Non spellcasting healer

[questing gm]

Greetings,

i'm thinking of building a core class from scratch to replace the cleric in my campaign world. What i had in mind was a non spellcasting healer or a typical field medic. You see in my campaign world, divine magic is extremely rare and totally exclusive. Its not that i'm not allowing my players to be a cleric, is just that i'm thinking of not allowing them to be one at first level and making the cleric a prestige class instead (good idea ??)

since i have no experienced in class building, i wonder has anyone out here in the boards that has come up with such a class that could heal but not using divine magic or any magical source in that matter ?

i'm imagining something along the line of a Heal skill bonus, maybe a few class features that could make the Healers' Kit a much powerful tool and maybe even the ability to mundanely (sp?) revive dead characters by level 20 ?

Of course, if there has already been such a class made by someone on the net, could you kindly provide a link ?

thanks in advance for replying to my threat for help !!

 

[jaker2003]

it can certainly be done.
Using the heal skill is the right path to take.
Maybe we of en world would be able to better help if you give us the magical background of your campaign world: Is there arcane magic? Is there a divine spellcaster other than the prposed Cleric prestige class (I think it's a good idea)? What about the ranger, druid, and paladin? This'll work.

 

[jaker2003]

Let's look at the Healing Domain:

1 Cure Light Wounds 1d8 +1/level (max +5)
2 Cure Moderate Wounds 2d8 +1/level (max +10)
3 Cure Serious Wounds 3d8 +1/level (max +15)
4 Cure Critical Wounds 4d8 +1/level (max +20)
5 Cure Light Wounds, Mass 1d8 +1/level (max +25)
6 Heal 10/level, all diseases & mental conditions
7 Regenerate 4d8 +1/level (max +35) regrows lost parts and repairs many physical conditions
8 Cure Critical Wounds, Mass 4d8 +1/level (max +40)
9 Heal, Mass as heal

So, we've got to figure out a way to nonmagicaly 'cast' some of these spells. What level of technology is available? standard D&D tech, medieval, modern, what?

In addition to that, you wanted to raise dead . . . . at 9th level the cleric can cast Raise Dead, so maybe this healer should be able to nonmagicaly mimic that . . .
how about . . . if the healer can get to a fallen comrade within 5 minutes, he can spend one minute trying to resuscitate him with mundane means. Maybe this could use a Heal check with a DC of 20 + hp lost(max hp + the -10) + 5 for every ability score reduced to 0?
If the check is successful, then the deceased is returned to life as by Raise Dead.

 

[Stalker0]

I don't know if you want an actual class or just a way to heal with magic? For the latter, you can expand the alchemy skills healing potion making abilities. You can have special ingredients be needed and such.

 

[jaker2003]

Cleric PrC

Here's a proposal for that cleric prestige class.

 

[Alhazred]

AEG has a couple of non-cleric healer variants in Secrets. Called Chaplains (there are two variants), the first is a field medic and the second specialises in longterm care. They have an average BAB, good Fort and Will saves, and receive abilities such as Healing Touch (a full-round action to apply bandages, salves, etc and which restores 1d8 hp increasing to 5d8 at 15th level), Brew Restoratives (essential, create potions of Restoration, Heal, etc).

These variants are a small part of the book, but the book itself contains a lot of good ideas.

 

[questing gm]

Maybe we of en world would be able to better help if you give us the magical background of your campaign world: Is there arcane magic? Is there a divine spellcaster other than the prposed Cleric prestige class (I think it's a good idea)? What about the ranger, druid, and paladin?

Maybe i should have elaborate the situation more throughly..

the campaign setting is where arcane magic runs rampant but because of that the general populace has forgotten their faith and have completely detached themselves from divine worship. Since then, there has been a great shortage for divine magic with healing magic as being one of them...

now, the campaign setting is at war and although arcane might becomes deadly artillery for armies but with no more access to divine magic, military groups have to depend on mundane ways to cure their wounded (just like real life field medics) and depend mostly on natural healing (which takes a much longer time).

the function of divine magic in the campaign setting is that one of the nations have discovered that some ancient ruins may lead to the secret of divine healing magic but they intend to conduct some research so that they could attune healing magic into an arcane type. This could literally mean that battle sorcerers and wizards could cast mass healing spells during battle and since healing effects are practically instantaneous, their army could definately gain the upper hand. In other words, they intend to recreate access to divine magic through arcane means and use it as a weapon on the battlefield.

so that's where the PCs and this class comes in, they are part of that army and before they led the expedition into the ancient ruins, one of them might want to take a 'healer' role for the party to ensure their survival.

 

[questing gm]

Is there a divine spellcaster other than the prposed Cleric prestige class (I think it's a good idea)? What about the ranger, druid, and paladin? This'll work.

For rangers and paladins, i'm using the non spellcasting variants found in Unerathed Arcana (or was it the other way 'round ?) so they basically don't have a spiritual access to divine magic as well (yes, the world has detached themselves that much...)

i'm only making the druid an exception since i doubt my players would pick that class but on the other hand, i was wondering by making this 'mundane healer' class that it would be a much better choice to pick this class than a druid if they wanted access to healing. For bards...who can cast a cure light wound spell or two, i might make them military assets so whoever wants to be one will automatically become part of the military

you can expand the alchemy skills healing potion making abilities. You can have
special ingredients be needed and such.

i should think about that, maybe take a few abilities from the master alchemist PrC ? What about an Attune abililty from Eberron for healing potions ??? (Btw, is potions REALLY a magical source ??? You can brew them just like medicine in the old days right ?)

AEG has a couple of non-cleric healer variants in Secrets. Called Chaplains (there are two variants),

I'd love to see those class variants and definately check them out, in fact i kinda like the name too.

i really appreciated your quick response and support guys, thanks a bunch...

 

[FireLance]

I'm still not clear what you are looking for as a class. How do you see non-magical healing working in your game? Would the Healer restore hp after every fight, e.g. some surgery or first aid mechhanic that requires one full minute but restores some of the damage taken in the last fight? Double, triple, quadruple, etc. the rate of natural healing? Use herbs that duplicate the effect of healing potions?

Frankly, your question about whether potions are magical or not seems rather irrelevant. I can understand the point of a campaign where magical healing is rare. However, to eradicate magical healing and then introduce a form of non-magical healing which is just as effective seems an unnecessary complication, in my view.

 

[questing gm]

a few draft ideas, need some feedback ?

i've list out and made up some possible class features that this mundane healer should have (so far i've named it the Medic but i'm still toying with the word Chaplain...) Here goes....

Healer
A Medic can multiclass with Cleric levels without losing any of the class features. For the purpose of calculating XP penalty for multclassing, Medic and Cleric levels are added together and considered as one class.

Combat Medicine
A Medic learns to adapt to combat situations where anyone could easily be hurt. Therefore, a Medic knows the simple curatives and immediate remedies that are required to dress those simple wounds quickly and tend to those that are more gravely wounded.
The Medic, as a free action may heal 1 HP to a single character, up to the amount of characters, ¼ the Medic’s ranks in the Heal skill (rounded up) per day. As a standard action, the Medic may make a Heal skill check (DC 15) to be able to heal 1d8+1 HP for every level to a single character. The Medic could do this up to the amount of characters, ¼ of the Medic’s ranks in the Heal skill (rounded up) per day. If the Medic fails the check, he still heals 1 HP to that character.
Both of these skills could only be used once on each character per day.
At 3rd level, as a standard action, the Medic may heal 2d8+1 HP for every level to a single character, up to the amount of characters ¼ the Medic’s ranks in the Heal skill (rounded up) per day. At every odd level hereafter (5th and 7th), add an additional 1d8 to this ability.
At 9th level, the Medic may choose to use the standard action healing at 1d8+1 for every level to a single character, up to the amount of characters ½ of the Medic’s ranks in the Heal skill (rounded up) per day or still heal at its current rate. At 11th level and every level hereafter (13th, 15th & 17th), the Medic adds an additional 1d8 to this ability. For example, if your character chooses to change her healing capabilities to 1d8+1 for every level at 9th level up to the maximum of characters ½ her ranks in the Heal skill per day, she permanently loses her ability to heal at 4d8+1/level up to the maximum amount of characters ¼ her ranks in Heal per day. However, when she reaches 13th level, she could heal 2d8+1/level, up to the maximum of characters ½ her ranks in Heal per day.

Poison Treatment
At 4th level, the Medic could provide temporary antidotes to prevent the effects of a poison until a proper cure is found. As a standard action, the Medic could make a Heal check (Poison’s save DC+5). If successful, the character as though has the spell delay poison cast onto her. At 6th level, as a full round action, the Medic could make a Heal check (Poison’s save DC+10). If successful, the character as though has the spell neutralize poison cast onto her.

Surgery
At 4th level, the Medic may perform surgeries on characters to cure any sickness. The Medic must have a masterwork Healers’ Kit to perform a surgery or suffer a –4 penalty to the Heal check. When performing a surgery, the character must choose to perform which kind of surgery. A surgery takes half a day (unless performing a Revival Surgery ; see below) and the Medic must rest for a full day before he can perform another surgery.

Removal Surgery : The Medic makes a Heal check (DC 20). If successful, the Medic has as though effectively cast a remove blindness/deafness spell or a remove disease spell. If the Medic fails the check by 5, the surgery ends badly and the character which is being operated on takes a temporary 1d4 damage to her Constitution score.

Revival Surgery : The Medic can only perform this surgery at 8th level onwards. This form of surgery requires a full day. The Medic makes a Heal check (DC 25). If successful, the Medic ends any and all of the following adverse conditions affecting the one the Medic is operating on ; ability damage, blinded, deafened, diseased and poisoned. The Medic also cures 10 HP of damage per level to a maximum of 150 points at 15th level. If the Medic fails the check by 5, the surgery ends badly and the character which is being operated on takes a temporary 3d4 damage to her Constitution score.

A character who undergoes surgery is fatigued and requires a minimum of full day rest with long term care (refer to PHB page 75).

Minor Medical Miracle
At 10th level onwards, a Medic could save a character reduced to –10 HP or lower. If the Medic is able to begin surgery (see above) within 3 rounds of the character’s death, he can make a Heal check (DC 30) and the Medic can’t take 10 or 20. If the check succeeds, the dead character can make a Fortitude save (DC 15) to stabilized and be restored to 0 HP. If the Medic fails the skill check or the patient fails the save, the dead character can’t be saved.

Medical Miracle
At 13th level onwards, a Medic can revive a character reduced to –10 HP or lower. If the Medic is able to begin surgery (see above) within 3 minutes of the character’s death, he can make a Heal check (DC 40) and the Medic can’t take 10 or 20. If the check succeeds, the dead character can make a Fortitude save (DC 20) to stabilized and be restored to 1d6 HP. If the Medic fails the skill check or the patient fails the save, the dead character can’t be restored.

Medical Expert
At 3rd level, the Medic gains a +1 competence bonus to his Heal check. These bonuses rise to +2 when the Medic reaches 6th level, to +3 when the he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 when he reaches 15th level and to +6 at 18th level.

Caretaker
At 5th level, when a Medic uses her Heal check for long term care (refer to PHB page 75). If is successful, the patient recovers HP or ability score points (lost to ability damage) at thrice the normal rate: 3 HP per level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 6 HP per level for each full day of complete rest; 3 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 6 ability score points for each full day of complete rest. At 10th level, this ability becomes 4 times the normal rate and at 15th level, this ability becomes 5 times the normal rate.

so what do you guys think ??? oh, for the Minor Medical Miracle and Medical Miracle class features, i ripped them right off from d20 Modern. I just thought it was too cool to leave out
would it be too overpowered ??

Oh yeah, on the bard, i've decided to use a variant which takes away all the healing spells from the bard's spell list and give the Heal skill as a class skill...do you think that's balanced ?