D&D 5E Should Cure and Inflict Wounds should be touch spells? *Now with a Survey!* REVEALED TO ALL

[I'm A Banana]

PS: I dub this poll REVEALED!

 

[Stormonu]

Interesting, touch is beating (by 1 vote) all the ranged options combined.

If they do domains or spheres in 5E, would folks object if they made healing normally touch, but the ability of the heal domain/sphere gave you ranged healing?

 

[Blackwarder]

PS: I dub this poll REVEALED!

My new hero!

Can't XP you though

Warder

 

[Mon]

Interesting, touch is beating (by 1 vote) all the ranged options combined.

If they do domains or spheres in 5E, would folks object if they made healing normally touch, but the ability of the heal domain/sphere gave you ranged healing?

This.

Even better IMO, leave Cure Wounds as a touch spell and add cool Healing-domain-only spells that provide unique and interesting ways to heal. E.g.

"Healing Word" lets you heal at a distance.
"Saving Grace" lets you heal as a reaction that can save the target from dropping/dying if healing is sufficient to prevent it.
"Resuscitate" lets you revive a character that died within the last couple of rounds if healing is sufficient to raise hp > death threshold.
"Healing Aura" lets adjacent allies use an action to heal themselves by touching the hem of your robe or something.
"Circle of Life" stabilizes everyone in a large area (e.g. across a whole battlefield).

This would make healing far more interesting for dedicated healers / battlefield medics etc.

Still, with divine archetypes instead of domains, this won't really work

 

[Kobold Stew]

I'd also have no problem in fact, if the Cure spells were normally listed as Range: Touch in their descriptions, but certain deities (like Arcanist or Lightbringer) granted an ability that allowed those spells to be cast at Range: 25 feet. So most Clerics would cast via touch, but a select few (the ones designed to be primarily casters and not melee combatants) could cast at range. I'd be fine with that option too.

Of all that's been said so far, this suggestion is most in line with the design of the cleric in DDN so far.

A great idea.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

I also do not have a problem with certain clerics having ranged healing, but let's make this unique feature truly unique. The lightbringer's cure spells should involve light, for instance - so the target of the spell is radiated from on high and healed. The arcanist could have an ability like spectral hand, that allows them to channel spells through an illusion of themselves - that might take an extra round to create, but if it was useful for other touch spells, or indeed defence, then it would be a cool ability. Alternatively, any defensive measure that makes it viable for these two clerics to wander into melee would be good - the lightbringer glowing white hot and giving everyone disadvantage to hit them because they are effectively blinded, the arcanist using a sanctuary like shield that makes attacks deflect, or require a save to attempt.

 

[I'm A Banana]

My new hero!

Can't XP you though

Warder

All in a day's modding, citizen.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I also do not have a problem with certain clerics having ranged healing, but let's make this unique feature truly unique. The lightbringer's cure spells should involve light, for instance - so the target of the spell is radiated from on high and healed. The arcanist could have an ability like spectral hand, that allows them to channel spells through an illusion of themselves - that might take an extra round to create, but if it was useful for other touch spells, or indeed defence, then it would be a cool ability. Alternatively, any defensive measure that makes it viable for these two clerics to wander into melee would be good - the lightbringer glowing white hot and giving everyone disadvantage to hit them because they are effectively blinded, the arcanist using a sanctuary like shield that makes attacks deflect, or require a save to attempt.

I'd be good with any of these ideas.

 

[Starfox]

I voted touch but would be ok either with an invoker-like pure-caster version of the cleric (or other healer) with ranged heals, or specific domains granting ranged heals to specific builds. I still think healing in general should be touch. I also think 90% of all fights should not require in-fight healing.

 

[tuxgeo]

I also do not have a problem with certain clerics having ranged healing, but let's make this unique feature truly unique. The lightbringer's cure spells should involve light, for instance - so the target of the spell is radiated from on high and healed. The arcanist could have an ability like spectral hand, that allows them to channel spells through an illusion of themselves - that might take an extra round to create, but if it was useful for other touch spells, or indeed defence, then it would be a cool ability. Alternatively, any defensive measure that makes it viable for these two clerics to wander into melee would be good - < snip >

Not to be a fifth wheel here, but: "Staying out of melee" is not the only purpose of ranged healing. Framing this issue as "do the clerics have to enter melee or not?" is an oversimplification: it doesn't cover all the possibilities.

What if the fighter misses a perception check or a Wisdom check to notice a pit trap and falls in, taking enough damage from spikes or rats or snakes (or whatever) to fall unconscious? Is the cleric going to have to climb down into the pit to heal the fighter back to consciousness so the fighter can climb out? Right now, the "Cure Minor Wounds" cantrip in 5E Next allows enough ranged healing to avoid that; but if all healing is made touch range, the cleric is going to have to drop into the pit to get the fighter out.

That's merely one scenario where there are more considerations beyond "enter melee" or "don't enter melee." Further scenarios could be imagined. It isn't entirely that simple.