Xallin |
In the game I'm running one of the players wants to make an Alchemist as the healer. The party is missing a cleric and the player doesn't want to make one. His idea is an alchemist healer. The alchemist isn't a great healer and wouldn't be able to keep the players healed up. He proposed a healing bomb. I don't see an issue here but I wanted to ask the public if they see an issue.
We decided that healing bomb would take require an alchemist discovery. A healing bomb is then thrown at a target, if the bomb hits the target it heals the target for the damage a normal bomb would do at his level, 5d6. IF the bomb misses no damage is healed and it doesn't splash heal. The alchemist only has a 10 bombs a day at that level. SO he could potentially heal 10 times a day. But that would use up all the uses of his bombs for that day, so there is some resource management between using bombs for healing and using them for damage and other effects.
With all the bombs types the Alchemist can get it seems like healing bomb is a no brainer and the lack of it as an over sight. Do any of you see an issue with this mechanic as far as being overpowered, or broken? Thanks!
Azten |
The chirugeon alchemist makes a fine healer. Be sure to point out how useful the Heal skill actual is!
There is also this archetype.
Xallin |
Alchemist has cure light/mod on his spells lists. Just use wands of cure. Problem solved.
Alchemist also has brew potion. Brew some potions and give them to the other PC's that way if the Alchemist doesn't want to use a wand in combat, they can heal themselves.
Potions suck in combat as it's a standard action to quaff the damn thing.
DM_Blake |
Mazlith wrote:Potions suck in combat as it's a standard action to quaff the damn thing.Alchemist has cure light/mod on his spells lists. Just use wands of cure. Problem solved.
Alchemist also has brew potion. Brew some potions and give them to the other PC's that way if the Alchemist doesn't want to use a wand in combat, they can heal themselves.
AND then you get hit the next round anyway, usually for more damage than you healed, and often you're just worse off than you would have been if you clobbered the monsters to death and healed afterward.
In other words, it's a losing proposition to have your primary damage dealers healing themselves rather than dealing damage - all it means is that you take way more damage than you need to because monsters live longer than they should, and living monsters dish out more damage than dead ones (usually).
Xallin |
As for the healing bomb, it's a splendid idea and at that level it will do less healing less often than a cleric of the same level, so it's not overpowered.
Thanks, I thought it was a good solution. On a separate Alchemist related note. If you have the Vestigial Arm discovery can you then wield a two handed weapon and a shield?
Emmit Svenson |
Be sure to point out how useful the Heal skill actual is!
How useful is it? Don't get me wrong, it's great for treating poison and disease, but it doesn't really meet most adventurers' requirements for on-the-job healing. You're either staying up all night boosting folks' healing rates, or you Treat Deadly Wounds: spend one hour and 10 gold to have a chance of healing hit points equal to the character’s level, plus your Wisdom modifier on a good roll, once per patient per day.
Joanna Swiftblade |
DM_Blake wrote:As for the healing bomb, it's a splendid idea and at that level it will do less healing less often than a cleric of the same level, so it's not overpowered.Thanks, I thought it was a good solution. On a separate Alchemist related note. If you have the Vestigial Arm discovery can you then wield a two handed weapon and a shield?
Yes. It is not granting the alchemist extra attacks so that is perfectly legal. My personal favorite trick with vestigial limb is using an elven curved blade + shield of swings + crane style for the ultimate AC tank.
Drow Sorceror |
Xallin wrote:Yes. It is not granting the alchemist extra attacks so that is perfectly legal. My personal favorite trick with vestigial limb is using an elven curved blade + shield of swings + crane style for the ultimate AC tank.DM_Blake wrote:As for the healing bomb, it's a splendid idea and at that level it will do less healing less often than a cleric of the same level, so it's not overpowered.Thanks, I thought it was a good solution. On a separate Alchemist related note. If you have the Vestigial Arm discovery can you then wield a two handed weapon and a shield?
Well there is that, or the more fun Scimitar + Scimitar + Dervish Dance + Crane Style + Greater TWF. 6 attacks per round, based entirely off of DEX and INT, and all the wholesome benefits of Crane Style.
Zwordsman |
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Healing Bomb
Benefit: When the alchemist creates a bomb, he can choose to have it heal damage instead of dealing it. Creating a healing bomb requires the alchemist to expend an infused extract or potion containing a cure spell. A creature that takes a direct hit from a healing bomb is healed as if she had imbibed the infusion or potion used to create the bomb. Creatures in the splash radius are healed for the minimum amount of damage the cure spell is capable of healing. A healing bomb damages undead instead of healing them.
Pathfinder Player Companion: Magical Marketplace ©
even if necro might be coming up somewehre else
Drow Sorceror |
When wielding a scimitar with one hand, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. You treat the scimitar as a one-handed piercing weapon for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon (such as a duelist’s precise strike ability). The scimitar must be for a creature of your size. You cannot use this feat if you are carrying a weapon or shield in your off hand.
This, to me, says you must have your off-hand free, yes? The Vestigial Arm you gain from the discovery is considered an off-hand, so by leaving that arm free, aren't you satisfying the requirements of Dervish Dance?
Drow Sorceror |
And it is a lot less cheesy than running a half-elf Synthesist Summoner, who with favored class Summoner, and spends feats at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level on Extra Evolution, to have 36 Evolution Points, spending all on the Limbs Evolution, ending up with 18 extra pairs of Arms. By Greater TWFing, at each pair of arms gain 6 attacks (3 from main hand, 3 from TWF off hand), for a Grand Total of 108 separate attacks, per round. Trade out a pair of arms for Pounce, and you now can take a normal move, and then full attack for 102 attacks. Add Haste in there, for an extra attack per pair of limbs, and +30 ft movement, you are moving 60 ft (probably) then attacking with 120 attacks. Do that with a crit range 17-20 weapon, (spend a feat if you need the proficiency). Try to do all short swords, with Improved Critcal: Shortsword. The crit range isn't the best (Kukri has that), but the damage is better. And you still have a 20% of doing double damage.
LoneKnave |
Healing Bomb
Benefit: When the alchemist creates a bomb, he can choose to have it heal damage instead of dealing it. Creating a healing bomb requires the alchemist to expend an infused extract or potion containing a cure spell. A creature that takes a direct hit from a healing bomb is healed as if she had imbibed the infusion or potion used to create the bomb. Creatures in the splash radius are healed for the minimum amount of damage the cure spell is capable of healing. A healing bomb damages undead instead of healing them.
Pathfinder Player Companion: Magical Marketplace ©even if necro might be coming up somewehre else
Wow, this is terrible.
Why not just give straight AoE heal equal to the damage it'd deal? It'd be literally cheannel energy but worse.
Though, mad bomber alchemist with that wold be quite hilarious, making a full attack with bombs healing the whole part for hundreds of damage.
TheMojoFilter |
"Healing Bomb
Benefit: When the alchemist creates a bomb, he can choose to have it heal damage instead of dealing it. Creating a healing bomb requires the alchemist to expend an infused extract or potion containing a cure spell. A creature that takes a direct hit from a healing bomb is healed as if she had imbibed the infusion or potion used to create the bomb. Creatures in the splash radius are healed for the minimum amount of damage the cure spell is capable of healing. A healing bomb damages undead instead of healing them.
Pathfinder Player Companion: Magical Marketplace ©
even if necro might be coming up somewehre else
Wow, this is terrible.
Why not just give straight AoE heal equal to the damage it'd deal? It'd be literally cheannel energy but worse.
Though, mad bomber alchemist with that wold be quite hilarious, making a full attack with bombs healing the whole part for hundreds of damage."
Because it would mainly only heal one target and the splash heal would be negligible.
Greg.Everham |
I thought the Healing Bomb discovery was weak... and I think in a home game of PF it is. However, if you're playing PFS, it turns all of those stray potions of level-appropriate healing into a really nice way to heal the entire party. Sucks for in-combat healing, but is a very nice resource stretching tool.
Otherwhere |
Unlike channeled healing, a Healing Bomb both heals living & damages undead at the same time. Situationally useful.
For the Chirurgeon archetype, we have a house-rule that if you take the Infusion discovery you add your INT mod. (The archetype gets Infuse Curative, which makes the feature a waste if you take Infusion. This way, a Chirurgeon's healing focus still grants them a benefit over and above any other Alchemist with Infusion.) This makes the healing splash a bit more potent, and damaging to undead.
Connor Johnson |
So the Healing bomb says (Creating a healing bomb requires the alchemist to expend an infused extract (Advanced Player’s Guide 31) or potion containing a cure spell.) meaning it heals as per the spell. So the Chirurgeon archetype gives the power over death ability granting you breath of life would that function in the bomb or not?
Zwordsman |
So the Healing bomb says (Creating a healing bomb requires the alchemist to expend an infused extract (Advanced Player’s Guide 31) or potion containing a cure spell.) meaning it heals as per the spell. So the Chirurgeon archetype gives the power over death ability granting you breath of life would that function in the bomb or not?
you mean.. would the main target be brought b ack to life via Breath of Life spell?
That depends entirely on how your GM defines " cure spells"
is it.. "any spells that cures you" or is it "any spell with the word cure in it"
If the former. yes. The main target would be healed 5d8 points of damage + 1 point per caster level (maximum +25).
with splash healing the splash level.
if the latter no
Gulthor |
RAW, Breath of Life doesn't have cure in its name, so is not a cure spell.
The spell was originally intended to be cure mortal wounds, but was deemed to be "too powerful" as a cure spell (since that meant it could be spontaneously cast), so it was changed to Breath of Life.
Many of the devs still run it as cure mortal wounds, though, from what I understand. But that puts you strictly into house rule territory.
Cavall |
We allowed "damage" to be boosted by healing bombs.
This allowed targeted admixture to add twice the intelligence bonus but no splash. The boost of damage going to the healing.
With the Skald singing his lesser celestial rage song made for a hell of a way to boost healing even at level 5 or so. 2d8+20 or so.
Without the admixture the bomb still was boosted by the rage ability. They mesh very well.
MannyGoblin |
Zwordsman wrote:Healing Bomb
Benefit: When the alchemist creates a bomb, he can choose to have it heal damage instead of dealing it. Creating a healing bomb requires the alchemist to expend an infused extract or potion containing a cure spell. A creature that takes a direct hit from a healing bomb is healed as if she had imbibed the infusion or potion used to create the bomb. Creatures in the splash radius are healed for the minimum amount of damage the cure spell is capable of healing. A healing bomb damages undead instead of healing them.
Pathfinder Player Companion: Magical Marketplace ©even if necro might be coming up somewehre else
Wow, this is terrible.
Why not just give straight AoE heal equal to the damage it'd deal? It'd be literally cheannel energy but worse.
Though, mad bomber alchemist with that wold be quite hilarious, making a full attack with bombs healing the whole part for hundreds of damage.
I agree, the fundamental problem of how to keep healing equal to damage dealt at higher levels remains unsolved. The Heal skill really depend on the party having enough down time to recover. If the party has healing wands available, they can take care of healing come nap time well enough