Healing Word (and the abuse thereof)

[RigaMortus2]

There isn't much different between the Cleric using Healing Word every 5 minutes and a character using their Second Wind every 5 minutes. they both eat up Healing Surges, which is basically the point of healing surges. Its like people are against a party taking a breather if its more than 5 minutes long. So what? Sometimes you can afford to spend only 5 minutes resting, sometimes you can get away with 30 minutes resting. The DM (and random encounter tables) control that.

 

[Nail]

(Ah yes, the "I don't think it's fair to use Healing Word outside of combat" thread. It's been a few weeks, we're due another one.)

I currently play in two games with two completely separate groups of people. In both groups we've found that allowing the cleric (or warlord) to use their healing encounter power outside of combat not only makes the game run more smoothly, but it's also easily explained in game, following the story narrative.

"Almayce the cleric tends to your wounds during your short rest. You feel much better than the last time, when you tried to tend them on your own."

It's easy, not "metagamey", not "over-powered", and leads to a more coherent story. If you can't tell: We like it.

 

[Ds Da Man]

Man, tell me again in a few levels about healing word out of combat powers! We are getting beat down pretty often, and letting use healing word out of combat just speeds healing up a little. We then try to foolishly push on after a few sort rests. We have almost been completely down numerous times. heck, I've even picked up the Initiate of the Faith feat for our paladin just to have one extra healing word per day! Later levels bring powers that allow a second use of second wind. We still have rough combats.

 

[balard]

I don't like. It causes to much dice rolling and calculations to my taste. Outside combat, only two words can be used. They come for free, no need to rest again. Each player has to use about 2 surges after a fight. In a 4 members party, it means 8 dice will be rolled, each waiting to see the results to know if roll another.

Just two is already a nice incentive to rest with a leader.

 

[keterys]

I agree that I don't think it's good that you do the rolls and such out of combat and trigger extra rests, tracking who gets what, who was at what hp when the group was attacked, etc... but I don't think that the answer is to reduce the healing potential of the party.

That's taking one problem: 'slows down and complicates gameplay' and answering it with 'make the group less effective, potentially annoying players'. That doesn't follow.

I'd much rather the group just effectively automatically received the good effects of having the healer use words (similar to the bard), but it was static and could all be done as part of a normal short rest.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Well, I don't bother.
The other characters can bandage themselves.

If I have any leftover words, I'll use 'em before the rest, but otherwise, err ... my orc is a brutal killing machine, not a nurse.

 

[Nail]

I'd much rather the group just effectively automatically received the good effects of having the healer use words (similar to the bard), but it was static and could all be done as part of a normal short rest.

Sure.

You could just do this anyway, as "S.O.P.". The players say: We rest up, and the cleric helps. Everyone rolls a d6 and add the Clr's Wis to each healing surge you use."

Simple. Come on: everyone likes rolling dice.

 

[Stalker0]

Just keep in mind that in most fights (assuming the cleric uses his healing words in combat) that it takes 15 minutes for the cleric to use this trick.

1st 5, cleric gets back healing word.
2nd 5, cleric uses healing word on party.
3rd 5, cleric gets back healing word (unless you want your cleric to have no in combat healing next fight

I don't like the calculation part of it, but I think its fine from a power standpoint. Your cleric isn't doing as much damage or tanking or controller as another class...this is part of what they do...let them do it.

 

[balard]

But the lack of healing word out of combat will normally, only impact the adventuring day and the damage division in a fight. I don't think the extra surges the leader gives outside of the combat make that much difference in the adventuring day, since in a busy one, my party faces like 5-6 encounters. Normally in the last ones they are almost empty of surges, even if they have full hp. This situation adds a lot for the drama of the last fights. Now if they reached the last fights of the adventuring day each with 3 surges, it would be much less exiting.

And the incentive to distribute better the damage taken is a nice one too.

 

[keterys]

Just keep in mind that in most fights (assuming the cleric uses his healing words in combat) that it takes 15 minutes for the cleric to use this trick.

10 minutes, actually. Or, say, 10 minutes and 12 seconds.

1st 5, cleric gets back healing word.
2nd 2 rounds, cleric uses healing word on party.
3rd 5, cleric gets back healing word (unless you want your cleric to have no in combat healing next fight