Gonna chime in again quickly to add one more thing...
I think I may take a slightly more unconventional view in that I do think that white magic can be used to treat these more extreme things. Do I think that it's commonplace to do so, or that any white mage is able to, and without taxing themselves extraordinarily in order to achieve such an end? Absolutely not.
I view magical and mundane healing as two separate methods that have a great deal of overlap. I think a white mage could use magic to staunch bleeding until an experienced doctor has a chance to treat the root cause of the bleeding properly.
By the same token, I think a field medic could use bandages, tools, and first aid to staunch bleeding until an experienced white mage has a chance to treat the root cause of the bleeding properly.
So what I'm saying is that I think each method is equally acceptable, but some account must be taken for the experience level of the mage or doctor in question. I think in order to keep things somewhat realistic, the factor of time needs to be weighed as well, and exertion.
One thing I RPed as a healer in 1.0 was tending to a character who had received at least one gunshot wound to the chest. These healings were conducted in the form of aetherial treatment sessions which left Eva exhausted after each one, and could probably be viewed akin to some sort of physical therapy regimin. These went on for two or three weeks, as I recall. I view this as sort of an accelerated healing, but I also think someone seasoned enough with field medicine who know the right herbs, salves, or what have you could have probably yielded similar results with a less 'magical' means of treatment.
In short, nothing is really wrong. Just keep it real. Snapping fingers and curing a disease or re-growing a missing limb is a little silly. Do I think someone could do it if they were a strong enough mage? I actually do. But I also don't think it's well within most adventurer's reach to perform such miracles. But on the off chance they could, I would expect it to take a massive physical toll on the part of the healer, and a substantial amount of time as well.
Again, this is just my own opinion for whatever it may be worth.
TL;DR: Being an expert doctor may be on par with being an expert white mage even if the two disciplines are different, there is probably a lot of overlap. Consider not only physical healing versus magical healing but also the degree of expertise the healer has in whichever is his or her field of practice.
I think I may take a slightly more unconventional view in that I do think that white magic can be used to treat these more extreme things. Do I think that it's commonplace to do so, or that any white mage is able to, and without taxing themselves extraordinarily in order to achieve such an end? Absolutely not.
I view magical and mundane healing as two separate methods that have a great deal of overlap. I think a white mage could use magic to staunch bleeding until an experienced doctor has a chance to treat the root cause of the bleeding properly.
By the same token, I think a field medic could use bandages, tools, and first aid to staunch bleeding until an experienced white mage has a chance to treat the root cause of the bleeding properly.
So what I'm saying is that I think each method is equally acceptable, but some account must be taken for the experience level of the mage or doctor in question. I think in order to keep things somewhat realistic, the factor of time needs to be weighed as well, and exertion.
One thing I RPed as a healer in 1.0 was tending to a character who had received at least one gunshot wound to the chest. These healings were conducted in the form of aetherial treatment sessions which left Eva exhausted after each one, and could probably be viewed akin to some sort of physical therapy regimin. These went on for two or three weeks, as I recall. I view this as sort of an accelerated healing, but I also think someone seasoned enough with field medicine who know the right herbs, salves, or what have you could have probably yielded similar results with a less 'magical' means of treatment.
In short, nothing is really wrong. Just keep it real. Snapping fingers and curing a disease or re-growing a missing limb is a little silly. Do I think someone could do it if they were a strong enough mage? I actually do. But I also don't think it's well within most adventurer's reach to perform such miracles. But on the off chance they could, I would expect it to take a massive physical toll on the part of the healer, and a substantial amount of time as well.
Again, this is just my own opinion for whatever it may be worth.
TL;DR: Being an expert doctor may be on par with being an expert white mage even if the two disciplines are different, there is probably a lot of overlap. Consider not only physical healing versus magical healing but also the degree of expertise the healer has in whichever is his or her field of practice.
"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." Â ~ Lewis Carol
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook