Healer

[Olfgar]

So, my friend is about to start DMing for the first time and everyone else has chosen their classes, so Ive decided to possibly take up the role of the group healer. I know cleric is the base class most people try to use for their first healer (well most people) so im saving that as a back up. i was wondering though, could you use a Paladin as an effective healer?

Edit: one of the other players rolled a paladin,s o for s tory and RP stand point, I thought if a healer could work, we could be form the same order, sent out together.

Also if its important, the DM is implementing that we wont know our actual health, but the DM will, and will have to make heal checks to tell "how injured" we are, so put as simply as possible hed et us know if we have low, medium or high health.

[Safety Sword]

Paladin healing won't be very effective if you have multiple people to heal for a bit each. It's kind of sucky.

Cleric is far superior. Plus, at higher levels you're cleric is going to make a better fighter than your paladin probably is :smallannoyed:

[Chilingsworth]

The best Healer class in the game is the class named "Healer." It's in miniatures handbook. However, you wont be able to do jack else.

[erikun]

Crusader, as I understand it, is a better healer than the Paladin.

Healing with a Paladin is pretty difficult. You'll be limited to Lay on Hands for around six levels, and a very small spell selection after that. You might be able to get buy with various wands, but that solution is somewhat expensive. (It's cheaper than potions, though.) Unless your game will only rely on healing occasionally, the Paladin won't cut it for you. Even a Bard is a better choice.

[Olfgar]

Gonna be 4 PCs including me.

So looks like imma have to go for cleric then.

[Chrono22]

The best Healer class in the game is the class named "Healer." It's in miniatures handbook. However, you wont be able to do jack else.
This is actually flat out wrong. The best healer in the game is called the Binder, and it's located in the tome of magic.

[DementedFellow]

The best Healer class in the game is the class named "Healer." It's in miniatures handbook. However, you wont be able to do jack else.

And you won't be that great at healing either.

[Olfgar]

Im gonna look into crusader then. But sounds like ill stick to cleric. Maybe just worhisp the same god then.

[erikun]

...You could be a Crusader/Cleric/Ruby Vindicator. Or a Cleric/Prestige Paladin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm#prestigePaladin) if you really want a Paladin but don't like the base class - and your DM is okay with it.

[GoatBoy]

I don't recall if Paladins have the Vigor line of spells on their list... but if they do, then you're all least be able to take care of post-battle healing.

There's also the Paladin ACF (I can't remember the book) which replaces your special mount with some kind of "companion spirit" or something, I think that heals a bit but I'm not sure.

In addition, the Pathfinder Paladin is better at healing than 3.5's is. In fact, it's just plain better. Is also has some alternate class features (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/paladin) which help.

On top of all that, I think there's some reserve feats in Complete Champion that help with healing. And there's Battle Blessing, which I'd imagine is almost as required for Paladins as Natural Spell is for Druids.

Between all that, I think it's possible to make a functional healer out of a Paladin if that's your intent.

[CockroachTeaParty]

How is a Binder a better healer than a healing-spec'd cleric? Just curious. (I have access to Tome of Magic, and I'm always on the lookout for new vestige combos.)

[GoatBoy]

How is a Binder a better healer than a healing-spec'd cleric? Just curious. (I have access to Tome of Magic, and I'm always on the lookout for new vestige combos.)

The Buer vestige grants a 1-point heal, usable at will, and is available at level 7 (or 5 with the Improved Binding feat).

[CockroachTeaParty]

The Buer vestige grants a 1-point heal, usable at will, and is available at level 7 (or 5 with the Improved Binding feat).

I know about that, but... it's strictly out of combat healing, really. That's great, don't get me wrong, but it isn't much different than a cleric with a wand of Lesser Vigor (or anybody with UMD).

A Radiant Servant healing spec'd cleric can rock in-combat healing as well as out of combat healing.

[GoatBoy]

I know about that, but... it's strictly out of combat healing, really. That's great, don't get me wrong, but it isn't much different than a cleric with a wand of Lesser Vigor (or anybody with UMD).

A Radiant Servant healing spec'd cleric can rock in-combat healing as well as out of combat healing.

Actually, I agree with you in that 1 point per round isn't very effective. Sorry, I should have guess you knew what it was if you had Tome of Magic.

Technically, it's the best because it can go all day. Many people have simply written off the idea of in-combat healing as a viable tactic, so efficiency is the only key, and a Binder can do much more than heal, so it's probably the best class to bring along.

[LordBlades]

Actually, I agree with you in that 1 point per round isn't very effective. Sorry, I should have guess you knew what it was if you had Tome of Magic.

Technically, it's the best because it can go all day. Many people have simply written off the idea of in-combat healing as a viable tactic, so efficiency is the only key, and a Binder can do much more than heal, so it's probably the best class to bring along.

In-combat healing is pretty much a bad idea except from the Heal spell. Most 'Cure x wounds' won't even prevent a single round's worth of damage from a single creature. For example, Cure Serious Wounds at lvl 5 heals 3d8+5, average 18.5. An ettin (CR 6) has 4x2d6+6(average 13) attacks. That's about 3 times as much as CSW heals.

[Defiant]

Cleric is far superior. Plus, at higher levels you're cleric is going to make a better fighter than your paladin probably is :smallannoyed:

This is hilariously and frustratingly true.

[dgnslyr]

Huh? I thought the best way to heal was through wands of Lesser Vigor. Anybody with UMD can be a solid healer.

Sadly, given the state of 3.5, a cleric is far superior to a paladin at pretty much everything, except maybe the magic horse bit, which only goes so far unless you create a build entirely around it. And even then, it only does so much.

[gorfnab]

Im gonna look into crusader then. But sounds like ill stick to cleric. Maybe just worhisp the same god then.
Crusader 5/ Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader 9 - makes a fairly decent healing tank.

If you're looking for a healing based Paladin look here (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19859750/Paladin_Healing_Optimization) (see post #10)

[Saint GoH]

I always liked adruid ACF found in PHB2 (maybe?) that converts your Spontaneous Summon Monster spells into Fast healing in an aura a round. Pretty feckin overpowered when you take Augment Healing

[Zaq]

Actually, I agree with you in that 1 point per round isn't very effective. Sorry, I should have guess you knew what it was if you had Tome of Magic.

Technically, it's the best because it can go all day. Many people have simply written off the idea of in-combat healing as a viable tactic, so efficiency is the only key, and a Binder can do much more than heal, so it's probably the best class to bring along.

Healing is an important base to cover one way or another (usually though wands, but hey, whatever works). However, you're missing one very important part of healing: fixing things that aren't HP damage. This includes healing stat damage, removing poison/curses/diseases, fixing in-combat conditions like stunned and out-of-combat conditions like being turned to stone, patching up negative levels, or anything like that. Keeping your HP full is trivially easy . . . even a party of all capital-f Fighters can buy enough Healing Belts to keep themselves patched up without significantly cutting into WBL. It's what you do after you get that nat 1 on your Fort save that makes you wish you had a capable healer around. (This does not, of course, mean that someone needs to play a dedicated healer. Just that it really, really helps to have a UMD-monkey capable of toting around a few scrolls of Restoration, or have a battle cleric who can, with a day's notice, get a Remove Disease ready for you, or whatever.)

[Souhiro]

Well, it depends many of the game you play.

It is D&D 3.5 or it is 3P? In 3.5, the Cleric is better healer than anyone (Even the Healer!) but in 3P, at certain levels the Paladin can win a Healing Competition with the cleric!