Experiences With the Healer Class?

[knifespeaks]

Well, I am DM'ing a group of 3, where one person is playing a healer - and we are having a blast with it

They are all pretty strong roleplayers, and as a DM I am conscious of the groups' desires - especially the player who is playing the healer. He really wishes to avoid combat, so I am pretty flexible in regard to adjudicating reactions - I am not going to force the player to become something he doesn't want to be.

The other 2 players are also really happy taking the frontline combat duties too.

That being said, I can see that it wouldn't suit everyone - but it's a great change.

 

[Shade]

I made an NPC healer to accompany the party through a recent adventure. She has been quite handy.

While the healer lacks spontaneous healing, note that she gets more spells per level than a cleric, gets more skill points per level, and adds her Cha bonus to all healing spells cast.

With the Augment Healing feat and the healing hands ability, our healer cures 9 points with a cure minor wounds!

Also, you can give a healer the Spontaneous Healer feat from Complete Divine, allowing spontaneous casting of cure spells (up to Wis modifier per day).

The celestial unicorn ain't so bad...free magic circle against evil at all times. Even better, replace it with the lammasu when able, and you've got a free 7th-level cleric in the party!

Don't discount the healer...it's better than it looks at first glance.

 

[Gez]

Particularly Skill Focus (heal)? "A healer's focused training grants her this feat at 2nd level. If she already has this feat, she may choose a different one."

A different one? Like, say, ANY other one?

Yup, provided you meet the prerequisite. In effect, it "refunds" you from the feat slot you spent in Skill Focus.

So, you can take something like Power Attack as a Healer bonus feat if you meet the prerequisites!

On the companion animal, how are interpreting the bonuses to Str/Dex/Con? The other progressions, for hit dice and the like, have a clear progression (natural ac increases from +2 to +6 over time, for example). But the ability score progression says +2, +2, +2. Do you interpret that as a one time +2 bonus, or as a +2 bonus, then another +2 bonus, then a third +2 bonus.

Actually, it is +0, +2, +2, +2. So, assuming it hasn't been errated (I'll check it in a minute), the RAW is that it caps at +2.

Thoughts on multi-classing Healer/Marshall? I see the character as a Captain America type, one concerned with guiding and protecting his allies in the fight against "evil". The combination seems a relatively effective one, as both rely on Charisma, and the marshall's auras would be very helpful. However, it would curtail spell levels, which might prove disastrous.

Interesting idea. If spellcasting is the concern, I suggest you keep an unbalanced multiclassing (not a concern for humans): Healer X/Marshall 2, or Healer 2/Marshal X.

 

[Gez]

The MiniHB errata doesn't include anything about the Healer.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20031030x

 

[Chaps]

Please, the Healer class is very good. If you have a Cleric 1/Healer 9, you can just cure 90 Hp per round.
Choose the Healing and Sun Domain (Pelor), Feats: Augment Healing, Sacred Boost, Quick Turning (feats from Complete Divine) and any other.
Spontaneus Cast by cleric do not say that only aplly to cleric spells. Put 18 in Charisma and 16 in Wisdom, the rest in Constitution. (assuming you have 30 points, like Neverwinter Nights).
Using the saced boos with quick turning, you can maximize you cure spell, until you next round (Close wounds will be maximized too). So you can cure about 90 Hp per round.
But you will be weak in other atributes, so it is a good idea use Santuary spell to protect you from attacks.
The cure moderate wound, mass will cure about 40 HP of everybody.... Poor Fireball... hhee
That is it. I play lots of tornament and that class just seems stupid, but in fact is very very good.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Excellent, folks. Thanks for all the opinions and suggestions.

Looks like there's lost of ideas to consider.

Crothian, I would be interested in seeing your Healer class, if you get the chance.

Patrick Y.

 

[Crothian]

Crothian, I would be interested in seeing your Healer class, if you get the chance.

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1867777#post1867777

I posted it over in house rules in so others can see it and possible discuss it