D&D 5E Is the Healer Feat Broken?

[Undrave]

Replenishing your use of Healer's Kit means you got something to spend all that gold on so that's a plus.

I agree that it's good, but like many I don't think it's broken. I think it's perfectly fine feat and should be considered one of the benchmark. I don't think it's optimal to use it in combat unless an ally is at 0 HP.

 

[Zardnaar]

Replenishing your use of Healer's Kit means you got something to spend all that gold on so that's a plus.

I agree that it's good, but like many I don't think it's broken. I think it's perfectly fine feat and should be considered one of the benchmark. I don't think it's optimal to use it in combat unless an ally is at 0 HP.

On a thief it more or less functions as short range healing word at 5sp a shot.

Other function is a cure spell person per short rest.

It's kind of bonkers at low level. It's more or less a switch for easy mode.

By level 9 it's almost like a mass cure spell per short rest plus short range healing word. On a thief.

Top 5 feats in game IMHO. Roughly in order.

Sharpshooter
Healer
Warcaster
Resilient: constitution
GWM.

Slanted towards lower level play. Level 1 healer wins. Even compared to life cleric it's very good.

Two of those feats make concentration rolls easy, one makes healing very easy, two spike damage numbers to much.

Others are really good in their own right such as PAM but not as abusable.

Healer is also funny on celestial warlock. Sure I'll heal you but we need a short rest. And you get the healing light ability as well.

It's also decent on Spellcasters in general,blasters in particular due to lack of better options.

Most people don't find healing fun but from a power pov it's great.

 

[Undrave]

Is it worth it at lv 8 and above though?

 

[Zardnaar]

Is it worth it at lv 8 and above though?

Still good, worth taking idk depends on situation. Party composition, player skill, how much healing is needed, how many short rests you get.

I assume 6-8 encounters, two short rests, level 1-10 or so. If you nova of all the time and it's 1-3 encounters no short rests it's not so great.

Some feats scale differently. For example.

Warcaster is better than resilient con but that changes around level 9 and what type of spellcaster you are.

 

[Undrave]

Still good, worth taking idk depends on situation. Party composition, player skill, how much healing is needed, how many short rests you get.

I assume 6-8 encounters, two short rests, level 1-10 or so. If you nova of all the time and it's 1-3 encounters no short rests it's not so great.

Some feats scale differently. For example.

Warcaster is better than resilient con but that changes around level 9 and what type of spellcaster you are.

So it depends on opportunity. Do you need the stat bump at lv 4? If you're a human it's a VERY good pick for sure.

I wonder how late into the design process feats were added. A lot of them always felt like Fighter class features that were repurposed as feat when they decided to hit the 3.X "Fighters get tons of feats!" trope.

 

[Zardnaar]

So it depends on opportunity. Do you need the stat bump at lv 4? If you're a human it's a VERY good pick for sure.

I wonder how late into the design process feats were added. A lot of them always felt like Fighter class features that were repurposed as feat when they decided to hit the 3.X "Fighters get tons of feats!" trope.

Yeah I normally go vuman and take it or if I've rolled a bit higher as a non human.

 

[Todd Roybark]

It's kind of bonkers at low level. It's more or less a switch for easy mode.

This statement strikes me as a bit hyperbolic. The feat is good...it does not turn tier one into a series of insignificant challenges, though.

Healing Kits are 5gp per kit, which is not an entirely insubstantial cost at low level.
The Trading Post on the Borderlands, is probably not going to have 10 in stock, ready to purchase.

So presuming the PC will always have a kit, (especially at low level), is not guaranteed.

Spending an action to bring an unconscious PC with 0 HP, to 1 HP, is a great way to prevent failed Death Saves due to 0 HP characters sustaining damage.

Yet at low level, I am more afraid of getting Instant Death from a critical hit, than getting a Coup de Grace when at 0 HP.

Being upright, at 1HP, (at levels 1-3), invites Instant Death. So this use of the Healers Kit at tier one almost needs a Healing Word chaser, which is a lot of resources to spend (HW spell + H Kit charge).

The short rest healing is very nice, especially in conjunction with other abilities like Song of Rest.

All these powers serve to do, is actually enable a group to get through an adventuring day, instead of the normal 5 minute 1st level workday.

My experience with 5e, is groups call for a short rest when HP are lower then desired. A long rest is called for when spell slots are depleted.

I don’t find the Healer Feat makes 6-8 encounters at levels 1-3 easier, it makes completing them possible.

 

[Zardnaar]

This statement strikes me as a bit hyperbolic. The feat is good...it does not turn tier one into a series of insignificant challenges, though.

Healing Kits are 5gp per kit, which is not an entirely insubstantial cost at low level.
The Trading Post on the Borderlands, is probably not going to have 10 in stock, ready to purchase.

So presuming the PC will always have a kit, (especially at low level), is not guaranteed.

Spending an action to bring an unconscious PC with 0 HP, to 1 HP, is a great way to prevent failed Death Saves due to 0 HP characters sustaining damage.

Yet at low level, I am more afraid of getting Instant Death from a critical hit, than getting a Coup de Grace when at 0 HP.

Being upright at 1HP at levels 1-3 invites Instant Death. So this use of the Healers Kit at tier one almost needs a Healing Word chaser, which is a lot of resources to spend (HW spell + H Kit charge).

The short rest healing is very nice, especially in conjunction with other abilities like Song of Rest.

All these powers serve to do is actually enable a group to get through an adventuring day, instead of the normal 5 minute 1st level workday.

My experience with 5e is groups call for a short rest when HP are lower then desired. A long rest is called for when spell slots are depleted.

I don’t find the Healer Feat makes 6-8 encounters at levels 1-3 easier, it makes completing them possible.

5 silver us a lot cheaper than yeah old charge from wand of clw.

Main difference is it's 1 use per short rest and you have to blow a feat.

5 person party two short rests. Compare to a life cleric level 1. That's 15 used for 15gp and a feat. 2

Stick it in a thief at level 3 (requires vuman) and it's a bonus action.

 

[noko]

First, I don't care how it would compare to 4e as that's not the topic and not my position. However, you can just change the fluff text. Even if the mechanics reflect the current fluff, changing the fluff doesn't make the mechanics change. If nobody cares, you describe it as whatever you want and keep the same mechanics. The mutability comes from the fact that alterations have less of an impact on balance in this game, which means there is a tremendous range of fluff already in the game. Hence, making the fluff range even further threatens less in the game.

Look at your post, pure, hydrogenated fluff.

 

[Coroc]

....
Anyway the feats Great Weapon Master and Sharpshooter often get used as examples of broken feats in 5E but one feat strikes me as perhaps a little bit to good.
....

OT but SS and GWM are not overpowered, and the -5/+10 is VERY situational unless you use fudge dice.
AC14+ makes it very risky to use the damage boost even at medium levels (prof +3 or +4 ) and magic weapon +1 or +2.

The +10 serves you nothing if you simply do not hit. You better have advantage or at least a bless going on, with the latter using up your clerics concentration which he could maybe better use on spirit guardians from level 5 up.

The only reason I do not totally regret to have taken sharpshooter for my hunter ranger instead of another +2 to dex is the second gimmick of the feat which lets you ignore long range and up to 3/4 cover.