PrC: Black Healer (needs balancing)

[Capellan]

Great flavour text. Very nice.

I think your pre-reqs remain a problem. Anyone who multiclasses Cleric or Druid with any other class that has a strong FORT or WILL can qualify for this class after 3rd level). Such a character would also have a decent chance of resisting a DC20 fear check (good WILL save, good wisdom, magical protection).

I'd suggest considering Base FORT and Base WILL of 5+. That still leaves you with this problem for Cleric/Druids, Druid/Monks and Cleric/Monks, but you can get around that by adding in a BAB requirement of 3+ (which would mean a multiclass character with two 3/4 BAB classes would need a minimum of 5 levels to qualify).

I realise that means that any non-Druid or Cleric is going to need a few extra levels to qualify ... but even then it could be done in 8 levels (Fighter 4 / Wizard 4 for instance). And, as a somewhat religion-based class, I don't see any real problem with an emphasis on Clerics and Druids getting the PrC.

Their class skill list seems very small, especially considering they get 4 skill points. I'd consider adding some or all of the following, as they seem quite appropriate:

Alchemy (herb lore, poisons, antidotes)
Animal Empathy (swamp creatures only?)
Concentration (unlike Incognito, I think it should be there - and monks are an existing example of non-spellcasters with this as a class skill)
Handle Animal (especially if they don't get Animal Empathy)
Use Rope (it's a useful outdoors-y ability for them)

Finally, I'd make the herbal abilities (poultice, brewing etc) run off Alchemy, rather than Heal, and require prior preparation of the herbs. I'd also place either a GP or time cost on acquiring items. Otherwise a high-level Black Healer can cure 1,080 hit points of damage in an eight hour period, for no cost or spell use.

Edit: Or use Profession (Herbalist) instead of Alchemy. That'd make sense

 

[Technik4]

I think some references might have thrown you.

Profession (Herbalist) is in the phb, its actually the only official profession to give a synergy bonus, in this case +2 heal. I was friends with a big herbalist back in the 2e days, and we were happy it had a mention (no matter how small) in 3e. This provides the other +2 bonus to heal I was factoring in. The biggest point being, having 2 professions, both of which provide a synergy bonus with heal, is unnecessary. In this case, I would go with what is in the phb.

Cosmopolitan [Regional, General]
Your exposure to [region] has taught you things you ordinarily would never have uncovered.
Benefit: Choose a nonexclusive skill you do not have as a class skill. You gain a +2 bonus on all checks with that skill, and that skill is always considered a class skill for you.
Special: Can take it more than once, with a different skill each time.

Hah, in retrospect I engineered the monk incorrectly. For the basis of my arguement, everything is still true (add another +2 to that heal check), but most of the sense motive ranks would be cross-class. Regardless, Im against that way of calculating it, as for 2,000 gp a 5th level druid with craft wondrous can make an item that gives +10 to heal.

Comparing to a wizard is a poor choice, compare it to a monk thats 2 levels higher. Granted, his unarmed damage will have gone up to d10 and he will have improved evasion, but an extra 69 points of healing/smacking? Even if he was better designed to be a pure monk, he wouldnt be able to compete damage-wise, and he would have less hp to boot.

Also, I think you underrate the front-loadedness of that power. For a mere 2 levels of a prc the monk can do an additional almost 70 points of damage, OR heal that much to himself and allies. At that level, its as powerful as a heal spell with respect to hp. I think allowing one of the specials to give the healing a bonus is powerful enough, using ranks is just one of those "dont-break-this-rule" or youre asking for it

I think the damage dealing potential for a monk is almost too tempting to pass up. The real problem is, that since the healing power is based on heal ranks, you dont need to get any more black healer levels for it to improve. Dip in for 2 levels and leave forever, just keep raising your heal rank and you will heal/do more damage.

Finally, not to get in the vs wizard debate too much, but there is no save on the damage, and even for a 9th level wizard, that is a damage dealing spell taking up the highest slot. Perhaps if it had a saving throw (as an inflict wounds spell perhaps) or if it could not be used as a touch attack (in which case its still broken for a monk). The damage scales as well, with no cap which could lead to other problems further down the road...

As far as prereqs, I think they should be more firm. While there is a good reason from a story perspective that you could be either resilient to effects of the mind or body, one should allow you entrance to the prc. In this case I would say Will Base Save +5. Its still technically breakable (anything that has a base save as the overall restriction will be, because of multiclassing), but I dont think its as bad. For instance, Sor2/Brd1 could still get in, and probably have a high cha, but without their spells increasing, they wouldnt be as powerful as the pal2/ftr1 (who gives up far less). Therefore, you need a BAB requirement.

Final Prereqs: BAB +4, Base Will +4, Heal 5 ranks, Iron Will, Skill Focus: Heal, and roleplaying.

The lowest level you could possibly join (with phb classes) would be 5 (I think...having not really looked into all permutations). This does (unfortunately) make it more difficult for fighters to get in, they would almost certainly HAVE to multiclass to get in before level 10. You could of course just drop the Base Will requirement entirely, at which point I would recommend adding another skill (swim or possibly profession (herbalist) or wilderness lore).

Alternate Prereqs: BAB +5, Heal 5 ranks, Swim 5 ranks, Iron Will, Skill Focus: Heal, and roleplaying.

In this case, it is definitely lowest level in of 5, and it makes it most likely for rangers (who have heal and swim on their list). For straight druids or straight fighters its 7, with multiclassing lowering it down to 5.

Technik

 

[seasong]

Prereqs do continue to be a problem. I don't want it to be too difficult or too easy, but as you've both pointed out, it's simply too easy to min-max for lower levels. So here's the new prereqs:

Base Will save +5 OR base Fort save +5
8 Skill Points Put Into Heal
Skill Focus: Heal
Iron Will
Roleplaying

Capellan:

It's not really a religious class, so much as it is a knowledge and duty class.

Skills...
Alchemy: The herbal effects, they can already do better. The rest of the skill fits poorly at best. Otherwise I would have included it.

The other skills almost fit, but the black healer is more social-oriented and less wilderness oriented. What wilderness skills they have are those that She would have... animal empathy/handling and rope use aren't high on that list.

The 1,080 HP in 8 hours: Yeah. The black healer changes the resting dynamic somewhat. However, I don't see this as any worse than Heal (theoretically infinite hit points in 6 seconds), and the time required makes it possible for the DM to layer encounters and do some damage anyway - at 1 HP per minute, the DM could give a medium-level party half an hour and still make 'em hurt.

Technik4:

Okay, yeah, I need to change it to Profession (Herbalist) and note that for the black healer, that includes physiology as a class trait.

Cosmopolitan: I'd let 'em have one (+2 skill) or the other (always a class skill) but not both in the same feat. And I sure wouldn't let it stack with Skill Focus (which is a prereq).

Heal Skill/Ranks: I think you've persuaded me. I'll look at it again tomorrow morning.

Regarding the 9th level wizard: Huh? A wizard can do avg 32 points of damage with a 9d6 fireball (level 3 spell, compared to "highest slot" of level 5), and if he's got a 20 INT (using your stat list), he can dedicate 4-5 slots and still have slots to spare. And while the fireball does offer a save... it doesn't require an attack roll.

 

[seasong]

Edits made.

 

[Xarlen]

I would just like to say that this is one of the Coolest PrCs I've seen in a long time.

Call me hooky, but I LIKE classes like the Ghost Walker, which has a lot of Style. This class has Style in spades. I would So take this PrC in a heartbeat, especially as a Solo game.

However, I think a Ranger seems appropriate. While the Barbarian is sorta cool in it, the Ranger seems the most likely (And the idea of a TWF black healer decending upon the defilers of a Swamp, or those of her enemies is just Kickass).

 

[seasong]

Thanks for the compliment!

And that's an interesting take on the black healer - an avenging role had not really occurred to me, but a DM could have that impress Her without much editting .

 

[Xarlen]

Well, I have trouble seeing a Barbarian doing it. A person who has immense rage and anger, suddenly committing themselves to helping the sick, or something, and then being a little bit sneaky about harming those evil individuals.

ANd, what's this about a Rat Bastard board, and tournament?

 

[seasong]

Originally posted by Xarlen
Well, I have trouble seeing a Barbarian doing it. A person who has immense rage and anger, suddenly committing themselves to helping the sick, or something, and then being a little bit sneaky about harming those evil individuals.

Is best answered by this choice bit of text:

From the black healer text
While not a perfect fit for most barbarian character concepts, it might make a good vision quest for a barbarian whose people are undergoing a plague or are otherwise afflicted.

Originally posted by Xarlen
ANd, what's this about a Rat Bastard board, and tournament?

Check out the links on page 1, post 1. The Rat Bastards are running an IronDM tourney .