Can a Wizard make a Healing Spell?

[Zappo]

From a game point of view, the distinction gives more flavour to both clerics and wizards, and it encourages different party members to cooperate, so it's a good thing.

I would allow a wizard to research a healing spell, but make it high enough in level or give it drawbacks so that it just isn't worth it. The reasoning is that healing through arcane magic is definitely possible (limited wish), but if it were convenient someone would have thought of it by now.

 

[Thanee]

I'm just looking for some creative answers that go beyond: "Arcane magic is destructive; divine magic is healing and defensive".

The DMG actually answers this... arcane magic is better at being destructive and divine magic is better at healing, basically.

So you probably could make an arcane (sor/wiz) cure light spell as a 2nd level spell, for example, following the guidelines. However, it would be kinda out of flavor, so to say.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Using Wish as a guide, I would allow a wizard to develop arcane versions of the equivalent cleric healing spells at +2 level; thus, an arcane Cure Light Wounds would be a third level spell, and so on. It's a simple extrapolation of Wish and Limited Wish down to lower spell level versions.

Why +2 levels? The difference is only +1 level.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Vrecknidj]

Maybe a modified Vampiric Touch would do the trick? If you wanted to use this on allies, perhaps a wizard could research a version that caused nonlethal damage to those he touched with one hand, while granting temporary hit points to those he touched with the other. (He could, of course, touch himself with either--or both--hands.)

Dave

 

[Woas]

On page 36 of the 3.5 DMG, there are 2 charts that show max damage for Arcane and Divine spells for Single and Multiple targets. It shows that the max damage an Arcane caster can do is 25 dice at level 8 compared to 25 dice for level 9 divine. For damaging multiple targets, arcane has a max of 25 dice and divine only goes to 20. Maybe if one created 2 charts along the same lines, "max dice for healing spells for Arcane and Divine spells" they could be worked out.

So, if at 1st level, a cleric can cast a max of 1 die, then arcane casts 0 (no level 0 or 1 heal spells.) 2nd level, divine casts 2 dice, etc.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

If you actually allowed wizards access to healing spells at, say, +1 level (CLW at 2nd, etc), what would be the effect?
What would happen to the game? Would people stop playing clerics? Would they continue playing them and expect to shoulder less of the healing burden? Would this be more fun or less fun for the players of wizards and clerics?
What would happen to the game world? Would wizards be even more dominant in the world?

Now, back to the overall game design concept of the divide between arcane and divine, I rather like it. The D&D Gazetteer for Glantri had some interesting bits based on the rivalry between arcane and divine - in a nation ruled by wizard nobles, casting diving magic or preaching about the gods was a capital crime. This maintained the wizard's monopoly on power, but meant that the country was vulnerable to ordinary mundane plagues (as well as magical ones).

 

[Arnwyn]

DM's call.

I wouldn't allow it, personally, because I think keeping class archetypes somewhat separate is important.

Yeppers - exactly how I feel and what I do IMC.

 

[mercucio]

The DMG actually answers this... arcane magic is better at being destructive and divine magic is better at healing, basically...

Just because the DMG says so, doesn't mean it's right . After all the bard has access to cure light, medium, serious, and critical wounds. Along with mass cure light wounds and neutralize poison. Thus arcane magic *can* be used to cure damage.

The biggest difference between clerical magic and arcane magic isn't really the healing of wounds or curing disease and poision. It is 1. Raising the Dead, and to a lesser degree 2. Restoring life energy--i.e the restoration series of spells. Think about it. Clerics can raise the dead and restore lost levels, wizards cannot (w/out limited wish or wish anyways). It's once wizards start intruding on those two things that distinction between the two types of magic begins to fade in my eyes.

The argument that only divine spellcasters can heal is done to maintain class balance is laughably weak. I won't get into it too much here, but to claim that the cleric (HD 1d8, BAB 3/4, two good saves, turn undead, the ability to prepare and 1st-5th level spells at higher class levels, full access to all spells on the cleric spell list, domain bonus spells, and domain powers) is balanced compared to the wizard (HD 1d4, BAB 1/2, scribe scroll, 4 bonuxs feats at 20th level, familiar, limited access to spells on the wizard spell list, and possible specialization--which restricts access to 2 schools of magic) is silly.

corrected formatting

 

[Torak Stoneweaver]

Healing for the Arcane 101

If you have or have read Complete Divine, and plan on using it there is a feat called Divine Disciple that allows you to take a DOMAIN of your gods and call it your own if you match the gods alignment.

Yuo get to add each spell, when you are high enough to casat them by spell level, to your repetoire of spells You can only commit 1 / lvl to your memory but that works out to a 1th level mage having 1 CLW, 1 CMW, 1 CSW, 1 CCW, Cure light Wounds Mass and 1 HEAL.

The spells are then part of your spell list which allows you free use of any cure wands.

Its all good!

 

[ThoughtBubble]

I always find it odd when people state that most fantasy literature doesn't make a separation between types of magic. In a sizable portion of the ones I've read there is usually the healer, and then the wizard. And they're usually fairly separate. They're not always separate, but in those situations, the fellow who can do both is usually mostly a wizard, and just a tiny bit a healer. Sounds like a Wiz6/clr 2 to me.

Which, frankly is still my main thought on it. If a wizard wants healing really bad, he can take cleric levels.

Depending on the game, I might let a wizard make healing spells. It becomes more likely if there isn't an arcane caster in the group. I'd keep them fairly weak. The +2 lv sounds about right.

Anyway, if a player of mine wanted to be a dedicated "all types of magic" guy, I'd point him at the mystic theurge. Which covers the wizard who can heal very nicely.

And finally, the bard may get healing magic, but look at his spells per day, spell list, and spell progression.