Healing touch: warlock-like cleric tweak

[Zeven]

I'm thinking about introducing the following ability to replace a good cleric's default Spontaneous Casting ability. Is there anyone who uses something similar? And in what way would this ability change the game?

Healing touch (Sp): Starting at 2nd level, a good cleric (or a neutral cleric of a good deity) can channel positive energy to heal living allies or damage undead.

Healing touch is a touch attack that affects a single living target, curing 1d6 points of damage. At 4th level, and every two cleric levels thereafter, the amount of damage cured increases by 1d6.

Since undead are powered by negative energy, this spell-like ability deals damage to them instead of curing their wounds. An undead creature can apply spell resistance, and can attempt a Will save to take half damage (DC = ½ cleric level + Cha modifier).

Unlike most spell-like abilities, healing touch has a verbal and a divine focus component. Using healing touch takes a full-round action, and it comes into effect just before the beginning of your turn after you began using the ability (similar to a spell with a casting time of 1 round).

A healing touch is the equivalent of a spell whose level is equal to one-quarter the cleric’s class level (round down), with a minimum spell level of 1st and a maximum of 5th when a cleric reaches 20th level. A cleric’s caster level is equal to his cleric level.

 

[WhatGravitas]

I'm thinking about introducing the following ability to replace a good cleric's default Spontaneous Casting ability. Is there anyone who uses something similar? And in what way would this ability change the game?

It would change half of the game: You players would start every encounter with full hit points, since it means that clerics can heal everybody completely.

The only expendable resource in the game would become the spells per day of the cleric/druid/wizard/sorcerer.

This also means that the four-encounters per day paradigm doesn't hold true anymore, making the subsequent encounters after the first much easier than you're used to.

 

[Zeven]

You players would start every encounter with full hit points...

They are currently using wands of cure light wounds to accomplish exactly the same thing. Little time to heal between encounters, negative levels, fast-acting diseases, and poisons are their bane. I suppose a wand of lesser restoration is next on their shopping list

I presume (perhaps incorrectly...), that most parties take the time to heal between encounters. Considering the wealth a 'normal' party should have gathered around level 4-5, the ease of item creation, and the low cost of a 1st-level wand, carrying a bag of wands and healing anybody who gets hurt after the fight, seems the smart thing to do.

 

[elawai]

I like the concept however I have a suggestion that would allow you to put this in your game without making it unlimited and too powerful.

In Complete Mage there is a PrC called Eldritch Disciple (Warlock/Cleric combo). One of the powers that can be selected is turning your warlock ray into a healing ray. However, the limitation is that you must spend one of your turning undead attempts to do this. So if you implement this same limitation, then your cleric with this ability can still use this fine ability but still limit the times per day in can be used (and also make the feat "extra turning", really, really valuable).

 

[Zeven]

I like the concept however I have a suggestion that would allow you to put this in your game without making it unlimited and too powerful.

I like your suggestion! However, my intention is to make it an unlimited ability. Otherwise, the difference between it and using normal healing spells would be small.

Basically, I am wondering whether the d&d designers assumed that parties normally heal hp completely between encounters. I presume they did, because healing hit points is incredibly cheap. If so, this ability would simply speed up the process (and be even cheaper; if problematic, I could reduce the treasure somewhat).

On the other hand, if it is assumed that parties struggle onward with little hit points left, I can applaud my players for their ingenious (but rather boring) use of cure light wounds wands, and wonder what other DMs did to make sure their players are not at 100% of their hit points at the start of every encounter due to their 5 cure light wounds wands, while still keeping basic assumptions of 3rd edition intact (craft your own magic items and wealth by level guidelines).

 

[Angel Tarragon]

You could just swap out the cleric's ability to drop a spell to cast Cure X Wounds spell, for Cure Wounds.

 

[szilard]

Hmmm...

What about making it a flat 1 hp/2 class levels?

Then, allow clerics to spontaneously sacrifice a spell to add 1d4/spell level of the sacrificed spell to the healing. This could be a feat if you wanted (though I'd do 1d6 per spell level sacrificed if it were a feat).

It would allow full healing between encounters, but still limit healing as a resource during combat.

-Stuart

 

[Drowbane]

<snip>Healing touch (Sp): Starting at 2nd level, a good cleric (or a neutral cleric of a good deity) can channel positive energy to heal living allies or damage undead.<snip>

Crazy... its almost like WotC is watching yous.

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3505561&postcount=1

 

[Nyeshet]

It would change half of the game: You players would start every encounter with full hit points, since it means that clerics can heal everybody completely.

The only expendable resource in the game would become the spells per day of the cleric/druid/wizard/sorcerer.

This also means that the four-encounters per day paradigm doesn't hold true anymore, making the subsequent encounters after the first much easier than you're used to.

Umm, you have heard of the new Reserve feat that allows any with a healing spell to heal a few hp an infinite number of times so long as they have a single healing spell read - either prepared or spontaneous, right? It's in Complete Champion and in the reviews of that book on the WotC site.

The 4 encounters per day paradigm has been on the way out for a while now. WotC is moving towards a 'per encounter' mentality. As such, his suggested 'healing touch' idea is not unbalancing - it is merely a statement of the new balance that is emerging - and almost redundant considering the new feat that is similar to it and can be taken by clerics, druids, bards, and any others capable of using healing spells.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Umm, you have heard of the new Reserve feat that allows any with a healing spell to heal a few hp an infinite number of times so long as they have a single healing spell read - either prepared or spontaneous, right? It's in Complete Champion and in the reviews of that book on the WotC site.

Yesterday, my friend - my post was one day before! But:
1) Previously WotC tried to limit unlimited healing (see the wacky Crusader healing thing).
2) The discussion about the feat, but yeah - the OP should look into these threads!