Discussion:Should I implement banks and doctors into my campaign?

Should I implement banks and doctors into my campaign?

Palantini 20:57, 10 June 2008 (MDT)

I was thinking of implementing banks for item storage and doctors for cheap light wounds healing (an alternative to the already too powerful clerics). My group was not sure about both ideas. Suggestions?

Eiji 22:26, 10 June 2008 (MDT)

Well.... that largely depends on your setting. High magic or low magic? Sounds like low. And also on town size and availability from other factors like "what kind of world is it"?

They usually suggest that your typical NPC maxes out at level 6 so the cleric doctors of the world shouldn't have too many goodies on their side. Even with that said I can bet you those clerics employ all the mundane Heal checks and the like they can. Limited spells per day and a possibly large crowd to tend for means they'll want to save what spells they have for when it's needed.

I presume your party lacks a cleric and is thus needing to seek alternative healing, right? I'll also presume the ever-useful Healing Belt isn't available.

As for the banking... sure. I usually end up doing this myself by getting a large bag of holding or a stronghold, but in a magic poor and/or money poor area, banking might be the answer.

So, what's it for?

Palantini 22:25, 11 June 2008 (MDT)

Yep, no cleric in our group. Actually I was thinking doctors would be nonmagical, in a world generally distrustful of magic. Also, we are new to D&D so Belt of Healing? Clueless. As you know if you have looked at my user page, I am in middle school, and have been playing only since May..or late April. We have only had two game sessions ever, as character building and decision making is very time consuming, and are generally clueless to the specifics of D&D. Problem with banking though is items can't be taken everywhere the PCs travel...magic is all I can think of as an alternative and as I said, the world is pretty distrustful of such powers.

64.191.40.101 09:21, 12 June 2008 (MDT)

(Actually Eiji, posting by proxy)

The item I speak of is in the Magic Item Compendium book. It's notable for being really cheap and really good at healing, for only 750g, just like a Wand of Cure Light, save that this one is a X/day item and not charged.

Anyway, with the lack of magic, if haversacks and even wands are out, focus, and if you're the DM even promote, as much of the nonmagical things you can. You might also with to reflavor magic items into non-magical counterparts... healing potions becoming alchemetical solutions, and such.

As far as the banking go, again if avoiding the magical methods if your world has a more or less fixed currency you can use that. I general see gold as an abstract, so if you have 100,000 gold.... you aren't necessarily carrying around 100,000 gold pieces. You have some platinum, a few diamonds, and some dollar bills worth 20,000 gold. Money becomes a lot easier when it's only a few stacks of paper.

Kelly 16:22, 16 June 2008 (MDT)

I have a home rule for my own low-magic campaign to susbstitute for easy access to healing magic: When using the Healing skill for First Aid, any result over 20 transorms [the result of the roll -20] points of damage to non-lethal damage. So a skilled healer who gets a 27 on their roll would make 7 points of damage become non-lethal.

I like this because it doesn't immediately negate all consequences of getting hurt, but you can recover in a few hours - it feels realistic to my sensibilities.

Hijax 02:24, 6 August 2008 (MDT)

well, as for bankin, you could say that players had a "credit card". that way thay could get any items or money they had stored, no matter how far they traveled, because it was all part of a big banking network. they would just show their credit card, say what objects (or money) they needed, they would get it, and it would be removed on their 'conto'. this would of course not work if they are in a nation so poor, that they cannot affor the items the player have on their conto.

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