PrC Combat Healer, looking for feedback

[Dragonjester]

I'm looking for any kind of feedback, since this is a first draft of this class, and it hasn't been tested. Don't hold back, but for the sake of the children, keep it clean.




Combat Healer

A combat healer is a person who has dedicated himself to saving lives in the heat of battle. Mostly from the ranks of clerics, the rare paladin has lost his taste for blood can find himself following the path of the combat healer, so that he may continue to be of aid to his comrades. Combat healers tend to be pacifists, but their attitudes stem from an ethical stand and should never be thought to be from cowardice, for they can always be found where the fighting is heaviest

RequirementsAlignment: Any non evil (if neutral cannot spontaneously cast inflict spells)Feats: Metamagic Feat (any), Skill Focus (Heal)Skills (Ranks): Heal (8), Profession [herbalist] (5)Abilities: Ability to turn undeadSpells: Can cast cure spells
Hit Die: 1d6
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge [Anatomy] (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)

BAB: As a wizard
Good Saves: Fortitude and Will

Class Features
Spells per Day: At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th level gained in the combat healer class, the character gains new spells per day spells as if she had also gained a level in the divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, more frequent remove disease, and so on). If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a combat healer, the player must decide which class to assign each level of combat healer for the purpose of determining divine spells per day. If the combat healer did not previously belong to a divine spellcasting class, she gains the ability to cast divine spells exactly as a cleric of her patron deity. Her spell progression is that of a Cleric.

Spontaneous Casting: at 1st level combat healers gain the ability to channel stored spell energy into healing spells that they haven't prepared ahead of time. The combat healer can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in its name).

Extra Domain "Healing": Upon adopting the combat healer class, the character gains access to the domain of Healing.

Lay on Hands: At 1st level the combat healer can cure a total number of hit points equal to the combat healer's Charisma bonus (if any) times the combat healer's level, as the paladin’s ability. The combat healer can cure themselves. The combat healer may choose to divide her curing among multiple recipients, and he or she doesn't have to use it all at once. This ability stacks with the Paladin’s lay on hands. Lay on hands is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.

Bonus Feats: At levels 2, 5, and 8 the combat healer gets a bonus feat from the following list, all prerequisites must still be met: (Player’s Handbook) Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Dodge, Empower Spell, Extra Turning, Maximize Spell, Mobility, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Scribe Spell, Still Spell, (Defenders of the Faith) Divine Cleansing, Divine Might, Divine Resistance, Divine Shield, Divine Vengeance, Divine Vigor, Reach Spell, (Tome and Blood) Chain Spell, Cooperative Spell, Delay Spell, Extra Slot, Innate Spell, Repeat Spell, Sanctum Spell, Subdual Substitution, Twin Spell

Remove Disease: At 3rd level, a combat healer can remove disease, as the paladin ability once per week, at 6th level a combat healer can remove disease twice a week and at 9th level three times a week. Remove disease is a spell-like ability for combat healers. If a combat healer gets a remove disease from another source (such as a paladin), the number of times per week it can be used stack.

Divine Hands: At 4th level the combat healer can decide, at the time of spell preparation to use up one of his turn attempts, to add his wisdom modifier to his charisma modifier when using the lay on hands ability, for the duration of the day.

Divine Cure: At 7th level the combat healer can use one of her turn attempts to lower the spell slot used for a metamagic feat by two levels, but only when used for cure spells (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in its name). The spell slot level cannot be lowered below the original spell level.

Healing Touch: At 10th level the combat healer can use heal; the combat healer can use this spell-like ability once per day, plus one additional time per point of Wisdom bonus.


[edit: fixed a smilie]

 

[Gargoyle]

I don't think it would hurt to give them d8 hit die. They're likely to take care of themselves.

I would take off the requirement to be able to turn the undead and rework all the abilities that require burning a turn attempt to use some other mechanic. That would open the class up to the ocassional druid.

Also, I'd probably drop the bonus feats and add something more interesting. The additional focus on metamagic feats seems to detract from the class.

You should also put in a Weapons and armor proficiency section, even if it just says " Combat healers gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies".

Finally, I'd give them 4 skill points per level to give the player of such a character more to do than just heal, and I would consider increasing their skill list to include more athletic stuff. IRL combat medics are quite fit and can do things like climb and swim well.

In short, I'd open the class up more by removing the turn undead requirement, focus the class on spellcasting and lay on hands type abilities (How about lay on hands that cures ability damage?), and make them more athletic and skillful.

I've given this class some thought because I was planning on doing something very close to this myself, and just haven't gotten to it. Looks like you've got a good head start.

 

[Juggernaut]

Agreement

I agree with Gargoyle in his assessment. I would make the same suggestions that he does.

 

[Dragonjester]

Okay I looked at the class and I agree, so without further ado here is

Combat Healer v1.1

A combat healer is a person who has dedicated himself to saving lives in the heat of battle. Mostly from the ranks of clerics, the rare paladin has lost his taste for blood can find himself following the path of the combat healer, so that he may continue to be of aid to his comrades. Combat healers tend to be pacifists, but their attitudes stem from an ethical stand and should never be thought to be from cowardice, for they can always be found where the fighting is heaviest

Requirements
Alignment: Any nonevil (must not be able to spontaneously cast inflict wound spells)
Hit Die: d8
Feats: Combat Casting, Skill Focus (Heal)
Skills (Ranks): Heal (8), Knowledge [religion] (5)
Spellcasting: Ability to cast cure light wounds

Class Skills: Alchemy (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge [Anatomy] (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Acombat healer is proficient with all simple weapons, all armor, and shields.

Lvl Att. Fort Ref. Will Special Spells per day
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Spontaneous Casting, Healing Domain +1 level of existing class
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Lay on Hands
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 Remove Disease 1/wk +1 level of existing class
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Inspired Healing
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 Reach Cure Spell Feat +1 level of existing class
6 +3 +5 +2 +5 Remove Disease 2/wk
7 +3 +5 +2 +5 Healing Touch +1 level of existing class
8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Remove Disease 3/wk
9 +4 +6 +3 +6 Maximize Cure Spell +1 level of existing class
10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Mass Heal

Class Features
Spells per Day: At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th level gained in the combat healer class, the character gains new spells per day spells as if she had also gained a level in the divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, and so on). If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a combat healer, the player must decide which class to assign each level of combat healer for the purpose of determining divine spells per day. If the combat healer did not previously belong to a divine spellcasting class, she gains the ability to cast divine spells exactly as a cleric of her patron deity. Her spell progression is that of a Cleric.

Spontaneous Casting: Combat healers gain the ability to channel stored spell energy into healing spells that they haven't prepared ahead of time. The combat healer can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in its name).

Extra Domain: Upon adopting the combat healer class, the character gains access to the domain of Healing.

Lay on Hands (Sp): At 2nd level a combat healer can cure a total number of hit points per day equal to the combat healer's Charisma bonus (if any) times the combat healer's level, as the paladin’s ability. The combat healer can cure himself. The combat healer may choose to divide her curing among multiple recipients, and he or she doesn't have to use it all at once. This ability stacks with the Paladin’s lay on hands. Lay on hands is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.

Remove Disease (Sp): At 3rd level, a combat healer can remove disease, as the paladin ability once per week, at 6th level a combat healer can remove disease twice a week and at 8th level three times a week. Remove disease is a spell-like ability for combat healers. If a combat healer gets a remove disease from another source (such as a paladin), the number of times per week it can be used stack.

Inspired Healing (Su): At 4th level the combat healer gains the supernatural ability to add her Wisdom modifier to her cure spells a number of times a day equal to her combat healer level.

Reach Cure Spell Feat [Metamagic]: At 6th level the combat healer can cast cure spells without touching the spell recipient. Benefit: You may cast cure spells (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in its name) that normally has a range of "touch" at any distance up to 30 feet. The spell effectively becomes a ray, so you must succeed at a ranged touch attack to bestow the spell upon the recipient. A reach spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Healing Touch (Sp): At 7th level the combat healer can use heal 3/day.

Maximize Cure Spell Feat [Metamagic]: At 9th level the combat healer can cast cure spells to maximum effect.
Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of a maximized spell are maximized. A maximized spell cures the maximum number of hit points. A maximized cure spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level.

Mass Heal (Sp): At 10th level the combat healer can use mass heal once a day as a spell-like ability.

 

[CRGreathouse]

OK, here's my suggested revision. I tidied up the look, changed the requirements so more classes could get in (5 levels of cleric, or 7 levels of druid, or 7-8 levels of bard, or 14-15 levels of paladin or ranger!). I redid the abilities so it didn't focus on undead turning ability. I'd love to see a bard take this class... hard to qualify, but not impossible. Plus, the bard would get the Healing domain and spontaneous casting...
I also upped the hit die and spellcasting, since some abilities were axed.

Requirements
Alignment: Any non-evil
Feats: Metamagic Feat (any one), Skill Focus (Heal)
Skills: Heal 8 ranks, Profession (herbalist) 8 ranks
Spells: Can cast cure serious wounds
Special: Cannot spontaneously cast inflict spells

Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Anatomy) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)

BAB: As a wizard
Good Saves: Fortitude and Will

Class Features
Spells per Day: At 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th level gained in the combat healer class, the character gains new spells per day spells as if she had also gained a level in the spellcasting class she can cast cure serious wounds in. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, more frequent remove disease, and so on). If a character had more than one spellcasting class that grants cure moderate wounds before she became a combat healer, the player must decide which class to assign each level of combat healer for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Spontaneous Casting: at 1st level combat healers gain the ability to channel stored spell energy into healing spells that they haven't prepared ahead of time. The combat healer can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in its name). This only works for the class the combat healer is advancing spellcasting for.

Extra Domain "Healing": Upon adopting the combat healer class, the character gains access to the domain of Healing in the class the combat healer is advancing spellcasting.

Lay on Hands: At 2nd level the combat healer can cure a total number of hit points equal to the combat healer's Charisma bonus times the combat healer's level, as the paladin’s ability. The combat healer can cure themselves. The combat healer may choose to divide her curing among multiple recipients, and he or she doesn't have to use it all at once. This ability stacks with the Paladin’s lay on hands. Lay on hands is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.

Bonus Feats: At levels 3, 6, and 9 the combat healer gets a bonus feat from the following list, all prerequisites must still be met: (Player’s Handbook) Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Dodge, Empower Spell, Extra Turning, Maximize Spell, Mobility, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Scribe Spell, Still Spell, (Defenders of the Faith) Divine Cleansing, Divine Might, Divine Resistance, Divine Shield, Divine Vengeance, Divine Vigor, Reach Spell (Tome and Blood), Chain Spell, Cooperative Spell, Delay Spell, Extra Slot, Innate Spell, Repeat Spell, Sanctum Spell, Subdual Substitution, Twin Spell

Remove Disease: At 3rd level, a combat healer can remove disease, as the paladin ability once per week, at 6th level a combat healer can remove disease twice a week and at 9th level three times a week. Remove disease is a spell-like ability for combat healers. If a combat healer gets a remove disease from another source (such as a paladin), the number of times per week it can be used stack.

Divine Hands: At 6th level, the combat healer can lay on hands can cure a total number of hit points equal to the combat healer's Charisma bonus times the combat healer's character level. This overlaps (does not stack wiht) the plaladin's ability.

Healing Touch: At 10th level the combat healer can heal a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom bonus (but at least one).