Sell me on Cure Light Wounds

[JiffyPopTart]

So...I am trying to figure out exactly why CLW seems to suck like a dinner-plate sized hole on Skylab.

The only possible reason I can see for it is "your buddy is completely out of healing surges and is getting ready to die".

I don't anticipate adventuring anymore when I have used up my last healing surge, making this power seem incredibly underpowered compared to Healing Word.

Am I missing something or is this just a choice for I-want-to-heal-as-much-as-racially-possible?

DS

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Well, it's another chance to heal in the same encounter.

It could very well mean the difference between life and death of any character on the field.

The fact that it doesn't use a healing surge is not what makes it powerful. What makes it powerful is that it allows you to get a heal on your fighter on round 5 who's been tanking the big black dragon the whole combat and you've already blown both of your healing words by round 3.

You're right that it's just another chance to heal, but that doesn't make it bad.

 

[Rechan]

So...I am trying to figure out exactly why CLW seems to suck like a dinner-plate sized hole on Skylab.

The only possible reason I can see for it is "your buddy is completely out of healing surges and is getting ready to die".

That, or you want to conserve them.

In my first session, our party took a beating in the first encounter because not everyone understood the rules (or used their powers). By the end, I was back to full HP but I'd used 5 healing surges to get there.

I had 6 left. The party chose to continue on.

Also, as said above, another healing opportunity in combat. A cleric can only use his Healing Word twice per encounter. The paladin his Lay on Hands 1/wisdom mod per day. If in a fight the Paladin and Cleric are bone dry from healing other people mid-fight, and a character has all ready used his Second Wind but needs another healin', well he's in trouble.

 

[Dracollich]

You've never played in a group that had a DM occasionally through encounters at the group when they're trying to get camp set up, have you?

Fighter used up his second wind? Paladin out of lay on hands? Healing strike and healing words burned through? That elite soldier is still banging away at the fighter who only has 1hp left? I'd say that calls for a cure light wounds.

It's just a last resort use of healing for the group before needing just a 5 minute rest.

 

[Regicide]

Well, it's another chance to heal in the same encounter.

That. Clerics can't do a heck of a lot of healing anymore.

As you say the fact that it doesn't use a healing surge is pretty meaningless since you're just going to rest when you're low anyway.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

You've never played in a group that had a DM occasionally through encounters at the group when they're trying to get camp set up, have you?

Fighter used up his second wind? Paladin out of lay on hands? Healing strike and healing words burned through? That elite soldier is still banging away at the fighter who only has 1hp left? I'd say that calls for a cure light wounds.

It's just a last resort use of healing for the group before needing just a 5 minute rest.

In our games, thats what the healing potions and wands are for.

DS

 

[Rechan]

In our games, thats what the healing potions and wands are for.

DS

Healing potions work off your healing surges. if you got no more healing surges, it's just a cool beverage; it doesn't do you any good.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

In our KotS game, we've already ran into a situation where 3 out of the 6 of us were completely out of healing surges. What we wouldn't have given for another heal that didn't use one up.

 

[silentounce]

So...I am trying to figure out exactly why CLW seems to suck like a dinner-plate sized hole on Skylab.

The only possible reason I can see for it is "your buddy is completely out of healing surges and is getting ready to die".

I don't anticipate adventuring anymore when I have used up my last healing surge, making this power seem incredibly underpowered compared to Healing Word.

Am I missing something or is this just a choice for I-want-to-heal-as-much-as-racially-possible?

DS

Skylab? Heh, I don't think a dinner-plate sized hole is a problem for it anymore at all. Anyway, I'm going to go with what those above have said. It's an extra bit of healing per encounter. And it's likely to be useful in nearly every encounter where anyone takes damage.

 

[biotech66]

The fact that it doesn't use a healing surge is not what makes it powerful.

I don't know, I though get a free healing surge was pretty badass. To me, the ability given with the Dwarven armor was pretty powerful.