Gnome Variant

[Tequila Sunrise]

This rendition of soothing touch is definitely fair. Maybe even a bit conservative -- the standard action is a big drawback. I'd allow it as a minor action; the must-be-bloodied requirement and the lack of the usual second wind defense bonus balance out the added utility of being able to use it on allies, I think.

 

[Camelot]

Sounds like a great compromise!

 

[Mengu]

Well, monsters do have healing surges according the MMs, but they can't activate them on their own. I'd say animals are the same.

Yes they have healing surges, but they don't have second wind. It's an important distinction. You can't trigger their second wind, because they don't have it.

SOOTHING TOUCH
Change the text of the soothing touch power to the following:

Soothing Touch - Gnome Racial Utility
Your hand glows dimly, and a small wound on you or an ally mends itself with a touch.
Encounter
Standard Action - Melee touch
Target: You or one ally
Requirement: The target must be bloodied.
Effect: The target uses his or her second wind without taking an action. The target does not gain the defense bonus normally granted by second wind.

As you seem to already have agreed, this is a bit weak, and as a minor action I think it would be fine.

EXPERT LIGHTBRINGER
Change the text of the benefit of the Expert Lightbringer feat to the following:

The target of your soothing touch power regains additional hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Unlike leader classes, this bonus will only be used once per encounter, so I'd be inclined to make it a bit bigger, or scale it a bit faster, maybe 1 + half level would be good and it would remove the wisdom reliance.

To be honest though, even with a boost, I think I would see this feat more as clutter than anything else. I'd rather it do something else, rather than more of the same (healing). Maybe grant a save.

Defensive Touch should be able to stay as it is, since it grants the same bonus a second wind normally would grant for the same duration (one turn, since you use the power on your turn and it lasts until the start of your next turn).

It had a bit more tooth before when you could use it potentially 2-3 times in an encounter. Once an encounter +2 for 1 round to one target doesn't seem feat worthy. I would maybe extend the bonus to "you and the target" or even make it a bubble. In its current state, it would not pass my clutter test, though I should admit I'm not too fond of conditional defense bonuses, I find them to be forgettable, and to rarely make a difference at the right time unless they are an interrupt. Your experience may vary.

 

[Camelot]

Yes they have healing surges, but they don't have second wind. It's an important distinction. You can't trigger their second wind, because they don't have it.

Eh, that's kind of metagamey. I'd allow it in my game because the only time it would matter would be when it was plot relevant. I wouldn't allow monsters with super-dominate to let the gnome use it on them, though.

Unlike leader classes, this bonus will only be used once per encounter, so I'd be inclined to make it a bit bigger, or scale it a bit faster, maybe 1 + half level would be good and it would remove the wisdom reliance.

To be honest though, even with a boost, I think I would see this feat more as clutter than anything else. I'd rather it do something else, rather than more of the same (healing). Maybe grant a save.

What about 2 additional hit points (4 at 21st) and a saving throw? Or maybe get rid of the hit points altogether and grant a saving throw with a bonus?

It had a bit more tooth before when you could use it potentially 2-3 times in an encounter. Once an encounter +2 for 1 round to one target doesn't seem feat worthy. I would maybe extend the bonus to "you and the target" or even make it a bubble. In its current state, it would not pass my clutter test, though I should admit I'm not too fond of conditional defense bonuses, I find them to be forgettable, and to rarely make a difference at the right time unless they are an interrupt. Your experience may vary.

The battlemind has a feat that grants it a +2 bonus to defenses for as long as its battle resilience is in effect, which is one turn per encounter. However, battle resilience grants resistance instead of hit points, which is different, so I don't know if the balance is exactly right. But I think Defensive Touch doesn't need much spicing up for now.

 

[Mengu]

What about 2 additional hit points (4 at 21st) and a saving throw? Or maybe get rid of the hit points altogether and grant a saving throw with a bonus?

Yeah, I think either one will be fine.

The battlemind has a feat that grants it a +2 bonus to defenses for as long as its battle resilience is in effect, which is one turn per encounter. However, battle resilience grants resistance instead of hit points, which is different, so I don't know if the balance is exactly right. But I think Defensive Touch doesn't need much spicing up for now.

It's a decent comparison. Deceptive Mind persists even fewer enemy turns, because once it kicks in, your turn might be right around the corner, you may possibly even be the next person to act. So it's a very stinky feat that enhances an already duration challenged class feature. Not exactly the design model you want to base your stuff off of. Your feat would at least have a full round duration, so it's better than the Battlemind's Deceptive Mind.

As I said, I'm not too fond of conditional defense bonuses so I'm biased. But this might open up the door for some nova defense round for a crazy build out there, or a build that uses a conditional defense boost first 2-3 rounds of every encounter to survive the harder part of an encounter. It might not be too bad.

 

[Kingreaper]

If you're going to put it as "they use their second wind but don't gain the bonus to defences" I'd just change it to "They spend a healing surge"; rules out certain strange interactions with second wind optimisers.

Another way to make it work (if you want surgeless healing specifically) could be: They gain X temporary hitpoints, and, if they're dying, are restored to 1 hp. So it allows you to get a dying ally up when normally temp HP wouldn't.

Only problem with that is revenants, but then revenants tend to attract cheese.

 

[Camelot]

If you're going to put it as "they use their second wind but don't gain the bonus to defences" I'd just change it to "They spend a healing surge"; rules out certain strange interactions with second wind optimisers.

Another way to make it work (if you want surgeless healing specifically) could be: They gain X temporary hitpoints, and, if they're dying, are restored to 1 hp. So it allows you to get a dying ally up when normally temp HP wouldn't.

Only problem with that is revenants, but then revenants tend to attract cheese.

When it has you use your second wind, then you get all the benefits for using your second wind AND spending a healing surge, without having to spend the action to use your second wind. The cons are that you don't get the defense bonus and you can't use your second wind in the battle again. Just getting to spend a healing surge might be too much healing in one battle (since you could then later use your second wind to spend another).