I'm of the opinion that Channel Energy provides just a little too much incentive for a group to use a cleric for the party's healer and makes the druid and bard even less desirable in the role of healer for a group. Here's the abilities I'd like to see for the Druid and Bard:
Nature’s LifeBlood: A druid has the power to call upon the life giving powers of nature to heal living creatures in the area around the druid. Nature’s Lifeblood is a supernatural ability you can perform as a standard action which does not provode attacks of opportunity. When you call upon this power, all living creatures in a 30-foot burst gain Fast Healing 1 for 3 rounds plus 1 round per druid level. A druid may call upon nature’s lifeblood a number of times per day equal to 1 + her wisdom modifier.
Song of Healing: A bard has ability to provide healing to all those in an area around the bard by performing a song of healing. This ability requires a full minute of performance, at the end of which time all living creatures who remained within 30’ of the bard during the entire performance is healed 1d8 hit points plus an addition 1 hit point per level of the bard. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + her charisma modifier.
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While I'm not married to the premise, the Song of Healing idea makes me wonder if a Bard could have some sort of variation on his Song of Competence thingie that allowed the boosted skills to have supernatural effects, such as allowing a boosted use of Heal to restore hit point damage or allow an extra save vs. some condition or toxin/contagion or something. Basically, a bit of magic added to mundane skill uses, thanks to the Bard's magical performance...
On the other hand, the Song of Healing you have listed, would, IMO, be better dealt with as allowing Fast Healing 1 for the duration of the singing, but have a maximum amount of healing it can provide to any one person in a given day (say level x Con bonus, with 1 hp / level minimum?).
I'm of the opinion that Channel Energy provides just a little too much incentive for a group to use a cleric for the party's healer and makes the druid and bard even less desirable in the role of healer for a group. Here's the abilities I'd like to see for the Druid and Bard:
Nature’s LifeBlood: A druid has the power to call upon the life giving powers of nature to heal living creatures in the area around the druid. Nature’s Lifeblood is a supernatural ability you can perform as a standard action which does not provode attacks of opportunity. When you call upon this power, all living creatures in a 30-foot burst gain Fast Healing 1 for 3 rounds plus 1 round per druid level. A druid may call upon nature’s lifeblood a number of times per day equal to 1 + her wisdom modifier.
Song of Healing: A bard has ability to provide healing to all those in an area around the bard by performing a song of healing. This ability requires a full minute of performance, at the end of which time all living creatures who remained within 30’ of the bard during the entire performance is healed 1d8 hit points plus an addition 1 hit point per level of the bard. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 + her charisma modifier.
I think both look balanced and in keeping with the flavour of those classes. I would allow 3 + >ability mod< times/day.
I think both look balanced and in keeping with the flavour of those classes. I would allow 3 + >ability mod< times/day.
I considered 3 + mod times per day, but considering both classes get to use their prime stat instead of a secondary one like the cleric does I wasn't sure about giving them too much healing power at low levels. 3+ a day is probably fine for these abilities though since they're essentially out-of-combat heals unlike Channel Energy.
To be honest... I don't like the idea of just outright granting a new powerful ability to the druid. I would get behind the idea of giving the option to replace the AC with healing but not the idea of adding healing outright to the class.
The Druid and Paladin have been the second tier alt for healing. Since Clerics and Paladins got a boost to healing from Channel Energy, this is merely maintaining parity in that regard. I understand your concerns about adding to an already power heavy class, however healing is one of their traditional main roles and allowing other classes with this role to seriously out pace them is not good.
I agree with this. The main objective here is to help out parties that don't have a cleric. Furthermore, the Fast Healing could increase to Fast Healing 2 at 6th level, Fast Healing 3 at 11th level & Fast Healing 4 at 16th level, and still not be broken as it's only a healing boost.
You could add that the Druid could not use this ability while in Wildshape.
Dont bards already get a healing song from bardic music? Isnt it Cure light wounds, mass at like 10 or 12th level. Even if they only devoted half of their bardic music uses to it that would still be like 5-6 uses a day in addition to any healing spell they may take. I agree the druid should have a boost in healing ability but I really dont think the bard needs it or if it would even be fitting for bard to be any more of a healer than it already is.
I could care less if the bard gets more healing but I think Mass CLW at 10th level is far too little too late to consider it 'effective' healing. CLW heals way too slowly to be of any use in 10th level combat and it wastes the bards few bardic music uses which could be put to productive use. Bard would be much better off telling the party to chip in for a handful of CLW wands and healing after the fact.
Song of Healing should get slotted into the bardic music progression and use up bardic music uses like all the others. Bards should also get to pick their songs, but that's an argument for another day.
Song of Healing should get slotted into the bardic music progression and use up bardic music uses like all the others. Bards should also get to pick their songs, but that's an argument for another day.
I considered having Song of Healing use a bardic song use, but it didn't seem right to take away from the bards current core abilities. Perhaps since the bard is a secondary healer using bardic song makes sense, but I'd prefer a separate use mechanic like I laid out.
I would had this as a forth option to the choices at 1st level: animal companion/domain, full spell casting, wild shape, nature's healing (though would need more beefing).
I considered having Song of Healing use a bardic song use, but it didn't seem right to take away from the bards current core abilities. Perhaps since the bard is a secondary healer using bardic song makes sense, but I'd prefer a separate use mechanic like I laid out.
The problem is it just doesn't really make sense as you're written it. It would be like giving a wizard a second spell progression. The bard's core class ability is bardic music, and this is bardic music, so it should go in there as well. Given that bards get more uses than they know what to do with pretty quickly, I don't see a problem with charging them uses for this.
Song of Healing does not seem that different from Soothing Performance. Does the bard really need two different songs which accomplish the same thing. Given the increased spell casting of the bard I don't believe the class needs a lot of improvement in the healing department. In worlds like Ebberon and Kalamar where the churches prohibit healing of non-worshipers Bards do a pretty good business as healers.
Doug
