D&D 4E You Don't Need a Healer in 4E... Yeah Right!

[SDOgre]

I have run a few parties through adventures and one thing I've found.

If you don't have a healer, your days are numbered.

You can take on a lot of stuff and be fine (replace the healer with a striker). Oh yeah, it's great until you face just brutes, elites, or a solo.

Then you're toast. Someone has to be pumping in the heals.

So to those who think you can run 4E with any class combos you want. You have to explain yourself, cuzz in my experience (and it is limited) that just isn't possible.

 

[WhatGravitas]

So to those who think you can run 4E with any class combos you want. You have to explain yourself, cuzz in my experience (and it is limited) that just isn't possible.

It works as long as all four roles are filled, i.e. you need a leader - but it doesn't have to be a cleric.

Furthermore, I'm playing in a group with a Defender (me), Controller, and Striker. It still works, but I have to burn at least one healing potion per combat.

I think somebody will soon pick up some multiclass feat to remedy that.

Cheers, LT.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

Not sure where you heard this. Perhaps you misunderstood a statement made that we no longer need clerics? Because I think that's completely true.

I do think it's really important for someone to play the Leader.

 

[Felon]

I've played Keep on the Shadowfell for a three-man party without a healer and then later for a four-man party with a warlord. Either way, it was rough because I didn't scale down the monster's "budget" to accomodate less than five players.

The thing I noticed is that the warlord's only good healing trick is inspiring word a couple times an encounter. Most of the benefits were much more offensive in nature, and that's as it ought to be.

Healing is basically bailing water out of a sinking ship. It might be necessary sometimes, but it's never the ideal thing to be doing. The ideal thing is to stay on the offensive. A dead monster cannot hurt.

 

[SDOgre]

I've heard some people say that you don't need healing now that you have second wind, powers that activate surges, etc. You'd have to be careful, but it was possible to play without a healer.

And I'm saying that's not true. If all you face are kobolds maybe. But when you face that difficult fight of your level +2 or +3 and they are brutes or you face a solo encounter, you'll get a TPK or close to it.

You can't sustain a party longterm without someone who can regularly heal.

 

[SDOgre]

Healing is basically bailing water out of a sinking ship. It might be necessary sometimes, but it's never the ideal thing to be doing. The ideal thing is to stay on the offensive. A dead monster cannot hurt.

I agree. Offense is more efficient in any given fight until you get to a point where your offense can't match the bad guy(s) offense. It's at that point the game expects you'll do what the bad guy(s) can't do: heal.

No healing = screwed.

 

[Incendax]

You can get by without an actual leader if you multiclass into leader with a few characters. I'm currently running a party with two defenders, two strikers, and one controller. They are hurting on the healing front, but both defenders have Multiclassed Warlord, and the rogue Multiclassed cleric of all things. (She is a dwarf with 18 Dex, 18 Wis)

They handle most fights perfectly fine, and on those big monster fights they have a tiny smattering of heals to do emergency patch-ups. I know they are itching to hit level 8, though, and snag Utility Power Swap for Bastion of Health and Inspiring Reaction.

 

[Lauberfen]

I think it's been ably demonstrated that playing without any healing is tough. However I think the significant thing is that you can play without a cleric, and I really do think this is the case- generally a warlord is enough healing for most encounters, and if you add a paladin into the mix then things are looking pretty survivable. Consider also that it's very cheap to multiclass cleric or warlord for an extra healing word per day, and also there are other class powers (like one of the fighter's dailies) that let you heal.

I think a game with no healers at all would have to be different- the DM would have to not hand out so much punishment, and, shock horror, the party might have to run away now and then.

In fact, from my very limited experience, I'd be surprised if a no healing party took a TPK even with a +2 or +3 encounter, because you could just each use a healing surge, then run away if things were too much.

@SDOgre- Did any of the parties or [players get killed? If not, maybe it's tough, but not too tough...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think it's been ably demonstrated that playing without any healing is tough. However I think the significant thing is that you can play without a cleric, and I really do think this is the case- generally a warlord is enough healing for most encounters, and if you add a paladin into the mix then things are looking pretty survivable. Consider also that it's very cheap to multiclass cleric or warlord for an extra healing word per day, and also there are other class powers (like one of the fighter's dailies) that let you heal.

I think a game with no healers at all would have to be different- the DM would have to not hand out so much punishment, and, shock horror, the party might have to run away now and then.

In fact, from my very limited experience, I'd be surprised if a no healing party took a TPK even with a +2 or +3 encounter, because you could just each use a healing surge, then run away if things were too much.

@SDOgre- Did any of the parties or [players get killed? If not, maybe it's tough, but not too tough...

Looking through the Warlords power list, there are a lot of abilities that allow you to heal people besides the Inspiring Word powers. What is notable though is that the Warlord doesn't have many powers that allow healing without healing surges. That's something the Cleric can do - but only with daily powers.

So basically, a Warlord can probably guarantee consistent healing during encounters, but only the Cleric can hope to heal you if your Surges are done. Both aspects are important, and it depends a lot on your situation which you prefer.

 

[Minigiant]

I thinks it's hard to play without any of the 4 roles. You'll probably have to multiclass, pick a class with the role as it's minor (paladin for healer, fighter for striker, etc), or choose items and races wisely (healing armor, dragonborn for control, orc and warforged with no leader).