D&D 5E Bonus healing balance question

[Mouseferatu]

So, my group's quite enjoyed 5e for the most part, thus far, but my cleric player is a bit disappointed. One of her favorite things about 4e was the ability to heal and do something else in the same round. She's not an optimizer or powergamer; it just made her feel more useful.

Now, with the healing word spell, she can kind of do that in 5e--but she's bummed she can't cast other spells (besides cantrips), especially given how short combat is.

I've been considering houseruling healing word (and only that spell, no others) to allow casting of another spell in the same round--but with the understanding (and this is vital) that I would not be making rests any easier to take, or toning down any later encounters. Thus, if she blows through most of her slots in the first few encounters, the rest will be that much harder.

But I'm still learning the system myself, so I wanted other opinions. Is this (relatively; I'm not shooting for perfection) balanced, or am I overlooking some important implications?

 

[fjw70]

I don't see an issue with it.

i amy may add this to me list of changes to make 5e more like 4e.

 

[rjfTrebor]

i've been real loose with the rule about casting two spells in a turn using your bonus action and nothing's caught fire yet.

 

[Thaumaturge]

It doesn't seem too crazy.

But (I'm just spitballing here) what if you made a Channel Divinity option that let a cleric cast cure wounds and then cast another spell as a bonus action? Making it a cure wounds makes it bigger, but making it Channel Divinity means it'll only happen once per short rest.

Just a thought.

Thaumaturge.

 

[KidSnide]

I've been considering houseruling healing word (and only that spell, no others) to allow casting of another spell in the same round--but with the understanding (and this is vital) that I would not be making rests any easier to take, or toning down any later encounters. Thus, if she blows through most of her slots in the first few encounters, the rest will be that much harder.

But I'm still learning the system myself, so I wanted other opinions. Is this (relatively; I'm not shooting for perfection) balanced, or am I overlooking some important implications?

I think the rule against casting two full spells in the same round is directed at being able to blast out multiple higher-than-first level spells in the same round. For example, Healing Word doesn't strike me as a big deal, but being able to blast out a Mass Healing Word along with a Flame Strike (or other big hitter) seems like it could be a little beyond the pale. Perhaps more importantly, the Sorcerer Quicken Spell metamagic might be the best ability in the game if it let you to cast two of your top level spells in a single round.

That house rule will make caster clerics a little better and may cause your clerics to run out of spells unusually fast, but it doesn't seem horribly balanced. Certainly, it seems like the type of change that the rest of the party won't mind because - hey - what PC really minds extra healing?

-KS

 

[rjfTrebor]

I think the rule against casting two full spells in the same round is directed at being able to blast out multiple higher-than-first level spells in the same round. For example, Healing Word doesn't strike me as a big deal, but being able to blast out a Mass Healing Word along with a Flame Strike (or other big hitter) seems like it could be a little beyond the pale. Perhaps more importantly, the Sorcerer Quicken Spell metamagic might be the best ability in the game if it let you to cast two of your top level spells in a single round.

That house rule will make caster clerics a little better and may cause your clerics to run out of spells unusually fast, but it doesn't seem horribly balanced. Certainly, it seems like the type of change that the rest of the party won't mind because - hey - what PC really minds extra healing?

-KS

your sorcerer example is how i've been doing things in my game since the phb came out and it hasn't upset things very much. my players aren't optimizers, though.