My character's powers?

[Burst]

Okay, so my character has the power to heal diseases like cancer, aids, heart disease, etc. But sence it's a super hero-type novel he's going to need some offensive powers... But I can't think of any suitable powers for him. Help?

[Sheilawisz]

I would give a Healer character the offensive powers to make people pass away for a few hours, paralyze them with a touch of his hands or maybe creating illusions inside the minds of his enemies, but nothing too destructive like throwing blasts of lightning. I am moving this thread to the World Building Forum.

[T.Allen.Smith]

List what abilities he has towards healing. Then create a list of abilities that would be considered their opposites.

If he can go one direction why couldn't he go the other way as well. Just because he can do some dreadful things doesn't mean he will, even in the most dire of situations... That could create nice conflict.

[Queshire]

First and foremost, I think it would be much better to think of ways for him to use his established powers offensively instead of just giving him new powers as the plot demands. I find that having a few limited powers which the character manages to use in a variety of interesting ways is better then having a bunch of different powers. In your character's case, think of how you can using healing more offensively.

For example, using his abilities on himself to allow himself to regenerate, perhaps to wolverine level regeneration, use some handwave about using his abilities to exceede the human body's natural limitations to give him superspeed or superstrength, more darkly, if he can heal diseases then it's not too far a stretch to think he could cause diseases. less darkly if he buffs somebody without giving them the required secondary powers needed to compensate for it, for instance superstrength without the toughness needed leads to breaking your bones with a punch, supersenses without being able to filter them leads to their senses overwhelming them, I mean imagine if everything was suddenly 100 or 1000 times louder, or if you increase the speed of somebody's mind without giving their body the ability to keep up with it would lead to them experiencing what basically amounts to lag.

[Ravana]

One: why does he "need" offensive powers? Not everybody needs everything. The character's biggest motivation and challenge might be simply finding effective allies.

Two: define "healing." Even without "reverse" healing, a considerable amount could be done if the character isn't limited to eliminating microbial invasions or physical trauma.

For instance:
• "Oh, you look like you need some rest." [increases melatonin level]
• "I'll teach you to be happy!" [cranks dopamine through roof]
• "You're too stressed." [drops norepinephrine through floor]
• "Blood oxygen level's low." [uncontrollable yawning]
• "Relax." [voluntary muscles lose tension]
• "Heart rate's too high." [compels normal pulse]
• "Breathe normally." [ditto, for lungs]
• "What in the world did you eat last night? You know that's not good for you." [clears out contents of digestive system—abruptly]
• "You poor thing… when was the last time you had a good, sustained, mind-blowing, body-shuddering orgasm?" ["…and let's see what shape you're in to do anything after about five minutes' worth…"]

"First, do no harm." Heh.

[Burst]

Thank you all for your help. I think I know what I want to do with him now.

[Endymion]

Isn't it enough already? You want to give him healing powers and offensive powers?!
Don't make a second superman!

[Ravana]

Actually, I forgot to add one of the nastiest applications of healing—it isn't likely to be of any great use in combat, but you never know. It's also so "dark" that doing it should prompt a situation of serious moral conflict.

• The character resets and/or maintains the target's "normal" state of health—as opposed to the body's appropriate reactions to pathogens—without dealing with the pathogens themselves. In other words, he suppresses the body's autoimmune system, allowing allergens, microbes, toxins, etc. to act unhindered.

As I said, very nasty. Probably more appropriate as a suggestion the character resists (to show his "goodness"); alternately, a desperation move (to show the limits of his morality—and give him something to regret and agonize over later). Assuming, of course, that the character is intended to be "good" in the first place.…

Note that the same application could also be useful in preventing transplant rejection, so it has its beneficial side as well.

[Queshire]

In the same vein as Ravana depending on how just far you stretch his powers he could change the template the body heals into. By that I mean, instead of the victims body healing into what it's supposed to, he makes it so whenever it heals it heals into what he wants it to. That could be used to change sexes, create mutants, or change the pigments of somebody's skin so that a mark appears on their body that they can't get rid of. I don't suppose that'd be very useful in battle, though I imagine the growing pains of your body's template suddenly changing can't be too pleasant, and depending on how fast the change happens it would leave somebody weak and / or starving..........................

[Reaver]

Okay, so my character has the power to heal diseases like cancer, aids, heart disease, etc. But sence it's a super hero-type novel he's going to need some offensive powers... But I can't think of any suitable powers for him. Help?

How about the power to bore people to death with his pedantic ramblings?

If you choose this power, you should name him after my boss.