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Tyndmyr
2010-08-05, 05:55 AM
What's the best party healer? Say, you take leadership, and in the interests of not upsetting party balance, want him to just stay in the back and heal awesomely. Cleric with healing domain is what Ive got so far, with pimped out CL.

Incidentally, spell points are ungodly awesome for healbots. CLW are pretty efficient.

Also, how exactly does leadership work in E6? Capped at character level 5, and just keep gaining feats?

HunterOfJello
2010-08-05, 06:04 AM
The Healer


you can find it in the Miniatures Handbook


*edit*

oh wait, I misunderstood the thread. The Healer is the best random DMPC tagalong healer for DM who wants to add healing and nothing else to a party.


For the best possible healer, you're going to be using an optimized Cleric build with Divine Metamagic like the one listed below.

Vortling
2010-08-05, 06:06 AM
Cleric with DMM persist mass less vigor and later mass vigor on the entire party for infinite out of combat healing. Load up on close wounds for in combat healing needs. Buff with mass aid before combat or first round of combat for temp hp goodness. Cleric also gets you lovely stuff such as mass conviction and recitation. Look into DMM quicken for healing spells if you have any turn attempts left after DMM persist.

Escheton
2010-08-05, 06:56 AM
spellpoints? Unearthed Arcana variant?
Or ddo rip-off homebrew variant or something?

jiriku
2010-08-05, 07:21 AM
Cleric with DMM persist mass less vigor and later mass vigor on the entire party for infinite out of combat healing. Load up on close wounds for in combat healing needs. Buff with mass aid before combat or first round of combat for temp hp goodness. Cleric also gets you lovely stuff such as mass conviction and recitation. Look into DMM quicken for healing spells if you have any turn attempts left after DMM persist.

For my money, I'd say skip persist and go straight to DMM quicken. Persisted vigor isn't worth the trouble when you're a dedicated healer - you have so many other less feat-intensive ways to do OOC healing.

@ the OP: The traditional vehicle for a healbot cohort would be cleric (sun/healing)/radiant servant of Pelor with Augment Healing, Imbue Healing, and Divine Ward. Sacred Healing (the PH2 version), Magic of the Land, and Empower are good choices as well but not as essential.

With this setup, you can heal at range, and your heals are improved by anywhere between +10% and +30% for most spells, with about a +300% improvement for certain spells that really benefit.

Key combat healing and battle-rez spells include:

Conduit of life (lvl 2, CC)
Close wounds (lvl 2, SpC)
Insignia of healing (lvl 3, CityScape)
Mass aid (lvl 3, SpC)
Healing spirit (lvl 4, PH2)
Panacea (lvl 4, Spc)
Positive energy aura (lvl 4, Spc)
Revenance (lvl 4, SpC)
Darts of life (lvl 5, CC)
Healing circle (lvl 5, CC)
Revivify (lvl 5, Spc)
Stalwart pact (lvl 5, SpC)
Heal (lvl 6, PHB)
Heroes' feast (lvl 6, PHB)
Fortunate fate (lvl 7, SpC)
Renewal pact (lvl 7, Spc)
Lion's roar (lvl 8, Spc)
Mass heal (lvl 9, PHB)
Miracle (for a mass battle-rez, instant mass restoration, and much much more) (lvl 9, PHB)


Many of these spells are unimpressive on their own, but when combined with your heal-enhancing feats, they're just ridiculously good.

Solid Choices for healing gear:

Amulet of retributive healing (MiC)
Armband of maximized healing (MiC)
Belt of battle (MiC)
Ring of invisibility (DMG)


Combos of note:

Revenance + Revivify means never losing a level when a party member dies, and never spending more than 1,000gp per rez. Good stuff.
Close wounds and conduit of life + amulet of retributive healing are a poor man's quickened spells, and are surprisingly effective even into mid levels when enhanced by your healing feats.
Revivify + close wounds gets a dead party member mobile again in just one round.


Tactics of Note:

Heal, panacea, revenance and revivify are much easier to use when you can deliver them at range via Divine Ward.
From mid-levels onward, darts of life or empowered darts of life will be your primary healing spell. Its flexible, works at range, and heals more damage than a heal spell.
Conduit of healing, fortunate fate, healing spirit, healing circle, heroes' feast, positive energy aura, renewal pact, and stalwart pact are all useful for opening up the action-economy bottleneck that healers often run into where they can't cast their spells fast enough to deal with incoming damage. With these spells, you can use your free actions, use other party member's actions or even OOC actions to generate healing or temp hp.
Mass aid and lion's roar are good buff spells to throw when you want to participate but no one's hurt yet. They support your role by delivering temp hp, and also grant bonuses and/or deal damage.


Often Overlooked:
Wind wall, wall of sand, and wall of stone can prevent considerable damage by preventing foes from attacking.

Ormur
2010-08-05, 07:33 AM
The healer actually works pretty well in that limited role, especially with the expanded spell list from the Spell Compendium. It gets charisma to healing spells at some level and it can't really do anything other than heal (and roleplay) so there's no trouble with party balance. We did it once in my group but the original PC died so the cohort took a few levels and tiers in badass to make a functional replacement so it's no longer a healer (albeit still does healing).

panaikhan
2010-08-05, 07:59 AM
There's a feat from 'Races of the Wild' called Nature Magic (or Magic of The Land - something close). It basically adds points of healing to any multiple-target spell you cast on the party - so you can heal AND buff at the same time - or just pump up the mass healing a bit further.

Douglas
2010-08-05, 08:27 AM
Cleric/Radiant Servant of Pelor with the Healing domain, spontaneous domain casting ACF from PHB2 (this is so you can spontaneously cast Heal, which a normal cleric can't because it's not a "cure" spell), DMM(Persist) applied to Mass Lesser Vigor, and DMM(Reach Spell) for in-combat healing when you can't get to whoever needs healing. Also Extra Turning to help fuel DMM.

Prime32
2010-08-05, 12:09 PM
Best healer? Crusader. They can handle both hp restoration and "pre-emptive healing" (ie. killing the enemy before they get to deal damage)

Best out-of-combat healer: Dread necromancer, assuming that everyone in the party is undead or has Tomb-Tainted Soul.

JeenLeen
2010-08-05, 12:26 PM
As mentioned, there's an alternative class feature in PHBII for clerics how you lose the ability to spontaneously cast cure/inflict spells but gain the ability to spontaneously cast spells of one of your domains. Do this with the Healing domain.

Another option is taking Combat Medic (Heroes of Battle PrC) to be able to spontaneously cast Heal. This class also gives you 'kickers', small additions you can add to any Conjuration (healing) spell you cast.


I remember hearing that DMM + Vigor doesn't work because of either the range or duation lines, but I could be mistaken.

An interesting out-of-combat healing tactic I recently heard of is having them get the reserve feat that lets them summon a weak elemental at will. Use a vampiric weapon to destroy said elemental and recover HP, repeat. Trade off the vampiric weapon to another party member and repeat the process until the whole party is healed.
Depending on how your DM handles summon monsters, pain, and personality, this might be an evil method.

Keld Denar
2010-08-05, 12:40 PM
I remember hearing that DMM + Vigor doesn't work because of either the range or duation lines, but I could be mistaken.

Lesser Vigor doesn't work, because of the range line. MASS Lesser Vigor does work though. Its 3rd level, but by the time you get your DMM Machine online and running, you should be at least 5th level.

Lhurgyof
2010-08-05, 12:47 PM
Lesser Vigor doesn't work, because of the range line. MASS Lesser Vigor does work though. Its 3rd level, but by the time you get your DMM Machine online and running, you should be at least 5th level.

I coulda sworn it had a maximum it could heal...

JaronK
2010-08-05, 12:47 PM
There's a bunch of options. I'd have to go with the DMM Persist Cleric route as best. Lesser Mass Vigor or Vigorous Circle plus some other nice defensive buffs (Recitation) ought to do the trick. Other options include Dread Necromancers and Binders, and if the part is tomb tainted for the DN then Black Sand and Necrosis Carnexes become really useful.

JaronK

CyMage
2010-08-05, 12:56 PM
I coulda sworn it had a maximum it could heal...

The only reason there is a limit on the healing is because of the duration. If you persist, the duration becomes 24 hours and the healing limit is much higher.

cooperflood
2010-08-05, 12:56 PM
Here are a few more healing tricks. The best thing is that they are feat based, so should work well in an E6 campaign.

1) Quicken and Empower Cure spells with no level increase:
Dragon Prophesier + Prophecy’s Shepherd + Prophecy’s Shaper (All from Magic of Eberron)

2) Maximize Cure spells with no level increase:
Maximize Spell + Mastery of Day and Night (Player's Guide to Eberron)

3) Healing Lorecall (Spell Compendium) allows you to remove various conditions with Cure spells.

Paul H
2010-08-06, 11:57 AM
Hi

Be careful of the Persist Spell trap - it has to be Personal or a Fixed Range.

Healing Lorecall has a more powerful, secondary ability: you can substitute your ranks in Heal for your CL casting Healing spells. Add your healing Domain power for potential +4 CL healing. Ring of Mystic Healing (MiC) adds +1CL to that if spell's title includes word "Cure".

Eg. Last night my Clr 9/RSoP 10/Contemplative 1 did 360 HP damage each to group of Liches with Mass Heal. (DC 29 Will for half dam).

Thanks
Paul H

Douglas
2010-08-06, 12:39 PM
Hi

Be careful of the Persist Spell trap - it has to be Personal or a Fixed Range.
Even with that restriction, it's still very powerful. Specifically for this discussion, Mass Lesser Vigor qualifies with its range of 30'.


Healing Lorecall has a more powerful, secondary ability: you can substitute your ranks in Heal for your CL casting Healing spells. Add your healing Domain power for potential +4 CL healing. Ring of Mystic Healing (MiC) adds +1CL to that if spell's title includes word "Cure".
If I remember the wording on that correctly, combining those doesn't work. The Healing domain and ring give their bonuses to your caster level, and that entire number - including those bonuses - gets replaced by your skill ranks.


Eg. Last night my Clr 9/RSoP 10/Contemplative 1 did 360 HP damage each to group of Liches with Mass Heal. (DC 29 Will for half dam).
Mass Heal caps at 250. Also, Empower Spell does not improve it due to there being no variable (i.e. random die roll; increasing with caster level doesn't count) component.

subject42
2010-08-06, 03:02 PM
If you don't mind some shenanigans, I'd recommend looking at an Archivist. They can get spells at an extremely low level relative to other full casters, so you might be able to heal more effectively than you should be able to heal.

KingoftheTrees
2010-08-06, 04:30 PM
What if you can't use any vigor spells? My DM had ruled that clerics get all spells from PHB, but anything from Spell Compendium he would have to grant me. And he's already stated that the vigor spells are more "druidy".
Although I would like to add something to a perfectly good healbot build (and it's what I'm playing right now and at least two people have mentioned) cleric/Radiant Servant of Pelor with ACF spontaneous healing domain casting, but pick up the Improved Healing Domain feat from Dragon magazine #342 pg. 24. Turn any conjuration (healing) spell with a range of touch into a range of close a number of times equal to your cleric level. Now you don't need Reach Spell to heal people in combat.

Tyndmyr
2010-08-06, 10:53 PM
An interesting out-of-combat healing tactic I recently heard of is having them get the reserve feat that lets them summon a weak elemental at will. Use a vampiric weapon to destroy said elemental and recover HP, repeat. Trade off the vampiric weapon to another party member and repeat the process until the whole party is healed.
Depending on how your DM handles summon monsters, pain, and personality, this might be an evil method.

Yay for playing under RAW. That's brilliant. My wiz can totally pick up that feat. Now, how to find a vampiric weapon in E6...

EnnPeeCee
2010-08-06, 11:32 PM
Just to point out, a 1 level dip in Dragon Shaman with the vigor aura is basically free out-of-combat healing for everyone up to half health. For a dedicated healer, it might be worth it.

Eurus
2010-08-06, 11:39 PM
Just to point out, a 1 level dip in Dragon Shaman with the vigor aura is basically free out-of-combat healing for everyone up to half health. For a dedicated healer, it might be worth it.

IIRC, the Touch of Healing reserve feat also gives free healing up to 1/2 health, right?

Zaydos
2010-08-06, 11:41 PM
IIRC, the Touch of Healing reserve feat also gives free healing up to 1/2 health, right?

Yep, quite useful for out of combat healing. It was what kept the meat shield alive in one game I ran.

Kantolin
2010-08-06, 11:51 PM
I'd like to put a reasonable option to a mystic theurged war weaver. Party-healing can be helpful.

You can also do similarly with an arcanist with any of the various methods of getting the healing domain (Perhaps a sorceror with both feat and ACF?).

Anyway, on the (Cloistered) cleric angle, if you ride darts of life or healing spirit with augment healing and a little magic of hte land, you actually can pump out better-than-heal-healing which makes healbotting work. Get the... I believe it's the healing devotion that lets you add a 'kicker' to your healing spells, which can be helpful.

(Well, and the combat medic lets you add a kicker, but nevermind that :P)

Dairun Cates
2010-08-06, 11:51 PM
Estelle. Tales of Vesperia.

Oh wait. You just wanted D&D builds. Nevermind.

Jack_Simth
2010-08-06, 11:52 PM
Yay for playing under RAW. That's brilliant. My wiz can totally pick up that feat. Now, how to find a vampiric weapon in E6...
Let's see... it's based on Vampiric Touch (3rd level spell), but says "caster level 9". If you can find a way to boost your caster level by 3, you can make it with Craft Magic Arms & Armor.

I'm curious, though: How are you getting past the use requirement of the Summon Elemental Reserve Feat to have a 4th level Conjouration(Summoning) spell prepared?

sonofzeal
2010-08-06, 11:54 PM
For a cohort, I'd go high-Cha Healer with "Augment Healing", "Spontaneous Healing", and "Touch of Healing". Then stock up on de-debuffers (Neutralize Poison, Remove Fear, Stone to Flesh, etc), and away you go!

I'd use Healer over Cleric for a few reasons. One, it's more original and less cheesy. Two, a high-Cha healer gets a lot more mileage out of lower level slots. Three, DMM is a baaaad door to open in most games, and is one of the only reasons to do Cleric instead (it's a good one though). Four, the Healer gets "mass" healing early. Five, you get bonus de-debuffers, which help a lot when you didn't know what to prepare. Six... I just like the class.

Zaydos
2010-08-06, 11:58 PM
Imbue Healing (Complete Champion) adds a kicker to your healing spells based on one of your domains. It's not really that good (I only ever used the healing domain one that granted temp hp) but if you have feats to spare it can be useful.

ShneekeyTheLost
2010-08-07, 12:28 AM
DMM is good for more than persist, one of the best healbots/buffbots I ever ran used DMM Chain Spell.

So you use Divine Ward to make the range greater than touch, DMM Chain it to your whole party. Chain Heal as a 6th level spell? Yes, please. See also: DMM Chain Reach Spell GMW/Magic Vestments/Barkskin (from Plant domain)/Shield of Faith for your buffing entertainment. You will have to get extenders on the Barkskin and Shield of Faith, but GMW/MV is hours/level.

Also, Chain Reach Freedom of Movement or Death Ward can be a preemptive TPK avoider.

If you prefer, you can also give your cleric the Travel domain for Teleport and Greater Teleport as domain spells, so he can be the Party Taxi.

Escheton
2010-08-07, 06:57 AM
You dont need a vampiric weapon. Just dip crusader 1 lvl and wail on the elemental with the healing stance up, 2hp per hit to whoever you want to heal. With a lvl of incarnate you can up that by a few points. Add in the healing maneuver every couple of rounds and a few minutes work-out has your party at max health.