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| Mummy, Expert Set, p. 36 |
Recently—Session #68, Oct. 22, 2025—the PCs in my current Gorefest Dungeon campaign were attacked from behind by three mummies. They were already drained of spells and down some hit points.
They felled two of them, but their Cleric 4, Lokian, was down to only one hit point—and he was engaged in a furious melee with the last mummy.
Their Fighter 4, Essarian, was down 12 hit points (to 16), and everyone at the table knew mummy rot meant these grievous wounds weren't going to be healed any time soon.
The two Magic-User 4's were both out of spells. Hobart was atop his Broom of Flying and Sarath was Invisible. Both had Wands of Magic Missile drained empty of all charges!
Thankfully, they were able to retreat and escape. They had one Scroll of Remove Curse . . . but two victims. Down to his last hit point, they chose to cure Lokian, leaving brave Essarian to remain afflicted and grievously wounded. Magical healing won't work and natural healing was slowed by 90%.
But at what rate does natural healing occur?
The rules are easy to find in the 1981 Basic Set, p. 25:
However, as luck would have it, as I watched a random video about Mystara, I scrolled down a little through the comments.
A certain Verpalorian310—I guess that's how we identify people in the dystopic, cyber-punk future of 2025—made a wonderful compilation of natural healing rules in Basic D&D. I was shocked to learn BECMI and Rules Cyclopedia omitted any rules for such, but I also felt so vindicated. I thought for sure it was 1d4. Now, I see that it was 1d4 in the rules I first learned and played—the 1991 Black Box!
Natural Healing in Basic D&D
'77 Holmes Basic p. 7
Each day of rest and recuperation back "home" will regenerate 1 to 3 of his hit points for the next adventure.
'77 B1: In Search of the Unknown p. 5
The passage of a day - or 24 hours - will mean the healing of 1 hit point of damage for each character.
'81 Set 1 Moldvay Basic p. 25
To cure wounds by resting, the wounded creature must relax in a safe place, and may do nothing but rest. Each full day of complete rest will restore 1-3 hit points ... If a day's rest is interrupted for any reason, no healing will take place.
'83 Mentzer BECMI p. 4 mentions natural healing in several places, but omits the rules for it. "The damage your fighter has taken can be healed by a few days' rest."
'84 BSOLO: Ghost of Lion Castle p. 4 resting 1 day heals 1 HP.
'86 B10: Night's Dark Terror, pull-out sheet I
As well as healing wounds by means of spells it is also possible to regain 1 hit point per day by resting. In order to regain a hit point, your rest must be undisturbed both during the day and the night. Any strenuous activity such as fighting or traveling more than a very short distance will stop you from healing.
'89 B11: King's Festival p. 23
The bugbear is 50% likely to leave for good, and 50% likely to ambush the PCs later-together with 1d4 orcs it bullies into serving it-when the PCs finally make their way back to Stallanford from this dungeon. By this time it will have regained 1d8 hit points from natural healing.
'91 Denning Basic p. 28
For each full day a character spends resting, which means doing nothing but lying in bed, he recovers 1d4 hit points.
'91 Rules Cyclopedia mentions natural healing, but omits rules for it.
'94 Stewart Classic D&D p. 46
For each full day a character spends resting, which means doing nothing but lying in bed, he recovers 1d4 hit points.
'98 Grubb Fast Play doesn't mention natural healing at all.
Factors affecting natural healing:
Cause Disease
Cureall
Cursed scrolls
Healing skill
Mummy rot
Raise Dead
Starvation
Veterinary Healing skill
