I'm DMing for a group of 5 friends.
Gnome Wizard
Human Paladin
Half elf Rogue
Elf Ranger
Ratfolk Inventor
Most people will immediately realize the party severely lacks healing.
The paladin and inventor are trained in medicine, and yes the paladin has lay on hands, but 6 hp once, between 10 minute rests is pretty rough, and the 60 minute pause between medicine healing (if it even succeeds) is also rough.
Last night the party was ambushed while resting.
A compsognathus bites the rogue for 6 damage, fails his fort check poisons him. Rogue is at 11/17. Wizard kills the compsognathus who was the last enemy and thankfully ends combat.
Ratfolk tries to treat poison, fails.
The rogue fails the fort check. Takes 1d6 = 6 damage 5/17
Paladin uses lay on hands heals 6hp, rogue at 11/17
Ratfolk tries to treat poison, fails.
The rogue fails the fort check. Takes 1d8 = 5 damage 6/17
Ratfolk tries to treat poison, fails.
The rogue fails the fort check. Takes 1d8 = 6 damage 0/17 Unconscious rogue
Ratfolk tries to treat poison, fails.
Paladin tries to treat wounds, crit succeeds. Rogue back to 17/17.
The rogue fails the fort check. Takes 1d8 = 6 damage 11/17
This is quite a stream of unlucky roles, and perhaps as the DM I shouldn't have had them fight something with poison (they rolled a 4 on d20 to see what they would fight, and 6 -1 CR compys seemed merciful based on that)
But one compy bite (a -1 CR) nearly killed a character. Even with everyone using what they could to heal.
Now after researching, I realize that medicine can be used to stabilize someone, but that is only out of combat. (unless that combat medicine feat works, but really?).
The cleric cantrip can also be used to stabilize someone, but all of this is still pointing to one glaring issue.
Healing and recovery is entirely based on making a single medicine check. A critical failure (a 1, 2 3, 4, or 5 depending on their skill) does 1d8 damage. So using it on someone who was just stablized can potentially kill them, and then they can't be healed again for an hour while in the dying state?
Regardless of the above, it made me and everyone else think. Oh damn, we need some kind of healing. Everyone at the table had either played D&D or 1E PF. So the rogue volunteered to dual class to a cleric.
We come to find out dual classing is far different in 2E. That you need to take dedication feats, and that you get a single level 1 healing spell as a dedication cleric at level 4. They're all level 1.
Depending on a characters wisdom score, a dual classed cleric thief would have 2 - 4 healing spells immediately available in 1E, but this alternative just seems pathetic.
I don't want to force anyone in my group into a specific role that won't be fun for them, but none of them want to be babied either and be unkillable, or have me purposefully pulling punches and fudging rolls every time they get close to death.
Am I missing something, or is the only real way to heal to either have a dedicated healing class character. Or just otherwise rely on the whimsical nature of the medicine checks?
Do I give them a magical ring that can heal 1d8 three times a day?
Have them find resurrection rods out of no where whenever someone dies or they otherwise lack one?
It doesn't seem like there's actually any reliable way to heal as a character besides just being a cleric.
Does anyone know a practical way to multiclass without the lackluster dedication thing? Or do I need to homebrew up a cleric thief class concept?
TL
Best way to heal at level 1 without a cleric, or best way to homebrew multiclass in 2E
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