Natural Healing in DCC
The DCC natural healing rule is unglamorous by design. A character recovers 1 HP per night while adventuring, 2 HP per night with complete bed rest, and never rises above the natural maximum. No dice, no acceleration, no spending days to reach the cap in an afternoon.
The part that gets misplayed is critical-hit consequences. When a crit inflicts a lasting effect, say a speed penalty from a shattered kneecap, that effect is tied to the damage that produced it. The penalty does not tick away on its own schedule. It lifts only when the associated hit points are fully restored. Treat the effect as an independent countdown and you will hand out a permanent limp by accident, or erase one too soon.
So the wounded knee follows the character until the underlying damage is gone. Skip the rest, keep marching, and the penalty rides every encounter in between. Slow healing plus tied effects means downtime is a mechanical decision, not a courtesy.
At the table: When a crit leaves a lingering penalty, write it next to the specific HP total that must be recovered, and clear it the night that total is finally met.
Related
Daily field notes, weekly Issues. Follow @ItsAlrdyWritten or subscribe via RSS.