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Healing Rules

In the Perilous Adventures Warbands Guide (PAWG), your character will face danger—swords, spells, and worse. Healing keeps you in the fight, patching up wounds and shaking off exhaustion. Whether you’re new to tabletop roleplaying or a seasoned adventurer, this section explains how to recover Hit Points (HP) and manage Fatigue. It’s straightforward but has depth, so you can plan ahead and keep your warband standing!

In PAWG, HP measures your health—how much punishment you can take before you’re down. Healing comes from rest, skills, magic, gear, or special talents. We’ll break it down step-by-step, with examples using Sara’s character, Kael, to show how it works. Let’s get you back on your feet!

Hit Points and Damage Basics

  • Hit Points (HP): Your total HP is (CON + STR) x 2—your toughness doubled. For Kael (CON 50, STR 40), that’s (50 + 40 = 90) x 2 = 180 HP.
  • Taking Damage: Combat or hazards reduce HP. If Kael gets hit for 60 damage, he drops from 180 to 120 HP.
  • Thresholds:
  • 0 HP: You’re unconscious—out cold but stable unless hit again.
  • -HP/2 (Half Total): You’re dying—losing 10 HP per round (about 6 seconds) until stabilized. For Kael, -90 HP.
  • -HP (Full Total): You’re dead. For Kael, -180 HP.
  • Example: Kael’s at 50 HP, takes 70 damage—drops to -20 HP. He’s unconscious but not dying yet (not past -90).

Newbie Tip: HP is your lifeline. Keep it above 0 to stay in the action!

Healing Options

Natural Recovery

You don’t always need magic or bandages—your body heals on its own with rest. Here’s how:

  • Short Rest (1 Hour): Heal HP equal to CON/2 (rounded down). You need a safe spot or a Medicine skill roll (difficulty 30) to patch up properly.
  • Kael: CON 50 / 2 = 25 HP. After an hour by a campfire, he goes from 120 HP to 145 HP if Sara rolls 30 or less on Medicine (or rests safely).
  • Long Rest (8 Hours): Heal HP equal to CON + STR—your full base amount. Also removes 1 Fatigue level (see below).
  • Kael: CON 50 + STR 40 = 90 HP. After a night’s sleep, he jumps from 145 HP to 180 HP (full), losing 1 Fatigue too.

Details: Short rests are quick boosts—great between fights. Long rests reset you, but you’ll need shelter or a guard to avoid trouble. You can’t stack rests back-to-back without action in between (GM decides).

Healing with Skills

The Medicine skill lets you treat wounds faster. Roll d100 under your Medicine value (WIS-based) to succeed:

  • Stabilize (Difficulty 50): Stop a dying ally (-HP/2 or lower) from losing HP. Takes 1 round. No HP restored, just halts the bleed-out.
  • Example: Kael’s at -100 HP (dying). Sara’s ally rolls Medicine 60, gets 40—Kael stabilizes at -100 HP, no longer losing 10 HP/round.
  • Short Rest Boost: With Medicine (difficulty 30), heal CON/2 HP during a short rest (as above). Without the roll, you need safety instead.

For Pros: High Medicine (e.g., 80+) makes you a clutch healer—stack it with distinctions like Healer’s Hands for bigger gains.

Healing Spells

Magic is a powerful fix, fueled by your Mana Pool (WIS + INT). Roll Spellcasting (WIS-based) under your skill minus the spell’s Difficulty. Success heals; failure costs half Mana with no effect. Here are key spells:

  • Healing Touch (15 Mana, Difficulty 50): Heal 40 HP to one touched ally.
  • Kael: Spellcasting 100, rolls 30 (100 - 50 = 50 target). Heals an ally from 80 to 120 HP, Mana drops from 150 to 135.
  • Group Mending (25 Mana, Difficulty 70): Heal 20 HP to all allies in 20 ft (takes 1 minute).
  • Kael: Rolls 20 (100 - 70 = 30 target). Heals three allies 20 HP each, Mana to 110.
  • Renewal Pulse (15 Mana, Difficulty 50): Heal 30 HP + grant +10 to next defense roll (range 30 ft).
  • Vital Transfer (20 Mana, Difficulty 60): Lose 20 HP to heal 50 HP (touch).

Details: Overcasting (using HP/Fatigue for Mana deficits) risks collapse—1 Fatigue per 5 Mana short, or 1 HP per 10 Mana. Kael at 5 Mana casting Healing Touch (15 Mana) could take 2 Fatigue (-20 to rolls).

Newbie Tip: Spells heal big but drain Mana—save them for emergencies!

Gear and Items

Some gear helps mend wounds:

  • Healing Poultice (15 Silver Coins): Heal 20 HP with a Medicine roll (difficulty 30). One use.
  • Example: Sara applies a poultice to Kael (Medicine 70, rolls 25). Heals 20 HP, from 120 to 140.

Details: Poultices are cheap, reliable backup—stock up if you lack a Mystic!

Distinctions

Special talents can boost healing:

  • Healer’s Hands: +20 to Medicine, heal +20 HP (takes 10 minutes).
  • Example: Ally with Medicine 60 uses it on Kael (rolls 50, succeeds). Heals 40 HP total (20 base + 20 bonus), Kael from 140 to 180.
  • Earthbond (Rootsworn Trait): Heal 10 HP or 1 Fatigue once/day on soil (1 hour).

For Pros: Combine distinctions with skills or spells for clutch moments—e.g., Healer’s Hands with a poultice heals 40 HP fast.

Fatigue

Fatigue tracks exhaustion—pushing too hard wears you down:

  • How You Get It: Overcasting spells, taking extra actions in combat, or harsh conditions (GM calls).
  • Effect: Each level = -10 to all rolls. 5 levels = unconscious.
  • Recovery: Lose 1 level per Long Rest (8 hours).
  • Example: Kael overcasts (2 Fatigue, -20 to rolls). After a Long Rest, he’s at 1 Fatigue (-10).

Tip: Fatigue lingers—rest smart to avoid stacking it!

Putting It Together: Sara’s Example

Sara’s character, Kael (180 HP max, 150 Mana), fights bandits:

  • Hit: Takes 80 damage (180 to 100 HP).
  • Short Rest: Rests an hour (Medicine 70, rolls 40). Heals 25 HP (CON/2), now 125 HP.
  • Healing Touch: Casts on an ally (Spellcasting 100, rolls 20). Heals 40 HP, Mana from 150 to 135.
  • Bandit Ambush: Takes 90 damage (125 to 35 HP), then 75 more (-40 HP, unconscious). Ally stabilizes him (Medicine 50, rolls 30).
  • Long Rest: Sleeps 8 hours, heals 90 HP (-40 to 50 HP), loses 1 Fatigue from earlier overcasting.

Newbie Note: Healing keeps you going—rest when you can, use spells or items when you must!

For Experienced Players

  • Strategy: High HP (e.g., 180) means fights aren’t instant-death, but damage stacks fast (50-80/hit). Balance healing sources—rest for free HP, spells for speed.
  • Tactics: Stabilize dying allies early (-HP/2 is a long window, e.g., 9 rounds at -90 for Kael). Boost CON for bigger rest heals (e.g., CON 70 = 35 HP short rest).
  • Synergy: Stack Healer’s Hands with Medicine (e.g., 80 + 20 = 100) for reliable 40 HP bursts. Use Mana Reserves to stretch spellcasting.

That’s healing in PAWG! It’s tough out there, but with rest, skill, and a little magic, your warband can endure. Check with your GM for any tweaks, and keep fighting!