EbonFyre and I have been working on updating her latest character to Pathfinder standard; as most of us know the Healer class was one of the most lackluster in 3.5 so we did what we could to try and amp it up a bit to bring it a little more playability. Credit where credit is due, most of the work is hers. Feedback is appreciated.
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Alignment: any good
HD: d6 --down from d8, since the class has 1/2 BAB progression
Skills: Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (religion), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Survival
Skill points: 4 + Int modifier
1st level: BAB 0, Fort: +2, Ref: 0, Will: +2; Special: Orisons, Spellcasting, Healing Hands, Spontaneous Casting (cure), Healing Wave (1d6)
2nd level: BAB +1, Fort: +3, Ref: +0, Will: +3; Special: Skill Focus (Heal), Healing technique
3rd level: BAB +1, Fort: +3, Ref: +1, Will: +3; Special: Healing Wave (2d6)
4th level: BAB +2, Fort: +4, Ref: +1, Will: +4; Special: Healing technique
5th level: BAB +2, Fort: +4, Ref: +1, Will: +4; Special: Healing Wave (3d6)
6th level: BAB +3, Fort: +5, Ref: +2, Will: +5; Special: Healing technique
7th level: BAB +3, Fort: +5, Ref: +2, Will: +5; Special: Effortless healing; Healing Wave (4d6)
8th level: BAB +4, Fort: +6, Ref: +2, Will: +6; Special: Unicorn companion; Healing technique
9th level: BAB +4, Fort: +6, Ref: +3, Will: +6; Special: Healing Wave (5d6)
10th level: BAB +5, Fort: +7, Ref: +3, Will: +7; Special: Advanced techniques, Healing technique
11th level: BAB +5, Fort: +7, Ref: +3, Will: +7; Special: Improved Healing Hands, Healing Wave (6d6)
12th level: BAB +6/+1, Fort: +8, Ref: +4, Will: +8; Special: Healing technique
13th level: BAB +6/+1, Fort: +8, Ref: +4, Will: +8; Special: Healing Wave (7d6)
14th level: BAB +7/+2, Fort: +9, Ref: +4, Will: +9; Special: Healing technique
15th level: BAB +7/+2, Fort: +9, Ref: +5, Will: +9; Special: New limb; Healing Wave (8d6)
16th level: BAB +8/+3, Fort: +10, Ref: +5, Will: +10; Special: Healing technique
17th level: BAB +8/+3, Fort: +10, Ref: +5, Will: +10; Special: Healing Wave (9d6)
18th level: BAB +9/+4, Fort: +11, Ref: +6, Will +11; Special: Healing technique
19th level: BAB +9/+4, Fort: +11, Ref: +6, Will: +11; Special: Healing Wave (10d6)
20th level: BAB +10/+5, Fort +12, Ref: +6, Will: +12; Special: New life, Healing technique
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Healers are proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor. Additionally, a healer who uses metal armor or any kind of shield is severely hampered. The armor of a healer is restricted by traditional oaths, not simply training. A healer knows how to wear light metal armor and could become proficient with medium or heavy armor, but wearing metal armor or bearing a shield would violate her oath and suppress her healer powers. Her ethos requires a certain vulnerability that allows her to more fully empathize with those in their care. A healer who uses prohibited armor is unable to cast healer spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class features while doing so and for 24 hours after the armor is taken off.
Spells: A healer casts divine spells (the same type of spells available to clerics), which are drawn from the healer spell list given below. A healer must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below).
To prepare or cast a spell, a healer must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level (Wis 10 for 0-level spells, Wis 11 for 1st level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a healer’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the healer’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a healer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
Spontaneous Casting: A healer can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The healer can “lose” any prepared spell that is not an orison in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with “cure” in its name).
Healing Hands: Whenever a healer casts a spell that cures hit point damage, she adds her Charisma modifier to the amount of damage healed. This bonus applies only to spells of the healing subschool that she casts as a healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class.
This bonus improves to two times her Charisma modifier at level 10.
Skill Focus (Heal): A healer’s focused training grants her this bonus feat at 2nd level. If she already has that feat, she may choose a different one.
Healing Wave: A healer can release a wave of healing energy by channeling the power of her faith. Healing Wave causes a burst that affects all living creatures in a 30 foot radius centered on the healer. The amount healed is equal to 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two healer levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Creatures healed by healing wave cannot exceed their maximum hit point total--all excess healing is lost. A healer may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
This ability counts as Channel Energy (positive) for the purposes of qualifying for prestige classes or feats.
Healing Techniques: As a healer gains experience, she learns a number of techniques that increase her healing abilities. Starting at 2nd level, a healer gains one healing technique. She gains an additional technique for every 2 levels of healer attained after 2nd level. A healer cannot select an individual technique more than once.
Cleanse Blindness: The healer gains the ability to cleanse blindness a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting a remove blindness/deafness spell.
Cleanse Disease: The healer gains the ability to cleanse disease a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting a remove disease spell.
Cleanse Fear: The healer gains the ability to cleanse fear a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting a remove fear spell.
Cleanse Mind: The healer gains the ability to remove any charm effect a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier as a standard action.
Cleanse Paralysis: The healer gains the ability to cleanse paralysis a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting the remove paralysis spell.
Cleanse Poison: The healer gains the ability to cleanse poison a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting a neutralize poison spell.
Healer's Grace: When the healer casts any spell that cures hit point damage, she can choose to grant the subject a +1 sacred bonus for every 4 class levels to Saving Throws (minimum +1). This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the healer's Charisma modifier. This ability can be used 3 times per day + her Charisma modifier.
Healer's Protection: The healer gains the ability to protect her charges. When the healer casts any spell that cures hit point damage, she can choose to grant the subject a +1 sacred bonus for every 4 class levels to Armor Class (minimum +1). This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the healer's Charisma modifier. This ability can be used 3 times per day + her Charisma modifier.
Lingering Vitality: A healer with this ability is able to increase their healing effects over time. When the healer casts any spell that cures hit point damage, she can choose to grant the subject Fast Healing 1. This effect lasts 10 rounds plus 1 round per level, to a maximum of 15 rounds. This ability can be used 3 times a day + her Charisma modifier.
Practiced Healer: The healer is gains a +2 sacred bonus to caster level when using healing spells.
Rapid Healing: The healer gains the ability to reduce the casting time of her healing spells. The healer is able to cast any spell that cures hit point damage as a move action. This ability can be used 3 times a day + her Charisma modifier.
Selective Healing Wave: The healer gains the ability to target her healing wave. This ability allows the healer to select which targets within range are affected by her Healing Wave.
Touch of Healing: The healer gains the ability to channel divine healing with just a touch. As a standard action, the healer can heal 3 points of damage per caster level to a maximum of 30 points. You can use this ability only on a target that has been reduced to one-half or fewer of its total hit points. The effect ends once you've healed the subject up to half its normal maximum hit points. This ability has no effect on creatures that can't be healed by cure spells.
Effortless Healing: At 7th level, a healer has learned to cast spells of the healing subschool with minimal effort. She may cast such spells without provoking attacks of opportunity. This ability applies only to spells of the healing subschool that she casts as a healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class.
Unicorn Companion: When a healer attains 8th level, the deities recognize her devotion and grant her a celestial unicorn companion as her mount and aide. The unicorn, a symbol of healing and purity, serves the healer willingly and unswervingly.
Once per day, as a full-round action, the healer may magically call her companion from the celestial realms in which it resides. The companion immediately appears adjacent to the healer and remains for 2 hours per healer level. It may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The companion is the same creature each time it is called, though the healer may release a particular companion from service to gain a companion of a different kind. Each time the companion is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The companion also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a companion is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Advanced Techniques: At 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a healer can choose one of the following advanced techniques in place of a healing technique.
Aura of Protection: The healer can emit a 30-foot aura of protection for a number of rounds per day equal to her healer level. She and her allies within this aura gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC and resistance 5 against all elements (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic). The deflection bonus increases by +1 for every five healer levels you possess beyond 10th. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Cleanse Spirit: A healer gains the ability to restore a creature to health a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting a greater restoration spell.
Cleanse Petrification: A healer gains the ability to restore a petrified creature to health a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier, as if casting a stone to flesh spell.
Empowered Healing: All of the healer's cure spells are treated as if they were empowered, increasing the amount of damage healed by half (+50%). This does not stack with the Empower Spell metamagic feat.
Expand Wave: Healing wave gains the range of a 60 foot radius.
Extra Wave: The healer gains additional uses of Healing Wave. She can now use Healing wave 6 times per day + her Charisma modifier.
Healer's Blessing: When the healer casts any spell that cures hit point damage, she can choose to grant the subject damage reduction of 1/- for every 4 levels of healer. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the healer's Charisma modifier. This ability can be used 3 times per day + her Charisma modifier.
Improved Touch of Healing: Functions as the healing technique Touch of Healing, except that the maximum amount of damage healed is 60 points.
Ranged Healing: The healer gains the ability to restore a creature to health from a distance. Any healing spell with the range of touch becomes a ranged touch spell with the range of close (25 feet + 5 ft per 2 caster levels).
Swift Healing: The healer gains the ability to reduce the casting time of her healing spells. The healer is able to cast any spell that cures hit point damage as a swift action. This ability can be used 3 times a day + her Charisma modifier.
New Limb: At 15th level, a healer gains the ability to regrow a creature’s lost or damaged body part once per day, as if casting a regenerate spell.
New Life: Once per week, a 20th-level healer can bring a dead creature back to life, as if casting a true resurrection spell.
Ex-Healers
A healer who grossly violates her ethos (such as by refusing to heal an ally or a good-aligned creature) loses all spells and class features (except for proficiency with simple weapons and light armor). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a healer until she atones (see the atonement spell).
Healer Spell List
Orisons (0 Level Spells): Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Mending, Purify Food & Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Stabilize
1st Level: bless water, cure light wounds, deathwatch, delay disease, goodberry, healthful rest, ironguts, protection from evil, remove fear, remove paralysis, resurgence, sanctuary, speak with animals, lesser vigor
2nd Level: bear's endurance, calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, gentle repose, mass lesser vigor, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, resist energy, lesser restoration, status, summon elysian thrush, vigor
3rd Level: close wounds, consecrate, create food and water, cure serious wounds, greater resistance, magic circle against evil, mass resurgence, neutralize poison, protection from energy, remove curse, restoration, safety
4th Level: cure critical wounds, death ward, delay death, freedom of movement, greater status, mass cure light wounds, negative energy protection, panacea, planar ally (lesser), revenance, sheltered vitality, spell immunity
5th Level: atonement, break enchantment, breath of life, dance of the unicorn, hallow, life's grace, mass cure moderate wounds, raise dead, stone to flesh, spell resistance, true seeing, greater vigor
6th Level: greater resistance, greater restoration, heal, heroes’ feast, mass bear's endurance, mass cure serious wounds, mass restoration, planar ally, regenerate, vigorous circle
7th Level: aura of vitality, fortunate fate, mass cure critical wounds, refuge, renewal pact, repulsion, resurrection
8th Level: discern location, greater planar ally, greater spell immunity, holy aura, mass death ward, mass heal
9th Level: foresight, gate, miracle, true resurrection, undeath's eternal foe
Considering how powerful channeling positive energy is and that you can spontaneously swap in healing spells. Do you really need a healer?
Most healers I've seen in play get treated like luggage. They represent an endless supply of healing potions but they get very little thanks.
Sigurd
Considering how powerful channeling positive energy is and that you can spontaneously swap in healing spells. Do you really need a healer?
Most healers I've seen in play get treated like luggage. They represent an endless supply of healing potions but they get very little thanks.
The point was to make healers more on par with the new clerics for healing capability. In fact, they should be better at healing but not much else.
I personally love the class, which is why I started this.
BTW, channel energy is healing wave for healers.
Most healers I've seen in play get treated like luggage. They represent an endless supply of healing potions but they get very little thanks.
My players are much more respectful of one another, I've found.
Yup, that's still in there. Dunno if the mechanics need any tweaking to make it weaker/stronger than it was in MH though, we didn't mess with it.
No mention of the improved companions?
No mention of the improved companions?
Like I said, we didn't mess with the companion mechanics, so we felt no need to post the whole section. Pretty much the whole companion section is as originally written.
Was the inspiration for the healer improvements taken from World of Warcraft?
I dislike the Healer's Protection, Rapid Healing and by extension Swift Healing, as well as the Aura of Protection.
Healer's Protection I dislike, because as a healer, the original focus of the class was more on mending the hurts of others, while this seems more up the alley of an Abjurer or Protection-domain Cleric. Same for the Aura of Protection. Active (or passive) Prevention of damage seems a bit beyond the focus of a Healer.
Rapid/Swift Healing I dislike because hastening the casting time of spells again seems like another class function, or at least something those of an Arcane bent would do.. Isn't Time Stop within the realm of Transmutation? It might be plausible (to me) if it were a Deity of Battle,(or Nature?) maybe, but hastening the repairing of damage done seems kind of like saying, "Go ahead and do what you did again, don't worry about the lesson that you should have learned in the time that you would have been convalescing."
But then again, I tend more towards fluff.
I do like the introduction of Channeling energy into the class, Though I think that the ability is introduced early, and stacks a bit much. Isn't it stepping on the Cleric's toes, or surpassing her entirely at the rate it improves, even given the concept of the class? Would changing it to a (in)discriminate aura of Fast Healing be unbalancing?
Also love the touch healing, the closest thing I can think of is the Paladin's Lay on hands, but I've not played one, nor do I have any inclination to, so I can't compare power levels.
Ranged Healing I also approve of, kind of an improvement on the Celestial blooded Sorcerer's Heavenly Fire, and a logical idea.
Aaaah... I see what you've done. Instead of the fixed improvements of the various stat effect removal powers, you've spaced things out because of the healing wave. I rather liked the various status effect removals at certain levels. The thing that I've noticed overall, is that the design seems to be caught in between the idea of a "hands-off" Healer (Healing Wave, Ranged Healing, Lingering Vitality, Healer's Protection) and the older version which seemed to be more of a "hands-on" type, which put the hurts of whoever was being healed into a greater immediacy. I always pictured Healers as the "Bleeding Heart" types.
I like the ideas you've put forth, but would it make a bit more thematic sense if the healing wave was made one of two paths along with Ranged Healing and filled in the empty levels, leaving the status cures where they were, and adding the Empowered Healing, Touch, Grace, etc as a different "path of techniques"?
Again, just offering opinions, and my observation of things. This in no way is meant to demean or undercut any of the effort put forth. I'm glad to see someone pulling a dismissed class up and polishing it up.
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After thinking about it, this is one instance where I think the original hit die shoul have been maintained. Sure the healer isn't meant to be a front line combatant, but she is meant to be on the front line. Since the healer is restricted to light armor I think she should have a d8 Hit die simply so she can stay alive to do her job.
Was the inspiration for the healer improvements taken from World of Warcraft?
I dislike the Healer's Protection, Rapid Healing and by extension Swift Healing, as well as the Aura of Protection.
Not really, no. At least not to me, Ebon might say otherwise.
Healer's Protection I dislike, because as a healer, the original focus of the class was more on mending the hurts of others, while this seems more up the alley of an Abjurer or Protection-domain Cleric. Same for the Aura of Protection. Active (or passive) Prevention of damage seems a bit beyond the focus of a Healer.
Ah, see that is where we differ... we see the healer both as actively undoing harm as well as doing what she can to prevent it. The Aura was actually borrowed from the PF Protection domain, if I remember correctly, though it's been slightly weakened compared to the domain power itself.
Rapid/Swift Healing I dislike because hastening the casting time of spells again seems like another class function, or at least something those of an Arcane bent would do.. Isn't Time Stop within the realm of Transmutation? It might be plausible (to me) if it were a Deity of Battle,(or Nature?) maybe, but hastening the repairing of damage done seems kind of like saying, "Go ahead and do what you did again, don't worry about the lesson that you should have learned in the time that you would have been convalescing."
But then again, I tend more towards fluff.
Again a difference of viewpoint. :) The Healer who's currently being played has kind of resigned herself to the view of "You're going to just charge in and get smacked about again after I heal you, might as well do as much as I can as quickly as possible." From the way I see it, any Healer traveling with an adventuring party knows that as soon as she patches someone up they're going to be leaping back into the fray, and her job is to make sure they can keep going a bit longer. Lectures on "have you learned your lesson now" would be saved for after the thing trying to kill you is dead, right now I need you on your feet.
I don't look at the speeding up of casting time as limited to transmuters. The Healer can cast healing spells quickly because she's very good at casting healing spells - to the point where they come off as reflex. It's a reduced effort through long amounts of training.
I do like the introduction of Channeling energy into the class, Though I think that the ability is introduced early, and stacks a bit much. Isn't it stepping on the Cleric's toes, or surpassing her entirely at the rate it improves, even given the concept of the class? Would changing it to a (in)discriminate aura of Fast Healing be unbalancing?
Not really. For one thing, the Healer cannot harm Undead with her Wave - note that it specifically says "only affects living creatures". The Cleric can use their Channel to nuke large amounts of undead, the Healer can only use it to heal.
I frankly don't think surpassing the Cleric in healing is a bad thing - in fact, that's the one thing the Healer should be better than the Cleric at, we think. The Healer should be able to curb-stomp the Cleric in a competition of who can heal more damage faster. The problem was that the 3.5 Healer was horribly behind the PF Cleric on that par, and Channel was one of the main reasons. So we stripped the Channel of its ability to be used as a weapon by removing its effects on undead and handed it over.
Also love the touch healing, the closest thing I can think of is the Paladin's Lay on hands, but I've not played one, nor do I have any inclination to, so I can't compare power levels.
That was based on the reserve feat from Complete Mage (I think), and I agree is rather useful. In fact I ran it for a while with removing the limitation of "only to half HPs" and it came off as rather overpowering; keeping that limit balances it significantly.
Ranged Healing I also approve of, kind of an improvement on the Celestial blooded Sorcerer's Heavenly Fire, and a logical idea.
That one we shamelessly stole from the 3.5 Hierophant. ;)
Aaaah... I see what you've done. Instead of the fixed improvements of the various stat effect removal powers, you've spaced things out because of the healing wave. I rather liked the various status effect removals at certain levels. The thing that I've noticed overall, is that the design seems to be caught in between the idea of a "hands-off" Healer (Healing Wave, Ranged Healing, Lingering Vitality, Healer's Protection) and the older version which seemed to be more of a "hands-on" type, which put the hurts of whoever was being healed into a greater immediacy. I always pictured Healers as the "Bleeding Heart" types.
We didn't so much as space them out as give the player more options. Rather than a set "you get X at X level", the player gets to pick which Cleanse and other such abilities they train in, and we borrowed the design of the PF Rogue and Barbarian for inspiration with their Rogue Tricks and Rage Powers at every other level. It allows for a little more customization and versatility.
The addition of Lingering Vitality, Grace, and Protection come from what I mentioned earlier - we see the Healer as doing as much damage prevention as we see her doing damage recovery. The expanded spell list picks up a few selections from Spell Compendium and some of the new spells reflect this as well. Nearly all of her powers are touch-range, meaning she's still very hands-on, but her target is left with a little extra protection after she moves on to the next wounded person as a little extra bonus of being healed by someone who dedicates their entire life purpose to making sure you're back on your feet.
I like the ideas you've put forth, but would it make a bit more thematic sense if the healing wave was made one of two paths along with Ranged Healing and filled in the empty levels, leaving the status cures where they were, and adding the Empowered Healing, Touch, Grace, etc as a different "path of techniques"?
Again, just offering opinions, and my observation of things. This in no way is meant to demean or undercut any of the effort put forth. I'm glad to see someone pulling a dismissed class up and polishing it up.
No offense taken, just a difference of how we see the class working. We intentionally wanted all these various options because we felt the greatest weakness the class had was its lack of versatility. We wanted to keep the "I focus on making sure my allies stay alive", but expand it beyond simply "I am a walking chest of free potions" like Sigurd called them. So we expanded their spell list and gave them some new abilities to do as much "damage protection/damage negation" as they do "damage recovery".
The biggest change is that there's a lot more choices for the player now. If the campaign never faces creatures with petrification attacks, for example, the Healer doesn't have to waste a talent on Cleanse Petrification and can pick up Ranged Healing or Aura of Protection or any other of the Advanced techs instead, and doesn't have a class ability that never gets used.
Hope that helps explain our position a bit better. :)
After thinking about it, this is one instance where I think the original hit die shoul have been maintained. Sure the healer isn't meant to be a front line combatant, but she is meant to be on the front line. Since the healer is restricted to light armor I think she should have a d8 Hit die simply so she can stay alive to do her job.
Noted, I'll suggest it :)
The biggest change is that there's a lot more choices for the player now. If the campaign never faces creatures with petrification attacks, for example, the Healer doesn't have to waste a talent on Cleanse Petrification and can pick up Ranged Healing or Aura of Protection or any other of the Advanced techs instead, and doesn't have a class ability that never gets used.
Hope that helps explain our position a bit better. :)
That it does. It seems like you are focusing more on the "Active" portion of gameplay, where the character is dealing with effects incurred during a quest or battle.. The former incarnation seemed more towards the "Universal" healing, whether party or community.. *Lightbulb* Y'know, if you changed the name of the class to "War Healer" or something similar ("Sustainer? Preventer? Battle Medic?") I would have no qualms whatsoever with the class as it is put forth. This is definitely a class that is more proactive towards healing.. Though, another question on the Healing Wave (another suspiciously WoW term, but I'm not really getting picky on titles)--
Huh. Reread the class and came across this:
"One of the healer’s great purposes in life is to provide protection,
and failing that, healing, to all good people who require her aid."
By default of the class idea, should "healing wave" really have to have the "selective healing" Technique, since by purpose, if they are not designated as "Ally" or are Good-Aligned, it shouldn't affect them? If that would indeed be the case, it would provide a bit of delineation between the Cleric's Channel ability, and that of this class.
And given that line, the armor boosts and aura make a bit more sense. I may get into a game soon, and I'll try to playtest this conversion, and keep you updated.
Edit: On a random tangent, are there any Positive-Energy Outsiders? Given all the excess positive energy that the class is channeling ("Healer" doesn't quite seem appropriate, now that I've thought about it) It wouldn't surprise me to have the class take on characteristics of those creatures (or Aasimar?) as a result of being such a conduit.
Though, another question on the Healing Wave (another suspiciously WoW term, but I'm not really getting picky on titles)--
Yeah, we wanted something different than Channel Energy since it wasn't exactly the same thing. We're open to suggestions :)
Huh. Reread the class and came across this:
"One of the healer’s great purposes in life is to provide protection,
and failing that, healing, to all good people who require her aid."By default of the class idea, should "healing wave" really have to have the "selective healing" Technique, since by purpose, if they are not designated as "Ally" or are Good-Aligned, it shouldn't affect them? If that would indeed be the case, it would provide a bit of delineation between the Cleric's Channel ability, and that of this class.
And given that line, the armor boosts and aura make a bit more sense. I may get into a game soon, and I'll try to playtest this conversion, and keep you updated.
That... is a really good point. I'll bring it up with Ebon later.
Edit: On a random tangent, are there any Positive-Energy Outsiders? Given all the excess positive energy that the class is channeling ("Healer" doesn't quite seem appropriate, now that I've thought about it) It wouldn't surprise me to have the class take on characteristics of those creatures (or Aasimar?) as a result of being such a conduit.
There are, yeah. The only official ones I know of are the Energons that appeared in Bastion of Broken Souls, but a quick Google search turns up Ravids (which are in Monster Manual), Nexids (symbiotic creatures that can bond with a PC and provide benefits), Positive Energy Genasi, even a Positive Energy DEMON.
That does sound like an interesting capstone ability along with New Life.
Huh. Reread the class and came across this:
"One of the healer’s great purposes in life is to provide protection,
and failing that, healing, to all good people who require her aid."By default of the class idea, should "healing wave" really have to have the "selective healing" Technique, since by purpose, if they are not designated as "Ally" or are Good-Aligned, it shouldn't affect them? If that would indeed be the case, it would provide a bit of delineation between the Cleric's Channel ability, and that of this class.
Originally, I was writing it to affect only good and allies but Orthos kinda talked me out of it. I was afraid that having it heal only good and allies right off the bat might be considered too much.
Yeah, the name needs work. It's not WoW inspired (they even HAVE that?)... cause funny thing I don't play a healer in WoW.
I like the class conversion a great deal. I was working on my own conversion when I decided to check to see if it had already been done, and lo and behold, I come across yours.
The only thing I am really concerned about is that the advanced healing techniques aren't fully in balance with one another. They're not going to break the game, but there are three that stand out as universally better than all of the others (Empowered Healing, Ranged Healing and Swift Healing) and will probably always be selected first, which is kind of sad considering the wide variety of interesting effects listed. Not selecting those options first (or at all) seems to put you behind the specialized cleric again. I'm not sure what you could do to combat this, though, while retaining the flexible flavor of the class.
On a more personal note, every class (not including beta classes) that gets an animal companion/familiar has an alternative option for those of us who don't like them (such as the Druid's gaining of a cleric domain, the Wizard's Bonded Object, etc). Any ideas for such an option?
Also, would the Skill Focus feat change any when you port it over? It no longer exists in Pathfinder, and the new skill feats increase their bonus with 10 or more ranks in the skill. It seems somewhat logical to imagine a similar increase for Focus as for the + to 2 skills feats.
Good catch, Parka. I glossed over the skill bonus altogether, since I haven't had a character yet get high enough for the bonuses to factor in. I'm bad with crunch as well, so it's good to see someone else see something about the adv.techs that I couldn't quite put into words.
I wouldn't mind a proximity based feat that would allow for "spillover" of excess energy into any nearby allies, though. Given their focus on the healing arts, I'd expect a certain amount of efficiency, so if an effect exceeds a target's hitpoint maximum, the excess could spillover into an ally (or undead target?) in an adjacent square.. That'd be kinda neat.
The animal companion/object bond seems a bit odd to me, though. What would the object bond do? Given that a Healer is using Divine magic --as the Druid is, granted-- turning it to a weapon like the Paladin doesn't fit the Ethos, and picking up a Domain like the cleric doesn't fit either...
Perhaps a flat bonus to all spells with the positive energy descriptor at +1 per every 2? 3? levels of the class of Healer? Or a Monk-like +dX progression to bonus healing/damage with spells of the positive energy descriptor?
I'm still trying to figure a good name for this class, since "Healer" still carries vestiges of the old class that will by association be compared by those who know the name. "Medic" maybe? "Restorer"? *shrug* eh, the term "Healer" still fits, as a one-word concept, though.
The animal companion/object bond seems a bit odd to me, though. What would the object bond do? Given that a Healer is using Divine magic --as the Druid is, granted-- turning it to a weapon like the Paladin doesn't fit the Ethos, and picking up a Domain like the cleric doesn't fit either...
Perhaps a flat bonus to all spells with the positive energy descriptor at +1 per every 2? 3? levels of the class of Healer? Or a Monk-like +dX progression to bonus healing/damage with spells of the positive energy descriptor?
In my partially finished conversion, this is what I came up with:
I wouldn't mind a proximity based feat that would allow for "spillover" of excess energy into any nearby allies, though. Given their focus on the healing arts, I'd expect a certain amount of efficiency, so if an effect exceeds a target's hitpoint maximum, the excess could spillover into an ally (or undead target?) in an adjacent square.. That'd be kinda neat.
I'd also come up with something like this, using it as a late-level powerful ability.
For example, if “duplicating” mass cure light wounds on five people for an additional four times, the four additional effects cannot be stacked on the same target. If the same mass cure light wounds were spread amongst three people and duplicated four times, one person could have two “duplications” while all others would need at least one.
Flood of Life can be used in conjunction with Flush of Life, Focused Healing and any other ability the Healer has. The results are duplicated as exactly as possible, so apply the special abilities to all targets instead of just one.
A few other abilities I came up with:
Focused Healing: By concentrating further on a healing spell, a healer can often improve the result. By extending the casting of a healing spell to a full-round action, the Healer may roll the dice twice and take the best result. Extending the spell does not increase the caster level, but it does provoke an attack of opportunity even if the healer has the Effortless Healing ability.
To help remedy dumbing down the hit dice:
I had also made Improved Effortless Healing and Supreme Effortless Healing, which could be used as an idea to make Ranged Healing and Empowered Healing standard class abilities instead of "necessary" options taking up slots in Advanced Healing Techniques.
Keep in mind, all of this was developed for a build of healer that didn't include Healing Wave. The idea was to make the cures count for more and last longer than a cleric's.
Not bad ideas at all.
The HD merit may be a bit superfluous (to me), since I've never seen a DM that wouldn't allow average or better for HD (just because it sucks to have a character die), since HD are a pain.
Safeguard Life I'm not too keen on, since it is going beyond the limits of the spell as written, and is looking to step on toes since it could function as an Aura, if a limited one. I would be more inclined to have it it functioning as an addendum(kicker, to borrow a M:TG term) to a spell cast, much like adv.techs before. The range given to it seems to be more a function of an arch-priest or more holy-invested class, rather than someone that just wants to heal hurts.. It sounds more disciplined.
Flush of Life: Yes. Most definitely yes. Great idea! Again, I'm wondering about the conscious choice to have it bestow temporary hitpoints, whereas, if it were another Advanced technique, any healing that it does in excess of the target's maximum total would become temp.hp., and give it a more "innate" feel to the spells the Healer casts.
I'm not too keen on the Focused Healing replacing the Skill Focus: Heal, since the Healer (well, the original idea, anyways) was proficient with healing in general, not just magical applications.. That puts more of an emphasis on the magic, than the end result of any healing.
Flood of Life I dislike. One, because it is duplicating the effects of a spell (Isn't that a metamagic feat?), and applying it at range. I think that it bleeds over a little too far into the province of the Arcane, with the range (caster standard?) and the "twinning" effect. Anytime range is added, it takes away some of the empathy, some of the immediacy, by making it a fair amount more impersonal. Besides the Sorcerer's Heavenly Fire, which also functions as a ranged weapon. If it jumped as a Chain or Halved Echo to an adjacent square, it wouldn't seem so out-of-place in the features.
I'm not too sure on the function of Heighten Spell as it pertains to spells and their effects, especially healing spells, but at a glance, it seems odd to me, since most healing spells function as a +X/per two levels, don't they? Would it not be more efficient to have the focus count as a Maximize? Again, i'm not too up on magic feats, so I'm just speculating on that one.
For the most part though, I love what you've come up with.
I'm not too keen on the Focused Healing replacing the Skill Focus: Heal, since the Healer (well, the original idea, anyways) was proficient with healing in general, not just magical applications.. That puts more of an emphasis on the magic, than the end result of any healing.
Again, this was based on my previous attempt where I didn't incorporate any form of positive energy channeling, or Empowered Healing ability. This was an attempt to make the standard spell allotment count for more with each cast.
As far as the Heighten Spell effect, it would only really come into play with particular curses or countering attempts, which I'm probably over-valuing because my normal DM is fond of them. I hadn't realized I'd only increased the caster level by one, it was supposed to be two.
I gotcha. I see what you're saying, just that the replacing of it makes it seem as if you're devaluing mundane healing. In a high-magic setting, true, it may not be as important, but if the Healer is out of spells, or unable to cast for some reason, they aren't rendered worthless (well, for those that neglect to put points in the Heal skill).
I'm hindering myself in that I reflexively perceive the Healing Wave effect, as a blanket effect, rather than an Ally-specific one, which, if it was ally-exclusive, I'd call it some sort of an "Connection" name, but still, for functioning at range, seems like it's encroaching on the Cleric's abilities. It's a grammar thing for me. No worries.
I see what you did with the focus, there. It makes... a sort of sense, but brushes shoulders with the Cleric again. Not that it is an entirely bad thing, but Foci/Symbol/Icon are a more tangible representation of faith, with said faith being part of a greater organization.. It may be coming (thematically) close to a cleric-ish thing, and I'm (overall) trying to keep someone from looking at it and thinking "Cleric knockoff" in any way. Would it be too disadvantageous for changing the ability to making the spell cast an exclusive, full-round action for the same effect?
Well, I'm tailoring my suggestions and observations to prevent the whole "Cleric knockoff" thought, but you get the idea, right?
Me'mori? You keep worrying about it being a cleric knockoff. Why? The whole point of the class is to kick the cleric's ass at healing so much that it makes the cleric's healing ability look as poor as a bard's looks next to a cleric.
Oh, I'm all for this class out-healing the cleric by a wide margin, but pulling features from preexisting classes to do it cheapens the accomplishment of bringing the class up to par in a manner that befits the premise of the class, as well as its theme.
This class is supposed to be THE healer, since that's all it's got going for it. It needs some way to shine. Being a class that heals so well it can actually keep up with damage in combat is something interesting and meaningful, its something no other class does (until they get HEAL, and that's a painful 6th level spell slot to give up, since clerics can't Spontaneously convert into it)
Someone could go through all the classes that have ever held the role of "healer", and pull bits and pieces from each, mashing them up into a semblance of a build that might see the light of day in someone's game, but by taking on the name of a previous class, it is implied that this will follow the same idea, the same theme, the same flavor as the original. Mind you, I'm not saying that it has to stay the same, or similar out of tradition, but that the class stands on its own as an idea and a role that doesn't say "Class with this from this class, and that from this class over here, oh, and this thing from that one class".
Channel Energy, while a useful ability, is still indiscriminate healing before a feat is applied to it. Healing Wave could be explained as "see the Cleric's Channel Energy, except with 'Selective Channeling' added in". It may be useful, but it has been done--
Huh. My fault. I forgot to take in to account the class that this was based off of (both the original and this updated version), and as such, a Channel Energy would be a plausible effect (since all Clerics are able to Channel), just as a product of the approach. Matter of fact, since no particular stipulations were given it could carry as it stands. I was going too far in my interpretation of the Healer as a "Hands-on healing specialist", in that in eschewing any manner of ranged healing (Channel), the effects delivered by touch are capable of near-miraculous things (Additional effects), even in immediate proximity.
However, in my defense, with the amplified healing ability of the PF Cleric, as well as the rather focused spell list of the 3.5 Healer (three spells added to the standard layout-- are they even applicable anymore?) I was looking for something to make them more distinctive from the standard "Cleric", to the point that the class would not be looked on as a "Cleric with substitution levels/Variant Cleric", as the eschewing of violent/destructive spells alone as well as the lack of heavier armor distinctively changed the flavor of the class, significantly enough (in my opinion) that to bring it back into vicinity of "Cleric", by taking one of its (if not the) signature abilities, would be doing it a disservice in my eyes.
After all, if in a class design idea if the words "Oh it's just another [insert Base Class] type" are said, does that not mean that something fell short in the design?
Either way, I'm poking at things to see if the reasons for the options discussed aren't just because "Well, this class has it, so why not this one too?"
It makes... a sort of sense, but brushes shoulders with the Cleric again. Not that it is an entirely bad thing, but Foci/Symbol/Icon are a more tangible representation of faith, with said faith being part of a greater organization.. It may be coming (thematically) close to a cleric-ish thing, and I'm (overall) trying to keep someone from looking at it and thinking "Cleric knockoff" in any way. Would it be too disadvantageous for changing the ability to making the spell cast an exclusive, full-round action for the same effect?
Well, I'm tailoring my suggestions and observations to prevent the whole "Cleric knockoff" thought, but you get the idea, right?
I think I get your idea, but I never got the vibe that the class has to be distinct in flavor from the cleric. The description of the class makes it sound like Healers are parts of religion; they even pray for their spells. What differentiates them from the Cleric is that the Cleric's concern is embodying the faith while the Healer's concern is taking care of the faithful.
That said, I left "healing runes" as an option along with religious symbols for those non-denominational Healers out there. This is a home-brew class option, so if you like extending the casting time instead, that's fine. I wanted to use the Focus approach because I wanted it to be compatible with Focused Healing, my favorite ability out of what I came up with (though Flush of Life was up there).
Edit: Beat me to the post. You're being a little hard on yourself. I didn't picture it as a "hands-on" healing specialist, just a healing specialist- hence the ranged healing abilities.
Specialty classes such as the Marshal (a bard/fighter hybrid), the Dread Necromancer (a lich/sorcerer hybrid) and the Healer get a fair amount of attention; even the Ranger is a sort of druid/fighter hybrid. It's hard to divorce a class so completely that you prevent comparisons. Since the Cleric and the Healer can ostensibly perform the same role, it's going to be unavoidable that there's overlap between their abilities and even their concepts.
How has this been coming? Any edits or changes made?
The Battlefield Healer isn't bad. I'd say the wording on Cure Fatal Wounds is a bit misleading, since it would heal or prevent, but again, that is me nitpicking wording.
No Panacea or Revivify?
ebon, have any alterations been made to this class since the posting?
*poke* With the Alternate Class Options, could this stand on its own anymore?
Not a bad conversion, it is only hampered by my desire to keep healer as an NPC class, much like adepts but done better. I think they have a niche to fill there as a steady resource for the party without overpowering their ally with collateral power.
I'd look at the oracle for inspiration, the curse fits well enough and the life mystery has some potential, I'd just need a really restricted spell list d6 HD, low bab and lessened armor proficiency I think..
