Healing Belt in MIC = broken?

[milo]

Nobody mentioned the fact that wand and potions don't take up an item slot. I haven't seen the belt overused when I DM or play, in fact I am the only one who has picked one up in my group.
So if you go by the DM pricing guide could I get a belt of healing made that is CLW wounds at will 1st level caster x 1st level spell x 2000 = 2000gp for an at will healing item.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

To answer the OP: IMHO, no, it's not broken. 4d8 once per day and takes up a body slot? Sure it's cheap and anyone can use it...once per day, but anything that helps prevent the 15-minute adventuring day is fine with me.

 

[Elethiomel]

They can, in your game. In mine, not.

Okay. This will serve as a lesson for me not to make auxiliary points, as my main point is then too easily dodged by only replying to my auxiliary point.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I would say that the healing belt is not particularly broken as long as you only have one of them.

It is true that it costs less than comparable healing items from the core rules. The rejoinder that comparable healing items from the core rules are over-priced is right on target. Nobody bought wands of cure critical wounds. People would occasionally buy potions of cure serious wounds, but only because those potions were the only game in town when it came to in-combat healing. You couldn't get anything more powerful that was usable without the ability to cast spells. Of course, past level 5 or 6, it was inadequate and even before then it was too expensive to be used regularly.

The problem with the healing belt (and other x/day items from the MIC such as counterstrike bracers or the ring of thunderclaps) is that nothing other than shame at being so cheesy prevented you from making or buying multiples and just changing belts when you ran out of charges. That is the aspect of the belt that might possibly be broken (but you still need to consider the 10 belts of healing over the course of a long campaign before they become more efficient than ten wands of cure light wounds (or faith healing) or ten wands of lesser vigor and they put all of the costs of the effiency up front rather than spreading it out over the course of several levels as multiple wands would do). So, even if you deliberately abuse them, I'm not convinced that they're broken. (Other items like counterstrike bracers, on the other hand, are broken if they are abused in that manner).

 

[aboyd]

This will serve as a lesson for me not to make auxiliary points, as my main point is then too easily dodged by only replying to my auxiliary point.

Dodged? Like you're a prosecutor and I'm on trial? I think you might have a misconception about what's happening here. This is a game and I do it to have fun, not to defend myself.

I think I might not want to address your point simply to disabuse you of the notion that this is a court room.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

They can, in your game. In mine, not.

Nice.

You asked a question and you got a lot of advice that you're choosing to ignore and just "ban" the spell instead. That's your choice. I know what I think of it.

 

[aboyd]

EDIT... more words:

I don't understand you. First of all, in what world does asking for advice mean you're slavishly chained to the responses you get? What if the responses are mutually exclusive? And again, this is a game. Why do I have to have fun exactly the way you dictate? Why does my house rule = personal affront to you? Why are you turning this into disparaging comments? What does that accomplish?

I didn't jump down your throat because you posted that the Combust spell is "horribly overpowered" so I'm not sure why I am not allowed to have the same discernment.

 

[Leatherhead]

The belt is based on having multiple 2d8 charges, that you can can then combine and overcharge for a larger heal.

 

[krupintupple]

to the OP:

although i had a similar initial reaction, i just modified it and it's actually greatly contributed to game play.

1. bumped price to 1000 gp even.
2. healing is use-activated and self only; no pseudo lay-on-hands.
3. belt must be worn continously for 24 hours before any, or it won't function*.

i think if you at least try the above instead of outright banning it, you'll find that it makes a wonderful addition to the game. arguably, the ones who'd want it the most - melee-types, will have to debate between this or a strength-boosting girdle. most of the blaster and healer types find it interesting, but ironically don't flock to it as fast as you'd think.



*i've added this addendum to all of the "3 charge" items from the MIC, to balance them and prevent people from hoarding belts and charms and such.

 

[Runestar]

Nobody mentioned the fact that wand and potions don't take up an item slot. I haven't seen the belt overused when I DM or play, in fact I am the only one who has picked one up in my group.

There is nothing stopping you from storing the belt in your backpack, and wearing it only when you want the healing (though this will make it viable only outside of combat). At low lvs, there aren't really any other belts you could be wearing anyways (belt of str shouldn't come until lv8+). At higher lvs, there are easily better belts (belt of battle), and the MIC has rules for adding stat boosters to your existing eq at 1xcost (rather than 1.5cost).

I am not quite sure what is so cheesy about getting multiple belts at higher lvs though. 4d8 is negligible at higher lvs (confining its use to 6d8 outside of fights) As I have demonstrated, nothing beats a wand of vigor (550hp for 750gp, you just don't get any more efficient than that).

There are also many other ways of optimizing your healing capabilities.
A Player's Guide to Healing (And, why you will be Just Fine without a Cleric to heal) - Wizards Community