This question is the spawn of the "Paladin's Mount" thread, though a different enough subject that I created a new thread.

I guess I always vaguely envisioned the Inflict Wounds series of spells causing a lot of pain. But that isn't in the description. It could be that the target just feels a bit sluggish without any real sharp discomfort.

On the other hand I have no recollection of ever, in all my years of playing the incarnations of D&D, even considering what the sensations felt by the target of a Cure Wounds might be.

So how do you play it? Or are you like me with Cure Wounds, just never really thought about it much before.

Have to be honest i've never really thought about it.

Although if i had to say what i thought a cure spell would feel like i'd imagine the wound areas feeling all warm and glowey with the healing energy and possibly a slight itching of the wound site after it was done.

As for inflict spells i don't really imagine them opening up big gashes on characters. I would be more inclined to shay the same thing happend only it wasn't all warm and glowey: more searing and stabbing with an aftertaste of throb but with no visible signs (possibly a huge welt where the person had actually touched them but thats about it).

The problem with describing spell effects is that you only have to describe them once. As such, I don't spend a lot of time on spell effects that are consistently used excpet for the first time the PCs encounter them.

Here's a few examples from a story hour I write/wrote with a friend of mine.

1) A cure moderate wounds potion quaffed by a 2nd level cleric with about 15 points of damage:

"...Realizing that he only had heartbeats before they were upon him, the cleric swung his backpack around using his good arm, hoping that the padded box that held Father Lion's healing potions was still intact. Flipping the metal latch, Theo yanked open the small box, letting out a small sigh of relief at the sight of the undamaged bottles. He snatched one and ripped the wax seal off with his teeth. Taking a deep breath to prepare for what he knew was to come, the priest drained the contents of the small silver vial.

Theo felt as if a fire had erupted in his mouth and the cleric tensed as he felt the flames spread, igniting every nerve throughout his body. The sensation of the dwarven healing drought wasn't exactly painful, but at the same time it was none too pleasant to the aged priest. He felt the pulling and stretching of bone and muscle as his wounds mended and his blood clotted in an instant...."


2) A Cure Light Wounds cast by that same cleric (one dedicated to a weather god):

"...Theo chanted and Ander felt a soothing sensation, like morning dew, cover the wound on his leg and creep over his entire body. When the priest removed his hands from the bite mark, only a small scar was present..."

3) And a Cure Serious from that same cleric, later in the campaign:

"...The priest forced himself to breathe, and slowly opened his eyes to a brilliant display of sparkles and spots. For a moment, he thought he had passed into Zuras' halls; the pain in his chest brought him back to the carnal realm. "If you've not called me home, Lord," he whispered, "maybe you could take the pain from an old man's bones?" Immediately, Theo felt insubstantial arms wrap around him, and his pain faded in the holy embrace..."

Since an inflict wound spell is effected by sudden, massive infusion of negative energy, I guess most normal creatures would find it unpleasant in the extreme, attendant pain might not be excruciating, but I'd expect it to be commensurate to the damage done/target's maximum hit points.

Have you ever been in excruciating pain in a hospital, and then the dude comes with a siringe (codeine?) and pops it in? The pain disappears within 3 or 4 seconds, and you feel totally relieved.

That's how I would describe a cure spell. Whoever had this happen IRL would even be able to relate to it.

It's really uncanny how it works. I truly felt like I was the recipient of some divine miracle.

"OK, you're healed for X points."

Move on.

Launcing into flowery exposition every time somebody casts a cure spell would really bog down the game.