astral seal

TerraDave

5ever, or until 2024

• Jan 26, 2010

• #1

wis based attack +2 vs reflex, if the cleric hits, no damage, but the defender takes -2 to defenses, and the first ally that hits the target before the clerics next turn gains hit points equal to 2+ charisma.

Of course, this is a healing power...so its actually 2+ cha +wis. Thats 8 hit points for the cleric is my group, practically at will.

Thoughts?

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Piratecat

Sesquipedalian

• Jan 26, 2010

• #2

If my players want to sacrifice a standard action and the potential for inflicting oh-so-vital damage, in exchange for 8 points of healing that is only received after two people successfully hit, I'm totally okay with that.

Sadly, I thought you were referring to a new monster, a companion to the astral sea lion.

 

Nifft

Penguin Herder

• Jan 26, 2010

• #3

Astral Seal is a very strong power (and amazingly well balanced: it never drops the astral beachball on its nose).

The defense penalty stacks, the healing is surgeless, and you don't suffer any penalty from Healer's Mercy if you didn't want to inflict direct damage anyway.

Cheers, -- N

 

TerraDave

5ever, or until 2024

• Jan 26, 2010

• #4

This isn't like "pole", thats how it is spelled. But I did think the same thing.

Iconic penguin nicely summarizes my concerns.

On the other hand, it is sort of fun in play, since it lets the cleric point at someone and say "hit this guy and get a prize".

But, on the third hand, (or flipper) it add yet more extra-surgal healing to the game.

 

B

BobTheNob

First Post

• Jan 26, 2010

• #5

Its a great ability really. Yes surgeless healing (which we have houseruled does NOT get static bonus's, but allowed the wisdom bonus to this power alone) but a perfect ability for a heal-bot, which should be a viable leader option.

Remember, its only "the next ally", so its only potentially one heal per round...

 

M

macrochelys

First Post

• Jan 26, 2010

• #6

While the healing is great (and/or amazing at some levels) I am equally worried by the -2 to all defenses until the end of your next turn. It's a very easy penalty to apply for a multi-attack nova round, and of course it stacks with other penalties no problem.

 

AbdulAlhazred

Legend

• Jan 26, 2010

• #7

I have nothing against healbots, but this really does dish out wayyyy too much surgeless healing. Its not that the power itself is out of line, but when you start looking at all the things that can easily stack onto it you're easily talking 14+ healing.

The fact that Astral Seal itself has to hit is pretty irrelevant because if the cleric was going to do damage he'd have to hit anyway, so six of one half dozen of the other.

The fact that the other PC has to hit is also basically irrelevant since he'd be swinging at the target anyhow. It does mean the average healing yield is lower, but the healing is SURGELESS. The problem is that it really makes a lot of the less strenuous encounters basically meaningless. Much of the time with a healbot in the party there's no surge loss at all with these encounters and at worst the encounter goes a round longer than it would otherwise.

I really don't like it. I don't think surgeless healing should exist and I REALLY don't think at-will surgeless healing should exist. If you do get that it should at least cost you a consumable or a daily item power use.

 

J

JoeNotCharles

First Post

• Jan 26, 2010

• #8

Anybody actually played with one of these in their group? Did it seem overpowered in practice?

 

T

Truename

First Post

• Jan 26, 2010

• #9

JoeNotCharles said:

Anybody actually played with one of these in their group? Did it seem overpowered in practice?

Click to expand...

High-heroic pacifist cleric in my group had it, but rarely used it. He had three or four minor heal actions and preferred to use his standard action to daze opponents.

Wasn't OP in our group.

 

Holy Bovine

First Post

• Jan 27, 2010

• #10

JoeNotCharles said:

Anybody actually played with one of these in their group? Did it seem overpowered in practice?

Click to expand...

In the group I run on Fridays the cleric has it. He usually uses it over other at-will powers (these only see use after his encounters are used usually) and the party likes it and I haven't had any trouble keeping the party on the raggity edge as far as surges go. Most times, by the time they rest for the day, they are down to about 3 surges for the whole party