Bards and healing magic?

[Belgarath]

My only problem is with bards casting healing spells is that they are supposed to be an arcane caster. If the bard can cast healing spells then it makes sense that a wizard should be able to do the same thing since they are both arcane casters. The wizard is much more conversant with spells than a bard. I have gotten around this by saying that the "spells" a bard casts are not arcane, but a class unto themselves.

 

[Crothian]

Having Bards cast Arcane healing and not Wizards is not a problem for me. There are other spells unique to the Bard that the Wizard cannot cast. Frankly, I think there should be spells the sorcerer can ncast, that the wizard can't and vice versa, but that's another topic.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Having Bards cast Arcane healing and not Wizards is not a problem for me. There are other spells unique to the Bard that the Wizard cannot cast.

The other side of the coin is I do not agree that all clerics should have healing spells. Cleric spell selection should reflect the nature of their patron deity. But that is also a different topic.

 

[BenBrown]

Well, if you want to open up the can of worms about different types of magic, you'll get me advocating that there shouldn't be a cleric class at all--but that's another story entirely.

I'm another one of those people playing bards who took CLW and does not intend to take any other healing spells. It's part of the JOAT thing for bards. Remember, Bardic Magic is based on the same power as Bardic Music, and therefore will be as different in tone from Wizards as Druids are from Clerics and probably more so.

The healing is nice. It adds a bit to the versatility of the class, which is really its big feature at low levels. I'm not sure what it's big feature at high levels is, as I've only just hit 6th, but I get the feeling that Bards tend to specialize starting about then. I'm the party's archer, for instance.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

The problem with the bard is, moreso than a sorcerer like Hennet or a psion like myself, is you really need to know what everyone else is playing in your group before you make your bard. The key is to focus strongly on whatever you're lacking.

For example, if Tordek, Mialee, and Jozan went into the dungeon with Devis, he damn well better have his Dexterity skills and ranged combat beefed up to take the place of the rogue. But sub Lidda in for Jozan and Devis needs to have healing spells, boosting spells, and healing and magic items handy to play the cleric.

People who gripe about their bard sucking or being boring probably did not think through what the rest of the party was when building the bard at 1st level. Nothing could be more boring than playing a bard that fills the same niche as another class in the party.

He said everything I wanted to say.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Ialdabode is true...
If I had not played a bard with Cure Light Wounds (and a wand of Cure Light), one of the other player would have not played the character concept he prefered (fighter/rogue) but cleric.
A Bard is a support character. That´s not always something everyone wants to play...
(But so isn´t a greatsword wielding dum fighter, nor a spellcasting wizard )

About the problem with Arcane Healing: There are are also several spells on the druid`s list that cannot be found on the Clerics list, and vice versa. So, the magic "base type" (arcane or divine) doesn`t mean much in regard to spell selection. This illusion might come up due to the fact that wizards and sorcerer share the same spell list, but that doesn`t mean anything. (expect perhaps that some guys at WotC lacked some creativity? Well, I don`t think so...)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Darklone]

Wand of cure light wounds

Someone here wrote that a bard can use a wand of cure light wounds since the spell is on his list... That's not right AFAIK, since he cannot use divine items even if the spells are on his list (a wizards can't use a divine hold person scroll, don't ask for logic, I hate the divine/arcane thingy).

He still can use it with Use Magic Device skill though.

Yeah bard are the group medics in more than one way. They help everywhere, at healing, fighting, sneaking, talking. No bard can cope with a specialist, but when my multiclassed bard died lately and I thought about not letting him raise, the group complained. They got used to him pulling the much needed rabbit from his head everytime.

 

[Deadguy]

Re: Wand of cure light wounds

Someone here wrote that a bard can use a wand of cure light wounds since the spell is on his list... That's not right AFAIK, since he cannot use divine items even if the spells are on his list (a wizards can't use a divine hold person scroll, don't ask for logic, I hate the divine/arcane thingy).

He still can use it with Use Magic Device skill though.

Just to quickly set this straight, the distinction between Arcane and Divine exists only in the realm of Scrolls (the Spell Completion items in item crewation parlance). The DMG has clear rules that distinguish between the two.

On the other hand, Command Word items, like Wands and Staves, simply require that the specific spell exist on the character's spell list(s). Indeed the Sage has confirmed, for characters such as Paladins and Rangers, they needn't even have gained their spellcasting abilities yet, since they potentially have them.

So by the rules, a Bard can use the Cure XXXXX Wounds wands - which makes them far more valuable (and also pleases their players who don't have to spend all their spells healing floks!)

 

[Darklone]

Typical D&D... logic is lost

Well, fits my opinion to get rid of all differences in divine and arcane idiocy... No offence