Help Please: Losing Cleric - How to Replace with Magic Items?

[Wisdom Penalty]

Hi:

The player of our (only) cleric will not be able to attend a string of upcoming sessions. While we talked about just roughing it without the cleric, that won't work for us. It's a combat-intensive campaign and we need that healer. Badly.

So...we talked about options. One guy could run two characters. One guy could switch characters temporarily. We could add a new player to the group, so long as he ran a cleric. We could have the DM run a cleric NPC.

Suffice to say: We decided not to do any of those options, for a number of reasons that will take to long to articulate.

What we did decide to do was to come up with some mechanical way to balance the loss of the cleric, and that is precisely where I need your help.

I have six PCs of 4th level. (It was seven PCs until we lost the cleric for a bit.) I'm wondering what mechanically could be done to make up for the loss of the cleric.

Right now, back of the envelope, we're looking at:

(1) Second Winds are free actions.
(2) You get three Second Winds per day.
(3) Using a Second Wind allows you to make an immediate save against a single active effect that a save can end.


Too much? Too little? Help please.

WP

 

[Wisdom Penalty]

For the purposes of this exercise, we're concerned with approximating the cleric's value across levels 4-8.

 

[Rafe]

Right now, back of the envelope, we're looking at:

(1) Second Winds are free actions.
(2) You get three Second Winds per day.
(3) Using a Second Wind allows you to make an immediate save against a single active effect that a save can end.

Too much? Too little? Help please.

A little too much and too little, I think, but on the right track.

Too much: I would make Second Winds minor actions (like Inspiring Word and Healing Word), free for a Dwarf. I also wouldn't allow the +2 defenses except on the first use of Second Wind in an encounter. (So if someone uses two second winds in a single encounter, only the first grants the bonus.)

The "too little" aspect is that the three second winds should be in addition to the once per encounter use - the only one that grants the defense bonus. That balances relatively well with the two per encounter uses for Inspiring/Healing Word.

I wouldn't let second winds be used to end an ongoing effect. You may, however, wish to grant two action points per milestone and two after an extended rest. Also, allow two action points to be used per encounter.

Now that might be too much. Without knowing how much the Cleric in the party helps, it's hard to judge how much you need to replace and what is or isn't excessive.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I'd second Rafe's suggestions. Everyone has their one regular Second Wind per encounter, but make it a Minor Action to use. Then add in three "Third Winds" per day that players can spend, also as Minor Actions. These Third Winds do not grant the +2 to defenses however.

If this doesn't work for you, your other option is for anyone with the Heal skill to use the skill on players who are not unconscious. Anyone at any point can use a Standard Action to use the Heal skill in combat, and if they succeed in a DC 15 check, the person they Healed (or themselves) can spend a Healing Surge. Basically turn the Healing Word and Inspiring Word powers into Heal skill checks that anyone can make.

 

[Baumi]

What are the classes of the other players?

I play in a group without a Leader but with plenty of Defenders and we had no problems so far.

And if you really fear a TPK then I still wouldn't change the mechanics and instead just give out a few Healing Potions, let them meet some NPC's with Healing, add some Healing Terrain (I think there is a Pillar of Healing in the DMG) or give them an Artifact with Healing Powers.

 

[Sunglare]

Your making this more difficult then it needs to be. Just have somebody else run the cleric. The player is leaving not the character. Just ask the player how he wants the cleric run while he's gone. It's not that difficult.

 

[Ibixat]

If you want to completely drop the rules sort of willy nilly to allow more healing when the cleric is not around why not drop second wind to a move action, free action for dwarves, either add a static bonus to the amount it gives like 1d6 extra hp etc, or perhaps let it grant it's normal healing + surge value temp HP. That could simulate the non healing word healing a cleric hands out then allow the group to use 2 "healing words" as a group and as free actions per encounter, just as if the cleric was there, make it so anyone can trigger the healing word on their turn but they can only use it on another person, or even make it a minor to make it "cost" something, mechanically you'll have to realize that anything boosting the party beyond what they actually have at the table does mean that encounter balance is going to get banged up a bit.

I think just altering the second wind to give some extra boost in hp or temps and allowing 2 healing words per encounter from anyone with some restrictions on targets would cover nicely till he's back.

 

[Harr]

You don't need to do any of that stuff. We've never had a healer in our party, we fight pretty much all of the time, we've never had a problem. Two words: Healing potions. Give the characters the possibility (and the money) to buy 2-5 potions each before going into combat. That's it Potions can totally replace a leader as far as healing-wise goes.

Edit -> I mean, of course I can't really compare since we've literally never had the "leader" role filled in our party, but it's hard to think of having even more healing going around than we already have.

 

[Plane Sailing]

As DM I've run NPC clerics as healbots when the leader PCs are away.

Since you've got good reasons for not doing that or your other approaches you've mentioned, I'd recommend that you go the healing potion route rather than try to tweak Second Wind.

if you did want to go for Second Wind changes, I'd recommend keeping them as standard/minor actions as normal, but just allow the PCs to spend as many Second Winds as they want per encounter. It is slightly better healing availability than a leader provides, but makes up for the lack of their 'healing bonus' and other leadery buffs they produce.

Cheers

 

[Plane Sailing]

then allow the group to use 2 "healing words" as a group and as free actions per encounter, just as if the cleric was there, make it so anyone can trigger the healing word on their turn but they can only use it on another person, or even make it a minor to make it "cost" something,

I do like this as an idea though! Very neat (I'd cost it at the minor action).

Cheers