>>/5489/
I am revising a couple things.
"To avoid scars, you need a healer’s kit, but only for deep wounds caused by a critical hit, being downed, or by missing a death saving throw by more than 5. A healer’s kit does not run out or get used up."
Originally I had a scar forming only from a critical hit with slashing or piercing. DMG actually expanded their suggestions to be as I stated above.
> Negative HP restore at the hit die rate.
> Lower half of HP (rounded down) are stable and only heal after treatment + eating a ration at 1/4 hit die rate/h.
> Upper half of HP (rounded up) restore at 1/4 hit die rate/h untreated or full hit die rate if treated + eating a ration.
> All treated injuries heal at full hit die rate while resting.
DMG allows 1 full hit die plus CON modifier for every hour of rest. There was another system mentioned that you gain hit die only up to your level and they are restored after a long rest. This makes healing harder and therefore more reliant on spells. I didn't like the mechanic, at level 1 you effectively can't heal past the first hour of rest until you long rested. Having to travel in and out of dungeons over and over is not fun. You can't typically long rest in dungeons. Additionally you couldn't restore memorized spells until a long rest. Again, you're quickly stuck either trying to barricade yourself in a room for 8 hours or leave. So I did away with "long rest" by saying 8 non-consecutive hours of rest count as long rest. And I made hit-die unlimited. Now you don't need to waste spells to heal and it has worked out fine. In a pinch you cast a healing spell and regain that spell after a short rest usually. It's a wash. That has worked out well after several dungeon crawls with SheShe's group, it feels satisfying without being gimmicky.
So now it does feel a bit like adventurers are immortal and just heal up without a care after a few hours rest and I'm thinking about that.
Also The scar system repercussions are a little iffy too. I said, -1 charisma or persistent pain permanently. That's too harsh. Having a healing kit also negates all this and it's very situational that you fully heal while unconscious and can't use the kit.
So, yes a scar can be permanent, but -1 charisma is too harsh, 1 point of discomfort toward apathy per day forever was also too much, so SheShe made it so you only have discomfort for 1d4 days depending on the severity of the scar, no loss of charisma, and otherwise they're cosmetic. You counter discomfort with treats and comfort. I am avoiding dismemberment for now, it sounds like more of a pain than anything fun. It should exist, but I'm not sure how. In Rimworld, there was a whole prosthetic system from eyes to fingers and even toes, bones, organs, all that. It would be very intensive to add that here. Dismemberment was a very big and very fun part of Rimworld. Harvesting organs for profit and all that. But they had high technology.
We're going with this for now, scars have more opportunity to form and less consequences.
The rest of this healing mechanic I will think on more. The healing kit is beginning to sound gimmicky. Healing could be nerfed a little. I'll think about it.