Hi all,

I decided to register to ask if anyone have developed any house rules concerning healing? Basically what me and my group have been discussing is, if the game system is balanced in this aspect?

In our experience there is quite the difference whether you have an apothecary in your team or not - and perhaps to big a difference. Main problem seems to be, that we have to balance the game differently when our apothecary is playing in the game and when he is the gm, and we don't have one in the team. We have to face either fewer or smaller opponents through a scenario without him, and there is no alternative to having one really.

In other systems you have healing potions (not really what I want) as an alternative to a healer and you have to spend money on it. I was thinking if it could be an idea to introduce some stimulant giving hp's that you can req and perhaps replace some of your other stimulants with? Or some other type of system. Basically some way to not make it free, but make it a choice if you want some basic healing option with you.

I'm no expert in the wh universe, and not really sure if compatible - but anyone developed something similar? Or some other way to get around the problem if you want an action packed adventure without an apothecary in the team?

I added a houserule that all Deathwatch marines count Medicae as a basic untrained skill for the purposes of first aid only. And since nartheciums and combat webbing are not restricted to apothecaries, they can acquire a hefty bonus.

For my current campaign, I've also worked out a future joint follower for the killteam, a medicae servo-skull made from a Black Shield apothecary, Plot hooks and healing in one handy package.

That said, no-one has wanted to play an apothecary in either of my campaigns so I felt the need to allow the above options. Otherwise marines have to rely on fate points just to survive, which while it can add a certain element of desperation and "running on fumes" is not how I want to run Deathwatch on a regular basis.

A basic Servo Skull is only 15 req. A minor tweak to it's stats (switching Int and Per or something like that) would make it quite a capable healer. Possibly give it the narthecium as it's one piece of gear or if you have any of the other main books the Medicae Mechadendrite would be fitting. It does become something of a target when facing intelligent enemies if it is keeping the group going in the middle of fights but that's part of the fun!

Thanks for the answers guys.

Perhaps the simple solution would be to allow for all to take it at a cost, say 500xp or something. Then it would be an active choice of the character if he wants it or rely on faith points alone. I like that idea, and making basic first aid an option for all elite soldiers seems 'realistic'.

Could make sense and def. better than creating some strange gadget.

I have an Iron Hands character that has taken so many augmentations (min/maxing son of a…) that I allow the techmarine to make first aid tests on him using the tech-use skill.

We allow our Libraians to purchase a power much like the "Seal Wounds" power from Dark Heresy.

How it works is that once per 24hrs, the Librarian can heal a Battle-Brother at the Fettered, Unfettered and Push power levels (once at each power level).

The character being healed in this way receives the number of hit points equal to the psy rating of the Librarian at the above levels.

This power does not heal any critical damage taken.

If the Battle-Brother feels that an upcoming encounter / combat requires additional healing, the Librarian can manifest the power again - however, unless the Battle-Brother being healed makes a Hard (-20) TOU roll, the psychic healing instead inflicts the number of hit points equal to the psy rating.

This type of healing has the same chance of triggering psychic phenomena as using any other psychic power.

One of our players lives out of town so he doesn't get to play with us but he rolled up the Apothecary when we started our campaign. We just bring him along as an NPC (which it's the Kill-Team leader's job to take care of, along with the GM) when he can't join us to play.

We like to head out with a full kill-team when possible: Apothecary, Tactical, Assault, Devastator, Librarian and Techmarine. Not always possible but the GM enjoys playing some of the NPCs and we like the feel of a six-man team: it makes splitting up the party cooler and it also allows us to 'outsource' boring stuff to the others. .

If you're looking for alternate solutions, here are a few you might consider:

• When spending Fate points to regain wounds, allow the character to roll 2 dice and pick the highest result. (I don't have the book to check right now but can't you get 2d10 wounds back from triggering your demeanour and doing a good job roleplaying it?)
• As someone else suggested, treat Medicae as an Basic skill for Marines. (the few times we've been without Brother Luther we've resorted to this sytem. It's good enough that it can get you out of a bind, but not so good as to step on the Apothecary's roel/toes.
• Your suggestion is also great: anyone can buy Medicae as a 500XP elite advance. (but I probably wouldn't let them advance it). This may, in fact, be the easiest option of all.
• Give them ojne bbonus fate just for wounds.

I like the idea of being able to load other substances into the pain supressant systems of Power Armour.

Each suit has a certain number of doses. Up to half of these doses could be swapped out for a supra-anabolic steroid that accelerates the already pussiant metabolic capabilities of the Astartes physiology. I'd say limit the doses in this way, as Deathwatch Apothecaries realize it's a new field of Chymestry and don't want to risk damaging implant organs or progenoid glands (contaminate the gene-seed). Each dose would have a Requisition value of 5, perhaps? Using a dose allows an Astartes to heal Damage equal to his Toughness Bonus, whether he is Lightly or Heavily wounded (the idea being that the steroid works directly with his particular body chemistry), and using a dose is a conscious choice on the part of the Space Marine, rather than automatic like the pain suppressant systems in Power Armour (anti-Stun), so maybe make it a Free Action. Perhaps a possible negative effect if used too frequently? More than one dose in a 4-hour period and the PC must make a Challenging Toughness Test, with failure resulting in 1 Level of Fatigue? The steroids might highten or even confuse brain activity. So a successful Toughness Test means the steroid heals physical Damage, raises Perception by +5, but as a consequence it inhibits the use of the Sus-an (sp) membrane and/or the Omophagea (sp)?

I refer to it as the "Omnomphagea".

Something like this could easily work alongside the Fate Point healing mechanic. A "healing potion" for Deathwatch, except it's all technical and sci-fi.