Might there be a way to incorporate the healing of foliage in the wilds by empaths. This could be obtained by empaths sensing an area and possibly detecting damaged or sickly plants that could aid an empath in learning their required skills. After all, life is life. Certain notable plants might teach at different levels. The oak tree in town green southeast might teach younger empaths while the oasis trees in Muspar'i might teach high level empaths. Perhaps certain flowers have become sickly. Only an empath would ever know but it would offer up another method of learning.
Just a thought, X
ODIN331
DIMINISHEDANGEL
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 04:36 AM CDT
Neat suggestion. I'm torn between seeing this as an Empath ability and a Ranger ability. Empaths obviously can sense any life, not just humanoids, and this would be another neat tool for Empathy training that doesn't rely on wounds. On the other hand I could see this relating to Scouting being renamed and beseeches being rewritten. Maybe both?
BADGOPHER
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 06:04 AM CDT
>I'm torn between seeing this as an Empath ability and a Ranger ability.
Here's my thought. First and foremost, people do need a way to train the skill before they can power walk, and wounds/classes are not always an option any more.
Mechanics aside, rangers haven't ever shown any affinity for healing. They have shown affinity for the manipulation of life, their spells cause massive growth or summon entities. But nothing they do repairs, rejuvinates, or otherwise heals. If a ranger was going to do something like this, he'd have to do it the same way a barbarian would.
Here's my thought. First and foremost, people do need a way to train the skill before they can power walk, and wounds/classes are not always an option any more.
Mechanics aside, rangers haven't ever shown any affinity for healing. They have shown affinity for the manipulation of life, their spells cause massive growth or summon entities. But nothing they do repairs, rejuvinates, or otherwise heals. If a ranger was going to do something like this, he'd have to do it the same way a barbarian would.
DIMINISHEDANGEL
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 07:15 AM CDT
>Mechanics aside, rangers haven't ever shown any affinity for healing. They have shown affinity for the manipulation of life, their spells cause massive growth or summon entities. But nothing they do repairs, rejuvinates, or otherwise heals. If a ranger was going to do something like this, he'd have to do it the same way a barbarian would.
Yes, I wasn't suggesting Rangers would "heal" something.
But what is the difference between "healing something (in this case a plant)" and sprouting new/additional growth? One is very much an Empath thing, and one is very much a Ranger thing. Empaths, by design of being life magic users, have imagery of nature peppered in their abilities, but Rangers are literally nature druids, and many of their abilities directly involve encouraging plant growth.
I'd suggest changing the plants things to something like a ward of NPCs that need healing, or traveling to remote clans to heal livestock and such. That definitely puts it in the Empath wheelhouse, and another reliable way to learn Empathy sounds like a great idea.
Yes, I wasn't suggesting Rangers would "heal" something.
But what is the difference between "healing something (in this case a plant)" and sprouting new/additional growth? One is very much an Empath thing, and one is very much a Ranger thing. Empaths, by design of being life magic users, have imagery of nature peppered in their abilities, but Rangers are literally nature druids, and many of their abilities directly involve encouraging plant growth.
I'd suggest changing the plants things to something like a ward of NPCs that need healing, or traveling to remote clans to heal livestock and such. That definitely puts it in the Empath wheelhouse, and another reliable way to learn Empathy sounds like a great idea.
BADGOPHER
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 05:15 PM CDT
>But what is the difference between "healing something (in this case a plant)" and sprouting new/additional growth?
I have a tree with two branches.
1 is diseased and rotten, home to invasive tree-killing insects. The other is healthy.
Ranger spells would
A) Cause the rotten limb to drop off. This is a net health increase to the tree but is not the same as repairing it.
B) Cause the tree to sprout more limbs. This might be a net increase in healthy limbs but would tax the tree in general, and the disease would still be there, killing it.
C) Cause the tree to ambulate and attack something - probably neither increasing nor decreasing the health.
All of these are manipulating living matter, but none are causing healing, directly or indirectly.
If we take the example to be people instead of plants, it might make more sense; if my diabetic buddy has a necrotic toe, casting 'grow another foot' doesn't really help; the old one still causes pain and will kill him. Casting a spell to remove it still leaves damage to the foot, his tendons will twist it over and cause pain. And so on.
I have a tree with two branches.
1 is diseased and rotten, home to invasive tree-killing insects. The other is healthy.
Ranger spells would
A) Cause the rotten limb to drop off. This is a net health increase to the tree but is not the same as repairing it.
B) Cause the tree to sprout more limbs. This might be a net increase in healthy limbs but would tax the tree in general, and the disease would still be there, killing it.
C) Cause the tree to ambulate and attack something - probably neither increasing nor decreasing the health.
All of these are manipulating living matter, but none are causing healing, directly or indirectly.
If we take the example to be people instead of plants, it might make more sense; if my diabetic buddy has a necrotic toe, casting 'grow another foot' doesn't really help; the old one still causes pain and will kill him. Casting a spell to remove it still leaves damage to the foot, his tendons will twist it over and cause pain. And so on.
DR-ARMIFER
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 06:51 PM CDT
Theoretically, Empaths could probably create a transference link with anything that is living and conduct supernatural healing. Practically, this goes down strange conceptual corridors and probably isn't as simple as transferring a broken branch onto your body and then healing the resulting damage.
That said, I've always liked the idea of "healing tasks," I just don't know when it'd be feasible to write them at this point.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
That said, I've always liked the idea of "healing tasks," I just don't know when it'd be feasible to write them at this point.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
LAMBL
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 06:55 PM CDT
<<That said, I've always liked the idea of "healing tasks," I just don't know when it'd be feasible to write them at this point.>>
Me too! I've been hoping something like that could be incorporated into the everyday game ever since they appeared at the Ulf'Hara quest.
Thanks,
-Life Weaver Karthor
Me too! I've been hoping something like that could be incorporated into the everyday game ever since they appeared at the Ulf'Hara quest.
Thanks,
-Life Weaver Karthor
PHENOM0420
Re: (no subject)
07/08/2018 10:22 PM CDT
That would be such a fun way to learn healing and make a tip at the same time, without being forced to sit in the guild or take long walks.
