Splatbook*

RECOVER

When you take time to catch your breath and tend to what ails you, expend 1 use of supplies and recover HP equal to 4+Prosperity. You can't gain this benefit again until you take more damage.

When you tend to a debility or a problematic wound, say how. The GM will either say that it's taken care of or tell you what's required to do so (Defying Danger, expending supplies or some other resource, finding ___, Making Camp, etc.).

As with any move: ask them what this looks like. Are they tending to wounds? Having a snack? Applying a poultice? Chewing on willow bark? What?

Often, multiple PCs will Recover at once. That's fine. It's a good time to ask provocative questions and encourage them to do a little role playing between themselves.

Each character who regains HP must expend 1 use of supplies, or someone else must expend a use on their behalf. The steading's Prosperity directly affects the quality of those supplies and thus the number of HP recovered. A steading with Prosperity +1 can provide heartier fare and more potent herbs than a steading with Prosperity +0.

Once a given character regains HP via the Recover move, they can't do so again until they take more damage. A PC can't take, say, 12 damage and bounce back to full HP with a short break and some whisky. That kind of HP loss requires actual rest to restore. (And, no, a PC can't just "nick their arm for 1 HP damage" in order to Recover again. It doesn't work like that.)

Remember, regaining HP does not mean healing wounds. Those bruises, scratches, etc. are still there.

For debilities and problematic wounds, prompt them to describe how they tend to the injury. If it sounds reasonable and effective, just say, "Cool, it's taken care of." But you can also tell them what else is required, such as...

  • … Knowing Things to know what to do;
  • … Defying Danger, the danger being...
  • ... the pain.
    • ... them thrashing as you work.
    • ... the wound/condition getting worse.
  • ... that ___ arrives/happens before you finish.
    • ... drawing the attention of ___
    • ... that you need to use up/use more ___;
  • … expending (more) supplies, whisky, etc.;
  • … finding ___ (an herb, the antivenom, fresh water, something to use as a stent, etc.);
  • … Making Camp/letting them rest; or
  • … doing something drastic (cauterizing, amputating, field surgery, etc.).

Combine these requirements with "and" and "or" as you see fit. If they meet the requirements, then the debility is cleared and/or the problematic wound is stabilized (though almost certainly not healed).

They've dispatched the bears in the cave but Caradoc got himself smacked around in the process. He's lost 9 HP and he's dazed*—he got swatted on his shield and slammed against the cave wall. He's out of breath and sore but I never established a specific injury.*

While the others investigate the cave, Caradoc asks "Can I Recover?" Sure, but I ask what that looks like, what sort of supplies he's using. "I think I'll slump up against the cave wall, drop my shield and spear, take a few deep breathes. Maybe take a shot of whisky, and eat some flatbread." Cool! He marks off a use of supplies and regains 4 HP (the steading's Prosperity is currently 0). I also think that's sufficient to clear his dazed debility, too.

before they can staunch the bleeding. Also, they'll need to expend a use of supplies for the tourniquet and stitches. "You do it?" I ask. She does, and reaches for the dice.

She rolls an 8 and I give her a choice between a cost and a lesser success. "You stop the bleeding and save his life, but he's in bad shape. You can spend a second use of supplies to keep him going with some sort of stimulant herb. He'll be awake with 4 HP and able to move about slowly, but he'll be in a lot of pain and likely to hurt himself again. Or you can leave him, stable but flitting in and out of consciousness, unable to walk on his own. What do you do?"

He's still down 5 HP, and asks if he can Recover again. "Nope," I say. "Not until you take more damage."

Garet (one of Rhianna's crew) got his leg slashed open by a feathered drake. He's still conscious, but at 0 HP and bleeding badly. He won't last long.

The fight is over, and Rhianna and Blodwen rush over and see if they can save his life. Blodwen takes charge. "Rhianna, apply pressure above the wound. I'll make a tourniquet. Then, I don't know, stitch him up, I guess?"

She's tending to a problematic wound, which is one of the triggers for Recover. Looking at my list of possible requirements, I think that she's Defying Danger with INT, the danger being that Garet will bleed out and die