The Spell Heal Wounds

[darthauthor]

Does the 5th level spell "Heal Wounds" (10) work on oneself?

[Library Ogre]

Yes. It functions at touch range and doesn't include an exception for the caster.

It is far more useful than the 7th level spell, Heal Self, which costs twice as much, and requires a minute of concentration, to heal the same amount.

[drewkitty ~..~]

The way the description is written it works on others. There is no Text saying or implying that it works on the caster's self.

I looked in several core books and the where it can be found, the descriptive text was always oriented that it heals others.

[darthauthor]

I agree that the spell heals others.

It feels ambigous about healing oneself.

From what I have read, it never explicitly says that it does or does not heal oneself.

Admittedly it does make the spell Heal Self a redundant.
Then again aren't there two spells for protection against fire:
Impervious to Fire (5)
Resist Fire (6)

So it might not have been thought through. Maybe two different people worked on the spell list. It would not surprise me if "Heal Wound" and "Heal Self" are like the protection from fire spells

[eliakon]

Range: Touch or 3 feet away
It does *Not* say "Self" which other spells that can be cast on oneself say.
Thus I would say... it can't be cast on oneself

[hup7]

So looking through the BoM...
Light Healing Range touch, but the spell description specifically states "may not use the spell on himself" p97
Cure Minor Disorders Range touch or 10 feet, but nothing in the description to say it WON'T work on the caster. p100
Heal Wounds Range touch or 3 feet, but again nothing in the description to say is WON'T work on the caster. p106
Cure Illness Range touch or 3 feet, again nothing specific in the description about yes or NO on caster. p111
Greater Healing Range touch (can not be used on oneself), and in the description states "may not cast this spell on himself" p121
Winged Flight Range touch (can not be performed on self) p125
Super-healing Range one character by touch (cannot be used on oneself) p137

But then we get to:
Energize Spell Range Touch or 10 feet, no mention of self in the range BUT the description clearly states "allows the mage to pump additional PPE into one of his currently active spells" p111

and we get oddities:
Magical-Adrenal Rush Range 100 feet; line of sight, self or one by touch. What? Self or one by touch but also 100 feet? Just in case the caster has 100 foot long arms... I guess? p122

So we have the common Palladium issue of editing / standardisation. Personally, I think the few spells that specifically state they CANNOT be used on self are the only few which I wouldn't allow them to cast on themselves. I do not think the "rule" - if self is not listed in range IS a general rule but the rule that it will specifically state if you CANNOT cast it on yourself is probably a safer interpretation.

It also would make little sense logically. As a wizard developing spells would I develop cure minor disorders, cure illness without developing a corresponding cure minor disorders-self, like purge for instance? It is interesting to note purge self is 9th level and purge other is 10th level.

And following the "unless it states self" this means you cannot cast remove curse on yourself? Since it is touch?

IMHO only spells that specifically state in the description OR range that it CANNOT be cast on self probably can. I say probably because I only looked through one book, there are no doubt exceptions.

Have fun.

[Ice Dragon]

The advantage IMHO of Heal Self is, that it help Mega Demage Creatures (3D6 S.D.C.
and ID6 Hit Points (or ID4 M.D. if a mega-damage creature)), while Heal Wounds only restores S.D.C. and hit points.