PHBII: big problem - druids lack healing at low levels!

[Rechan]

Having come from an extensive background in HERO System (in addition to D&D since BD&D), it distresses me greatly to see so many folks allowing themselves to get so hung up on particular fluff, when that is the single least important aspect of the system itself. The fluff for a given world is certainly important to the FLUFF of that world. In that regard, 4E fumbles, not in the mechanical structure itself. They have still tied, at the very least in the minds of a multitude of players, mechanics and fluff too intimately. Mechanics are mechanics, and should be mechanically balanced. Fluff, flavor, campaign information, however? No. No way. Just because Wizards of the Coast calls a Cleric a "cleric", does NOT mean that in a given campaign that any and all characters who likewise choose the Cleric class should follow even a fraction of the fluff WotC placed in the Cleric entry.

To take a different spin on the above point:

Cleric is a mechanical term. It's the name of a class.

In game terms, Cleric and Priest do not have to be identical. Every Cleric Class may not be a priest, and every priest may not have the cleric class.

My wizard can very well be Priest of his Church, and hold an official position, even though he does not have the cleric class. He may not ever be able to heal, but that doesn't stop him from giving sermons, attempting to convert, hold weddings, be a part of the Church bureaucracy, and ultimately do things in the name of his God, etc. The same could be said for a member of an army, etc.

Back in 3e, there was lots of arguments over the Monk not fitting in because the Monk is clearly an Oriental flavored class, and has no purpose in Western fantasy. But the monk class is merely a stealthy, mobile non-weapon using combatant. Given the monk's skills and abilities, you can easily dress the Monk up as unarmed assassins, a government agent (the medieval equivalent of Special Forces/Spies), or body guards.

There is no "Noble" "Outcast" or "Orphan" class, feat, or paragon path; they are all backgrounds. The same could be said for anything else in the game.

 

[Greg K]

??? Yes, it is. Instead of channeling power through a totem spirit, you are channeling it through an elemental manifestation of a Spirit of the Land, or through the actual live animals you've summoned, or through the ground itself, which you've shaped to your purpose. That some abilities are focused through a particular mobile point on the battlefield has no fluff that cannot be easily changed without changing the mechanics in any way, shape or form. That those abilities have the "spirit" keyword means nothing. Replace the "spirit" keyword in all instances with the "pink bunny foofoo" keyword, and the mechanics themselves still work exactly the same.

The impression that I had received was that the person did not want a spirit of any type whether totem, elemental or companion that delivered the healing.

 

[Tectuktitlay]

The impression that I had received was that the person did not want a spirit of any type whether totem, elemental, or whatever in which case your solution does not not work.

Ok, I didn't realize that. There is, however, an easy solution. He picks a Leader other than Shaman to multiclass with, or as a base class. He chooses Cleric instead of Shaman, gaining the same overall plethora of healing options as he would with Shaman, . Now, his CLERIC is reflavored to be a focus on the druidic path of healing, with a side of control. Instead of each ability channeling divine power, reflavor it to nature fluff. Voila. Or, if he uses weapons alot since he is a Warden or Barbarian "druid", he can multiclass with Warlord (or simply BE a "druid" Warlord). Or, he chooses Bard. It doesn't matter, that's the point.

The point is, find the mechanics that suit your character concept, and reflavor them. The flavor is the most mutable part of the game, hands down. Anything can be reflavored to virtually anything else, with no effect on the raw mechanical properties.

 

[Greg K]

The point is, find the mechanics that suit your character concept, and reflavor them. The flavor is the most mutable part of the game, hands down. Anything can be reflavored to virtually anything else, with no effect on the raw mechanical properties.

Correct. Flavor is mutable and multiclass is probably the best option. Still, like the op, my preference would be for druids to have healing as part of their class powers rather than resorting to mc (if I were to ever run or play 4e).

 

[Tectuktitlay]

Correct. Flavor is mutable and multiclass is probably the best option. Still, like the op, my preference would be for druids to have healing as part of their class powers rather than resorting to mc (if I were to ever run or play 4e).

They do. The OP even listed them out. They were not, however, enough for him, since they came later in the career, and overall aren't as powerful. However, for a controller the likes of a Druid to have healing on par with the leader classes is too powerful. It allows Druids to do precisely what they did in 3E that was overpowered: dip too readily into too many roles, with no associated cost. Multiclassing, however, brings with it an appropriate cost to balance having access to that array of abilities beyond their balanced core of abilities: The expenditure of an in-game resource...feats. What is being asked is for the overpowered nature of the old Druid to be brought back.

 

[Greg K]

Actually, he was ok with weakened healing compared to the leaders. He clarified that in another post. He just wanted some lesser magical healing earlier.

 

[Cadfan]

I can understand people being bothered by the druid not being able to heal. Its just the tip of the iceberg on an otherwise inevitable issue with the druid.

A 3e druid could: 1. Wildshape. 2. Cast damaging elemental spells. 3. Cast non-damage attack spells. 4. Fight in melee like a second line combatant without wildshape. 5. Cast spells to boost allies and heal. 6. Summon hordes of creatures.

Any given druid generally couldn't do all of those things equally well. But they could do more than one of them. WOTC decided that this was too much for one class, so they broke it into three.

Wildshape and elemental damage went to the druid. Summoning is apparently going there, eventually, as per previewed material.

Non damage attack spells and healing went to the shaman, and the spirit companion was added for additional flavor and mechanical possibilities.

The armor and weapon fighting, the most ignored of the lot, went to the warden and got beefed up significantly.

If you liked a combination of elements that were split up, the 4e druid isn't going to be what you were looking for. Same issue if something you liked got paired up with something you hate.

That being said... them's the breaks, I guess. The druid-who-does-everything needed to die, and in long standing druidic tradition, the earth its blood watered sprouted three coherent classes for the most recent edition.

 

[Tectuktitlay]

Actually, he was ok with weakened healing compared to the leaders. He clarified that in another post.

Then what's the problem? They gave Druids precisely that: weaker healing. If one wants more healing, they need to dip into a class that has more (and usually better) healing. It seems to me that WotC satisfied the conditions of the OP, without making the class unbalanced.

 

[Greg K]

Then what's the problem? They gave Druids precisely that: weaker healing. If one wants more healing, they need to dip into a class that has more (and usually better) healing. It seems to me that WotC satisfied the conditions of the OP, without making the class unbalanced.

No. they didn't. If you don't understand the difference between what WOTC gave and what the OP wanted, sit under a tree and contemplate it.

 

[Greg K]

The armor and weapon fighting, the most ignored of the lot, went to the warden and got beefed up significantly.

For which I am thankful.