That Didn't Hurt

Just in case a human reads this, finds it relatable, and cares to comment, here is a question for readers: How does the rule for rest in Shadowdark RPG (healing all wounds after eating a ration and getting eight hours of sleep) interact with the game's aim to make dungeon delving dangerous? I believe the super fast healing rate in Dungeons & Dragons dates back to 3rd edition, but my experience with D&D is primarily Basic/Expert D&D and AD&D 1st edition where healing rates were considerably slower. How do you explain going to sleep on the brink of death and waking up the next morning in perfect health? What is the in-game explanation for this instantaneous recovery? Is there any? I like much of what I've read in the rules, but this seems a bit too video gamey for the game's objectives. Please share any insights, explanations, or comments.

Eat, Drink, and Avoid Penalties

This is a simple method for penalizing player characters who neglect a basic survival necessity, and rewarding those who make the effort to do more than the minimum. It's compatible with nearly any iteration of old school Dungeons & Dragons, its retro-clones, its OSR relatives, and maybe more.

Characters must eat to survive, and they must eat regularly to function normally. For each day that a character fails to eat at least one substantial meal, the character suffers a −1 cumulative penalty to all actions and saving throws, i.e. −1 on the first day, −2 on the second day, −3 on the third day. The DM will determine, based on the character's Constitution and species, how many days the character may survive until starvation ends the character's life. Penalties commence each day as soon as the characters become active until they have their first meal.

If a character manages to have three meals in a single day and the third meal is consumed whilst resting, he or she recovers 1d3 hit points upon finishing it.

Water, or an acceptable liquid substitute, is also a necessity, and failure to drink also results in a −1 cumulative penalty to all actions and saving throws for each day of deprivation as above. The DM will determine how many days the character may survive until death by thirst occurs. Penalties commence each day as soon as the characters become active until they have their first drink.

Characters who fail to consume both food and water will suffer the penalties for both.

Starting on the fourth day of deprivation of either, characters will begin to lose 1dx hit points per day, where x equals the hit die type of the character's class.

Healing and Constitution

Constitution, as the attribute that represents one's hardiness, ought to have an influence on the speed at which one recovers from wounds. Therefore, any bonus derived from one's constitution shall be added to one's normal daily rate of hit point recovery, which in the case of Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord is 1d3 hit points per day of rest. Penalties for low constitution do not apply under normal circumstances. If, however, any of the wounds were caused by the undead, then the penalties are applied as follows: −1 penalty = 1 hit point per day of rest; −2 penalty = 1 hit point for every two days of rest; −3 penalty = 1 hit point for every three days of rest. The frail and sickly are especially vulnerable to attacks by the undead and correspondingly take longer to recover from an encounter with such.

Healing by Level and Constitution

A common problem with healing is that it takes a disproportionately longer time for higher level characters to heal than it takes for lower level characters. This is because there is a uniform healing rate. Some propose to correct it by having characters recover a percentage of their hit points. For example, if everyone has a 20% hit point recovery rate per day of rest, then a character with 10 hit points would recover 2 hit points per day whereas a character with 40 hit points would recover 8 hit points per day. It's an excellent solution, but I think there is a simpler (and therefore better) way. [EDIT: It is not excellent, and what I propose below is not better.]

In the interest of keeping calculations minimal, I suggest that the rate of recovery ought to be 1 hit point per level per day of rest. [EDIT: Bad idea. See comments.] Characters of 0 through 1st level would recover 1 hit point per day. A 9th level character would recover 9 hit points per day. The advantage, of course, is that all one needs to know is one's level. No calculations are required. The other advantage is that one is rewarded for one's level, which is a result of experience, rather than being rewarded for one's luck at rolling hit dice. [EDIT: True, but still a bad idea.]

I also suggest that the constitution bonus should be added to one's rate of hit point recovery. (Conversely, I do not recommend that the penalty for low constitution should be applied, on the the grounds that all characters should be guaranteed a minimum recovery rate of at least 1 hit point per day under normal circumstances.) It seems reasonable to me that the attribute representing one's health and endurance should be a contributing factor to one's ability to recover from injury. Those who are healthy recover more quickly than those who are not. [EDIT: I stand by that, but I haven't playtested it yet.]

So, in summary, my house rules for healing are:

• Hit points are recovered at the rate of 1 hit point/level/day of rest.
  
• Any constitution bonus increases the rate of recovery accordingly.
  

The Joy of Hit Point Recovery

This is just an idle thought that perhaps bears further development. I am one of those referees who dislikes having an adventure derailed by the constant necessity of watching player characters spend inordinate amounts of time resting to regain lost hit points, but I also don't believe in giving them access to large quantities of inexpensive healing potions (unless they carry the risk of side effects). As an alternative, what about a rule that states whenever a player character eats a well-cooked meal made with fresh ingredients, he or she automatically regains 1 hit point in addition to whatever other rules are being used regarding hit point recovery? This would ordinarily occur in a safe environment such as a house, village, city, manor, or castle rather than the dungeon or out in the untamed wilderness. It would take place in the party's "off time" that they spend in resting, buying supplies, gathering information, and carousing. It also encourages them to spend money and teaches them to appreciate the worth of good cooking. Good food is a comfort one should long for when one is stumbling about in damp caves with sputtering torches and eating cold, flavorless "rations."

This doesn't mean a player gets 1 hit point healed for every meal eaten at a table. The food must be prepared by a good cook with fresh ingredients in an environment conducive to comfortable dining. In other words, not your usual tavern fare. Look to holiday feasts, royal banquets, guild suppers, expensive inns, or even the homes of hospitable farmers. Each such meal will restore 1 hit point automatically, although the question of remuneration must be negotiated on an individual basis.

Table: Healing Potion Side Effects

Some healing potions, especially those of dubious manufacture, come with side effects when their directions for usage are not followed to the letter (q.v.). Some of an even more suspect nature come with side effects regardless of how they are taken. In any event, any given batch of questionable healing potions will have one or two of the following side effects in addition to the advertised benefit.


Healing Potion Side Effects

Roll 1d12

1. Blindness lasting 24 hours.
   
2. Blurry vision lasting 1d20 rounds. Penalty of -4 to all attacks.
   
3. Deafness lasting 24 hours.
   
4. Dizziness lasting 1d8 rounds. No combat activity possible.
   
5. Hallucinations lasting 24 hours.
   
6. Incapacitating headache lasting 1d12 hours. No activity of any kind possible.
   
7. Nausea lasting 1d10 rounds. No movement possible.
   
8. Piercing headache lasting 1d4 turns. No concentration possible.
   
9. Sense of smell deadened for 24 hours.
   
10. Sense of taste deadened for 24 hours.
    
11. Sense of touch deadened for 24 hours. Certain thiefly skills not possible.
    
12. Throbbing headache lasting 1d6 hours. No concentration possible.
    

Table: Healing Potion Directions

Drinking a healing potion is not always as simple as merely drinking it. Certain healing potions, especially those local varieties you may have heard about, have directions that must be followed to ensure their effectiveness. These directions are frequently found written on the bottle, the cork, or on a note attached to the bottle. Failure to follow the directions exactly as described may result in loss of efficacy or worse.


Healing Potion Directions

Roll 1d12

1. Clutch a holy symbol whilst imbibing.
   
2. Consume no alcohol for 24 hours.
   
3. Drink half; pour half on ground.
   
4. Gargle only. Do not drink.
   
5. Refrain from drinking for 12 hours.
   
6. Refrain from eating for 6 hours.
   
7. Take before sleeping.
   
8. Take only at night.
   
9. Take only at twilight.
   
10. Take only in daylight.
    
11. Take with plenty of liquids.
    
12. Take with a meal.