Maerdwyn
First Post
Bear's Heart, from Defenders of the Faith, was extremely helpful in our last game, and it seems like a cool spell, so I don't just want to snatch it away, but I have some balance issues with it. I need some input on how to resolve those issues.
Cure Critical wounds, is a Clr 4, Dr 5 spell that heals 4d8+1/level points of damage. For an 8th level caster, that's an average of 26 points of damage healed on one person. For a 9th level druid, the minimum, thats 27 points average.
Bear's Heart, a 4th level spell for druids, 5th for clerics, gives 1d4 temporary hp/level, and grants +4 STR, affecting 1 ally per caster level. It deals 1 hp of subdual damage /caster level to each affected ally when the spell expires. For an 8th level druid, thats an average of 20hp gained for up to 8 allies in 1 action, plus the STR benefits. When the spell ends, the allies take 8 pts subdual damage, meaning the worst that can happen is they drop to 0, and are unconscious.
Even if the subdual damage is counted as equal to real damage, a party could be healed by a net average of 72 points by this single 4th level druid spell, or the druid could gain another level and use his one a 5th level spell to heal an average of 27 to one person using cure critical wounds. In the heat of battle, the discrepency seems even more blatant: the spell increases the party's HP by an average of 160 points, even if it puts people over their maximums, plus grants strength bonuses. At ninth level, the average HP gained by the (currently nine member, including hirelings and cohorts, etc.) party would be 202.5 points ( 121.5 after the spell ends), vs 27 points for a cure critical.
Suggestions?
Cure Critical wounds, is a Clr 4, Dr 5 spell that heals 4d8+1/level points of damage. For an 8th level caster, that's an average of 26 points of damage healed on one person. For a 9th level druid, the minimum, thats 27 points average.
Bear's Heart, a 4th level spell for druids, 5th for clerics, gives 1d4 temporary hp/level, and grants +4 STR, affecting 1 ally per caster level. It deals 1 hp of subdual damage /caster level to each affected ally when the spell expires. For an 8th level druid, thats an average of 20hp gained for up to 8 allies in 1 action, plus the STR benefits. When the spell ends, the allies take 8 pts subdual damage, meaning the worst that can happen is they drop to 0, and are unconscious.
Even if the subdual damage is counted as equal to real damage, a party could be healed by a net average of 72 points by this single 4th level druid spell, or the druid could gain another level and use his one a 5th level spell to heal an average of 27 to one person using cure critical wounds. In the heat of battle, the discrepency seems even more blatant: the spell increases the party's HP by an average of 160 points, even if it puts people over their maximums, plus grants strength bonuses. At ninth level, the average HP gained by the (currently nine member, including hirelings and cohorts, etc.) party would be 202.5 points ( 121.5 after the spell ends), vs 27 points for a cure critical.
Suggestions?
