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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dagredhel" data-source="post: 152433" data-attributes="member: 3421">Hi Crothian.I've had this alternate core class work-up sitting around gathering dust for a while now.  Its not totally complete (a lot of the unique spells are still in my notebooks,) but I thought you might be interested anyways, and it gives me a perfect excuse to solicit your (valued) comments.  So, without further ado, here is my take on a non-clerical Healer:HEALER (OF THE WHITE WAY) by Jim BurnsForsaking armor and weapons of war, schooled in the mystic arts of life and light, in natural philosophy and in useful practical matters, the Healer is a friend to all--- save those who embody the forces of darkness and ignorance, to whom he can be a bitter and implacable foe.  The Healer follows the “Way of the White”, learning to tap his own life force to open a channel to the positive material plane, the power of which he draws upon to empower his magics.  The spells he weaves thereby are similar to those of the Cleric, but more limited in scope.  Whereas the Cleric, by virtue of his god (or goddess) given gifts, is a master of divine magic of diverse application, the Healer’s powers are more limited in scope, but no less powerful in effect.  The Healer learns to channel and manipulate the power of “the White”, the positive material plane, to work powerful cures and evocations of primal positive energy.As befits their ethos, Healers spurn the use of armor and the tools of war, but instead receive special instruction in the arts of self-defense, becoming masters of non-lethal combat.  While preferring to avoid unnecessary conflict, the Healer is ready to defend himself and those he takes into his care, and often to champion the cause of justice, to protect the innocent, and to fight the forces of darkness, even to the point of killing if he must.  Many tales speak of the prowess of a Healer drawn into battle, and of the foe that underestimated him or her to their ultimate regret.Adventures: Healers adventure to make use of the abilities for which they are named.  Through experience, they hone their abilities, both magical and mundane, while spreading their benefits to the enrichment of themselves and others.  In the course of their sojourns, for good or ill, they generally also receive ample opportunity to practice their arts of self-defense.Characteristics: The paramount ability of the Healer is the ability to channel positive energy to cast spells which are mainly curative or restorative, or evoke light or primal positive energy.  While their choice of spells is quite restrictive as compared to that of the Cleric, and they progress to new levels of spell power a trifle slower, they can cast more spells of the levels to which they have access than a Cleric of the same level, and share the ability of good Clerics to cast “cure” spells spontaneously.  While they lack the Cleric’s granted power over the undead, the spells they command are quite efficacious in combating these creatures.  Their combat abilities are fair, if geared towards self-protection, and they are often underestimated because of this.  As they progress to higher levels, they gain access to a few very good offensive spells.  At intermediate and higher levels, they begin to acquire abilities derived from their intimate connection to the positive energies that power their magic.Religion: The Healer reveres life, and acquires his magical abilities through a direct link to the primal forces of life and renewal.  While some Healers view this link as a personal, spiritual connection with the divine, most regard it simply as a source of energy to be tapped for good ends.  In any case, Healers do not serve a particular deity or deities, but are often respectful of those faiths which are associated with goodness, healing, knowledge or light, or whose secular missions are similar to their own.Background: While some Healers receive formal instruction in small, secretive enclaves similar to the monasteries in which monks are trained, most undergo an apprenticeship to a master who has a few students at most.  Much as do Druids, Healers consider themselves brothers and sisters of a single order, but there is little formal hierarchy amongst them.  Once past their tutelage, all Healers are esteemed for their level of ability, their learning, and their, rather than by any formal system of rank.  Despite differences in allegiance, outlook, or goals, Healers are expected to remain civil in their dealings with one another even when at cross-purposes.Races: Healers are most often human, or half-orcs and half-elves raised among humans.  A number of halflings have also been known to follow the White Way.  Most elves, dwarves, and gnomes are too strongly bound to their traditional religions to follow the path of the healer, as those who might otherwise be so inclined become Clerics or Druids instead.  Amongst savage humanoids, Healers are unknown.  The possibility certainly exists, however, that one of humanoid race raised amid more gentle circumstances could come to embrace the Way of the White.  Other Classes: The earthly agents of divine powers sometimes mistrust Healers, who wield divine magic without serving as intermediaries of higher beings, and who view their philosophies as secondary to their secular pursuits.  Healers are often held suspect, if not subject to open harassment.  Unjust (and bitterly ironic) accusations of pacts made with dark powers have haunted Healers down through the ages.  Because of this prejudice, some Healers downplay their magical abilities, making use of them covertly if possible when circumstances require.  They make no secret of their vocation as healers and teachers, however, and an air of mystery and the rumor of magical powers tend only to heighten their reputation.  With the exception of the religiously intolerant, however, Healers generally receive warm welcome for the aid and instruction they provide.      Game Rule Information:Healers have the following characteristics:Abilities: Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a Healer can cast, how many spells the Healer can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist.  To cast a Spell, a healer must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level.  A Healer gets bonus spells based upon Wisdom.  The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a Healer’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the Healer’s Wisdom modifier.Alignment: The mindset necessary to access the power of the White is incompatible with evil alignment.Hit Die: d8.Class Skills:The class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge: Health (Int), Knowledge (The planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).Skill Points at 1st Level (Core Classes Only): [2 + Int Modifier] x 4 Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier Class Features: Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Healers are not proficient in the use of armor or shields, and the only weapons in which they are proficient are the club and staff, which also serve peaceful uses as cane and walking stick.  The wearing of armor actually hampers many of their abilities, and the violent use of other weapons denies them the use of their magical powers.  In addition, wearing armor heavier than leather imposes check penalties to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.  Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for each 5 lbs. of armor or equipment carried.Spells: A Healer can cast divine spells that deal mainly with healing, light, and positive energy effects.  He can prepare and cast any spell on the Healer spell list of a level to which he has access.  The Healer can cast a number of spells per day equal to that of a Sorcerer of the same level.  To select his spells, a Healer must spend 1 hour meditating upon his connection to the White, the plane of positive energy, and focusing his concentration on the selection of spells from those available to him.  Additionally, a Healer can choose to spontaneously cast a “cure” spell in lieu of a memorized spell of the same level, as can a good Cleric (Players Handbook, pg.32.)  The spells of a Healer never require a material focus to be cast, as his spells are powered by his link to the positive material plane, and require no sympathetic magic in their weaving.  In effect, the Healer is himself the focus of his magics.  If wearing armor, the Healer is subject to the same chance of spell failure as an arcane spellcaster when attempting his spells.  Furthermore, if a Healer uses a weapon other than a club or staff to do violence, he loses the use of his magic for a 24-hour period, as does a Druid who wears prohibited armor or wields a prohibited weapon.Armor Class Bonus: Like the Monk, the Healer is trained to deftly avoid attacks, and develops a “sixth sense” which allows him to avoid even unanticipated blows.  At first level, a Healer adds her Wisdom bonus, if any, to her armor class, in addition to any normal modifier for Dexterity.  The Healer gets an additional +1 bonus to AC at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.  This bonus to AC is lost only if the Healer is immobilized, and not otherwise when the character would lose his bonus to Dexterity.  The Healer loses the use of this ability if wearing armor. Improved Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, the Healer’s training in self-defense allows him to engage armed opponents barehanded without provoking attacks of opportunity.Subdual Attack: The Healer’s instruction in the techniques of non-lethal engagement allows him to deliver telling blows that nevertheless do no permanent physical harm to his opponents.  When unarmed, grappling, or using his class weapons (the club and staff), the Healer can attack to subdue without penalty, and does Subdual damage equal to the unarmed damage of a Monk of his size and level.  (Player’s Handbook, pp. 38-39.)  A Medium-sized Healer does 1-6 points of subdual damage at 1st level, increasing to 1d8 at 4th level, 1d10 at 8th, 1d12 at 12th, and 1d20 at 16th.Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level, the Healer gains the ability to react to unforeseen dangers, and retains his Dexterity bonus to AC even if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.  At 5th level, this preternatural awareness of danger prevents the Healer from being flanked.  The exception to this defense is an attack by a rogue at least four levels higher than the Healer.  This ability functions properly only when the character is unarmored.Staff Fighting: By 3rd level, the Healer’s special training with this weapon allows him to make full use of it as a double weapon as if possessing the Double Weapon Fighting feat.  This benefit is lost if the Healer wears armor of any sort.Close-Quarters Fighting: At 4th level, the Healer’s training grants him the benefit of this bonus feat.Improved Disarm: At 6th level, the Healer gains this bonus feat, without having to meet the normal prerequisites.Perfect Health: By the attainment of 7th level, the Healer’s channeling of positive energy has begun to leave its imprint upon his physiology.  The Healer acquires immunity against normal and magical diseases of all types.Tireless: The channeling of positive energy continues to exert its beneficial influence on the Healer’s metabolism.  Upon attaining 8th level, the Healer requires only half the usual amount of sleep or trance.  This affects recovery from fatigue penalties, and healing from wounds, but does not allow the Healer to cast additional spells within an eight hour period.Infatiguable: At 9th level, the Healer gains the bonus feat Endurance from the effect of channeling positive energies.Tenacious Spirit: Upon gaining the 10th level of experience, the channeling of positive energies has so empowered the Healer’s life force that he remains stable when grievously wounded, rather than slipping towards death’s door.  The character is stable at –1 to –9 hit points.  The character still loses consciousness and must awaken normally, if not otherwise tended.Remain Conscious: At 11th level, the Healer gains the bonus feat of the same name without the necessity of the normal prerequisites, as the positive energies he employs continue to fortify his physiology.Improved Staff Fighting: Upon achieving 12th level, the Healer gains the ability to make an additional attack with his staff as if fighting with two weapons and using the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat.  This ability cannot be used if the character is armored.Timeless Body: After achieving 13th level, the Healer no longer suffers ability penalties for aging, and cannot be magically aged, due to his positive energy enhanced metabolism.  Any penalties he may already have accrued remain in effect, however.  Bonuses still apply, and the Healer will still die of old age when his time is up.Armor of the Soul: By 14th level, the Healer is so in touch with the positive plane that he is warded against ability and level draining attacks as if a spell of Negative Energy Protection were constantly in effect. Longevity: Upon reaching the 15th level of ability, the Healer begins to age more slowly, due to the revitalizing and preservative effects of the energies he channels.  The Age Category range of the category that the character’s age falls under, and subsequent categories, including Maximum Age, are doubled.  In effect, the Healer’s life expectancy doubles, as compared to someone else of his age and race.  Note that this increase in lifespan does slow the accumulation of bonuses to Int, Wis, and Cha due to aging effects, and that the Healer will still die of old age once his extended maximum age is achieved.Unalterable Form: After gaining 16th level, every fiber of the Healer’s physical form has become so enmeshed with the force of the positive plane that attempts to alter his basic structure become futile.  The Healer is thereafter immune to polymorph spells and effects, to petrification, and the like.   This may also preclude the use of certain spells and class abilities (such as the Druid’s Wild Shape,) if the character is multi-classed, as the effect is automatic rather than voluntary.Youthful Vigor: At 17th level, any ability penalties that the Healer may have previously suffered prior to attaining 13th level are erased.  Furthermore, the Healer recuperates from injury or ability damage at twice the normal rate, and will heal at the normal rate of 1 hit point per character level per day even if engaging in strenuous activity such as combat or spellcasting.Environmental Immunity:  By 18th level, his tie to the positive plane has become sufficiently strong protection to allow the Healer to ignore normal environmental conditions and effects, including exposure to extreme heat and cold, heatstroke, frostbite and hypothermia.  This ability is equivalent to a permanent Endure Elements spell effective against all five energy types (acid, cold, fire, electricity, sonic.)Self-Sustaining: On reaching 19th level, the Healer’s body has become so fueled by the positive energy he channels that he no longer requires air, food, or water.  He can no longer drown, nor suffer ill effects from hunger or thirst.  He still requires breath to speak, and still enjoys the sensations of eating and drinking, but can abide comfortably while forgoing them.Transcendence: Upon gaining the 20th level of experience, the Healer has become so attuned in mind and body with the positive energy that he employs that he transcends the mortal coil.  The Healer’s type changes to Outsider, he no longer ages (and therefore never dies of old age,) he becomes immune to acid, cold, and electricity, and gains a +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves against poison.Light suffuses the Healer’s body, making his skin glow and his eyes shine with inner fire, marking this change.  The Healer has some control over the intensity of this effect, varying it from faint and almost imperceptible to the equivalent of a Light spell, but the effect can never be entirely concealed, save by subtle non-magical subterfuge (i.e., by disguising it amid other light sources, using the Disguise skill, etc.)  It is the visible sign that the Healer has become something other than (merely) human.THE HEALER OF THE WHITE WAY Level  BAB           Fort   Ref   Will  Special     1       +0                 +2    +0    +2  AC Bonus, Improved                                                    Unarmed Strike, Subdual Attack 2       +1                 +3    +0    +3  Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to                                                     AC) 3       +2                 +3    +1    +3  Staff Fighting 4       +3                 +4    +1    +4  Close-Quarters Fighting 5       +3                 +4    +1    +4  Uncanny Dodge (can’t be flanked) 6       +4                 +5    +2    +5  Improved Disarm 7       +5                 +5    +2    +5  Perfect Health 8       +6/+1         +6    +2    +6  Tireless 9       +6/+1         +6    +3    +6  Infatiguable10      +7/+2         +7    +3    +7  Tenacious Spirit11      +8/+3         +7    +3    +7  Remain Conscious12      +9/+4         +8    +4    +8  Improved Staff Fighting13      +9/+4         +8    +4    +8  Timeless Body14      +10/+5       +9    +4    +9  Armor of the Soul15      +11/+6/+1  +9    +5    +9  Longevity16      +12/+7/+2 +10   +5  +10  Unalterable Form17     +12/+7/+2  +10   +5  +10  Youthful Vigor18     +13/+8/+3  +11   +6  +11  Environmental Immunity19     +14/+9/+4  +11   +6  +11  Self-Sustaining20     +15/+10/+5+12   +6  +12  Transcendence Healer Spell List                                                                                   Healers choose their spells from the following list:    0-Level (Cantrips)--- Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue. 1ST-Level--- Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Life*, Detect Undead, Faerie Fire, Lifewatch (the positive energy version of Deathwatch), Remove Fear, Sunstaff*, Staff of Warding*.2ND-Level--- Aid, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Endurance, Gentle Repose, Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis, Shield Other, Sunscorch*.3RD-Level--- Cure Serious Wounds, Daylight, Greater Sunstaff*, Negative Energy Protection, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Disease, Searing Light, Sunshield*, Sustenance*.4TH-Level--- Cure Critical Wounds, Deathward, Dispel Magic, Locate Creature, Neutralize Poison, Restoration, Status, Unfailing Endurance.5TH-Level--- Blazing Bolt*, Break Enchantment, Healing Circle, Raise Dead, Refreshment*.6TH-Level--- Greater Dispelling, Heal, Revive Outsider, Spellstaff, Undeath to Death.7TH-Level--- Greater Restoration, Regenerate, Resurrection, Sunbeam, Trueseeing.8TH-Level--- Mass Heal, Nimbus of Power*, Sunburst.9TH-Level--- Immolation (the positive energy version of Implosion), Phoenix Burst*, True Resurrection. *These new spells, unique to the Healer, are described in the following text. NEW HEALER SPELLS______The spells are presented in order of ascending spell level.Detect LifeDivinationLevel: Healer 1Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: 60 ft.Area: Quarter circle emanating from you to the extreme of the rangeDuration: Concentration, up to 1 minute/level (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: NoYou can detect the energy present in all living things.  The amount of information this reveals depends on how long you study a particular area or subject:1st round: Presence or absence of creatures. 2nd round:  Number of creatures present and the strength of the life force of the strongest present.  If the strength of the life force of the strongest creature present is “overwhelming” (see below), and the strength is at least twice your character level, then you are stunned for 1 round and the spell ends.3rd round:  The strength and location of all creatures within range.  If a creature is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location.Life Force Strength:  The strength of a creature’s life force is a function of its HD.Strength        HDDim            Less than 1Faint            1-5Moderate        6-11Strong            12-20Overwhelming    20+Note:  Each round, you can turn to detect life in a new area.  The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.  SunstaffTransmutationLevel: Healer 1Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Nonmagical club or staffDuration: 1 minute per levelSaving Throw: Will negates (object)Spell Resistance: Yes (object)Your club or staff becomes charged with positive energy while you wield it, granting a +1 magical enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls.  Versus the Undead and other creatures possessing innate ability draining or life draining attacks (but not against creatures attacking with magic weapons or capable of casting spells mimicking these effects) your weapon does lethal damage equal to your improved subdual damage amount while this spell operates.  For the duration of the spell, your weapon sheds light equal to a torch in a 20 ft. radius while in your grasp.  Staff of WardingAbjurationLevel: Healer 1Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Club or staff touchedDuration: 1 minute per levelSaving Throw: Will negates (object)Spell Resistance: Yes (object)This spell empowers your club or staff to deflect blows when wielded by you.  When I your grasp, the weapon grants a +2 deflection bonus, with an additional +1 bonus for every 6 levels you have (maximum +5).  You may attack, cast spells, or take other action as normal while benefiting from this spell’s protection.  Staff of Warding may be used in conjunction with Sunstaff, as the two spells do not interfere with one another’s operation.SunscorchEvocation [Light]Level: Healer 2Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Close (25ft. + 5ft./2 levels)Duration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: YesYou project a thin beam of light from your fingertip.  You must succeed in a ranged touch attack to strike your target.  A creature struck takes 1d8 points of damage +1 point of damage per caster level (maximum +10).  Undead creatures and creatures especially susceptible to light suffer 1d8 + 2 points of damage per caster level (maximum +20).</blockquote>

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