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One big complaint I hear is that taking the time to heal an ally means that the healer character doesn't get to attack as often as the others do. And so a lot of people shy away from healer roles. So what if we reduced the time needed to cast Cure spells? Reduce it to a move action, or maybe even a Swift? I'm also considering putting a very short range on them as well, something like 5ft per Wis/Cha mod. I don't know if I'd reduce the time of other healing abilities though. Also I'm torn on whether wands of cure should benefit from the reduced time too.
Thoughts?
BTW/FYI, I did try searching for similar topics, but surprisingly didn't find anything. If you know of one, please point me to it.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Only the biggest heals are meant to be used in combat, otherwise the amount of healing doesn't make much difference in the face of incoming damage.
4th Edition made all healing spells "minor" actions (which are like swift actions in 3.X/PF) but they are limited to only a few uses per encounter. This enables healers (or "Leaders" as they're called) to do exactly what you're talking about... but the system is built differently to reflect this style.
In general, most "healer" characters are better off casting their attack/control/buff spells instead of healing in combat because, by making the enemies unable to deal damage (either because they're dead or because they've been stunned/paralyzed/blinded/etc.) ends up doing more "healing" than actually casting a healing spell does.
If a healer is really desperate for quick heals, there is always the option of the Quicken Spell feat, which would allow some (minor) healing as a swift action at the cost of some higher-level slots. Channeling positive energy is also a good way to get the most healing-per-action if damage is being relatively evenly distributed over the whole party. The mechanics as written just don't support the idea of a healer dumping out tons of healing magic onto a "tank" who soaks up the vast majority of enemy damage output. That's just not how it is supposed to be done.
Of course, the "Spell Perfection" feat applied to cure critical wounds allows a healer to dump out 4d6+15 points of healing per round as a swift action (in conjunction with Quicken Spell) with no net loss of spell slots. It's feat intensive, but if you REALLY want some mega-fast heals, that's gonna be the way to go.
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One big complaint I hear is that taking the time to heal an ally means that the healer character doesn't get to attack as often as the others do. And so a lot of people shy away from healer roles. So what if we reduced the time needed to cast Cure spells? Reduce it to a move action, or maybe even a Swift? I'm also considering putting a very short range on them as well, something like 5ft per Wis/Cha mod. I don't know if I'd reduce the time of other healing abilities though. Also I'm torn on whether wands of cure should benefit from the reduced time too.
The close wounds spell, from 3.5 (in the Spell Compendium, IIRC), is a great solution for this sort of thing.
I'd recommend caution allowing swift healing alongside other cleric / druid abilities, as the action economy is a harsh mistress, and shouldn't be spurned without due consideration. If a cleric or bard or whatever can heal *and* do something else in an action, that 'something else' should be strictly subpar compared to what others are doing. The days of CoDzilla are long over (not that I ever saw them in actual play, anyway, with the few who attempted anything like it wasting the entire combat buffing themselves and rarely, if ever, getting an effective action in), but if healing is relevant to the game, it *should* take up some resources.
If no player wants to be the mechanic who keeps the car on the track, then let the group play without one for awhile.
Perhaps they'll learn new tactics, for how to function in a group with no cleric, which can be fun and kind of nail-biting, and requires a completely different sort of thinking than letting bad stuff happen, expecting that the cleric will fix it.
Perhaps one of them will develop a new appreciation for how vital and *fun* the healer / support role can be, knowing that everyone else is dependent on your character to survive (which, in online games, in my experience raid-healing, can not only be vital, but also wicked stressful...).
Perhaps you'll end up coming up with some new house rules for alchemical salves or improved use of the Heal skill or class abilities that allow self-healing (lower level vampiric touch spell, better access to wholeness of body, a rage power that includes fast healing, a rogue talent that allows surgery, etc.) if your players just flat out loathe the healing role and their heroes consider saving someone's life to be a waste of a standard action.
Perhaps a new hit point mechanic, similar to the Wound/Vitality system in Star Wars / Unearthed Arcana, or the Health/Grace system in Monte's Book of Experimental Might, could be called for, allowing for faster recovery of non-critical injuries between combats.
As someone who plays clerics, a lot, I find that the action cost is less of a bother than the necessity to move around and administer touch spells. When a party refuses to stick together, but runs all over the place (to take advantage of the charge maneuver, for instance) and then expect the cleric to have a 60 ft. reach that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, I subscribe to the old wisdom of 'it will be easier to ressurect him later.'
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Well most of your suggestions seem like they require higher levels to do, were as I'm more interested in lower levels. And yes I know all about 4e, that's part of where my thoughts are coming from. Channeling only helps Clerics and Paladins.
I realize you are trying to offer help, but you basically ignored my idea. I want people's input on the idea of a house rule to reduce the casting time of Cure spells. Not suggestions for other methods or tactics.
When I first read the whole "cures as move action" bit, I immediately thought about using it in my campaign. Then it hit me that this would allow any class with heals to stay alive really easily, especially those that can spontaneously convert to healing spells. Cast a healing spell on themselves, and vital strike.
So perhaps give a feature to all healer classes where healing others is a move action, but healing yourself is a standard.
I wouldn't make it a swift action, to make it not omgwtfpowerful. Also, perhaps your world can have cheaper lesser metamagic rods of Reach, specially made for healing. This way the healer can heal from range easily, 3 times a day.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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The biggest issue with a change like this is that it permits "doubling up" on healing. A cleric (or any healer for that matter) could cast two healing spells in a round (and a Quickened one too, at higher levels). Yeah, you're burning through resources in a hurry but all that means is that your party is going to rest more often, which promotes the "15 minute adventuring day" problem that a lot of people have with the spellcaster role in general. Also, with the ability to heal twice in a round, characters are going to be virtually invincible unless they're up against some seriously dire challenges.
You could impose a "one cure spell per round" rule, but then that punishes people who want to cast Quickened cure spells. Or you can say "one cure spell plus one quickened spell" but then you're starting to get into micromanaging that is, quite frankly, more trouble than it's worth.
The close wounds spell, from 3.5 (in the Spell Compendium, IIRC), is a great solution for this sort of thing.
+1. This is very true in my group. My groups put it on any spell list that has Cure Moderate Wounds. It really allows the clerics, inquisitors, druids, etc to provide a little helps to the team AND do their own thing.