Leech Craft & automatic action

[GaladrielsHeels]

How do Lore Masters handle Leech Craft with regard to automatically treating wounds?

From here it seems a little too convenient to allow a player to succeed automatically when treating a wound.

Are there any circumstances that would justify such an allowance?

Having a little trouble figuring out whether Leech Craft is a little too powerful.

Any thoughts / experiences would be gratefully received

G.H's

[zedturtle]

I don't think it's too much of an issue, especially as heroes (if the companion is not dying) will probably want to roll instead, so that they can earn an AP. I wouldn't forbid it, except in very unusual circumstances (Morgul blades, for example).

[Indur Dawndeath]

I would allow it, except in story critical situations, where the party's objective is to cure a sick child or some other situation.
I would also require a skill roll, when there are complications like Poison and a wound.

Cheers

[Hirobumi]

This also is a topic in one of my groups, since one character has Leechcraft and also a high skill in Healing. The point is that special and extraordinary successes have no benefit if it comes to treating a wound. Which makes the Healing skill a little less useful if you also have Leechcraft. I houseruled that a special success at Healing will give you 2 points endurance and an extraordinary successes 4 points.

[Glorelendil]

I would allow any trait to be used to get an auto-success on treating a wound, as long as the player has a good narration for why the trait is applicable.

[aramis]

I generally allow a trait to be used for anything with a TN below 18. At TN18 and up, it's pretty exceptional anyway...

[Falenthal]

The Healing skill is not that powerful, as in other games, as it doesn't allow for the recovery of Endurance. It is a skill that helps the surviving of the characters (treating Wounds, but even not healing them) and to diagnose what malady could be harming someone. Therefore, I don't see the automatic success of Leech-craft as a problem. Specially as it disallows gaining APs, as has been pointed before.

That said, regarding the sometimes troublesome relation between Traits and Skill checks, and the auto-success, I have a guide (not a strict rule) where a Trait cannot be used for autosucceed if:
1) The TN is 16 or higher (something out of the ordinary, which would be TN14)
2) Failing the skill check or some results (like rolling an Eye) would inccur into consequences beyond the simple failure of the check (like triggering a Travel Hazard or falling from a cliff).

As said, this are guides, and sometimes I allow for autosuccess for TNs or 16 (if the action is difficult, but not utterly important) or to avoid unendless rollings (like some Travels).
Also, other times I allow those with applicable Traits to lower the TN of a certain skill checks with high TNs by one grade.

All depending on the circumstances. But I find helpful to have a rough guide of when to allow for autosuccesses and when not.

[Deadmanwalking]

If you can't use Leechcraft to treat a wound, what can you use it for?

As others note, I'd definitely allow it. I'd probably allow Herb-Lore as well, to be honest. I'd allow either of those on the Woodmen Virtue to craft a poison antidote, too. This won't be a huge problem because, as others note, doing that all thetime will cost you a huge number of advancement points over the course of a campaign.

[Cawdorthane]

I agree with the others - you should be very hesitant before you nerf a trait or a distinctive feature. Unless a test is exceptionally difficult (and I would also probably go for a TN 18+) or very special circumstances exist, it is usually better to say yes than no. I once had a companion with Tall using it for every Travel test on journeys. Initially it irritated me a little, but then it occurred to me that I was being silly. The companion had sacrificed one of his 5 traits or distinctive features for something that would rarely apply to most skill tests, and as others have already, noted had given up his chances for AP's or Great or Extraordinary successes. Leech Craft is even more skill specific than Tall. If you house-rule an immediate 2 Endurance regained for a Great Success and a double recovery rate for an Extraordinary Success on a Healing test, then you will give the companion a much tougher choice...

cheers
Mark

[aramis]

I agree with the others - you should be very hesitant before you nerf a trait or a distinctive feature. Unless a test is exceptionally difficult (and I would also probably go for a TN 18+) or very special circumstances exist, it is usually better to say yes than no. I once had a companion with Tall using it for every Travel test on journeys. Initially it irritated me a little, but then it occurred to me that I was being silly. The companion had sacrificed one of his 5 traits or distinctive features for something that would rarely apply to most skill tests, and as others have already, noted had given up his chances for AP's or Great or Extraordinary successes. Leech Craft is even more skill specific than Tall. If you house-rule an immediate 2 Endurance regained for a Great Success and a double recovery rate for an Extraordinary Success on a Healing test, then you will give the companion a much tougher choice...

cheers
Mark

I've let sillier slide...like the player using smoking for an autosuccess on a hunting roll.... he found dens, and then filled them with smoke to flush out the denizens which he chopped with his axe. Once he noticed the difference in his XP versus that of the players who were rolling, he stopped abusing it.

Still, I like the TN18+ as needing a really compelling reason to allow autosuccess from any trait.