3 player party and no cleric, need advise

[ARandomGod]

Given your party's composition, I think you need to suck it up and add an NPC cleric. I don't see a way around this. They can't survive fights off potions. You need not just hand them a cleric, though - let them wade through a couple fights without healing and they'll get the idea. They'll head straight for the temple looking for a priest all on their own. If they don't, there's no cause to worry - when one of them dies, I bet he'll roll a cleric.

Seriously, it's not a thing to sweat. My own player group consists of a bard/unfettered, a rogue, a ranger & a wizard. They got tooled the first time they stepped into a dungeon. They are currently in the process of earnestly seeking a healer to accompany them on adventures. Funny what a near-death experience will do to a group of non-believers. My point is, the search for healing need not be a metagame problem. It can be resolved entirely in-character.

Actually, I'm surprised so many people feel that you NEED a class with access to healing spells to heal. What's wrong with magic items that heal? There are a large number of examples in fanatasy literature. And not ALL of them are vampiric swords!

 

[ForceUser]

Actually, I'm surprised so many people feel that you NEED a class with access to healing spells to heal. What's wrong with magic items that heal? There are a large number of examples in fanatasy literature. And not ALL of them are vampiric swords!

Sure. I tend to feel that a healing NPC is less cheesy than a wondrous magical item of healing, is all. I remember an early 3E campaign in which we lacked a cleric, and the DM allowed our 4th-level party to find a powerful magical orb that was essentially a 4th-level cleric sans corporeal body, personality, or non-healing spells. It really broke verisimilitude for me.

Finding a cleric to adventure with you could be an adventure in and of itself. Unless it's a special item designed like the one mentioned above, there really is no substitute in the core rules for a cleric. Wands and potions are great downtime healing but poor stopgaps while damage is flying. A 7th-level party of three fighting a hill giant without a cleric - even one with a few potions of cure serious wounds - is in for a world of hurt unless they are clever, lucky, or both. There's just no getting around the classic "fab four" model once the
fight starts. As long as players realize this, accept it and adjust their thinking appropriately, then they have the makings of an interesting non-standard campaign. Even with fighters in the group, adventures become more about finding ways around combat than through it. With the right DM this can be a rewarding style of play. But you can't try to work your way through an adventure without a cleric while engaging foes as though you had a cleric. That tends to result in TPKs.

 

[Targeteron]

Thanks for all your input. Gave me some inspiration and food for thought.

 

[Darklone]

We had some groups without healers... they worked well. Even a group with only fighters. They simply killed anything before someone got hurt. Good scouting and ambush tactics work as well.

 

[derelictjay]

As Darklone said, your player's just gotta use different tactics. I actually prefer to DM parties without clerics. Because the cleric (even in 3.x) tends to only heal, and that player often gets board, sitting in the background waiting for on of the other players to yell medic.

 

[4everdm]

I've seen the Rogue's Use Magic Device skill and a wand of Cure Light Wounds come in handy in this situation. Also, allowing the PCs to stock up on potions of healing or some other magic item that has a limited curing amount. You can also modify the Heal skill to be more effective.

Alternatively, you could have them befriend an NPC cleric who would be willing to offer healing services for a reduced.nonextant fee etc.

Ditto.
Currently playing a game with no healers & my rogue has the wand and most of the potions in his haversack. Also, an alternative to a cleric is the Healer Class in the Minature Handbook, they excel at healing and don't bring along all that "religous baggage" that clerics do.

 

[billd91]

I have players that have been in a similar predicament. I let them figure out a solution. Either they make shorter forays into danger so they can heal more, or they get potions, or they hire a cleric. I won't let lack of the Leadership feat prevent them from hiring an NPC to help them out.

Let the players figure out how to get around the problem of not having much healing. If they never figure it out and die, maybe they'll try a different approach next time.

 

[Urbannen]

Wounds & Vitality.

I concur. Or Reserve Points.

Open your eyes, people! The D&D combat system was devised with the assumption that PCs would have access to clerical healing magic. It's the hidden HTML of combat and damage. If you don't want to be chained to a cleric, use an alternative combat system, i.e. Wounds & Vitality or Reserve Points. Otherwise, yeah, you have to provide players with an endless source of wands and potions if none of them want to play a good cleric.

Do you want to be free of having to have a good cleric in the party? Do you want to be free of relying on an endless supply of potions and wands? Try an alternate damage system. If you want healing magic to be a useful option rather than a necessity, it's the only way.

 

[ARandomGod]

Sure. I tend to feel that a healing NPC is less cheesy than a wondrous magical item of healing, is all. I remember an early 3E campaign in which we lacked a cleric, and the DM allowed our 4th-level party to find a powerful magical orb that was essentially a 4th-level cleric sans corporeal body, personality, or non-healing spells. It really broke verisimilitude for me.

Finding a cleric to adventure with you could be an adventure in and of itself. Unless it's a special item designed like the one mentioned above, there really is no substitute in the core rules for a cleric. Wands and potions are great downtime healing but poor stopgaps while damage is flying. A 7th-level party of three fighting a hill giant without a cleric - even one with a few potions of cure serious wounds - is in for a world of hurt unless they are clever, lucky, or both. There's just no getting around the classic "fab four" model once the
fight starts. As long as players realize this, accept it and adjust their thinking appropriately, then they have the makings of an interesting non-standard campaign. Even with fighters in the group, adventures become more about finding ways around combat than through it. With the right DM this can be a rewarding style of play. But you can't try to work your way through an adventure without a cleric while engaging foes as though you had a cleric. That tends to result in TPKs.

Well, I definitely agree that there's really no replacement for a cleric...
Other than a cleric.
And, a lot of healing spells isn't really something I'd recommend in an item.

And the item of cure light wounds 5x a day.... that was completely useless except for after the battle healing. Sure, you can stop and heal yourself d8+1 hp instead of attacking that round, but then you're likely going to take d8+3 HP from the guy swinging the sword at you.
And an AoO from quaffing the potion.

It was mainly a healing up after the fight thing, to stop us from having to sit around for several days to get back up to full strength.

But, I agree, questing for a cleric is a great idea, and NPC clerics are good, and can be fun for the GM. But I still hold this up as an option. As for the gestalt characters meantioned above...

I've read about 'em, and they're OK.
But I'd say that they're MUCH more powerful than most magical items (at least than any I'd allow the party to have). While in many ways not as strong as two characters of the same level, definitely at least 50% stronger than a normal character. .. and in some ways stronger than two characters of that level.

I'd sooner give them all a free level of cleric than allow the gestalt characters. ... I just think that they're too uber.

Of course, when everybody is, well, that equals things out again.
But it's a much higher power level than I'd want a character to be at.

 

[ARandomGod]

I concur. Or Reserve Points.

Open your eyes, people! The D&D combat system was devised with the assumption that PCs would have access to clerical healing magic. It's the hidden HTML of combat and damage. If you don't want to be chained to a cleric, use an alternative combat system, i.e. Wounds & Vitality or Reserve Points. Otherwise, yeah, you have to provide players with an endless source of wands and potions if none of them want to play a good cleric.

Do you want to be free of having to have a good cleric in the party? Do you want to be free of relying on an endless supply of potions and wands? Try an alternate damage system. If you want healing magic to be a useful option rather than a necessity, it's the only way.

That's an excellent point, actually.

Now, question,
Taken as a given that it would be better to just switch to an alternate system, how do you think the idea of five free heal light wound spells per character per day would compare to such a system?