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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 6593553" data-attributes="member: 5834">When you look at the spell as only a 1st level spell, then your logic applies. When you look at the spell as possibly being used with a 2nd to 4th level slot that view changes. We don't like to spend "spells known" slots doubling up on spells that do the same thing. We don't want cure wounds and healing word on the spell list. So we choose the one that provides more bang for the buck not only with a 1st level slot, but 2nd to 4th if needed. The cleric's spell slots are almost all used for healing. You lose more damage to your group losing a higher damage player than you do by spending an action to heal them. Our clerics often don't engage in combat for a variety of reasons you may not practice with your group:1. Once the enemy determines the cleric is the healer or providing an active powerful buff, they become the target for as many attacks as the enemy can muster. Our DM's work under the assumption for all but the dumbest creatures that they are aware that killing the cleric often hampers the group in a Deadly Encounter far more than any other class save perhaps the arcane caster. He is second on the list if the cleric is down, first if he proves more problematic. 2. That means it is essential for the martials to keep the arcane and divine caster in a position they cannot be attacked. Since we use the Ready action quite actively for both PCs and enemies, they can't always show their face in battle with archers or opponent ranged attackers readying to hammer them as soon as they do. We have adequately determined that cure wounds works better for our group. I do understand it may not for other groups that run easier encounters with less efficient tactics used by the enemy. My feeling reading message boards is that if most players were to play at our table, they would have a lot of WTF moments at what they were fighting such as the 4,000 hit point Crag Linnorm or an Army of 50 hill giants mounted on war mammoths. It's how we like to play. See how far we can push encounter design to challenge our group.</blockquote>

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