Touch of Healing [Reserve] feat from Complete Champion Excerpt

[D.Shaffer]

Nowhere did I say I begrudged anyone for how they choose to play. In fact, if you read my earlier posts, I specifically state that what works for you is great for you, BUT it doesn't work for me.

Yes, but then you also say...

If you don't agree, and the rest of the people here don't either, that's fine too. You guys enjoy your game, but I don't think I'll be playing it along with you. I'll be playing D&D, and I won't pretend otherwise.

Which is implying that we're NOT playing DND, unless we're playing it exactly like you're playing it. So, we can play how we want to, but it's not DND unless it matches your expectations? Come on.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Moreover, more self reliant characters means equipment matters less, which is not a bad think imho. As a DM creating treasure troves and monitoring player wealth is the biggest balance factor.

I definitly agree. The more a group's capabilities come from themselves and the less from their equipment lists the better, AFAIC. Reserve feats are a great way of replacing an equipment based capability with a player based one and I like them for that reason if no other.

That said, I do agree that reserve feats change the power balance somewhat, and DMs have to think about their effects when including them. But thats not a reason to avoid it entirely.

 

[Corsair]

I thought that's what wands were for, after all. A wizard with a reserve feat doing 5d6 every round all day long has little use for a wand of magic missiles even at CL9. So, one of these reserve feats just eliminated the need for a nearly 5000gp item. Hmmmm.... nah, not a problem, right?

How much would you charge for an item, perhaps a set of gloves, that gives a fighter power attack?

One feat being equivalent to a 4500 gp item? Seems fair enough to me.

 

[Henry]

How much would you charge for an item, perhaps a set of gloves, that gives a fighter power attack?

One feat being equivalent to a 4500 gp item? Seems fair enough to me.

Of course, by that analogy, the fighter would be paying that 4500 gp about every 10 encounters; OR, the feat would become useless every 10 encounters and he'd need to take it again. I know not all feats have the same worth, but some feats would be too good to put into a magic item, and vice versa. Example: would it be OK to give someone the Vorpal ability at the cost of a single feat? Over the lifetime of a character, they might pay that 4500 gp several times for that wand, so it would be more than just one cost of 4500 that would have to be paid.

 

[Syltorian]

I'm hoping for a limited number of heals per recipient per day (or hour.) The devil is usually in the details, and without reading the whole thing I'm not at all certain we know enough to comment.

Tons of possibilities exist. The feat might heal the recipient but fatigue them, for example.

Or, given that many of the other feats in the same category work only for those with access to a certain domain, maybe it will work only for clerics with access to the Healing Domain. That's my suspicion (or rather, the hope I cling to).

My problem with this (should there be no more limits than what the preview say) is not so much rules but flavour. I like the more gritty and dangerous side of things, where wounds and injuries do not get healed as easily. It adds more to the athmosphere of things; it is already difficult enough, at times, to get people to take death seriously with the resurrection spells out there.

As someone mentioned, this means that every town with a good cleric can live on without fearing injuries anymore. Unless they take you straight down to -10. The good cleric does not have the excuse 'I have to save my power just in case I really need it' anymore, if this is, like other reserve feats, is unlimited and unrestricted. In Eberron, for instance, this would make it really difficult for Jorasco - the clergy would heal without asking money, without spending any resources themselves, without having to manage their resources.

I also see this as stepping on the paladin's toes, and anyone else with lay on hands. Okay, so they can heal more hitpoints at one go, and use it to damage undead in combat. But, again, flavourwise this ability seems laughable. The cleric now can lay on hands better, and in the situation most people will be familiar with - few commoners run around needing to be healed 40 hp in one go - they'll just have less respect for the pally, by comparison.

Thus, if there is no further limit to the feat - and I suspect there must be - I will either limit it to those with access to the Healing Domain (their domain has never been very attractive, imho, anyway), or else to members of House Jorasco with the dragonmark as a requirement.

Also, someone pointed out on the WotC boards that clerics do not even have to prepare a cure spell to be able to use this field (again, assuming the text does not impose any limits; something which, again, I do not believe or want to believe). They can cast cure spell spontaneously, which is enough to satisfy the requirements for reserve feats so far. Thus, as long as a cleric has a single spell available to cast, he'll be able to heal people.

 

[Corsair]

Of course, by that analogy, the fighter would be paying that 4500 gp about every 10 encounters; OR, the feat would become useless every 10 encounters and he'd need to take it again.

You didn't answer my question. How much would you charge for a magic item that would grant a fighter power attack? (a ring of evasion for comparison sake is 20k)

My point is that in general, feats are "worth" more than 4500 gold. So having a feat that emulates an unlimited wand of magic missile doesn't strike me as terribly overpowered considering the extreme restrictions on it (notably the 30 foot range)

This is less about the wear down between encounters and more about general wealth and availability of magic items. In every game I've been in where magic items could be purchased or commissioned, the party has had at least two CLW wands by level 3. We never went into a new area hurt if it could be avoided. If you run a game where the default assumptions are not held in regard to wealth and availability of magic in one form or another (or the wizard and cleric can't collaborate to craft wands) then the feat will have a bigger effect. But frankly I suspect that isn't the case in most people's games.

 

[rgard]

Unfortunately, this is a feat without any real "they can do it too" mitigating power. Bad guys typically live four one to ten rounds after opening hostilities with the PCs. On the few occasions where bad guys do escape, they typically use some of the PCs treasure (potions, scrolls, etc) before joining the next group of monsters. Reserve healing would only mean that the BBEG can heal all of his minions who live through combats without expending resources (so the bad guys still have their potions when the PCs encounter them again--and the PCs then loot said potions from the bad guys' corpses).

In short, unless you are playing a VERY unusual game where the bad guys' expendable healing resources are insufficient to allow the few who escape to recover fully AND the bad guys frequently are able to withdraw and heal up, the PCs will experience more pain from a BBEG taking Weapon Focus or Spell Focus than Healing Reserve.

<SNIP>

Maybe mine are unusual games, but I play the BBEGs tougher than what you describe. Sometimes it's the PCs who drop 1 to 10 rounds into the combat.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Kahuna Burger]

How much would you charge for an item, perhaps a set of gloves, that gives a fighter power attack?

One feat being equivalent to a 4500 gp item? Seems fair enough to me.

By way of comparison, a 10,000 gp item effectivly replaces a feat (glove of storing, not as good for throwing on iterative attacks, but better than the feat in giving "quicksheath" as well, and an excellent hiding place for your weapon). And a 13,000 gp item gives you better than dodge and better than improved unarmed strike (monk's belt). So there are already situations where the same or very similar benifits can be gained through either character planning or finacial planning.

 

[Someone]

I know what feat my BBEG (Cleric) will take next! So, one mitigating factor will be that the NPCs will have access to this feat as well.

Thanks,
Rich

Before doing that, have a look at he other feats in the preview list. At least 90% of them sound worthy of a feat slot!

 

[chitzk0i]

In Eberron, for instance, this would make it really difficult for Jorasco - the clergy would heal without asking money, without spending any resources themselves, without having to manage their resources.

Look at the flip side: whatever they charge for hit point healing will be 100% profit. Unless there are more altruistic clerics using the feat to provide free healing, then people will be willing to pay money for healing.