Heal

Description

Ability Score Used:	Wisdom
Usable Untrained?	Yes
Armor Check Penalty Applies?	No

You are skilled at tending to the ailments of others. Or, if you are of a certain mindset, you are skilled at treating the bodies of others, for good or ill.

You can bind wounds, treat poisons, and many other things, as well as inflicting the same. Note that like many skills, some or all of these skill ses may have impacts on our alignment, so approach with caution!

Heal Skill Actions

Task	Heal DC	AoO?	Time
Prevent recovery2	15	-	1 hour
Torture2	15	-	1 hour
Deep hurting2	20 or 30	-	2 hours
Prevent fast healing2	25	-	1 hour
Erode willpower2	Target's Will saving throw modifier (modified for morale penalties) +10	-	24 hours

• ¹ Administering First Aid provokes an attack of opportunity and using any skill that uses an action "usually" provokes an attack of opportunity.
• ² These uses of the Heal skill are usually evil actions and may have repercussions for good-aligned characters using them.

Evaluate Target Health

You can examine one target within 30 feet of you to determine the exact extent of its injuries. Normally, you can only determine the general health of any creature, among the following statuses: Unharmed, Injured, Bloodied, Staggered, Unconscious, or Dead. This does not require a skill check, and anyone can do it. However, with a successful Heal check, you can learn precisely how close a particular creature is to death. This skill use may be applied to any creature, whether ally, enemy, or bystander. Performing this action is noticeable by anyone observing you, and intelligent creatures will generally know you are evaluating the health of the target you are inspecting.
Action Required:	Standard action
DC of Check:	Easy DC versus the level or CR of the target
Modifiers to Check	Hurried Assessment: You can reduce the action required to evaluate target health to a move action by adding +5 to the DC of the check. You can reduce it to a swift action by adding +10 to the DC of the check.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). All allies must be within 30 feet of the target and each other.
Results of Success	You know exactly how many hit points the target has lost, and/or how many hit points the target has remaining. In addition, if the character is Dying or Stabilized, you learn this information as well.
Consequences of Failure	You only know the general "at a glance" status of the target's health: Unharmed, Injured, Bloodied, Staggered, Unconscious, or Dead.
Retry Allowed?	Yes. However, the same target cannot be evaluated more than once per round.
Provokes AOO?	No

Stabilize the Dying

If a character has negative hit points, you can make him stable, restoring him to 0 hit points and consciousness. Character with negative hit points are usually in the Dying state, but you can also use the Stabilize the Dying skill use on characters which have stabilized themselves through a successful CON check.
Action Required:	Standard action
DC of Check:	Easy DC versus the level/CR of the creature being stabilized
Modifiers to Check	Hurried Stabilization: You can reduce the action required to stabilize the dying to a move action by changing the DC to an Average DC versus the level/CR of the target. You can reduce it to a swift action by changing the DC to an Challenging DC versus the level/CR of the target. Cautious Stabilization: You can attempt to stabilize a target without provoking attacks of opportunity by adding +10 to the DC of the target.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Assisting allies must be adjacent to both you and the target you are attempting to stabilize. If there is not enough room, the ally may not assist.
Results of Success	The ally stops losing hit points, is restored to exactly 0 hit points, and regains consciousness, but gains the Staggered condition. Any ongoing conditions such as poison or diseases, which haven't already been treated, continue to ravage the target, and could cause him to slip back into unconsciousness or even death.
Consequences of Failure	The ally remains in the Dying state, losing 1 hit point per round. If he reaches a negative hit point total greater than or equal to his CON score (not modifier) + his character level, he dies.
Retry Allowed?	Yes, assuming your target remains alive.
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Long-Term Care

Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. Doing so doubles the recovery they would normally receive from a full night's rest or complete bed rest. You can tend as many as six patients at a time. You need a few items and supplies (bandages, salves, and so on) that are easy to come by in settled lands. Giving long-term care counts as light activity for the healer. You cannot give long-term care to yourself.
Action Required:	8 hours
DC of Check:	Easy DC versus the level/CR of the creature being stabilized.
Modifiers to Check	Shelter: If you have any shelter and are generally out of the weather and dry (a cave or a tent), you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on Heal checks. If you have a non-drafty shelter (a room in an inn, an extra-dimensional resting space, a sturdy cabin) you gain a +3 bonus on Heal checks. If you have a genuinely comfortable space with an actual bed and proper blankets (a hospital, a very nice inn, a private residence of at least comfortable lifestyle), you gain a +5 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Anyone receiving long-term care during this 8 hour period may not assist, not even to help with the long-term care of someone else.
Results of Success	The patient recovers hit points or ability score points (lost to ability damage) at twice the normal rate: 2 hit points per level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 hit points per level for each full day of complete rest; 2 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 ability score points for each full day of complete rest.
Consequences of Failure	The patient recovers hit points and ability score points (lost to ability damage) at the normal rate: 1 hit point per level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 2 hit points per level for each full day of complete rest; 1 ability score point for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 2 ability score points for each full day of complete rest.
Retry Allowed?	Long-term care may only be attempted once per 24 hours.
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Treat Injuries

When treating injuries, you can restore hit points to a damaged creature. This action requires the full attention of both you and the patient you are attempting to heal for the entire time you are treating injuries. If you are interrupted during your treatment, the treatment automatically fails.
Action Required:	1 hour
DC of Check:	Average DC versus the target's level
Modifiers to Check	Healer's Kit: You take a -4 penalty on this check if you don't use at least 2 charges from a Healers Kit. Using 2 charges of the kit not only negates this -4 penalty but also applies the +4 circumstance the kit normally provides.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies)
Results of Success	Your target heals 1 hit point of damage per rank you have in the Heal skill. If you exceed the DC by 5 or more, add your Wisdom modifier (if positive) to this amount.
Consequences of Failure	Your target is not healed. Your healer's kit charges are used, and the hour is wasted.
Retry Allowed?	No. A creature can only benefit from its injuries being treated within 24 hours of being injured and never more than once per day.
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Treat Poison / Disease

To treat a disease means to tend to a single diseased character. Every time the diseased character makes a saving throw against disease effects, you make a Heal check. If your Heal check exceeds the DC of the disease, the character receives a +4 competence bonus on his saving throw against the disease. To treat poison means to tend to a single character who has been poisoned and who is going to take more damage from the poison (or suffer some other effect). Every time the poisoned character makes a saving throw against the poison, you make a Heal check. If your Heal check exceeds the DC of the poison, the character receives a +4 competence bonus on his saving throw against the poison.
Action Required:	Poison: Standard action Disease: 10 minutes
DC of Check:	The save DC of the poison or disease
Modifiers to Check	-
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies)
Results of Success	The afflicted character's saving throw gains a +4 circumstance bonus from your assistance. Note that, even if the target succeeds on his saving throw, it may not completely cure the poison or disease (some poisons and diseases require more than one successful saving throw). In addition, any effects the target has already suffered from the poison or disease persist even if the poison or disease is cured.
Consequences of Failure	The target gains no benefit to their next saving throw.
Retry Allowed?	Yes
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Halt Bleeding

You can attempt to remove the Bruised or Bleed conditions from a target.
Action Required:	Standard action
DC of Check:	Average DC versus the CR of the creature or effect which inflicted the condition
Modifiers to Check	Cautious Bandaging: You may attempt to stop an ally's Bruised or Bleed condition without provoking an attack of opportunity, by adding +5 to the DC of the check. Hasty Bandaging: You can attempt to clear a target's Bruised or Bleed condition as a move action, instead of a standard action, but the DC increases to Challenging. You can attempt to remove the condition as a swift action, but the DC increases to Hard.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Assisting allies must be adjacent to both you and your target. If there is no room, the ally cannot assist.
Results of Success	You clear the Bruised or Bleed status condition from your target.
Consequences of Failure	The Bruised or Bleed conditions are not removed, and continue to affect your target.
Retry Allowed?	Yes, assuming your target is still alive. You may not attempt to halt bleeding on the same subject more than once per round.
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Remove Caltrops / Spike Growth / Spike Stones

A creature wounded by stepping on a caltrop moves at one-half normal speed. A successful Heal check removes this movement penalty. A creature wounded by a spike growth or spike stones spell must succeed on a Reflex save or take injuries that reduce his speed by one-third. Another character can remove this penalty by taking 10 minutes to dress the victim's injuries and succeeding on a Heal check against the spell's save DC.
Action Required:	Caltrops: standard action Spike Growth / Spike Stones: 10 minutes
DC of Check:	The save DC listed in the monster ability or effect which caused the caltrops, spike growth or spike stones. If no such save DC is listed, the default DC is 15.
Modifiers to Check	-
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Allies must be adjacent to both you and the patient. If there is not enough room, the allies may not assist.
Results of Success	The character's speed is restored to normal.
Consequences of Failure	The character's speed remains reduced.
Retry Allowed?	Yes
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Identify Drug or Poison

The Heal skill can be used to identify and understand drugs, poisons and other pharmaceuticals. The GM should generally make this check in secret, due to the fact that failure may result in misinformation.
Action Required:	Standard Action
DC of Check:	Save DC of the drug or poison
Modifiers to Check	-
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies)
Results of Success	A successful result reveals the drug's qualities, effects, dosage information, risk of addiction and side-effects of use or withdrawal. If the check succeeds by 5 or more, the character also intuits an effective means of treating addiction (if applicable), though such treatment often takes a week or longer to perform.
Consequences of Failure	Failing the check by less than 5 will generally provide a rough idea of the type of drug (stimulant, depressant, placebo, poison, palliative). Failing by more than 5 gives a false result.
Retry Allowed?	Only if you are aware your original check failed.
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Prevent Recovery

A victim in the care of a torturer can be prevented from naturally healing from wounds or ability damage by worrying the victim's wounds, keeping him malnourished, and using various substances to promote prolonged sickness. Preventing recovery counts as light activity for the torturer, and requires an hour's work per day per victim. A victim successfully treated with this form of torture does not heal hit point or ability damage naturally from rest for that day.

• Action/Time: 1 hour.

• Retry? Varies. Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without witnessing proof of the original check's failure.

Torture

Over the course of an hour, you can torture a victim with intent to subdue or kill. If the Heal check is successful, you cause nonlethal damage or lethal damage (your choice) equal to the victim's experience level (or number of hit dice for targets without class levels). Note that the results of this skill do not guarantee answers if you are torturing a subject in order to gain knowledge he might have; the subject of torture can always decide to divulge such knowledge if he wishes to avoid more pain and suffering. Against NPCs, assume that with each hour of torture, they must make a Will saving throw against the result of that hour's Heal check (modified by a cumulative -1 morale penalty to the check for each hour the torture has continued) to avoid breaking under the pressure and answering your questions. Even then, results are not guaranteed. A particularly crafty or brave victim might try to Bluff an answer and give false information; use this method if the torture victim actually does not know the information you are seeking and is trying to just make something up to stop the pain. Do not use this method when a player character is being tortured; the player should decide when and if he wishes to give out information to his torturer.

• Action/Time: 1 hour.

• Retry? Varies. Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without witnessing proof of the original check's failure.

Deep Hurting

This method of torture is similar to standard torture, except that it targets a victim's ability score rather than his hit points. Inflicting deep hurting is more time consuming than standard torture; a single session of deep hurting takes 2 hours to finish. With a successful Heal check, you deal 1 point of ability damage or ability drain to one of the victim's ability scores chosen by you. To inflict ability damage the DC is 20, but if you make a DC of 30 with the roll you can opt to inflict ability drain instead. All other rules governing deep hurting function identically to the rules for standard torture.

• Action/Time: 2 hours.

• Retry? Varies. Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without witnessing proof of the original check's failure.

Prevent Fast Healing

By using potent acids, applications of fire, and mechanical devices designed to prevent wounds from properly healing, you can prevent a creature's fast healing ability from healing damage inflicted upon it. One check must be made each day to keep the creature from healing. In all other ways, this form of torture is treated as if the torturer were preventing recovery. Preventing actual regeneration is beyond the scope of the Heal skill; a torturer is better off simply using things that cause lethal damage to the target.

• Action/Time: 1 hour.

• Retry? Varies. Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without witnessing proof of the original check's failure.

Erode Willpower

The erosion of a target's power to resist with his mind is a different form of torture, and one that usually does not require direct physical harm. Rather, this form of torture relies upon subjecting the victim to horribly uncomfortable living conditions for an extended period of time. This may consist of imprisoning the victim in a cage sized to prevent him from doing anything but crouching, or it may consist of keeping the victim in a room filled to the neck with rancid water, or it may involve exposing the victim to repetitive loud and jarring noises (such as the constant sound of nails scraping on slate). Each day that you make the DC to erode a target's willpower, the victim's Will saving throw suffers a cumulative -1 morale penalty for the length of the next day. As soon as one day passes without having his willpower eroded, all accumulated morale penalties vanish.

• Action/Time: 24 hours.

• Retry? Varies. Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without witnessing proof of the original check's failure.

Modifiers

• Feats If you have the Self-Sufficient feat, you get a +2 bonus on all Heal checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in Heal, the bonus increases. See the feat for details.
• Equipment A healer's kit gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.
• Good Conditions If you have good conditions for healing (a tent, cave and bedroll, generally out of the weather and dry) you gain a +5 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.
• Cozy If you have a source of warmth or soothing airs, clean water, etc, you gain a +10 circumstance bonus on Heal Checks.
• Bedrest If you have a genuine comfortable bed with proper coverings, you gain a +5 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.
• Shelter If you have good shelter (a room in an inn, an extra-dimensional resting space, a sturdy cabin) you gain a +10 bonus on Heal checks.

Epic Skill Uses

Note: All uses below require a minimum of 21 Ranks in the skill to use.

All Epic uses below stack: Namely, you could perform a Swift Triage on three people for a total of +60, or Quicken Recovery to once per minute for three people for a total of +80.

Swift Triage

(DC +20) Perform a Provide First Aid check as a swift action.

Graceful Healer

(DC+CR of threatening monster) Perform a heal check without provoking an attack of opportunity. The difficulty increases by the Challenge Rating of the highest CR threatening creature. This may be used with Swift Triage, above, and the DC stacks.

Multi-tasking Triage

(DC +20 per target) Include an additional willing target in your Provide First Aid or Treat Injuries check. Targets must be adjacent to you when the check is performed. This stacks with all other penalties.

Quicken Recovery

(DC +20) When you treat injuries, the target recovers hit points every thirty minutes, instead of every hour. For a +30 modifier this lowers the time to 10 minutes. For +40 it becomes 1 minute.

Perfect Recovery

(DC +30) When you treat injuries, the target recovers ability damage as if it had rested for 3 days with long-term care. As all Epic Heal uses, this stacks with other modifiers.

Not Quite Dead

(DC +90) - You may remove the dead condition, as long as you make the check within 10 rounds of the character being slain. This check requires a full-round action, and if successful, removes the dead condition and stabilizes the victim at 0 hit points. You may attempt to stack this with other skill uses, if you can make that roll.