Heal: The Skill Nobody #$%^ing Reads

[Arturick]

Having DMed and played in a number of campaigns, and just recently listening to Actual Plays for the first time, I'm seriously tired of hearing the following words:

"I have a Healer's Kit and X ranks in heal.  What can I do?"

It seems like nearly every game has someone bringing up Heal for situations that Heal doesn't treat.  My players will shrug their shoulders after a player gets poisoned, but hasn't saved for secondary damage.  But, once the party has camped down for the night, they want to know if they can correct that ability damage with a Heal check.

"We got injured in that fight?  *roll dice*  What does a 16 Heal get us?" 

[ariasderros]

Because the skill sucks as written if there is a divine caster about.

This is why I houserule it

Heal gains two new uses, both of which are 10 minutes per check:

• Heal can also be used to help heal a person. Once per person per hour, you can make a DC 20 heal check to restore a number of hit points equal to the person's HD. A person can only benefit from this once per hour, and it does not work on targets that do not have Constitution scores.
• Heal can also be used to help restore more serious wounds. With a DC 25 heal check, the healer can restore one point of ability damage. A target can only benefit from this once per hour. If the healer can make a DC 45 check, then he can choose to heal all of the ability damage to a single score, or can heal one point of ability drain.

[altpersona]

i like it houseruled, but i prefer the DC to be based on the damage.

heal upto skill ranks damage once per day, dc 15+ amount to heal (capped at heal ranks). so a practical cap of about 20 once per day. takes 1 round per point to be healed. (rough version off the top of my head).

ability score damage would be more like dc 20+ amount

both leave the patient dazed until completing a full rest.

its not as good and better than clw...

at lvl 1, 4 ranks 4 abil mod 2 kit needs a 6 or better to heal 1 point of damage. or just better than 50/50 shot to get the wizard back to full from 1hp. (9ish or better on the roll).

at lvl 20, 20 ranks, 10 abil mod 2 kit, 2 synergy 2 aid another, 36+roll vs. DC 35 to heal 20 damage. the old pro dosnt need to use 4th lvl or lower spells for healing.

my 2c. ymmv

[Braininthejar]

I also use it as a search/knowledge check when doing crime scene investigation. Small details like figuring out the victim was already dead when he was stabbed can make heck of a difference.

[NiteCyper]

I also use it as a search/knowledge check when doing crime scene investigation. Small details like figuring out the victim was already dead when he was stabbed can make heck of a difference.

I suppose that you're referring to this.

[SolEiji]

I expand Heal a lot when I can.  One thing I let it do is let people guess the condition of injured living creatures and figure out a creature's HD.  Both these things are useful (for combat and Power Word spells, and for raising the dead and trapping souls), and D&D seems to IMPLY you can research HD but doesn't give a method.  So.... there we go, it's Heal.

[Nicklance]

I played an Eberron campaign where the DM ran it strictly by its official flavor, the Heal skill gets plenty of mileage.

For other campaigns, this is a good way to use less wand charges.

[StreamOfTheSky]

We allow heal as a ranged non-action to give a health status update on NPC hp, if they're barely injured, about half health, fairly damaged, or very close to dead.  And on foes that are felled, to tell if they're dying, dead, faking (vs. bluff), etc...

Makes it slightly more useful.  I'd also like to incorproate that skill trick that uses it as a sub. for crit confirmation rolls as just another general use application of the skill.

I've also considered in the past tying the amount healed by cure spells to the spell and a heal check, rather than the spell and CL.

[Tonymitsu]

I hugely expand heal in my campaigns, especially the low-magic ones.
Got the inspiration from Neverwinter Nights.

Firstly, Heal can restore a number of HPs equal your Heal check -10
If you fail the initial save on a poison, a check of 10 + Poison Save DC allows you to succeed at the second save automatically.
Also as a 10 minute check, you can cure diseases if you roll 15 + Disease Save DC.
I'd never let them cure ability score damage.  Once the damage is done, you sleep it off, or find magic, just like the real world   

Doing any of these consumes a healer's kit and makes you buy another one though.

[Garryl]

I hugely expand heal in my campaigns, especially the low-magic ones.
Got the inspiration from Neverwinter Nights.

Firstly, Heal can restore a number of HPs equal your Heal check -10
If you fail the initial save on a poison, a check of 10 + Poison Save DC allows you to succeed at the second save automatically.
Also as a 10 minute check, you can cure diseases if you roll 15 + Disease Save DC.
I'd never let them cure ability score damage.  Once the damage is done, you sleep it off, or find magic, just like the real world   

Doing any of these consumes a healer's kit and makes you buy another one though.

Heal already lets you succeed on the save against poison's secondary effects and diseases with just the effect's normal DC (no +10 or +15), no kit required, just a standard action.

[veekie]

This thread had a lot of discussion on that matter.