Artificer Healing: Do I have this right?

[Remathilis]

Artificer healing confuses me. Help make sure I got this right.

1.) I create two widgets after my extended rest (aka the night before).

2.) I carry my two widgets into battle.

3a.) At some point during the battle, I can use one of my widgets as a minor action to either a.) heal my ally his healing surge value + wis or b.) give him +1 AC, which he can cash in for temp hp equal to healing surge value + con.

3b.) The choice of which effect I chose at the moment of use, not during the creation of the widget during the extended rest.

4.) Said Healing DOES NOT cost me, the target, or anyone else a healing surge to use at the time of the healing.

5.) BUT to use it again next encounter, SOMEONE has to recharge it via spending a healing surge during a short rest. This can be the artificer, the target of the healing, or another PC.

Despite the fact that I carry the widget, it works on any ally within 5 squares (expanding as I level up).

So what an artificer lacks in sheer power (wisdom is secondary/tertiary stat, based on build, no Xd6 by level), it makes up in versatility (AC, healing, temp hp) and allows the group to "share healing surges" (so the wizard with 6 extra surges can power the fighter's healing during the short rests).

Did I get all that right?

 

[Vael]

yes.

 

[DracoSuave]

100% correct.

Gold star.

You have gotten it so entirely right, and so entirely thuroughly that how you describe it is actually a better way to explain how it works than any other explanation I've seen.

From now on, I'm going to ask the artificer in my group to call them widgets.

Except that the healing goes up by 2 every 5 levels after 1st (So at 6th, 11th, etc.) and that the temp hp adds 2X con mod at level 11, and 3X at level 21.

But yeah, other than that, spot on.

 

[Panthine]

You forgot to add at lvl 11 you can upgrade your restorative "widget" (god i love that term) to give surge+con temp to the ally you choose AND an ally within 5 of HIM extending your range and DOUBLING the widget's power.

 

[Camelot]

Plus, at level 16, you can use three widgets per encounter! But yeah, you got it exactly right. I love the way artificers can spread around the healing surges. It makes them my favorite leader!

 

[DracoSuave]

Not to mention, they can also restore power to other doohickeys that heal like widgets, thusly maximising both your widget level, and your doohickey efficiency.

 

[Remathilis]

Thanks.

When I first began my artificer (and I'm only level 1, so I skipped over the higher-level stuff for now) we were VERY confused on the nature of the healing (did the PC heal spend a surge to heal AND one to recharge? Does the PC have to carry the widget?) We settled on Occam's razor for that game (treating it like a cleric's holy word) but before next session I wanted to be sure we knew the correct method.

And yes, they will be referred to as widgets and doohickeys my my artificer from now on.