Healing

The longer characters stay alive in the game, the greater the chance they will become injured and require healing. In Wyld West, healing Hit Points (HP) can be done in one of two ways:

1. Tinctures & Elixirs (Fast Healing) Tinctures and Elixirs provide a quick method of healing, taking only a few seconds to restore HP.

• The exact effects and amount of HP restored depend on the specific Tincture or Elixir used.
• These consume resources to create, meaning they come at a cost.
• They are an excellent option for immediate recovery, especially in dangerous situations.

2. Surgery (Slow but Effective Healing) Surgery is a longer, more involved method of healing but comes with additional benefits and follows the following rules:

• Only a Medical Practitioner may perform Surgery on a character, aka a 'patient'.
• Surgery requires the Medical Practitioner to have a Medical Bag, which must be used for roleplay purposes (e.g., pulling out tools, checking notes, etc.).
• Surgery takes 10 minutes to complete and will grant the following:
  • Restores the patient to full HP.
  • Removes any Rend or Mangle effects the Patient has sustained.

Speeding Up Surgery

• The time required to perform Surgery can be reduced to a minimum of 1 minute through several means:
  • In game items (e.g. Quality surgical tools).
  • Medical Practitioner’s subskill - Medicine.
  • Being assisted by other Medical Practitioners (5 minutes for a Professional, 2 minutes for a Hobbyist).

Multiple Patients

• A single Medical Practitioner may perform Surgery or assist another Medical Practitioner in perform Surgery on two different patients simultaneously if they have the Multitask subskill.

Choosing the Right Method

The key difference between the two healing methods is:

• Tinctures & Elixirs = Fast but costly (consumes resources).
• Surgery = Free but time-consuming.
  

Choosing the right method at the right moment could be vital to survival.

Physical Traumatic Wounds

Physical Traumatic Wounds are grievous injuries that threaten the body itself. Shattered bones, torn muscle, ruptured organs and hidden internal bleeding all fall into this category. Left untreated, such wounds steadily weaken the victim and may bring about death, no matter how well they seem to cope outwardly. They are rarely obvious at first glance, and only a careful inspection can reveal the true damage. Healing them calls for more than a bandage or stitch, requiring skilled hands, the right tools, and the patient’s endurance.

A character who has been injured might be given a Physical Traumatic Wound card by a referee. The outside of the card will detail the immediate known and unknown effects the character experiences, whilst the inside of the card will describe what has actually happened and how it can be treated. The inside is only revealed once a Professional Medical Practitioner has Inspected the patient.

Only a Professional Medical Practitioner who has Inspected a patient may begin Treatment of a Physical Traumatic Wound, although any Medical Practitioner (Professional or Hobbyist) may assist if needed.

Note: The time required for ‘Treating Physical Traumatic Wounds’ can not be reduced and is fixed to what is stated on the card. Also, Medical Practitioners can not attempt to treat more than one Physical Traumatic Wound at a time, i.e. they can not use the Multitask subskill.

Example Physical Traumatic Wound

Jimmy the gunslinger is shot during a firefight. It is only a single bullet, so he thinks no more of it. A referee hands Jimmy a Physical Traumatic Wound card. The outside of the card says:

• Known: Short of breath.

• Unknown: Start death count in 60 minutes if left untreated.

Realising something may be wrong, Jimmy goes to his good friend Jane, a Professional Medical Practitioner. Jane spends one minute of roleplay Inspecting Jimmy, which allows her to open the card. Inside she finds the following:

• Punctured lung.

• Treatment: 4 Medical Practitioners each with a medical bag, 2 sets of ‘Quality surgical tools’,1 ‘Critical Care Bed’, the patient unconscious or restrained, 20 minutes of roleplay.

• Treatment will be extremely painful for the patient if they are conscious during it.

Jane realises this is a very serious wound and quickly gathers three more Medical Practitioners, who already have their medical bags, the ‘Quality surgical tools’, a ‘Critical Care Bed’ and sufficient ‘Knock out Drops’ to hand to complete the procedure, and begins treatment immediately. Jimmy, therefore, avoids starting his death count.

A Temporary relief from a Physical Traumatic Wound can be found in some Tinctures & Elixirs. This will not treat or cure the Physical Traumatic Wound; however, it will pause both the Known and Unknown Effects of the Physical Traumatic Wound for the amount of time specified on the specific Tincture or Elixir.

Spiritual Traumatic Wounds

Spiritual Traumatic Wounds are afflictions of the spirit that unbalance the mind and soul. They may take the form of binding curses, haunting visions, corrosive doubts, or the touch of corruption. If left unresolved, they spread like a poison, hollowing the victim from within until despair or death takes hold. These wounds are subtle, often masked by outward calm, and their depth can only be uncovered through the guidance of a trained practitioner of faith. Restoring a wounded spirit demands more than words of comfort, requiring time, ritual, and steadfast devotion.

A character who has been afflicted might be given a Spiritual Traumatic Wound card by a referee. The outside of the card will detail the immediate known and unknown effects the character experiences, whilst the inside of the card will describe what has actually happened and how it can be treated. The inside is only revealed once a Professional Religious Practitioner has Inspected the afflicted character.

Only a Professional Religious Practitioner who has Inspected a patient may begin treatment of a Spiritual Traumatic Wound, although any Religious Practitioner (Professional or Hobbyist) may assist if needed.

Note: The time required for ‘Treating Spiritual Traumatic Wounds’ cannot be reduced and is fixed to what is stated on the card, i.e. they cannot use the Well Versed or In our darkest hour… subskills.

Example Spiritual Traumatic Wound

Martha the Academic gets attacked by a ghost in the wilderness. Afterwards a referee hands Martha a Spiritual Traumatic Wound card. The outside of the card says:

• Known: Feels like something is watching you, gets cold chill every 20 minutes

• Unknown: Gains the ‘Hen Hearted’ flaw until treated.

Realising something may be wrong, Martha seeks out Sister Abigail, a Professional Religious Practitioner. Sister Abigail spends one minute of roleplay Inspecting Martha, which allows her to open the card. Inside she finds the following:

• A ghost has touched the character's spirit, causing it to be frightful.

• Treatment: 2 Religious Practitioners each with a Holy Symbol, 1 Alter, 1 Sacred Incense, 1 Blessed Food, 1 Holy Water, 1 Anointed Candle, the afflicted present, 5 minutes of roleplay

• Treatment will be emotionally harrowing for the patient, who must engage in the roleplay throughout

Sister Abigail gathers one more Religious Practitioner, who already has their Holy Symbol, their Altar, the required religious consumables, and begins treatment immediately. Once completed, Martha will have the temporary Hen Hearted Flaw and all other effects of the Spiritual Traumatic Wound removed.