer to Tyr. His grasp on Renfrew's forearm loosened.

"Can you do something to heal him?" Renfrew cried, turning on
Fratakara.

The mage took a step back, stroking his chin slowly. His eyes were
hooded by shadow, and the others could not read his expression. He
shook his head.

Renfrew knelt over Villem, checking the bandages with which he had
crudely bound his brother's wounds. He cursed himself for not listening to
Villem's lessons, being more interested in the arts of combat than the arts
of healing. The young priest had taken the brunt of the dragon's attacks,
holding the monster off so that the others could pull Renfrew from
beneath its claws. Now Villem was paying for his bravery with his life.

As the last breath slipped from Villem's slim body, a rage grew within
Renfrew, a senseless rage that he could not hold back. "Damn you,
Fratakara!" he shouted. "All your books, all your knowledge, all your
spells, and you can do nothing to save my brothers life! Your magic is
worthless!"

It is by design that magic-users have
no healing abilities in the AD&D® 1st
Edition game. Were they able to heal
as well as they harm, they would be
invincible indeed. Game balance dictates a
separation of powers. But must the answer
to the question, ?Can you do something to
heal him?? always be negative? Three typical
responses from magic-users are:

1. ?Alas, no,? the low-level mage replies.
?I am not trained in the healing arts!?

2. ?Alas, no,? the high-level mage replies.
?But after he dies, I can reincarnate him as
a bugbear.?

3. ?No problem:? the very high-level
mage replies. ?I can wish him back to full
strength, but I?ll age three years in the
process. Got a potion of longevity??

None of these options is particularly
heartening to the player whose character
has no hit points left to his name. Is it
possible for magic-users to heal others? Is
it desirable?

What is healing?
When we speak of healing, we mean
restoring hit points that a character has
lost due to damage. The powers that affect
healing are represented by: the clerical
spells cure light wounds, cure serious
wounds, cure critical wounds, and heal;
the potions healing and extra-healing; and
the elixir of life. It is also possible to give a
character more hit points than his maximum,
by means of the clerical aid spell
and the potions of heroism and superheroism.

Other forms of healing that most clerics
have access to can: restore functions to a
damaged character (spells like cure blindness,
cure disease, restoration, and regenerate,
and the elixir of health and ring of
regeneration); negate the effects of poison
(slow poison, neutralize poison); bring the
dead to life (raise dead and resurrection,
and the rod of resurrection); and prevent
death (death’s door). Other forms of clerical
healing include a full-spectrum immunity
energizer (heroes’ feast) and your
basic snake-oil (Keoghtom’s ointment).

One could argue that magic-users can
already heal, because they (along with
alchemists and other spell-casters) are the
manufacturers of potions?and potions
are, after all, spells in a bottle. This begs
the question, though, because mages cannot
carry their laboratories when they go
adventuring. But it does point out that
magic-users can heal. Why, then, can they
not cast spells that have the same effects
as the clerical healing spells?

Why no healing?
Magic-users and clerics (including
druids) share many spells. Most of the
detection spells are common to both character
classes (detect evil, detect magic,
know alignment, etc.). Some combat and
person-affecting spells are the same or
very similar: hold person; quest and geas;
and flame strike and fireball. Many
general-purpose spells are also held in
common, such as light, animate dead,
protection from evil, and rock to mud.

The magic-user?s arsenal generally packs
more powerful punches when it comes to
damage (e.g., the clerical flame strike does
an average of 27 hp damage, whereas the
equivalent 9th-level magic-user?s fireball
does 31.5 hp), while the cleric?s arsenal
generally offers longer spell durations
(e.g., the clerical protection from evil at
one turn per level, while the magic-user?s
is two rounds per level). As far as casting
time goes, magic-users are quicker on the
draw than are clerics?but not always
(e.g., know alignment).

There is a philosophical difference between
mages and priests that is reflected
in their abilities. Magic-users are interested
in abstract knowledge, personal
gain, and shaping the universe to fit their
whims. Clerics desire to serve a deity, aid
and serve those who share this desire,
further a particular ethos, and gain converts
to their beliefs. Clerics, by virtue of
their relationships with higher powers,
have a closer connection to the origins of
life. Thus, they have a wide range of healing
and detection abilities to help further
those goals. Magic-users, on the other
hand, have many spells that allow them to
dominate the physical world.

Not all magic-users are selfish, powermad
individuals lusting for control of the
universe. The question is, then, how can
we give magic-users spells that heal without
disturbing game balance? It would
help to see what magic-users can already
do to heal themselves and their fellows.

Magic-user healing
"Magic-user healing" sounds like a contradiction
in terms, but magic-users (including
illusionists) do indeed have
rudimentary healing powers, though it
may not seem that way at first glance.
Here?s the rundown by spell level:

Find familiar (first-level spell): This
double-edged spell allows the magic-user
to add the hit points of a familiar (2-4 or
more hp) to his total when the familiar is
within 12". Unfortunately, if the familiar is
killed, the magic-user loses double the
number of its hit points

Feign death (third-level spell): This is a
useful but underused spell. It can produce
the same effect as slow poison (though for
a lesser duration), because poison does not
affect a person under the effect of feign
death. It might also be used to prolong a
character?s life when he has been brought
to zero or fewer hit points.

Dispel exhaustion (fourth-level illusionist
spell): This spell temporarily restores 50%
of lost hit points. However, the character
loses those magical hit points at the end of
the duration of the spell (thus, if he is
"running on empty," he will collapse).

Polymorph self (fourth-level spell): This
spell heals only the magic-user who casts
it. When he finally reverts back to his
original form, the spell-caster is cured for
l-12 hp. Many mages keep this spell memorized
only for this reason!

Dream (fifth-level illusionist spell): This
spell is similar to the limited wish spell but
is a little more flexible.

Reincarnate (sixth-level spell): This spell
brings someone back from the dead in
much the same way as the clerical raise
dead spell. No system-shock or resurrection
survival roll is required. There is, of
course, a drawback: The recipient of the
spell most likely will not return as his
original race. On the positive side, there is
a 48% chance of returning as a humanoid
(so for a fighter, this might not be a terrible
option if no others are available).

Tenser’s transformation (sixth-level
spell): This spell temporarily doubles the
mage?s hit points, giving a kind of healing.
It has many drawbacks, though. It makes
the mage berserk and unable to cast
spells. If he is damaged beyond the added
hit points, the mage takes double damage.
And to top it off, the material component
for the spell is a potion of heroism!

Limited wish (seventh-level spell): This
spell cures the mage of some of his hitpoint
loss, or all his hit-point loss temporarily.
As with all wishes, the wording of
the wish is critical and is subject to the
interpretation of the Dungeon Master. It is
also an expensive spell to cast, for it ages
the caster by one year.

Alter reality (seventh-level illusionist
spell): This spell is similar to the limited
wish spell.

Clone (eighth-level spell): Though not as
obvious as the other spell choices, this
spell is an excellent replacement for raise
dead (albeit a less-convenient replacement).
When combined with the preserve
spell, an effective life-insurance policy can
be taken out with a high-level magic-user.
A character need only donate a bit of flesh
to the mage (who preserves the flesh) at
regular intervals. If the character meets an
untimely end (such as disintegration), he
can be restored to life as he was when the
last donation was made. The character
loses some memories and experience
points, but he will at least be alive. Be
forewarned: Some DMs may not be amenable
to this sort of bending of the rules.

Temporal stasis (ninth-level spell): Similar
to the feign death spell, temporal stasis
might be used to defer curative action to a
later time when a cleric is available.

Wish (ninth-level spell): This is the ultimate
spell, the one every mage itches to be
able to cast (but is afraid to cast). This is
the magic-user?s cure-all: It can restore lost
hit points, remove diseases, raise the dead,
etc. It has the drawback of aging the
caster by three years, and it is subject to
the interpretation of the DM. But healing
is the most benign use of the wish (as it
has no debilitating side effects other than
the aging) and will most likely be granted
by all but the most heartless DMs.

There may be other conniving schemes
by which magic-users can obtain healing
powers, but this list is sufficient to draw a
few conclusions. These conclusions are as
follows:

1. Spells that mages can use to heal are
higher level (none below 4th).

2. The amount of healing is either small,
temporary, or the by-product of another
effect.

3. There is a substantial cost for casting
the spell (e.g., aging or an expensive material
component).

4. There are often undesirable side
effects.

5. Increases in hit points are generally
confined to the spell-caster.

6. No new life essence is created. Healing
is accomplished by accelerating normal
processes or by transferring hit points
from another source.

This last point (#6) shows the key difference
between the clerical and magic-user
spells: The former produce a net increase
in life-force while the latter maintain a
balance.

New magic-user spells
Keeping the above guidelines in mind,
we can design curative spells for the
magic-user that do not disrupt game balance
or anger the gods.

Arnvid's Unseen Limb
(Conjuration/Summoning)

Level: 4
Range: Touch
Duration: 6 turns/level
Components: V, S, M
CR: 1 round
ST: None
AE: Creature touched

When Arnvid’s
unseen limb is cast, the magic-user causes
an invisible limb (arm, hand, leg, or foot)
to come into being. This limb may replace
a missing limb, or it may be used to create
an extra one. The invisible limb functions
exactly as a normal limb, except that, at
the option of the recipient of the spell,
parts of it may become immaterial so as to
pass through solid objects. For example,
the limb could be used to uncork a potion
inside a closed chest and dump the bottle
out, but it could not remove the potion
from the chest. The limb has normal touch
sensations. It may be used to wield a
weapon only if the limb is replacing a
missing arm or hand. The limb bestows no
extra senses other than touch, so it cannot
be used, for example, to add a second
shield arm in the middle of the recipient?s
back. The invisible limb has no hit points
or armor class as such, and it cannot be
harmed unless it is dispelled.

MC: The tail of a lizard (any type that regenerates
lost body parts). This is touched to the
place on the body where the limb is to be
restored.

Empath (Necromantic/Alteration)
Level: 4
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Components: V, S, M
CT: 5 rounds
ST: None
AE: Creature touched

The empath
spell enables the caster to transfer a certain
loss in hit points from another creature
to himself, thus curing the recipient.
Up to 2 hp per level of the spell-caster may
be transferred, so a 10th-level magic-user
could cure his friend of a 20-hp wound
(but the magic-user will then take 20 hp in
damage himself). The hit-point loss could
have originally resulted from physical
attacks, certain poisons, spell effects,
diseases, or curses (except those that cannot
be removed by remove curse). This
spell cannot restore amputated limbs,
drained life levels, or death. It also cannot
undo any continuously acting poison or
disease, so the spell only temporarily
reverses such harm, which will then con-
tinue to affect the victim.

If the caster is brought below zero hit
points by use of empath, he begins to die.
No effect results from casting empath on
the deceased character.

MC: Hair and blood from both the recipient
and the caster, two newt eyes, and two
wolf teeth (each from a different animal).
The components disappear in the casting
of the spell.
 

Life Force Transfer (Necromantic)
Level: 4
Range: 12"
Duration: Instant
Components: V, S, M
CT: 4 segments
ST: None
AE: 1 creature

This spell
allows the caster to transfer some of his
life-force to another creature. When cast,
the spell transfers 1 hp/level of the caster
to the target creature, plus an additional
1-4 hp. The hit points are added to the
target's current hit-point total and deducted
from the spell-caster's. Thus, <an Enchanter> can transfer 8-11 hp from
himself to another creature. The caster
can transfer only as many hit points as he
currently has; if he purposefully or accidentally
transfers more, his current hitpoint
total plus 1-4 hp are transferred to
the target, while that amount is subtracted
from the caster?s total (and the caster
begins to die). The target creature cannot
gain more hit points than its full normal
total; such extra hit points are merely lost.
The magic-user?s hit-point losses can be
regained by normal healing or magic.

After the transfer is complete, the
magic-user loses four points of constitution
temporarily; each point may be recovered
by six turns of rest. If the caster's
constitution drops below 3, unconsciousness
results and full constitution is not
regained for 24 hours. The material component
of this spell is a glass tube filled
with the caster?s blood, which disappears
when the spell is cast.

Dispel Exhaustion
(Illusion/Phantasm)
Level: 5
Range: Touch
Duration: 2 turns/level
Components: V, S
CT: 5 segments
AE: 1-3 persons

Except as
noted above, this spell is the same as the
4th-level illusionist spell of the same name.
 

Accelerated Metabolism
Level: 6
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn/lvl. + 1d6 turns
Components: V, S, M
CT: 6 segments
ST: None
AE: 1 creature

This spell
speeds up the life processes of the recipient
at a rate of 1 day/turn for the duration
of the spell. All life processes (sleeping,
eating, healing, etc.) progress at this accelerated
pace. If insufficient nourishment is
provided, the recipient suffers from thirst
and starvation. Three rounds of rest per
turn must be allowed, otherwise exhaustion
results and no healing is possible. The
other seven rounds per turn must be
spent eating and drinking a day?s rations.

The recipient regains 1 hp/turn for the
first seven turns (minus any penalty due to
poor constitution). In subsequent multiples
bf seven turns, characters with constitution
bonuses additionally receive their
constitution bonus score. In any case, 28
turns of accelerated metabolism heal a
character completely.

However, each turn ages the
recipient a week (as opposed to a
day), due to the stresses of the
artificially high metabolic rate.
Note that the character does not move or
fight any faster than normal: Also, if the
recipient of the spell is unwilling, a saving
throw is applicable.

MC: A candle, which must be lit at both ends.
The candle must burn for the duration of
the spell; if it is extinguished, the spell
ends prematurely. The candle is completely
burned if the spell runs its normal
course.

Vampire Dagger (Necromantic)
Level: 6
Range: 0
Duration: 1 round/level
Components: V, S, M
CT: 6 segments
ST: Neg.
AE: Personal

By casting this
spell on a specially prepared nonmagical
dagger, the magic-user is able to drain hit
points from other creatures that he strikes
with it and bestow those hit points on
himself. The magic-user must attack the
creature normally with the dagger. If the
hit is successful, the creature takes normal
damage from the dagger (l-4 for smalland
man-sized creatures, l-3 for largesized
creatures, plus any strength bonus),
plus bonus damage of 1 hp for every two
levels the spell-caster has. The magic-user
in turn gains this bonus damage as cura-
tive hit points. If the victim makes its
saving throw vs. death magic, it takes
damage from the dagger but no hit points
are transferred to the spell-caster. If the
save is a natural 20, the magic-user takes
the bonus damage instead of the victim. If
this spell drains more hit points from a
victim than remain in that victim, the
victim dies; only those hit points left to the
victim after the dagger?s damage (with
strength bonuses) is subtracted are transferred
to the magic-user. The magic-user
cannot gain hit points above his normal
hit-point total; all extra hit points are lost.

For example, a 16th-level magic-user hits
a minotaur with 26 hp and rolls a 2 for
damage, doing a total of 10 hp damage.
The minotaur fails its saving throw, and
the magic-user gains 8 hp (he lost 10 hp in
a previous fight). The next round, the
magic-user hits again and does 1 + 8 = 9 hp
damage. The minotaur makes its save, so
no hit points are transferred. On the next
round, the magic-user hits again and does
2 + 8 = 10 hp damage. The minotaur fails
its save and dies, having had only 7 hp left.
Thus, only 7 - 2 = 5 hp can transfer to the
caster. The caster gains only 2 hp, however,
since this increase puts him at his
maximum hit-point total.

This spell is ineffective against creatures
that can be harmed only by magical weapons
(undead excluded) and creatures that
have no blood (e.g., golems). If the dagger
is used in an attempt to drain an undead
being, the magic-user must save vs. death
magic with each strike or die himself; the
undead being only takes damage from the
dagger and associated strength bonuses.

One of the material components of the
spell is a dagger that has a channel inside
it running from the tip through to the
handle. The dagger must be forged from
an alloy of silver and steel that has been
mixed with the crushed bone of a vampire.
The minimum cost of such a dagger
is 2,000 gp. Blood from the dagger?s
wound must travel through the channel
and touch the bare flesh of the magicuser
?s hand for the hit points to be transferred.
The dagger remains after the
completion of the spell. The other material
component of this spell is the claw of a
vampire, which disappears after the spell
is cast. The effects of this spell do not
protect the caster from any unusual effects
of the victim?s blood.

Exchange (Necromantic/Alteration)
Level: 8
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Components: V, S, M
CT: 5 rounds
ST: Neg.
AE: 2 creatures

This spell is
similar to the empath spell, except that it
allows the caster to transfer a hit-point
disability (of up to 2 hp/level of the caster)
between any two creatures, excluding the
caster. The magic-user must be able to
grasp both the creature with the disability
and the creature about to receive the
disability without having to make to-hit
rolls, so the two beings involved must
either be willing to undergo the spell or
else be sleeping or unconscious. The recipient
of the disability is entitled to a saving
throw vs. spells if unwilling. If the recipient
?s saving throw succeeds, the exchange
is incomplete and nothing further happens.

If the recipient fails the saving throw,
the disability passes through the magicuser,
inflicting him for an instant. If such a
wound would normally place the magicuser
below zero hit points, it immediately
does so, and the spell ceases; the creature
that first bore the hit-point loss is healed,
and the recipient is unharmed.

The material components for the spell
are the same as the empath spell, except
for a ruby (worth at least 5,000 gp), which
is shattered as the disability passes
through the caster.
 

If the risks of some of these spells seem
to outweigh the benefits, remember that
these spells deal with life and death?
dangerous territory for magic-users. But
these spells offer new options in roleplaying.
Empath and life force transfer
allow magic-users to perform heroic acts
of self-sacrifice without stepping on the
hem of the cleric?s cloak. Arnvid’s unseen
limb allows limbless victims to limp along
until a high-level cleric can be found. With
exchange, black wizards can trade lives
and white wizards can save them.

Can your magic-user do something to
heal his wounded comrades? Perhaps
now, the answer is yes.