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| - The abstract hit point system of D&D is not easily understood since its lack of detail makes the realism within it hard to see. But I have already written at length about such matters so I shall not reproduce that work here. If you wish to delve into the realism of the hit point system, you can start by following this link: The Justification Of The Hit Point System(Are Hit Points Realistic Or What?) I will, however, address another aspect of this system more closely, since that is where many of the problems arise. What problem? Healing. Natural Healing and Magical Healing are the mainstays of this system, but there are other kinds of Healing that can be somewhat problematic. The Healing might be brought about by the Skillful application of medicines - from Herbalism (plant sources) or Apothecaries (mineral and animal sources). There are also purely physical treatments - such as bandages and stitches and the like. There are the more mysterious treatments - such as acupressure or acupuncture and hypnosis. And finally there are the mystical treatments - such as those of a more spiritual nature that may Heal not the body but the soul or spirit. All of this must be taken into account and considered as part of what is going on behind the scenes. The primary problem is to explain any non-magical Healing in a way that isn't at incredible odds with the everyday experiences of first level Commoners - a.k.a. normal people. That is, whatever we do should reduce to something that makes sense if and when it is applied to these people, as well as when it is applied to adventurers. In the case of more mundane applications, it should seem intuitively real. For example, if some mundane Healing practice restored many HPs beyond a mere handful, then the mangled victim of a car crash - a commoner with 4 HPs - could be restored to full health and walk away unscathed. Does this seem realistic? No. It's down right Miraculous. If Magic is employed there is little reason to complain about its 'Miraculous' nature, or to roll one's eyes at the fact no one has ever seen anything like that in real life. But when Magic is not employed, there is ample ground to complain if the system produces results that are not easily explained with a decent degree of realism. One attempt at realism for the Healing skill simply limited it to 1 or 2 HPs, the thinking being tiny amounts would be realistic compared to the larger amounts commanded by magical healing. However, the problem of recurrence arose. For example, "OUCH! I was hit for 2 HPs. I use my healing skill to get 2 HPs back. I'm hit again for 2 HPs. I use the skill to get them back." This could go on forever and it's a bit miraculous, and thus, to avoid this, the solid rule that at least 1 HP of damage must remain for each wound was crafted. More on this later. The remainder of this article will be devoted to explaining the details of an alternate system of use for the Healing Skill, how it relates to the Herbalist, Apothecary, and Alchemy Professions or Crafts, how one may brew potions of a Non-Magical nature, and the ins and outs of the game mechanics surrounding these issues, all toward the end of allowing effective mundane Healing without over-stepping the bounds of realism.
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