Usable Bandages

[Jay_H]

I agree in concept with each of these suggestions. I feel as though bandages shouldn't be that overpowered if they're still so cheap, but perhaps their rarity compensates for that.

[l3lessed]

I'm all for a medical/bandage system. I agree it makes the medical skill far more useful also. Maybe bandages, to balance them, will only be truly effective on the first use, then after that you have to wait a set amount of time (time for the wound/bandage to set), before you can reapply them. The higher the skill the shorter the window also. Makes sense, the better you are at dressing and caring for wounds the quicker I imagine you can clean and redress wounds properly.

Vigors combat system has a pretty good bandage system in skyrim overall. Bandages can be made from linen found in dungeons and the world or bloody/used randages found on corpses. And, bloody/used bandages can be cleaned at a cook pot for reuse.

I want to get in injuries and a needs system, so bandages are just a natural fit.

[Hazelnut]

I think that I'm going to go with a simple implementation based on Jay's original suggestion for this modpack. Then if someone does do a full wound/medical mod then that can take precedence and have a more refined bandage usage implementation.

[Sirellyn]

How about having bandages speed up how much you heal while sleeping?
You have to sleep/rest to use them.

[BansheeXYZ]

How about having bandages speed up how much you heal while sleeping?
You have to sleep/rest to use them.

The medical skill itself already does that, as well as rapid healing advantage. And how does the player decide if he wants to use his bandages or not while sleeping, and what tells him an item works while sleeping only? This is too complex/redundant of a mechanic. Just go with the simplest thing to understand and make them a minor heal consumable. The goal of this isn't to make bandages an important gameplay mechanic, only to eliminate the confusion of them existing for no reason. Mods can then take it farther if they want.

[NoobioDF]

Well, then the problem becomes we just increased the power of Medical Skill.

See, there should be some limitation, thus someone suggested during Camping/Rest/Sleep as an augmentation.

Here are my concerns:

1) Should applying bandages take time? I think they should be a heal over time, as they are similar to Rest/Sleep.

2) So is applying a bandage interruptible? I'd say yes, causing another issue, but for the same reasoning as above. Combat starts or you are hit by a spell or a weapon, boom healing via bandage stops in its tracks.

3) So should we not allow bandaging during combat? Either way. But making it a non-combat skill would be more consistent with Medical occurring during Rest/Sleep -- as a skill. Potions are more expensive and for emergency situations or all situations.

4) Should a bandage be able to be used more than once? No or time-based reusability. Again, because Medical Skill is meant to be a Rest/Sleep over time benefit. I agree with the suggestion that higher Medical Skill reduces time between reapplication of the bandages. Time to clean, find needed ingredients and make new ointment, apply to bandage, etc. The Skill reduces the time for such. I'd be careful with making Medical Skill increase healing power too much. Unless that is limited to non-magical classes or some Guild faction. But reducing Time use, well that would help in Wilderness, frequent random encounters, and the like.

Do we need all these features now, no. But it would keep Medical Skill from being too powerful and still make it make sense.

So, I don't mean to be contradictory, but a simple implementation will simply empower the character -- messing a bit with balance. Sure, Mods can eventually handle this, but that's provided all the above is possible for a mod to implement. IMHO and all that.

[BansheeXYZ]

The item panels and status bars aren't built to handle all these new complexities. You're talking about adding timers to bandage application, which means showing new messages and icons to tell the player he is under the affects of bandage use, and to prevent reapplication while one is already in use. How long does the timer last and is it affected by skill too? Daggerfall already has messages and hidden mechanics everywhere, adding more is not going to help matters.

Daggerfall doesn't have the combat balance with spells to make bandages overpowered, so I don't know why are you are so concerned about that. I found 2 bandages in all of a big city, so it takes a lot of legwork and time to accumulate them. Meanwhile, casting heal 15 times takes a 30 seconds and mana regens on sleep, so spellcasting is far more powerful. Even if mana could only be restored by potions and a weak meditation skill, bandages would still be less powerful because of having to travel everywhere to restock them.

[Ommamar]

D

[Sirellyn]

I think bandages could work similar to how the lock picking skill works in that you can only use it once until you had slept again. To me they would be more of an immediate care item that could give role play flavor instead of using potions or magic to heal. They would cause a heal over time affect if the skill check was successful, you could also have different levels of them that could be player made. So what you find/buy would be base materials you used to make the actual bandages. You of course could still find completed bandages just like you can find completed potions. A NPC similar to the potion maker could be added to the fighters guild that would allow you to make the bandages if you had the required items.

I like this.
I'd suggest more junk items can be bandages or you can sacrifice clothing to turn them into bandages.

[Firebrand]

I'd suggest you can sacrifice clothing to turn them into bandages.

Oh! That's an excellent idea!
It's both realistic and a brilliant way to use in a different way clothing!

This should be a perfect match for Roleplay and Realism Mod!