Healing as a super power

[Echo3Niner]

I go back to my Storm example, because it's easy.

 

Why doesn't Storm go around using her powers to stop dangerous weather events to save people and lower damage?

 

It also goes back to my point about not making an interesting comic or game.

 

So, I understand what you're saying; if the character was really committed to their power, and wanted to use it for good, wouldn't they use it in another way vs. being super heroes?

 

I would argue Storm would likely have a larger impact as far as lives saved and damage reduced by going around and "combating" dangerous weather.  So, shouldn't she?

 

And to me, the bottom line is this; yes, if Storm truly cared about saving lives and lowering damage, she would go around "fighting" dangerous weather, and given the frequency of dangerous weather, in America alone, it would likely be a full time job.

 

But, we're talking comic books or games - I don't think "Storm the Weather Whisperer" would make it as a title.  You may be able to make a decent drama out of it, with a bunch of heartwarming stories, maybe on Lifetime or Hallmark channel (my wife would love a "super hero" show like this) - but, I don't think it works as a comic book or game.

 

Would a hero who could heal, whether or not they were allowed at a hospital or clinic, not do more good with their power by going around and healing people vs. being a super hero?  Yes.  Would it be interesting or fun to play in an RPG?  No.

 

Doesn't mean you couldn't say "Hey, whenever there is downtime in the game, my character is going around using their powers to help in different ways."  Could even provide some good hooks for games to spin out of it.  This wouldn't be limited to healers; "During this last break, my brick stormed into a refinery explosion/fire and pulled victims out to save them."  All heroes could spend their "off time" doing these heroic acts; and it would go a long way to making them far more heroic in the people's eyes...

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Echo3Niner
Adding additional thoughts

[Echo3Niner]

7 hours ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

Well there is an ethical difference between "I have a skill" and "I can save lives"

 

I'm sorry, was that a shot at me (double entendre, extra points)?  Are you saying snipers can't save lives?  I would beg to differ!  So, am I a "bad guy" for not using my skills to save people?

 

(I'm not really upset, just thought it was funny...)

[Christopher R Taylor]

I agree that it makes a more dismal and less interesting game to guilt players into going around and using their powers to constantly better the world build a better future, as I said above a couple times.  In play and in the comics, you want to run a game that's fun and entertaining, not grim and duty-bound wracking the players with guilt and constant moral quandaries.  We play these games to get away from that in life.

 

But philosophically its clear that some abilities carry a greater ethical burden of aid and duty than others.  Being a really great shot is clearly not in the same category as curing cancer.  

[LoneWolf]

What about the people who are injured in a super hero battle?  Do those people not deserve to be healed?   With the amount of damage a super villain can inflict on their victims and the amount of collateral damage that can occur is these types of battles a super hero can save just as many lives if not more in the field as in the hospital.    

 

A person with combat capability with healing ability would be of more help to people by being on the front lines.  By doing so they would often be able to save people that would otherwise die.
 

[Echo3Niner]

3 hours ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

But philosophically its clear that some abilities carry a greater ethical burden of aid and duty than others.  Being a really great shot is clearly not in the same category as curing cancer.  

 

Wow!  Another back-handed insult!  Fine job; keep 'em coming...  🥰

[steriaca]

Imagine a supervillain with healing powers. Now imagine that the healing power is addictive to those who are healed by the villain.

 

Now imagine that same power in the hands of a superhero.  Would it be right to heal everyone he comes across if it leaves wave after waves of addicts? What if the withdrawal pains are worse than the original injury. 

 

Just a thought...

[DShomshak]

I am bemused by the apparent assumption some people make that altruism is not praiseworthy unless it is maximal.

 

If someone had a super-power to heal people, using it to help people is a good thing. If they want to do that 16 hours a day, tht is a very good thing. But no one has the right to complain if they don't do it 16 hours a day. While I'm not ready to go full-on Ayn Rand, I am not ready to endorse compulsory altruism.

 

Autonomy matters, too. And moral absolutes are s;lippery slopes to very bad places.

 

Indeed, I think you could design some interesting supervillains around maximal and/or compulsory altruism. Like, somebody who tries enslaving supers to use their powers to help othersw... as he sees fit. Or someone who is willing to go to criminal extremes to magnify their powers, in order to help still more people. "What does [fill in the cost] matter, compared to the thousands more I can save?"

 

Dean Shomshak

[Christopher R Taylor]

Quote

Another back-handed insult!  Fine job; keep 'em coming...

 

...insult??  I apologize if anything I wrote was offensive or hurtful to you but um... where?  And how?

[dsatow]

On 1/8/2022 at 9:53 PM, Echo3Niner said:

I go back to my Storm example, because it's easy.

 

Why doesn't Storm go around using her powers to stop dangerous weather events to save people and lower damage?

Actually, in the comics she does and she only moderates it to a certain extent.  In her background, she used to make it rain more in the Serengeti but decided to travel with the X-Men to understand her powers and self more.  In a side story while the X-Men were in London, someone asks her if she loses her power would she stop being a hero(late 80s early 90s).  She said no but she says in her explanation, she tempers the weather where she's at.  In this story, she makes sure that London doesn't get hit with a massive storm and instead just has heavy rain.  

[Echo3Niner]

1 hour ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

 

...insult??  I apologize if anything I wrote was offensive or hurtful to you but um... where?  And how?

 

No problem CRT - as I said earlier; just making fun...  None of it was offensive or hurtful dude.

 

55 minutes ago, dsatow said:

Actually, in the comics she does and she only moderates it to a certain extent.  In her background, she used to make it rain more in the Serengeti but decided to travel with the X-Men to understand her powers and self more.  In a side story while the X-Men were in London, someone asks her if she loses her power would she stop being a hero(late 80s early 90s).  She said no but she says in her explanation, she tempers the weather where she's at.  In this story, she makes sure that London doesn't get hit with a massive storm and instead just has heavy rain.  

 

Seriously Chief, you're making my point.  The whole last paragraph.

 

I wasn't saying she doesn't - my point was she doesn't forego being a hero to just be a "Weather Whisperer", cause it wouldn't be a very long-lived title.

[dsatow]

12 minutes ago, Echo3Niner said:

 

No problem CRT - as I said earlier; just making fun...  None of it was offensive or hurtful dude.

 

 

Seriously Chief, you're making my point.  The whole last paragraph.

 

I wasn't saying she doesn't - my point was she doesn't forego being a hero to just be a "Weather Whisperer", cause it wouldn't be a very long-lived title.

 

OK, I might be missing the point. 

 

Are you saying Storm is a good example because like the weather, wherever a healer goes, there are people who need immediate medical attention or they will die?  A healer stereotypically needs to be near a person to heal them and not like a 50 miles away.

 

Or are you saying Storm is a good example, because she wants to be a hero and save everyone because she is clearly defined by that motivation (like a Silver Age Superman)?  I've always seen the X-Men as morally gray. 

 

Or are you saying even though she has these weather abilities, she doesn't go to the deep freezes or hailstorms or tornado alley to stop these effects but she is still a hero?  If its this reason, it could be because she can't predict the weather only sense its current state and motion.  And she also has the ability to sense the "life force" of things including the planet and she might know that certain weather events are best allowed to play out for the health of the planet and possibly the people who live there.  For example, say in an area there are heavy snows but because she is there, it only lightly and slowly snows.  People get accustomed to that weather and then she leaves the area or dies.  All of a sudden people are freezing to death in their homes because the houses aren't insulated as well, the power grid can't handle the sub zero temperatures for that long, etc.

 

If you're saying that it doesn't make a good story in a comic or a game to have a player be Joe the Healer at County Medical, I agree with you.  My friends would agree with you too, which is why they would mostly say no to healing characters in their campaigns.

 

 

[Echo3Niner]

On 1/11/2022 at 12:51 AM, dsatow said:

 

OK, I might be missing the point. 

 

Yup, I think you're missing much of what I was trying to say...

 

Q. Are you saying Storm is a good example because like the weather, wherever a healer goes, there are people who need immediate medical attention or they will die?  A healer stereotypically needs to be near a person to heal them and not like a 50 miles away.

 

A. I wasn't really making the point about frequency of the events or needs.  I was making the point that if Storm wanted to, she could spend a majority of her time "fighting weather", and wouldn't have much time for being a "super-hero" (meaning adventuring and fighting super-villains, etc.).

 

Q. Or are you saying Storm is a good example, because she wants to be a hero and save everyone because she is clearly defined by that motivation (like a Silver Age Superman)?  I've always seen the X-Men as morally gray. 

 

A. I wasn't speaking to Storm's motivations at all.

 

Q. Or are you saying even though she has these weather abilities, she doesn't go to the deep freezes or hailstorms or tornado alley to stop these effects but she is still a hero?

 

A. I also wasn't speaking to whether Storm is a "hero" by any specific definition, one way or the other.

 

Q. If you're saying that it doesn't make a good story in a comic or a game to have a player be Joe the Healer at County Medical, I agree with you.

 

A. Yes, I am saying this.

 

I'll try again; I'm using Storm as an analogy, to try to explain the answer to your original question, because I can't think of a good example of a healer super-hero in comics, animation, movies, novels, etc.

  

On 1/2/2022 at 11:47 PM, dsatow said:

Does it make sense for superheroes to be out about fighting as superheroes if they have healing?  A long time ago, friends I gamed with in a modern superhero game basically said, if you think about it, if you can heal and wanted to be a superhero, you'd do work in a hospital emergency center or a clinic.  What do you think about this comment?

 

So, I'm agreeing with your friend's statement from a long time ago; I think Storm could have a larger impact saving lives and reducing damage if she went around and tempered the weather vs. going around fighting super-villains.  Just like a healer character would likely have a better impact on the "greater good" by going around and using their healing powers on those in need vs. going around fighting super-villains.  (Though I don't think they could do it in a hospital for a myriad of reasons; they could do it in any number of other ways.)

 

Like your last question however; the point I was making as to why they don't, is because it would be a boring comic, movie, series, or RPG for that matter.

 

Finally, what I was trying to say; is that a player could compromise and say, "whenever there is downtime in the game, my character is going around using their powers to help in different ways" and that this wouldn't be limited to healers or weather controllers, but almost all supers could do this in one way or another.  Thus addressing the altruistic use of their powers when in downtime, but still having fun fighting super-villains in the game (or in the comic, movie, series, etc.)

 

And, that if they did that, they would be more heroic, and it would provide better PR for the heroes.  Frankly I'm surprised this hasn't been done more in comics, movies, series, etc.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[dsatow]

OK, I can understand that.  

 

Most other powers, could be done by technology or effort.  Maybe not as fast or as agile, but it can be done by other means just as successfully.  As for weather control, assuming there is not just one person who controls the weather (Marvel also has Thor(s), Weather Witch, Brother Voodoo (probably most spell casters), Nathaniel Grey (X-Man), etc.), you only need one or two people controlling the weather for the world to be safe.  Most weather events could be controlled enough to prevent category 5 events by one or maybe two people, because in general category 5 weather events are rare.  And even if these heroes could quell such events frequently, there is bound to be some repercussion environmentally, which is why the existing characters don't do it that often or do so with a light touch.  This is why I got confused by Storm as an example.  The reason wasn't the power, its that the she isn't alone in the world in her ability to control the weather and there aren't that many category 5 level events for her to have to handle.  With a healer, there are people dying every day (about 1 every 3 minutes due to just accidents in the US).

 

The initial viewpoint of my friends is that healers in specific do not make sense.  They aren't advocating playing a character stuck in the hospital, ambulance, etc.  Just that certain types of characters wouldn't be playable in a game setting because of the definition of the superhero's motivations.  In other words, they are saying their view on the gaming world is that unless there is some type restriction, there should be no altruistic healer going out adventuring.  If the healer has some reason why they wouldn't be going the traditional routes of medicine, that would be fine.  Its like being a telepath where your mental attack is to bring up people's darkest fears/secrets while also espousing everyone's right to privacy.  It doesn't make sense.  So THEY AGREE WITH YOU.  Playing a character who goes in for a 9-5 day is not a character any one wants to play in an adventure game.  But they want to make sure, a character has a reasonable motive to be a healer in an adventuring party.  

 

The original question is about how do you feel about that view point.  Can you see a hero with no limitations on their healing and with an altruistic motivation to save people have a logical reason to go out adventuring over staying within the medical system?

[Echo3Niner]

Ahhh, I read the original question differently; appreciate the clarification:

 

16 hours ago, dsatow said:

The original question is about how do you feel about that view point.  Can you see a hero with no limitations on their healing and with an altruistic motivation to save people have a logical reason to go out adventuring over staying within the medical system?

  

So I would expound on something you actually said earlier:

 

On 1/7/2022 at 4:47 AM, dsatow said:

To be honest, my answer to this after some thought was that many physical traumas can be serviced by normal medical professionals.  But its hard to help people whose skin can bounce bullets.  The superhero with healing is there for those heroes and may help the normals in hospitals when not doing superhero duty.

 

In comics, movies, series, etc., the heroes fight a tough fight and some, many or even all of them get injured; but, then the fight is over, you may have a scene in recovery for dramatic purpose; but, by the time the story continues, and they have their next mission, everyone is miraculously healed.

 

In a RPG, just like we take Navy Corpsmen into battle, and the Army Field Medics; having healers on the team can make the team FAR more effective, and make the game more fun.

 

That is why in old school D&D you always had a Cleric on the team.  That is why almost every party or squad based MMO has a healer archetype.

 

In the superhero genre, it is a little less needed, because many characters heal faster than normal - but not all of them, and this just isn't addressed in the comic, movie, series, etc.  Spiderman doesn't have regen, and his skin isn't tough - he survives by using his Spider-sense and super-reflexes to never get hit.  But, in a comic, movie, series, etc., even after a brutal fight, with his costume thrashed, bleeding everywhere, they skip ahead, and by the time he goes out again, he's all good (and his costume is all repaired too)...

 

So in a game, you either gloss over healing-based downtime and skip ahead a bunch, or every character is a mini-Wolverine and all have some level of regen, or, you have a healer on the team...

 

So, combining all these thoughts;

• A character in a super group who can heal, is there because many supers can't be treated by "normal" medicine, and the healer can help them.
• Unlike a comic, movie, series, etc.; the group doesn't want to have to heal-skip time constantly, nor do they all want to have to have regen.
• Having a healer on the team, makes the entire team more effective.
• The characters can still spend their downtime doing all manner of altruistic activities; but, will play the "fun stuff" in the characters life in the game.

How's that?

 

[Christopher R Taylor]

Again there are two strains of thought here:

 

1) In the real world people would feel real, ethical pressure (from within and without) to go do stuff with their powers other than beat bad guys up, particularly those who can do extraordinary good with it like save lives and end famines, etc.

 

2) In comic books or games, that kind of thing is a big bummer and depresses people, bringing a level of real world into the game that does not contribute to enjoyment or entertainment, and should be left aside.

 

Someone can hold both of these positions without contradiction.

[DoctorImpossible]

Simply having the super-power of "I can heal people" doesn't make someone able or inclined to heal people in a medical sense to the exclusion of superheroics. Healing the ill or injured in a hospital is not going to stop me from putting on a costume, using a codename, and being the Superhero healer as well. Just like being Batman and Green Arrow doesn't stop Bruce Wayne funding Gotham's charities and scholarships, or in Oliver Queen's case, being Mayor. Lots of heroes have good works that they manage to balance with superheroics.

 

And, in some cases, they *wouldn't* be so suited to healing in a hospital. They maybe haven't got the patience or inclination to be a hospital healer, but they do have the psychology needed for being an active superhero. There's no reason to turn down superhero healing, just because, if this person was less suited to superhero work and more suited to hospital volunteer work, they'd save a lot of lives. They already are saving lives. Frankly, they shouldn't feel pressure to be any kind of healer. A person can be altruistic and have healing powers, but still never use their healing powers. Maybe they are very active at fundraisers for charity. A healer isn't *required* to heal, in order to be a good person.