[PHB2] A Core Class (Healer)

[Frostmarrow]

Some might remember the Players Handbook 2 thread in main forum. In it people encouraged me to do my own changes to classes if I was sick and tired of the existing ones. This is an attempt to do so. I'd like to have your feedback, please.

I need to be a healer since the cleric player quit. However, I don't fancy playing a cleric myself. So this is why I came up with the concept of the Healer.

Basically we will use the Sorcerer class for this exercise. The only major change is to allow the Healer to pick spells from the cleric list in lieu of the wizard list. Since arcane spells are better than divine I figured that the Healer ought to get something in exchange. Moreover I think the paladin's ability to Lay on Hands would be suitable for the Healer.

I would be willing to give up familiar if that is necessary to get lay on hands. Perhaps some minor changes are needed on the skill list too. What do you think?

 

[the Jester]

Sounds good... I'd allow light armor proficiency (maybe even medium); probably change the skill set to something like- alchemy, animal empathy, concentration, diplomacy, heal, knowledge (religion, nature), profession, sense motive, spellcraft.

 

[Frostmarrow]

HEALER
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4.

Class Skills: The healer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Chr), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Healers are proficient with all simple weapons. They are proficient with light armor but not with shields.

TABLE: The Sorcerer
Base Fort Ref Will
Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special
----- ------------ ---- ---- ---- -------
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Lay on hands
2 +1 +0 +0 +3
3 +1 +1 +1 +3
4 +2 +1 +1 +4
5 +2 +1 +1 +4
6 +3 +2 +2 +5
7 +3 +2 +2 +5
8 +4 +2 +2 +6
9 +4 +3 +3 +6
10 +5 +3 +3 +7
11 +5 +3 +3 +7
12 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
13 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
14 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9
15 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9
16 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10
17 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10
18 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
19 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
20 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12

Lay on Hands: Each day a healer can cure a total number of hit points equal to the healer's Charisma bonus (if any) times the healer's level. The healer can cure themselves. The healer may choose to divide her curing among multiple recipients, and he or she doesn't have to use it all at once. Lay on hands is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.

Alternatively, the healer can use any or all of these points to deal damage to undead creatures. Treat this attack just like a touch spell. The healer decides how many cure points to use as damage after successfully touching the undead creature.

TABLE: Healer Spells Per Day
----------------------Spells per Day-------------------
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
----- - - - - - - - - - -
1 5 3 — — — — — — — —
2 6 4 — — — — — — — —
3 6 5 — — — — — — — —
4 6 6 3 — — — — — — —
5 6 6 4 — — — — — — —
6 6 6 5 3 — — — — — —
7 6 6 6 4 — — — — — —
8 6 6 6 5 3 — — — — —
9 6 6 6 6 4 — — — — —
10 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — — —
11 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — — —
12 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — —
13 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — —
14 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — —
15 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — —
16 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 —
17 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 —
18 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3
19 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4
20 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

TABLE: Healer Spells Known
--------------------- Spells Known --------------------------
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
----- - - - - - - - - - -
1 4 2 — — — — — — — —
2 5 2 — — — — — — — —
3 5 3 — — — — — — — —
4 6 3 1 — — — — — — —
5 6 4 2 — — — — — — —
6 7 4 2 1 — — — — — —
7 7 5 3 2 — — — — — —
8 8 5 3 2 1 — — — — —
9 8 5 4 3 2 — — — — —
10 9 5 4 3 2 1 — — — —
11 9 5 5 4 3 2 — — — —
12 9 5 5 4 3 2 1 — — —
13 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 — — —
14 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 — —
15 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 — —
16 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 —
17 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 —
18 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1
19 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
20 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

Spells: A healer casts divine spells. The number of spells a healer knows is not affected by his Charisma bonus. The spells a healer knows can be common spells chosen from the cleric spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the healer has gained some understanding of by study.

A healer is limited to casting a certain number of spells of each level per day, but he need not prepare his spells in advance. The number of spells he can cast per day is improved by his bonus spells, if any.

A healer may use a higher-level slot to cast a lower-level spell if he so chooses. The spell is still treated as its actual level, not the level of the slot used to cast it.

To learn or cast a spell, a healer must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against healer spells is 10 + the spell's level + the healer's Charisma modifier.

 

[Crothian]

That's not a healer, this is a Healer (sorry could resist the 3 Amigoes reference).

I'm trying this out so every time people get injured they don't have to trek to the nearest temple for healing. This class is a healer first.

Healer (Core Class)

The healer knows the magical and Mundane art of healing. There was a time when Healers were not around. The Clergy controlled the healing. People had to pay or be devoted to a certain god to be healed. There was always the occasional Bard, Ranger, or Paladin that would have healing and be able to help people. But everyone knew there were no one better at it then the clerics. But spells are expensive. Even a simple cantrip or Orison costs at least 5gp. That was about 50 days pay of honest labor for most people. People would be injured and not able to be healed. As the cities became bigger, the number of injuries grew. Soon, there came a new type of tradesman. The type that could heal without be linked with a religion. These people studied their craft and over time learned to unlock amazing healing abilities in themselves.

Healers are trained by a mentor. One on one instruction is very important. There are a few Hospitals that offer teaching, but most of the time Healers live alone and find a single student to devote their time to. Healers do charge for their services, but never more then the person can afford. Usually they become part of the community. For their healing ability, the town provides everything they need. They don’t live a life of luxury. They live a life of devotion to the people and keeping them well and preventing outbreaks of illnesses and diseases.

Healers are well respected by most intelligent creatures for their craft. Many people will treat a Healer as an equal.

HD: d6

Level BAB Fort Reflex Will Special
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Superior Healing, Skill Emphasis Heal
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Immune Poison
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Immune Disease
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Defend Patient, Skill Emphasis Diplomacy
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Lay of Hands
6 +3 +5 +2 +5 Craft Potions
7 +3 +5 +2 +5
8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Know the Heart
9 +4 +6 +3 +6
10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Get to the wounded
11 +5 +7 +3 +7 Superior Lay on Hands
12 +6 +8 +4 +8 Share Health
13 +6 +8 +4 +8
14 +7 +9 +4 +9
15 +7 +9 +5 +9 Share Health 2
16 +8 +10 +5 +10
17 +8 +10 +5 +10
18 +9 +11 +6 +11 Share Health 3
19 +9 +11 +6 +11
20 +10 +12 +6 +12 Gift of Life

Alignment: Any Good
Skill Points: 6+ Int per level
Class Skills: Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge Anatomy (Int), Knowledge Herbalism (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str)

Code: A healer will help and attempt to heal any wounded creature that they believe will not attempt to kill them.

Armor and Weapons: A Healer is proficient in light armor and all simple weapons.

Lay of Hands: They may magically heal a number of HPs equal to their level times their wisdom bonus per day. This amount may be divided up into many uses or used all at once.

Craft Potions: A healer can now start to make potions of healing and only potions of healing. However, she needs to only spend one fourth of the base price in materials.

Know the Heart: Healers heal the body but while doing so can look into a person’s soul and get feelings about who they are and what they are like. Healers gain +3 to all sense motive rolls against anyone they have healed. Also, they may make hunches (as per the Sense Motive Skill) to learn basic things about the person (class, one part of alignment, approximate level, etc).

Get to the Wounded: When a Healer is attempting to get to a wounded person she gets +4 to all skill checks involving movement (Climb, Jump, Swim, and Tumble), the Endurance feat, the Run feat, and the Mobility feat. They may only use this to get to a wounded person and start to administer care.

Superior Lay on Hands: A healer now can heal her level times her Charisma and Wisdom bonus. So, a 12th level healer with a Wisdom of 16 and a Charisma of 14 can heal 60 hit points a day with this ability.

Share Health: A Healer can now share some of her own health to heal people. For each HP she heals with this ability, the Healer takes 1d6 damage. Half of this is subdual.

Share Health 2: Now, a Healer only takes 1d4 damage for each HP she heals. Three Fourths of this damage is subdual.

Share Health 3: Now, a healer only takes 2 points of subdual damage per HP healed.

Gift of Life: This is the final ability a Healer learns. It is the ability to bring a person back from the dead, but it is not without great sacrifice. The Healer must willingly give up her owen life to do this. This functions exactly like the True Resurrections Spell.

Spells
Level 1: Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Death Watch, Remove Fear, Sanctuary
Level 2: Calm Emotions, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Gentle Repose, Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis, and Sanctuary 2
Level 3: Create Food and Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Helping Hand, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Disease, and Sanctuary 3
Level 4: Cure Critical Wounds, Neutralize Poison, Restoration, and Sanctuary 4

Healers Use their Wisdom and Charisma as their spell-casting attribute and get bonus spells based off of each attribute. They cast all spells spontaneously. They automatically know all the spells of each spell level they can cast. Their casting level equals half their Healer level.

Level 1 2 3 4
1 - - - -
2 - - - -
3 - - - -
4 1 - - -
5 1 - - -
6 2 - - -
7 2 - - -
8 2 1 - -
9 2 1 - -
10 3 1 - -
11 3 1 1 -
12 3 2 1 -
13 3 2 1 -
14 4 2 1 1
15 4 2 2 1
16 4 3 2 2
17 4 3 2 2
18 5 3 2 2
19 5 3 3 2
20 5 4 3 3

Sanctuary 2: As Sanctuary except level 2 spell. The duration is 1 minute per level and it affects both e the caster and one patient.

Sanctuary 3: As Sanctuary except it is level 3. The duration is 10 minutes per level. It affects The caster and a number of patients equal to her level. The Healers Cha bonus is also added to the Save DC. (10 + spell level + + Wis bonus + Ch Bonus)

Sanctuary 4: As sanctuary except this is a fourth level spell. The duration is one hour per level. It affects twice the caster's level of patients plus the caster. The healer adds her caster level to the DC of the spell as well as her Ch modifier. (DC: 10 + Spell Level + Wis Bonus + Cha Bonus + Caster Level)

Heal Skill: The Healer takes the Heal skill to a new level and is able to do things with it that most other people cannot. They may use the heal skill to heal any living creature with a discernible anatomy. First of all the Healer gets a +2 competence bonus when using her own medicines and bandages she has prepared. She also gets an addition +1 Synergy bonus for each five ranks she has in Knowledge Herbalism and Anatomy. So, at 5 ranks she has a +3 synergy bonus, at ten ranks she has +4, and 15 ranks she has +5, and at 20 ranks she has +6. If one Healer is helping another, the bonus for aid another is +4 instead of +2.

Healers gain a +2 synergy bonus to Knowledge Anatomy if they have 5 or more ranks in Heal.

The Healer may add her level to patients level to determine how many hp are healed under the Healer’s care.

Healers get a +2 competence bonus to all Diplomacy checks on creatures and people they have healed.

Once per day per patient a Healer may use her skill to bandage and treat injury to allow for spontaneous healing. The amount depends on the Heal Skill check. This takes one minute of uninterrupted work.

21-25: Patients heals 1hp a minute for a number of minutes equal to the Healer’s Level.
26-30: Patient Heals 2hp a minute for a number of minutes equal to the Healer’s Level.
31-35: Patient heals 3hp a minute for a number of minutes equal to the Healer’s Level.
36+: Patient heals 4hp a minutes for a number of minutes equal to the Healer’s Level.

 

[the Jester]

Frostmarrow- if you want them to focus on healing with such a small number of spells known you might want to require that the first spell known of each level be a curative or healing spell (cure spells, as well as minor restoration, remove disease, remove curse, remove blindness/deafness, etc.)

 

[Frostmarrow]

Frostmarrow- if you want them to focus on healing with such a small number of spells known you might want to require that the first spell known of each level be a curative or healing spell (cure spells, as well as minor restoration, remove disease, remove curse, remove blindness/deafness, etc.)

I see no need to limit the choices. Now, if you don't have any technical concerns I will be taking this to the table. Cheers!

 

[Crothian]

So, you want to take the Sorcerer and allow him to use the cleric spell list instead of the Wizard one. On top of that you also want to give him lay of hands ability?

Well, you should give him Heal as a class skill. Are you going to keep magic based off of Charisma? Divine spells might be weaker, but he can potential now wear armor and cast spells. So, that evens things out. Giving up a familiar for lay of hands is fair.

 

[Carnifex]

Frostmarrow - your class is rather inappropriately named. The choices most players would make would almost certainly include a fair number of offensive spells. I'd just have it as a 'cleric', albeit one with a different mechanic, but I wouldn't go so far as to term the class 'healer'.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Frostmarrow - your class is rather inappropriately named. The choices most players would make would almost certainly include a fair number of offensive spells. I'd just have it as a 'cleric', albeit one with a different mechanic, but I wouldn't go so far as to term the class 'healer'.

In D&D I think any class should be able to have a number of offensive options. The healer mustn't be a pacifist in my opinion. Naturally the power stems from a divine being or perhaps even nature. However, the healer doesn't necessarily know where the power comes from any more than a sorcerer does.

I presented the class at tonights game and it was cleared by the DM. I was not, however, allowed to change characters as the DM felt my character was important to the story. It's one of the two original characters of a campaign of almost two years.