Bard Healing.

[Darkling B]

Hi I'm a level four bard and I just joined a campaign in the middle. I'm looking to get a spell to help heal one of the undead companions, but I haven't seen anything that could help with inflicting wounds or necrotic damage, even later, without being a wizard or into necromancy. Is there anything you can buy as well that would heal an undead?

[Java Man]

UMD skill and a wand of inflict wounds.

[OmniMage]

I'm sure the GM can make an exception and allow you access to the inflict wounds spells.

[VoodistMonk]

Level 4 is about when you can get the Life Budding in Salted Earth masterpiece... Fast Healing 1 for everyone!

What race is your Bard?

I know this doesn't help you right meow, but at level 7 you could use the Arrowsong's Lament masterpiece to study a scroll/spellbook with Infernal Healing or Inflict Light Wounds... I know that's not ideal, as 1st-level spells are really starting to lose their potency/usefulness by level 7... but it's something. Scrolls and spellbooks are already useful because Mnemonic Vestments are a Bard's best friend. Combined with UMD'ing wands of Infernal Healing/Inflict Light Wounds, you should be ok. And UMD'ing these aforementioned wands is going to have to work until you have access to Arrowsong's Lament and/or Mnemonic Vestsments.

If you take Craft Wondrous Item at level 3, you can make your own toys to get them sooner.

Could also mitigate damage taken with Blur, Invisibility, and/or Mirror Image... there's also the Finale and Inspiration spells... things like Combat Reflexes/Bodyguard.

[Tim Emrick]

I usually avoid using or recommending the Infernal Healing spell because of its evil descriptor, but if you're palling around with someone who needs help healing an undead companion, then your character might lack such scruples. That spell gives fast healing 1 for 1 minute, and would be available to a bard through UMD with a wand or scroll, or as a wizard spell through the magician archetype.

[zza ni]

Path of glory is a 2nd level bard's spell that point for point is better cost friendly then infernal healing when used from wands. specifically in cases of large armies that need spread out healing. and while it's a level higher then infernal healing the total amount it can heal is a lot more and can be spread to more allies.
(i had an old post back then explaining the costs).

funny enough it should work on undead as well.
i read it again and again and nothing prevent this conjuration(heling) spell from healing an undead. it say nothing about the healing being positive energy and such, and the undead has nothing preventing it from being healed by it.
(from the undead type "Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures.")

[Azothath]

Bards generally don't have anything for Undead or Necromancer's, they are styled as entertainers in the game. Maybe an Ustalav archetype of some dreary depressing dirge bard that pushes PCs into undeath of never-ending karaoke.

Infernal Healing would seem to be the best.

[Azothath]

Azothath wrote:

... dirge bard ...

Infernal Healing would seem to be the best.

Dirge Bard archetype does pick up necromancy spells but the cost is high.

As a regular Bard you'll be relying on Use Magic Device(UMD).
For Bard(spontaneous caster) a viable option is Ring of Spell Knowledge $1500 with Infernal Healing:C1 in it. This lets you cast the spell AND puts it on your class list so activation becomes automatic. Infernal Healing is more useful than Inflict Light Wounds as living party members cannot benefit from damage.

Path of Glory:C2 is interesting but I think the bulk of lore is against this working on undead for healing and most GMs would require undead make a save for half damage. So ask your Home Game GM, he'll likely require your PC make a Knowledge or Spellcraft check.

Celestial Healing:C1 is also an inferior spell option for some GMs as it avoids circumstantial alignment issues.

Honestly if this is someone's familiar, commanded undead pet, or reworked animal companion - it is their responsibility. It is pretty inept to take on an undead without the ability to heal or fix it. Generally these things are done for an advantage and (hopefully) with the understanding of the consequences. Would your PC help out a necromancer, voodoo priest, or a cleric of urgathoa with their undead? Without the Master around it's likely to kill and eat living creatures around it so I'd treat it like a rabid dog... You can aid or abet them but if your alignment is somewhat Good I'd just avoid the issue and tell them it is their burden. Many Good clerics would insist that the creature be laid to rest.

[Azothath]

{follow up}
The other case is where the PC is a Dhampir. In that case Infernal Healing is your best bet.

[VoodistMonk]

Path of Glory works, it's just kind of wonky to set it up. And there is no freaking save to be made for half damage/healing to undead. Regardless of it being a healing spell, it lacks any language suggesting undead allies in glowing squares cannot benefit from the spell's effects... there IS a bardic masterpiece that heals, and specifically states it has no effect on undead... so when it doesn't work on undead, they usually say it doesn't work on undead...