Mark of Healing

[Kzach]

Does this work with Astral Seal?

If it does... whoa.

 

[MadLordOfMilk]

I don't see why it wouldn't!

A lot of the Dragonmark feats are pretty potent.

 

[Antronach]

they carry a fairly heavy RP drawback though, any good dm will use this to their advantage.

 

[fuzzlewump]

they carry a fairly heavy RP drawback though, any good dm will use this to their advantage.

Good/bad DM assertions aside, forever, not mentioned again, what are these heavy roleplaying drawbacks? I recently started DMing Eberron and I haven't come across these drawbacks. One of my players has the mark of healing, so it is relevant. Thanks!

 

[Lord Ernie]

Actually, I would argue it doesn't work. First of all, design-wise, you're making Sacred Flame suck just a bit more, and it's already been shorthanded by not being included in any domain (yeah, it's a good at-will, but I still don't understand why). More importantly, however, let's look at the text for Mark of Healing

Whenever you use a healing power on an ally or use Heal to allow an ally to spend his or her second wind, that ally can also make a saving throw.

and Astral Seal:

Until the end of your next turn, the target takes a –2 penalty to all defenses. The next ally who hits it before the end of your next turn regains hit points equal to 2 + your Charisma modifier.

Note that Mark of Healing says 'use a healing power on an ally', whereas Astral Seal clearly states that the target of the power is the enemy you're aiming it at. Indeed, which ally will gain the bonus depends entirely upon which ally hits the target first; you're not using a healing power on anyone at all. Except perhaps the enemy, but they're not regaining any hitpoints from Astral Seal.

 

[Kzach]

Note that Mark of Healing says 'use a healing power on an ally', whereas Astral Seal clearly states that the target of the power is the enemy you're aiming it at.

I would agree with this except for this:

When you grant healing with one of your cleric powers that has the healing keyword, add your Wisdom modifier to the hit points the recipient regains.

And it's well known that this applies to Astral Seal.

 

[OakwoodDM]

The difference between Mark of Healing and Healer's Lore is that Healer's Lore just asks for 2 things: You use a power with the healing keyword and that power grants healing, whereas Mark of Healing requires you to use a Healing power on an ally.

Astral Seal is a power with the healing keyword, and it grants healing, so it triggers Healer's Lore. However, when you used the power, you used it on the enemy (not an ally), so Mark of Healing doesn't trigger. I don't see a conflict.

 

[Kzach]

Hmm, it appears that CS has already answered this:

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According to them, Mark of Healing works with Astral Seal and also Healer's Spirit (granting a save to both the target and the secondary target).

 

[UngeheuerLich]

But they should be wrong here... as pointed out, the power states a different thing... if it was worded in this way: "if an ally is granted healing by one of your healing powers..." then of course it would work but here: no!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

But they should be wrong here... as pointed out, the power states a different thing... if it was worded in this way: "if an ally is granted healing by one of your healing powers..." then of course it would work but here: no!

Or we're just reading the wording to litererally. In the end, the power provides healing to an ally. Just because a particularly wording can be interpreted as requiring the ally to be the target specified in the power's target line, it doesn't have to be the intention. Is there really ever specifically cleared out: "Creatures affected by a power but not mentioned in the target line are not targets?" Or is this just something that falls too common sense to be decided?

I know people distrust using common sense in combination with game rules... But sometimes designers, developers and editors just don't think that literal when writing down a game rule.