d20 Houserule XP Bonus Question Options

[Socinus]

I'm gearing up to try and GM a Pathfinder game for a couple of friends and I dusted off an old houserule that I'm particularly fond of but I've run into a problem.

4. Healer- I will not force a player to be a healer or cripple a party that does not have a healer. If the party and a player in that party agrees, they may take an NPC healer. That healer is the same level as the majority of the party and levels when the majority of the party levels, it does not get a cut of the XP. The backstory, characterization, and personality of the healer are up to the GM but the specific actions of the healer in combat are controlled by a volunteer player who plays both their character and the healer.

The healer may take defensive actions and heal damaged party members as well as limited other tasks ("Shut that door!" "Throw me a potion!") but no other tasks. It cannot be told to buff characters other than itself or otherwise cast damaging spells at enemies. The controlling player will recieve an XP bonus for their main character. The healer has a stat block, skills, and feats the same as any other character. The GM collaborates with the controlling player for leveling the healer. Control of the healer may be undertaken by one player for the course of the entire game or control may be passed around to different players. The healer may be equipped with items and be instructed to carry loads. The healer may be a mercinary and demand compensation or the players may be able to foster a friendship and have him accompany them for free.

This worked very well when I used it last but we also didn't use the XP system so I never worked out a good XP bonus for it.

What do you think would be a good XP bonus that would reward a player for extra work but not push them way ahead of other players?

[Thanee]

Since the 3rd edition of D&D, having a PC healer in the party really is no problem at all, since there are so many options to be a good healer and still able to do tons of other stuff (cleric spontaneous healing, for example). You don't need a dedicated healer.

Anyways, I would not give an XP bonus at all for this.

Why would you? You are effectively giving the party a half-share of XP on top already for having the NPC not deduct any XP (like a cohort would, for example).

It is also in the best interest of everyone to control the healer. That's good enough in my eyes.

Bye
Thanee

[Shortstraw]

Also in pathfinder a positive energy channeling cleric can heal without taking up much of his resources.

[Bigity]

Having a cleric in 2nd edition was no problem either.

[Socinus]

Since the 3rd edition of D&D, having a PC healer in the party really is no problem at all, since there are so many options to be a good healer and still able to do tons of other stuff (cleric spontaneous healing, for example). You don't need a dedicated healer.

Anyways, I would not give an XP bonus at all for this.

Why would you? You are effectively giving the party a half-share of XP on top already for having the NPC not deduct any XP (like a cohort would, for example).

It is also in the best interest of everyone to control the healer. That's good enough in my eyes.

I want to give a small XP to make up for the fact that a player basically has to do bitch work. They have to essentially play two characters, one of which they cant make any decisions regarding the actual roleplaying of the character. They have all the work and none of the fun.

[Bigity]

I may have missed it in earlier posts, but why isn't the healer a GM-controller henchman or something?

[CanRay]

I may have missed it in earlier posts, but why isn't the healer a GM-controller henchman or something?

Because Nodwick, that's why. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Socinus]

I may have missed it in earlier posts, but why isn't the healer a GM-controller henchman or something?

Because I dont want to deal with yet another block of stats tottering around the battlefield.

[Bigity]

It's not like the guy has to be a critical contributor to combat. Most henchmen aren't around to fight anyway. They carry your shit back to down and watch the horses outside the dungeon.

[Halinn]

In D&D, in-combat healing is a luxury rarely worth the opportunity cost. Consider having the players try without, but giving them a full hit point regeneration between combats (something easily achievable with wands and the like, but a bother to keep track of)

[Socinus]

In D&D, in-combat healing is a luxury rarely worth the opportunity cost. Consider having the players try without, but giving them a full hit point regeneration between combats (something easily achievable with wands and the like, but a bother to keep track of)

That's edging into "healing surge" territory which is something I was not a fan of in 4th ed.

[Shortstraw]

In D&D, in-combat healing is a luxury rarely worth the opportunity cost. Consider having the players try without, but giving them a full hit point regeneration between combats (something easily achievable with wands and the like, but a bother to keep track of)

That was due to the relatively ineffectual healing until heal (and then mass, heal) became available. The (Level+1/2)*D6 AoE heal from level 1 pretty much fixes that.

[Socinus]

Are there any guidelines at all for bonus XP?

[Yerameyahu]

I really think the answer to that is 'no', unfortunately.

What do you think would be a good XP bonus that would reward a player for extra work but not push them way ahead of other players?

I can't think of any amount that would satisfy this. Either it's not enough to notice (so why bother?) or it's enough to notice… which counts as 'way ahead'.

They're not really doing extra work, 'bitch work' or otherwise. At worst, they *get* to play another (albeit boring) character. Buy them a soda for the session. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shortstraw]

Instead of giving bonus xp get the advanced race guide and let them play a more powerful race to make up for the feats/spells they spend on healing keeps it easy - if you are set on giving them something extra that is.

[Yerameyahu]

Well, that's only if he ditches the primary assumption of this thread, which is that the healer is an 'extra' hench character that one of the players is handling as a secondary duty. I agree, there shouldn't be a problem with anyone playing a healer as primary, but some people are lame. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[_Pax._]

Really, you don't need to incentivise the role of healer.

Any Rogue with a solid Use Magic Device check can use a Wand of Cure ___ Wounds. Or, for that matter, a Bard can use them without UMD at all.

Alternately, take a page from the Guardians of the Flame novels, and just make healing potions ridiculously cheap, and commonly available. Say, 5% or 10% the usual price - and bugger the rules limiting potions to only 3rd level, where healing is concerned.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Honestly, what I would do is completely different.

Make the NPC healer a full character who rotates his in-combat actions from player-to-player, but roleplay decisions are made for him. He can take any valid action he's capable of (buffing, whacking something over the head with a mace, whatever,) and he gets a full cut of XP.

That, or go with _Pax._'s idea and make healing potions ridiculously cheap, commonplace, and don't cap at third level. At that point, nobody has any right to complain. Hell, at that point, towns can afford to issue healing potions to the guards. (Also make healing magic basically free, so if they stumble into a church penniless and damaged, the priest will heal them up in exchange for an hour's labor or something.)


However, if you're dead-set on going with an XP bonus (and not pegging everybody to the same XP tally,) what I would do is give whomever controls the Healing Bitch an extra (100 x Level) XP per session. That's 10% of the XP to their next level. Just don't let them play the healer consecutively - rotate it, and make playing the healer a strictly opt-out thing, so that someone who doesn't want to do it doesn't have to, but knows what they're giving up.

[e]Also, I wouldn't let the Healing Bitch take the Cleric class. It's kind of ridiculous to ask why this Cleric refuses to lift a mace in his own defense, etcetera. Make him some kind of bodged-together class that only learns healing, curing etcetera, spells, and has to take a strict vow of pacifism, but also gets a shitload of immunities.

[_Pax._]

That, or go with _Pax._'s idea and make healing potions ridiculously cheap, commonplace, and don't cap at third level. At that point, nobody has any right to complain. Hell, at that point, towns can afford to issue healing potions to the guards. (Also make healing magic basically free, so if they stumble into a church penniless and damaged, the priest will heal them up in exchange for an hour's labor or something.)

And probably every non-destitute household has a CLW or two for emergencies - bad swings with the axe while cutting firewood, mule kick to the chest, the sorts of non-combat but stil potentially life- or livelihood-threatening injuries common farmers and laborers would face in their lives. The kind of things that really did kill people, but would be completely dealt with after just ne swig of "healing draughts".

[e]Also, I wouldn't let the Healing Bitch take the Cleric class. It's kind of ridiculous to ask why this Cleric refuses to lift a mace in his own defense, etcetera. Make him some kind of bodged-together class that only learns healing, curing etcetera, spells, and has to take a strict vow of pacifism, but also gets a shitload of immunities.

Unearthed Arcana ... "Cloistered Cleric"; all the healing, none of the mace-swinging or armor-wearing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Then maybe, if the party's alignment is compatible, give them the Vow of Peace (Book of Exalted Deeds).

[ShadowDragon8685]

Unearthed Arcana ... "Cloistered Cleric"; all the healing, none of the mace-swinging or armor-wearing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Then maybe, if the party's alignment is compatible, give them the Vow of Peace (Book of Exalted Deeds).

That's what I was thinking of, but the OP mentioned Pathfinder.

[_Pax._]

The two are compatible. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

The two are compatible. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Well, yeah, but I didn't want to assume, since I know a lot of people consider Pathfinder to be D&D 3.75 and consequently blanket-ban anything from 3.5.

[Yerameyahu]

Which is usually a good idea, especially for anything from UA or BoED. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

What about the BoEF?



I'll get my coat.

[_Pax._]

Which is usually a good idea, especially for anything from UA or BoED. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Eh. UA isn't meant to be used in toto, it's meant as more of a "painter's pallet" with which the GM can tailor their game a little better.

And as for me, at least? I wouldn't blanket ban 3.5E stuff ... 'cause that'd be throwing away nearly $3,000 worth of books. Though I'm probably just going to stuff them in the basement anyway ... no group to game with, bugger it all.