The Healer's Oath

[Red_Death01]

Regarding the Healer class in Miniture's Handbook I can't seem to find the oath they need to follow and what it entails. It does mention though that you need to heal any ally or any good aligned character as well as wear only light armor and not use a shield. Is this all thought? or is there more too it? Can the healer do combat and not entail any penalities? If someone who is more savy with oaths and such provide a link or explination that would be much appreciated! THANK YOU!

[Telonius]

Regarding the Healer class in Miniture's Handbook I can't seem to find the oath they need to follow and what it entails. It does mention though that you need to heal any ally or any good aligned character as well as wear only light armor and not use a shield. Is this all thought? or is there more too it? Can the healer do combat and not entail any penalities? If someone who is more savy with oaths and such provide a link or explination that would be much appreciated! THANK YOU!

The wording is confusing on the armor. You can wear any kind of armor, as long as it's not metal. Dragonhide or wood affected by the Ironwood spell is fair game. (Note that you'd still need to be proficient if you want to wear it, or else you'd still suffer the usual penalties). However, any shield (regardless of the materials) interferes with casting.

Otherwise, the ethos isn't explicitly stated. If I were DMing, I'd probably use the original version of the Hippocratic Oath (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath) as the basis for the "ethos," adding any changes that might be necessary to the setting.

[Tsuzurao]

Regarding the Healer class in Miniture's Handbook I can't seem to find the oath they need to follow and what it entails. It does mention though that you need to heal any ally or any good aligned character as well as wear only light armor and not use a shield. Is this all thought? or is there more too it? Can the healer do combat and not entail any penalities? If someone who is more savy with oaths and such provide a link or explination that would be much appreciated! THANK YOU!


The wording is confusing on the armor. You can wear any kind of armor, as long as it's not metal. Dragonhide or wood affected by the Ironwood spell is fair game. (Note that you'd still need to be proficient if you want to wear it, or else you'd still suffer the usual penalties). However, any shield (regardless of the materials) interferes with casting.

Otherwise, the ethos isn't explicitly stated. If I were DMing, I'd probably use the original version of the Hippocratic Oath (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath) as the basis for the "ethos," adding any changes that might be necessary to the setting.

As I recall (and this from a person who has been interested in playing a Healer), Telonius got part of it.

* No metal armours. You may, however, gain proficiency in and use heavier armours. Breaking this vow costs you your ability to cast Healer spells or to use any Supernatural Abilities granted by the Healer class while wearing the forbidden armour, and for 24 hours after removing it. (It also claims you lose Spell-Like Abilities from the class, but the Healer has no SLAs.)
* No shields. The penalty for breaking the vow is the same as wearing metal armour.
* Must be Good-aligned. This is a class-based alignment restriction, like how Monks must be Lawful.
* Healers lose all class abilities and class features (except for weapon/armour proficiencies) as well as ability to progress as a Healer if they grossly violate their ethos, until they receive Atonement. It is said that refusing to heal an ally or a Good-aligned creature is a gross violation. However, given that it is noted that "Healers have some combat capability and are familiar with basic weapons and some armor", I don't think using a weapon counts as a violation at all. If it was, wouldn't that be mentioned in the Weapon and Armour Proficiencies section along with the armour-restricting oaths?

Officially, there's nothing in the mechanics saying a Healer can't fight, so long as you aren't performing a specifically Evil act by doing so. Just keep in mind that a 1/2 progression BAB is going to make fighting with weapons a bit difficult.

One sometimes-forgotten advantage of Healers being prepared casters is that they get automatic access to Sanctified Spells, which supplies a fair amount of variety, in and out of combat.

[DarkEternal]

I also advise you, if you are playing a healer, to take a look at spell compendium. In the intro there, it suggests various spells a DM could permit on the healer's spell list since the default one they give to the healer is sorely lacking.