Help! My party has no healer!

[Gradine]

Gort, if you are the DM... then you get to control what happens with the monsters. Just because they can get past the fighter's mark doesn't mean they have to. And just because they can focus fire and take out one of the strikers fairly quickly doesn't mean they have to. You can have them do whatever you want to create maximum enjoyment for your players and the game. And without a leader, having the monster's tactics change to account for that is good DMing.

Now I know several other DMs might say "I refuse to have my monsters act illogically!" and thus try and make us believe that they have no choice but to cream their PCs... but that's a bunch of baloney and we all know it. If this is the attitude a DM has... then they have to reap what they sow. Go ahead and focus fire kill off a PC at a time, but don't then come complaining here that your player's characters aren't able to survive.

I don't know if this is the kind of attitude you have when playing your monsters, but I would hope not. You control what they do to make the best game you can... you aren't beholden to any sort of stupid versimilitude as if your game was being watched by Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and have to make sure all the enemies act as realistic as possible lest someone jump out from behind the curtains shouting "Why are those four bugbears each going one-on-one with those PCs?!?".

I can't give you exp right now (which is weird because you're not even on my list of last 20 exp given...) but I would if I could. A completely sensible attitude that most ensures the enjoyment of everybody at the table that will no doubt be derided for "soft" DMing...

That said, it's still always good to let one or two slip by from time to time; gotta keep those strikers/controllers on their toes some how

 

[Storminator]

I think almost any PC can make a few choices to increase his/her survivability without doing a full-blown multiclass into cleric, etc.

This.

I think using a leader's healing is the simple solution. You don't have to worry about who's getting hit, because the leader can choose where to apply healing when it's needed.

Without the leader you have a bunch of options, but all of them take more planning. Track why your PCs are getting pounded. Would a couple more points of defenses help? Paragon Defenses or upping the armor, or any of the various situational defensive feats might help. Would just more hp do it? Toughness. Are you running out of surges? Durable. Are you running out of triggers for surges? Potions, some feats, some items all help. Are you getting swarmed? Some forced movement powers, interrupt utilities, and good old positioning might help. Next time you get into a combat, spend a few extra moments making sure you're standing in the right squares.

It's likely that each PC can devote a small amount of character resources to upping the survivability, and have a big payoff to the group.

PS

 

[pathfinderq1]

So far I've seen a lot of suggestions supporting changes to the existing party, mostly involving MCing into Leader classes. One similar suggestion that I haven't seen so far is to look at the skill powers in PHB3. Several of them could be very useful- mostly the Endurance and Heal skill related ones. Without having to actually take a multiclass, there are several choices which (for the cost of a feat or unpopular Utility power) allow surge triggers (Endurance mostly for self, and Heal for others). The 10th level Endurance power Reactive Surge and the 6th level Heal power Physician's Care are particularly useful, since they are Encounter powers.

Good luck!

 

[Vaslov]

I've been in a game with a Swordmage, Rogue, Barbarian and Sorcerer for most of the heroic tier. Not having PC with healing skills has made for some challenges, but it changed our tactics more than anything else.

- Don't be afraid to run away. We often would disengage and come back when we could be sure things were in our favor.
- Damaging Auras were deadly. In the extreme. The DM caught onto this and rarely used it.
- Many of us invested in bloodcut armor until better options came up at the end of the tier
- Potions of Healing / Vigor were nice to have in emergencies. We used the rarely.

Hope this helps. Have fun.

 

[fba827]

I'm all for story-based PCs so I see nothing wrong with wanting to keep the PCs you have. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking your party can't/isn't effective without a leader (nor does leader = healer).

Some of my favorite encounters (of any edition) have always involved the uncommon scenario where we have to break out of our routine tactics.. in this case, it is learning new tactics in abesence of the bard. So I see this as an excellent character growth opportunity where they would say ""wow, our chaotic tactics aren't working, we need to work better as a team if we want to get out of this alive ..."

Having said that, if you use DDI or PHB3 material, then how about some skill power swaps (replacing utility powers with skill powers). Some religion, heal, and endurance based ones that grant healing.

Or even just stuff like cover / concealment (via stealth or terrain) to increase defenses and therefore decrease chance of getting hit, thus not needing the healing in the first place.

Or someone willing to spend their action to provoke another person's second wind for them, or to feed someone else a potion.

or someone who gets the brew potion ritual to make some resistance potions, healing potions (or buy them).

Work on focus fire and flanking to increase change of hitting to take them down. there is also some feat where if your allies are flanking an enemy you get flanking at a distance (good if your ranged attackers are having trouble hitting and need some sort of bonus to hit and you have enough melee allies that work in flanking).

 

[On Puget Sound]

There are several ways to survive a combat, and only one of them is getting healed. It's possible that, apart from Maya, the other party members had the luxury of focusing on offensive feats and powers because they never needed a "get/ keep me out of trouble" trick while there was a bard to save their bacon.

I would have the characters, next downtime, spend a session dealing with the loss of the bard. Allow an unlimited retrain opportunity and maybe a special magic item exchange, where they can swap items for certain other items of equal level. BUT...

Don't encourage them to all take supplemental healing. Instead, they should choose survivability benefits that fit their character concept. Maybe the assassin needs more ways to become invisible. -5 to be hit and guess my square means a lot less healing needed. Maybe the ranger needs shifts and teleports to get un-surrounded. Maybe Maya does want to take one multiclass feat for a single heal per encounter; she heard that damned song enough times to have picked up the melody. It doesn't make her any less a fighter. Rather than say "someone has to play a healer now", say "you no longer hae a healer. How will each of you compensate?"

 

[Celyn]

Maya again

I actually took one of the skill powers already- Healer's Gift, I think, and the ranger Ellie took Reactive Surge and Healing Herbs. She's actually looking to redo her whole character anyway, as a two-weapon ranger instead of a marauder, so while she's rebuilding herself we'll get her to look specifically for healing powers to keep her on her feet. The assassin has been looking at stealth properly, and ways to be invisible/teleport/all that kinda crap. The mage has picked up a couple of reactive 'you think you hit me but you didn't actually' powers, too.

Gort's said he'll be dropping us more healing items. We'll have to step up our tactics, too, more focus fire, and despite my 'we can take it!' nature, occasionally learning to run away. I believe he'll be taking the 'rebalance!' advice to heart, too, or at least I'll nag him til he does.

With all that combined, I think we'll make it through! Sorry if we seemed a bit picky, we're just growing really attached to the characters and don't want to swap any out.. When all of your players are all artists who like to draw bits of the game, this happens!

(Though secretly? I kinda love when the rest of them get in trouble and my fighter has to jump in the way, goddamn this class is so awesome)

 

[Mika]

I have found the battle standard of healing to be a very useful item. Grab one before WotC gets around to nerfing it!

 

[Bagpuss]

I have found the battle standard of healing to be a very useful item. Grab one before WotC gets around to nerfing it!

Really one extra point of healing makes that much a difference?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Hey Celyn,

I really enjoy hearing about your group. It seems as if you are really doing roleplaying and I hope with a little effort on both parts of the screen you will adventure for a long time with your beloved characters.

Don´t ever rebuild characters or even stop playing them, just because a "slot" is missing. There are always workarounds.The greatest part of a pen and paper roleplaying is that players and DM can just adjust everyithing so that it works. And I really mean everything.