I'm writing a mini-MM full of stock NPCs, and I'm curious how other DMs handle healing surges for NPCs. Personally I'm loathe to give my NPCs access to surges.
But if NPC clerics don't heal [in combat], and NPC dwarves don't go *ding* I suddenly feel better!, what do they do? What do you give them to express their clericiness or dwarfishness?
All monsters and NPCs get 1 healing surge per tier.
They do not, however, usually have Second Wind. As a result, they
can't use their healing surges without items (healing potions, for instance) or allied healers.
Companions get more, as they expect you to heal them.
There are NPC rules that stick pretty close to the class rules in the DMG1 (there's actually two sets of rules, one being a functional template set, just to make things more confusing). As a result, a few templated creatures like the death knight and lich have Second Wind.
Dwarves have two "dwarvishness" abilities - Stand Your Ground (harder to push or knock prone) and a minor action Second Wind. Giving ordinary NPCs Second Wind contributes to the grind, so I would suggest not giving them that. They'll still seem "dwarvish" with their Stand Your Ground ability. Indeed, the dwarf hammerer from the PH1 gets a free attack if anyone tries to push it! This becomes important when you have powers for virtually ever core class that can push a dwarf.
Clerics are another matter. To make an NPC feel like a cleric is a simple matter of picking an appropriate at-will (I like Lance of Faith, giving out a +2 bonus to hit as an at-will is kind of nice, and Righteous Might, though you might want to cap the bonus to hit to no more than +4, and even Sacred Flame, but only give a rerolled save as temp hp equals grind).
Then pick a limited power: usually a PH1, Essentials 1 or what have you encounter ability (as a recharge) or daily ability (as an encounter, note that those with a duration of the entire encounter are usually too powerful).
To avoid grind, you want to avoid powers like Priest's Shield that gives an AC or defense bonus (although it's probably okay to use these on occasion, especially in "boss fights").
You also want to avoid complicated powers, like Spiritual Weapon or anything else that summons anything. But I figure you knew that already
According to the DMG1, an NPC cleric is usually a "controller (leader)". Most cleric NPCs would be considered "controller (leaders)" though melee clerics might be "soldier (leaders)" instead. Take a look at spells like Command and tell me clerics aren't controllers.
If you're daring, you can also give the cleric Healing Word as an encounter ability (note, not twice per encounter, as you want to avoid too much grinding). I don't believe NPC clerics get Healer's Lore, and whether you want to give bonus dice of healing depends on just how daring you're feeling. A melee cleric might want to take healing strike instead, although there is the downside of no effect on a miss. Maybe that's a good thing.
I only give "named" NPC clerics this ability.
Giving the ability to use a healing surge might be too dangerous, when you consider a cleric could work with a much higher level monster, a solo, or both! The dwarven cleric in Dark Sun Creature Catalog simply gives 15 or 20 hp back, which I suspect is roughly its healing surge value.
