Help Please: Losing Cleric - How to Replace with Magic Items?

[DracoSuave]

How to run a Cleric as a bunch of Magic Items:

Run an Artificer.

Non-facetious, but slightly snide answer:

Have someone run the Cleric as a healbot.

Real answer:

Tough it out and adjust encounters to compensate.

 

[evilgenius8000]

Were I the DM, I probably would ask the player how he'd want his character to be played, and then run the cleric as a DMPC in a combat-only role (healing and fighting as normal, but not taking part in any plot-important decisions [edit: unless the player directed you to act in a certain way], lest you accidentally slip and reveal stuff you shouldn't). Oh, and if the cleric dies under your control, have his church resurrect him for free (it wouldn't be nice for the player to come back and find his character dead).

 

[Bodhiwolff]

The real value added by a cleric is in the healing, and in the buffs.

What you want to do is tie together your other party members, add the option for some healing (with a cost) and not have to put up with a complete NPC character.

So you make a custom item.

The item has the following properties ...

a) there are a series of bracelets, each one bound to the next, which provide a group-controlled magic item, of sorts. Each character wears a bracelet, but the properties are such that it activates another bracelet.

b) The bracelets provide the healing Powers of a cleric, of whatever appropriate level you wish.

c) At a minimum, the bracelets can activate two instances of the "Healing Word" power per encounter on another bracelet (not the activator's). The calculation includes the bonus to the "Healing" keyword that a cleric normally gets, as well as the regular bonus healing from the Healing Word power.

d) When the party would have access to 2nd level spells, add one instance of "Cure Light Wounds" to the bracelet's power pool.

e) when a cleric character would normally gain access to a "Cure BLANK wounds" spell, or another major healing milestone spell, simply add it to the bracelet's power structure.

Now, the penalties ...

It is up to you exactly how you wish to penalize the party for using the bracelet and not have access to a *real* cleric.

Some ideas ....

a) each use of the "Healing Word" powers costs the activator one hitpoint. Each use of a "Cure BLANK Wounds" spell costs the activator 5 hitpoints.

or

b) activating the braclet has a 10 percent chance of draining a healing surge on the activator as well as the character being healed. (5 percent for the "Healing Word" powers)

or

c) the bracelets require a ritual, cast every day, to keep them powered up. This ritual has expensive components, and activating higher level powers costs even more (calculated out to be approximately a 1/2 share when compared to the rest of the party).

Basically, this whole setup gives the party access to the healing aspects, a little pause to think everytime they use it, and yet allowed everybody to function without an actual extra character (netting them extra XP and loot).

 

[WalterKovacs]

Perhaps have an intelligent magic item, that is basically a "cleric in a box". The item has the 2 healing words per encounter, and maybe a daily power similar to one of the Cleric healing powers like Cure Moderate Wounds. It would basically be an NPC cleric, but it's inside a magic artifact of some sort.

No leader in a group of 6 is definitely a challenge ... as the number of characters increase, there is more need for a leader, so one leader-lite may not be enough.

One alternative could be to "encourage" multiclassing into the leader classes, perhaps changing the ability to 1/encounter? It shouldn't be hard for some characters to multiclass into warlord at the very least.

Healing potions, when you are at the levels you are talking about, will likely be less than a straight surge for most PCs, so while it may keep them alive within an encounter, they may need to take extended rests more frequently if they are getting less HP per surge.

 

[Wish]

Healer's sash (AV) is an option. Or several healer's sashes.

Potions really aren't that good past 4th level. A potion that heals 10 points at the cost of a surge is just nowhere near as efficient as a cleric who, in one round, can heal the equivalent of 4 surges + 2d6 + 3x Wisdom, and that's without any items. That can go up another 3d10 + 3x Charisma if you trigger exalted armor, for example. Higher level potions are prohibitively expensive.

 

[Skallgrim]

I'd really be reluctant to change the way healing works, since you have said that the cleric will be missing a string of sessions, but will presumably be back. I think it would be bad practice to change the rules, then change them back once he returns.

Why not incorporate this absence into the game world? If the cleric is called away, perhaps his church could give you access to a ritual, or to a ritual scroll, allowing you the use of a permanent teleportation circle that leads to the church. This way, you could give the players easy access to extended rests in safety (as they can "pop" out and back more easily).

In this manner, individual fights become more challenging (as you don't have access to the buffs and heals of the cleric), and people will miss him and be glad to have him back. But, on the other hand, the survival rate of the party should still be pretty good, because they can always "rest and refresh" if needed. I'd also consider giving them some higher level healing potions, which isn't unrealistic if the church will give them access to a teleportation circle anyway.

In this manner, you can easily control access to the healing (through access to ritual scrolls and potions), without changing the core assumptions of the game temporarily. If that particular example doesn't work (cleric called away by church), I'd still try to find an "in game" solution connected to an "in-game" event or storyline, rather than tinkering with the game assumptions.

 

[nittanytbone]

There is a Healer's Sash in the Adventurer's Vault (a belt item) that is basically a cleric in a can. You preload a bunch of healing surges into it, then they can be given out to folks as an Encounter power. So, basically 1x healing word/encounter. That might be viable.

If you have a group of more than four, I think its most important to double up on the defenders and the leaders. Your players might learn something about party composition and take some multiclasses. For example, any STR based character can pick up cleric or warlord powers that let folks spend healing surges on an encounter basis.

The only main change I'd expect to have to make is possibly shorter adventuring days. Clerics tend to make healing very efficient and allow the party to get an extra encounter or two in before they run out of surges.

 

[Jack99]

Right now, back of the envelope, we're looking at:

(1) Second Winds are free actions.
(2) You get three Second Winds per day.
(3) Using a Second Wind allows you to make an immediate save against a single active effect that a save can end.


Too much? Too little? Help please.

WP

Didn't have time to read the thread

But SW as free actions will not help you much. You still only have one per encounter.

Giving 3 per day is even more odd. Why happens when there is more than 3 fights?

Having SW give a save works okay I guess, if you have no other characters that can grant a save.

I would either tell them to tough it out, or have someone run two characters. But you said you didn't want that, so my next best choice would be to give them 2 SW per encounter.

 

[Lord Ernie]

Why not just give one of your other characters an item that allows them to use Healing Word twice per encounter? Give it to a character who normally doesn't really use his minor action much (e.g. fighter, rogue), and wam, instant cleric. No need to completely overhaul the rules for healing.

 

[Foxman]

Healing potions and lots of them.

In my campaign the Dragonborn ranger has tons of them and she uses quickdraw to pull them out as a free action and I allow her to heal as a minor action with them.

One round she used 4 potions on herself and her allies. (1 minor, 1 standard, 1 move and 1 AP).

Just make sure the party has an good supply of them and have or retrain into the quickdraw feat