Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Yes.

Heal
Last Updated: 10/10/2012
Released: 7/26/2011
General Description
A heal ability can be used to remove the effects of a discard ability or an ability paired to a poison (disease) ability
from a character.
How to Play
A character healed from the effect(s) paired with a poison (disease) ability gains back any strength and toughness
lost because of it. A character healed from the effect(s) paired with a poison (disease) ability remains in the
location it is in. A character healed from a discard ability is moved to its owner's territory. If a character is
discarded and healed later that turn, it regains any lost abilities or effects of being discarded (i.e., returning to face
value in the discard pile).
All heal abilities are instantaneous. Heal abilities target the characters that are to be healed.
Playing Healing Enhancements
Healing enhancements can be played in battle (during the battle phase) or outside of battle. When played during
the battle phase they must be played according to the rules that govern when other enhancements can be
played. A player has the option to play a healing enhancement during the preparation phase and the discard
phase. A healing enhancement played in this way must be played on a character of matching brigade in one of two
ways: (1) on a character in the holder's territory or (2) on a character in the holder's discard pile (if the character
was discarded in the same turn). Both result in that character being healed. Healing cards played on a character in
a discard pile must target the same character.
Default Conditions
 A character is healable if it is about to be discarded, was discarded earlier in the same turn, is poisoned, or is diseased. If
no more specific requirement is specified targets must be healable.
 Characters discarded from hands* or decks cannot be targeted by heal cards.
Special Conditions
 The ability to use healing cards outside of battle does not apply to characters with heal abilities. The heal ability on a
character can only be activated in battle.
Clarifications
 The phrase “being discarded” means “about to be discarded” or “recently discarded” (recently meaning previously in the
same turn).
 “Restore abilities” means “heal”.

It would appear, based on that entry, that Heal no longer heals from normal decrease abilities, only disease and poison.

There was a discussion of this same rule (and card) recently in this thread.

There was talk about getting the wording for Heal updated, but I've not seen anything come of that yet.

The rule as I know it right now (and mind, this one one of those abilities) is that characters who are decreased but not diseased/poisoned or discarded are not 'healable'.  They do not meet the criteria as targets unless there is a disease/poison involved or the character was actually discarded.  Brass Serpent's errata states that it heals all heroes in play.  And since it does not specify that it restores abilities otherwise not restored by Heal, it cannot restore decreases unless the character had been discarded that turn or suffering from a disease/poison (and thus targetable by Heal).

As I said in the other thread, I'd like to see it updated, but we'll see when that happens