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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
    
 | | 05/23/2006 12:22 AM |
| Well, here is my attempt to revise the healer to the point where someone might want to play it. I probably haven't yet done enough to make it a more active class, but I think I've at least got it to a point where someone might occasionally choose to play it. This is just a first rough cut; I still need to flesh out the class features a little bit more. The class could really benefit from an active ability it can use on turns when there's no heal, buff, or condition removal spell that needs casting. There's also still some overlap of spells on the class list due to me taking from multiple books and not really weighing the spells for too-similar effects.
The Healer
Flavor text unchanged.
Alignment: Must be good aligned. (No change)
Starting Gold: 4d4x10gp (100 gp).
Starting Age: As cleric.
<br>Table 1: The Healer Hit Dice: d8<br><br> Fort Ref Will - Spells Per Day -<br>Level BAB Save Save Save Special 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9<br>1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Bonus Feat, Healing Hands+1 5 3 - - - - - - - -<br>2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Divine Grace 6 4 - - - - - - - -<br>3 +1 +3 +1 +3 6 5 - - - - - - - -<br>4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Healing Hands +2 6 6 3 - - - - - - -<br>5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 6 6 4 - - - - - - -<br>6 +3 +5 +2 +5 6 6 5 3 - - - - - -<br>7 +3 +5 +2 +5 Effortless Healing 6 6 6 4 - - - - - -<br>8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Unicorn Companion, H.Hands+3 6 6 6 5 3 - - - - -<br>9 +4 +6 +3 +6 Discounted Healing I 6 6 6 6 4 - - - - -<br>10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Bonus Feat 6 6 6 6 5 3 - - - -<br>11 +5 +7 +3 +7 6 6 6 6 6 4 - - - -<br>12 +6 +8 +4 +8 Healing Hands +4 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - - -<br>13 +6 +8 +4 +8 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 - - -<br>14 +7 +9 +4 +9 Discounted Healing II 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - -<br>15 +7 +9 +5 +9 Bonus Feat 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 - -<br>16 +8 +10 +5 +10 Healing Hands +5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 –<br>17 +8 +10 +5 +10 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 –<br>18 +9 +11 +6 +11 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3<br>19 +9 +11 +6 +11 Discounted Healing III 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4<br>20 +10 +12 +6 +12 Bonus Feat, Healing Hands +6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5<br>
(Design note: changed spell progression to match the hybrid spontaneous caster model presented by the beguiler, warmage, and dread necromancer.)
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis). (Design note: no change here, the Healer has pretty much all the skills that make sense for the class.)
Weapon and Armor Proficency: Healers are proficient with all simple weapons and all light armor. (Design note: removed the penalty for using heavier armor and shields as this added no real flavor to the class and only serves to penalize multiclass healers.)
Spells: A healer casts divine spells, which are chosen from the healer spell list (Table 2.) When you gain access to a new level of spells, you automatically know all of the spells for that level on the healer’s spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time. Essentially, your spell list is the same as your spells known list. You also have the option of adding to your existing spell list through your advanced learning class feature (see below) as you increase in level.
To cast a healer spell, you must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level (Wis 10 for 0-level spells, Wis 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth.) The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a healer’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the healer’s Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a healer can cast only a certain number of spells per day. The base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1. In addition, you receive bonus spells for a high Wisdom score.
A healer need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your splls per day for that spell level.
(Design notes: The healer suffered as a healer compared to the cleric because it had to prepare healing spells and could not cast them spontaneously. To make up for this, they were given a number of 1/day condition removal spells to allow them to devote more of their memorized slots to healing spells. I think a more elegant solution is simply to follow the model of the warmage and move all of those abilities to spontaneous casting. Frankly, the healer should be better than a cleric at healing, given that it is far worse offensively, defensively, and with buff spells. I did not include the advanced learning feature for healers that the other classes have because it was too difficult to word in a way that sneaky players couldn’t use to get obscure offensive attack or debuff spells that I don’t think the healer should have. Instead they have some other class features. I left the multi-stat dependence for spellcasting in because it fits the flavor of the class to have a higher charisma be desirable, and because very few of their spells require saving throws anyway. It may seem like the class is hurt by delaying spell acquisition by a level a la the sorcerer, but the healer already gets a number of spells one level early, so this doesn’t hurt as much as you might think – for example, remove paralysis is a level 1 spell for healers.)
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Augment Healing (from Complete Divine), Skill Focus (Heal), or any item creation or metamagic feat. You must still meet any prerequisites for the feat. You gain an additional bonus feat from this list at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.
Healing Hands (Ex): Whenever a healer cast a spell that cures hit point damage, she adds the value listed to the amount of damage healed. For instance, if a 4th level healer casts cure light wounds, she cures 1d8+4 points of damage normally, plus an additional 2 points of damage due to having the Healing Hands +2 class feature. This bonus applies only to spells cast as a healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class. (Design note: I decided to nerf this slightly from a flat charisma boost to a progressive bonus for a couple reasons – a high charisma boost to healing is a little too good at the lowest levels, and because this ability stacks with other enhancements available to the class such as the augment healing feat. The availability of spontaneous healing to the class now means that it isn’t quite as crucial for every individual heal to heal a huge amount, anyway.)
Divine Grace (Su): The healer adds her charisma bonus (if any) to all of her saving throws. (Design note: I needed something to fill in the class features a little better between first and fourth level, where the class wasn't gaining much of anything in the new version.)
Effortless Healing (Ex): At 7th level, a healer has learned to cast spells of the Conjuration (healing) school with minimal effort. She may cast such spells without provoking attacks of opportunity. This ability applies only to spells of the Conjuration (healing) school that she casts as a healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class. (Design note: no rules change, just a slight change in wording.)
Unicorn Companion (Ex): this ability is unchanged from the MH. (Design note: I don’t really see a giant problem with this ability as far as power goes, and it gives the class some extra flavor. The alternate companions are pretty much available at the same point they would be via the Leadership feat anyway.)
Discounted Healing I (Ex): At level 9, the healer need only pay half the cost of expensive material components for spells of 3rd level or lower. This ability applies only to spells that she casts as a healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class. XP components are unchanged.
Disconted Healing II (Ex): As Discounted Healing I, but it applies to spells of 6th level or lower.
Discounted Healing III (Ex): As Discounted Healing I, but it applies to spells of 9th level or lower.
(Design notes: this primarily helps defray the cost of raise dead type spells, but there are a few more on their list that benefit as well. This may be a little too good, and I may revise it still.)
Table 2: Healer Spell List
Level 0: create water, cure minor wounds, deathwatch, detect magic, detect poison, light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance.
Level 1: bless water, cure light wounds, endure elements, faith healing (SC), goodberry, protection from evil, remove fear, remove paralysis, resurgence (SC), sanctuary, shield of faith, speak with animals.
Level 2: aid, bear’s endurance, calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, divine protection (SC), eagle’s splendor, gentle repose, healing lorecall (SC), make whole, owl’s wisdom, remove addiction (BoED), remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, resist energy, shield other, stabilize (SC), lesser restoration.
Level 3: cloak of bravery, close wounds (SC), create food and water, cure serious wounds, heart’s ease (BoED), helping hand, magic circle against evil, magic vestment, mass resurgence (SC), neutralize poison, protection from energy, refreshment (BoED), remove curse, restoration, safety (SC), status.
Level 4: cure critical wounds, death ward, delay death (SC), freedom of movement, greater resistance (SC), healing spirit (PHB II), mass aid (SC), mass cure light wounds, mass shield of faith (SC), panacea (SC), positive energy aura (SC), sheltered vitality (SC).
Level 5: atonement, break enchantment, greater status (BoED), hallow, life’s grace (SC), mass cure moderate wounds, mass sanctuary (SC), raise dead, renewed vigor (PHB II), revivify (SC), stoneskin, stone to flesh, sustain (BoED), true seeing.
Level 6: energy immunity (SC), greater restoration, heal, heroes’ feast, lesser ironguard (SC), mass bear’s endurance, mass cure serious wounds, mass eagle’s splendor, mass owl’s wisdom, regenerate, revive outsider (SC), superior resistance (SC).
Level 7: aura of evasion (SC), bastion of good (BoED), fortunate fate (SC), mass cure critical wounds, mass restoration (SC), refuge, renewal pact (SC), repulsion, resurrection.
Level 8: aura of vitality (SC), death pact (SC), discern location, holy aura, ironguard (SC), mass death ward (SC), mass heal, spread of contentment (BoED), unyielding roots (SC).
Level 9: cocoon (SC), foresight, freedom, greater cloak of bravery (SC), mind blank, sublime revelry (BoED), true resurrection, unbinding (SC), undeath’s eternal foe (SC).
(Design notes: this is where the real meat of the Healer revision is found. I expanded the spell list with spells from the Spell Compendium, Book of Exalted Deeds, and PHB II, and gave a solid boost to their ability to enhance their companions via buff spells, particularly defensive buff spells. The cleric overall still has a broader selection, but the healer is a more versatile character with these changes. I did remove gate from the old list. It just didn’t quite fit. The higher spell levels were very sparse for healers, so I tried to add several spells there. It was tempting to add the various vigor spells to their list, but I think at this point they don’t need them.) | |
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| The Defenestrator
AesophDarkfable
Warlord
5628 Posts
| | 05/23/2006 4:11 PM |
| | I've always found the unicorn companion part to be silly and problematic. It really limits the "type" of character I might want to make a healer. Maybe work something out in its place? | |
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Fearfrost
Sergeant
518 Posts
| | 05/23/2006 4:44 PM |
| | I have always felt that the healer should have had the ability to use any spell for a cure x spell just like good clerics can. They are after all supposed to be the masters of healing magic. | |
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 05/23/2006 5:14 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by AesophDarkfable
I've always found the unicorn companion part to be silly and problematic. It really limits the "type" of character I might want to make a healer. Maybe work something out in its place?
It is certainly worth looking at. Is it the fact that the class carries a companion at all, or that it gets the unicorn specifically? It shouldn't be too hard for me to come up with an alternate companion list, more like the druid animal companion choices. | |
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| The Defenestrator
AesophDarkfable
Warlord
5628 Posts
| | 05/23/2006 5:16 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by IanB
quote:
Originally posted by AesophDarkfable
I've always found the unicorn companion part to be silly and problematic. It really limits the "type" of character I might want to make a healer. Maybe work something out in its place?
It is certainly worth looking at. Is it the fact that the class carries a companion at all, or that it gets the unicorn specifically? It shouldn't be too hard for me to come up with an alternate companion list, more like the druid animal companion choices.
I never got the classes need for a companion at all really. But the unicorn in particular has always rubbed me the wrong way as it limits RPG perspectives for me anyway. | |
Im out- find me on Hordelings if you want to chat. | |
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Most Edumacated
zenthrus
Warlord
5132 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 05/23/2006 6:17 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by AesophDarkfable
I never got the classes need for a companion at all really. But the unicorn in particular has always rubbed me the wrong way as it limits RPG perspectives for me anyway.
I have to agree. Unicorns invoke the connotation that the healer must be a female virgin (traditional mythology). That limits RPG utility. Perhaps a list of potential companions (Hippogriff, Griffon, Giant Eagle, Pegasus, etc.) or drop the companion entirely and add another benefit instead. | |
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proudft
Sneak
109 Posts
| | 05/23/2006 8:12 PM |
| Yeah, the unicorn is very campaign/culture/theme/mood specific. Much like the stupid Favored Soul wings. Gah, I hate those.
I would make a list of several (ideally six or eight at least) various possible choices of companions to pick from, as well as an alternate choice for those who don't want a companion at all (like the new ranger option in the PHB2). That should cover all the bases for anyone.
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notserious
Sneak
117 Posts
| | 05/24/2006 1:59 PM |
| | You pointed out that the unicorn wasn't a balance problem as similarly powered cohorts are available via the leadership feat. But I think other posters have a good point about the cultural box the unicorn puts them in. What if you had a "dedicated guardian" ability that essentially gives you the cohort feat for free. players could then tailor the guardian to suit their vision of the character. | |
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 05/24/2006 8:46 PM |
| | I'll try to get some work done on this tonight. I have a couple ideas for an alternate feature here. | |
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taliesin
Underboss
1113 Posts
| | 06/11/2006 6:24 PM |
| I'm guessing this variant has fallen a little by the wayside. I do have a player I might have convinced to give this a try, and I'll gladly let you know how it works out.
Fair warning, it is an Age of Worms campaign, so the Healer might be a little stronger in this particular campaign than in a campaign that doesn't center around undead. | |
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 06/12/2006 3:53 AM |
| | Yeah I got distracted by another project. I still intend to clean this up a bit though. | |
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