[3.5] Spontaneous Healbot

[ILM]

Apologies for another one of those, I know there's already a thread about healing on the first page, but I'd like to cover other things.

And maybe, an introduction: I realize that in-combat healing and healbots are generally a bad choice. I'm not trying to dispute this (or, really, to discuss it). For various reasons, in our campaign, healing in general and this character in particular should be useful, and let's leave it at that.


So basically, I'm trying to optimize a healer. It seems maximizing healing in 3.5 is a fairly straightforward proposition until you start with the exotic stuff. I am currently looking at a chassis of Favored Soul / Sacred Exorcist / Combat Medic / Hierophant 1. This still gets 9th level spells, but also an all-day healing aura and Divine Reach (if there are any other ways to get those that don't lose CLs, I'm listening :smallsmile:). Tack on a bunch of feats like Augment Healing, Sacred Healing, Magic of the Land, Touch of Healing, Mitigate Suffering, Dragon Prophesier, Prophecy's Shepherd and Mastery of Day and Night and you've got some serious healing going on. Maybe a few metamagic feats (Persistent Spell for Lesser Mass Vigor?) and Rapid Metamagic for even moar healz. I'll be selecting only healing and buff spells, so the Favored Soul's dual casting stat isn't a problem.

The main question I have is this: the one single reason I went with FS is full spontaneous casting. I want to be able to spontaneously cast not only Cures, but Heal (which Combat Medic gives me), Restoration, Rejuvenation, Mass Heal, Vigor, and all the other hp- and condition- healing spells I can get my hands on.

IF there were a way to do that with Cleric, I'd much prefer to do so. But I can't find an effective way to expand the list of spells you can cast spontaneously beyond a bunch of extra domains and a number of Domain Spontaneity feats, as well as a ton of Nightsticks (which happen to be banned).

Second question: any other ways to heal more HP damage in a round than applying metamagic feats to Heal?

Muchas gracias for reading! :smallsmile:

[Togath]

The spontaneous cleric/druid variant gives a cleric or druid sorcerer casting, but with their original stat. Though a spontaneous cleric/druid only has a sorcerer's spells known.

[stack]

Using cleric alternate class features you can spontaneously cast from the healing domain (better than the default cures, PHB II p 37) and also spontaneously cast restoration spells (lose a domain granted power, Dungeonscape pg 9). Grab a wand of lesser vigor for out of combat and add feats to taste.

That covers cure light up to sure sure critical, mass cure light :smallannoyed:, heal, regenerate, mass cure crit, and mass heal, plus the restoration line. Take Pelor with the healing and strength domains, ditch the strength granted power for the restorations at 3.

[Andorax]

It's not spontaneous, but a piece of advice I often hand out is to pick up Scribe Scroll on a cleric and then stock up on the various occasionally-needed remedy spells (remove fear, remove blindness/deafness/etc.)

[ILM]

The spontaneous cleric/druid variant gives a cleric or druid sorcerer casting, but with their original stat. Though a spontaneous cleric/druid only has a sorcerer's spells known.
Huh. That one's actually never been brought up at our table, thanks. But um, since the cleric gets his domain spells as spells known in addition to the others, doesn't he get the same number of spells known as a Favored Soul, only he gets spell levels one level earlier and turn undead and domain access and a ton of ACFs? Why in the name of Gary Gygax would anyone play a Favored Soul then? :smallconfused:

[etrpgb]

Shugenja (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=4367.0). Just avoid the Fire element and you are ok. Consider taking a level in the Sacred Exorcist for turn undead.

My advice? Earth Shugenja of Order of the Ineffable Mystery. Take a level

And here a list of useful feats.

Magic of the Land (RotW) - Add spell's level x2 to the amount of damage healed
Augment Healing (CD) - Add spell's level x2 to the amount of damage healed
Initiate of Tamara (DM) - Add a spell's level to the amount of damage healed
Touch of Healing (CC) - Heal people for free up to 1/2 their health
Sacred Healing (PHB2) - spend a turn attempt to add +2 healing per damage die to your spell
Sacred Healing (CD) (http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-divine--56/sacred-healing--2479/) - Spend a turn attempt to grant Fast Healing to all living creatures in a 60' burst, lasts 1 + cha mod rounds (full round action)
Sacred Boost (CD) (http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-divine--56/sacred-boost--2478/) - Spend a turn attempt to make the next Cure spell you cast automatically maximized (standard action)
Mastery of Day and Night (PGtE) (http://dndtools.eu/feats/players-guide-to-eberron--13/mastery-of-day-and-night--1897/) - Maximize cure/inflict spells for free (STRONGLY ADVISED)
Prophecy's Shaper (MoE) (http://dndtools.eu/feats/magic-of-eberron--9/prophecys-shaper--2256/) - Empower a spell 1/round for free
Prophecy's Shepherd (MoE) (http://dndtools.eu/feats/magic-of-eberron--9/prophecys-shepherd--2257/) - Quicken a cure/inflict spell 1/round for free

[Person_Man]

I'm fond of the Complege Divine Spirit Shaman 20 for this role. It offers 9th level spontaneous spells from the Druid spell list. The Druid spell list is quite strong with the addition of splat books, and includes the Heal spell by default - so you wouldn't need to take levels Combat Medic (which has cruddy pre-reqs). You also get a bunch of useful class abilities, much more so then the Favored Soul.

The Oriental Adventures version of Spirit Shaman (3.0, but a nice DM might let you have it) offers 9th level prepared spells from it's own list (which is pretty strong, though not nearly as long as the Druid spell list expanded by splatbooks), plus spontaneous Cure spells, Cha bonus to Saving Throws (essentially Divine Grace), and an Animal Companion. Though in most cases you'll want to PrC out of the class at ECL 6, since it doesn't offer much beyond 5th level.

[ILM]

Thanks for the alternative suggestions (and etrpgb for the feats). I've got the spontaneous cleric approved and I think I'd like to go that route. Any solid PrCs to look forward to? I've earmarked Combat Medic and a level or 2 or Hierophant for the reach, but aside from that all I can think of are the usual suspects: Contemplative, Sacred Exorcist, etc.

[ILM]

Okay, need a little help adjudicating this:

Spontaneous Divine Casters

A cleric may add his two domain spells to his list of spells known, while a druid may add the appropriate summon nature's ally spell to her list of spells known.[...]

For example, a cleric has chosen the domains of Good and Healing, which means that at 1st level, he automatically knows cure light wounds and protection from evil. In addition, he chooses four spells from the list of 0-level cleric spells (cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, and read magic) and two spells from the list of 1st-level cleric spells (bless and shield of faith). He now knows four 0-level spells and four 1st-level spells.

Yet, from Complete Divine page 20, in the Extra Domains text:

If the noncleric is a spontaneous caster like a sorcerer of favored soul, then she may select a domain spell to add to her spells known whenever she would have an option to choose a new known spell.
So, no automatically adding domain spells to spells known.

Which should I follow when it comes to extra domains from Church Inquisitor or Contemplative?

[etrpgb]

I would say that the Cleric domains or Druid summonings are automatically known, but all the other domains you get work as the second rule.

Usually specific beats general, so in general you apply the ``Spontaneous Divine Casters'' rule. But in specific case of extra domains you apply the specific rule.

So first two (or three if cloistered cleric) domains are free. The others just increase your choice.

But... why bother? Kobold Dragonwrought Fortune's Fang Warmage and you are done. Spontaneous and you know all Cleric, Feast, Luck, and Trickery domains spells.

[ILM]

But... why bother? Kobold Dragonwrought Fortune's Fang Warmage and you are done. Spontaneous and you know all Cleric, Feast, Luck, and Trickery domains spells.
Because if I were really fishing for head trauma I could just slam my head against the wall instead of forcing my DM to throw perfectly good books at me.

But thanks for the call on the spontaneous domains thing :smallsmile:.


Okay, new question, still related! Augment Healing, Magic of the Land, Sacred Healing (PHB2 version) and the Combat Medic's Healing Kicker all add various boosts to healing spells you cast. From the wording, I can't decide whether they should be applied to all targets (such as from a Mass Cure X spell) or if they only apply to one. Thoughts? Or should I take it to the RAW thread?

[etrpgb]

Dragonwrought kobolds are the most powerful Warmages around... but they are still kobolds.... Beside you are just playing a 4 tier class, the warmage. Just with ``a little'' more versatility.

About the question, the bonus applies to all the spell targets. If it is one, then one. If it is many, it is all of them.



(whispering... about Sacred Healing... warmages are charisma casters... )

[etrpgb]

There was a message about the Healer class... but it seems disappeared. Anyhow I wanted to link an handbook about it (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6849).

Edit.. oh, yeah. The Healer is for rules a prepared caster. In my party we always made it spontaneous with all the spell list known as Beguillers.... Otherwise it is really a worthless class.

[stack]

As etrpgb said, Healer made spontaneous knowing there whole list (+ the recommended additions from SpC), made CHA SAD (either w/ dynamic priest or by fiat) achieves the goal nicely, adding CHA mod to all conjuration healing spells. Tack on mastery of day and night and you get useable in-combat healing, plus the status removal and a bit of buffing you need to round things out.

[Socratov]

YOu could go for Divine Bard, but Bards get healing anyway, so that's not that importaint, but more important is the healing hymn ACF for bards form CDiv, allowing you to do rapidly increase healing from spells (and even regular rest at night), additionally the bard has UMD becoming a great healbot and with certain feats/PrC's it can even heal by singing or grant endurance etc. It might be worth to check out.

[etrpgb]

Since the thread entered in topic in my party we changed the Healer as such.

Saves: all good (as Monk).
Spellcasting: everything in CHA as Shugenja. The whole spell list is known (including SpC spells). Spells per day as Shugenja.
Weapons and armor: proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor. But the vow is changed to: thou shall not use shields and you shall heals others before thyself.
The various ``Cleanse X'' once at encounter instead per day.

[ThiagoMartell]

Is it just me or does Mastery of Day and Night look like a good feat for a Duskblade with Arance Disciple (Destruction)?

[ericgrau]

Try shield other to spread out damage to prevent trouble. Later get imbue with spell ability to give someone else shield other and spread out damage even more. That also makes mass cures better by providing 2 more targets. In the morning cast hour/level buffs, before a dungeon cast 10 min/level buffs, mass buffs at the beginning of combat and heals after someone's in trouble. Focus higher level spells on heals and lower on buffs.

For removing conditions you can't fit them all on your spell list so get a million scrolls instead. Since each one individually is uncommon you only need a couple of each low level scroll so the cost should be low. You can put the more general purposeand higher level condition fixers like restoration on your spell list.

Since you're focusing on one or two things I would prefer favored soul and wouldn't try forcing a cleric. It's good to be able to do 10 cures or 10 restorations or whatever without predicting which you'll need in the morning.

I think augment healing applies to all targets for a mass spell. I'm not familiar with the other abilities.

[DarkestKnight]

There is an ACF that allows a cleric to lose the ability to cast Inflict/Cure spell spontaneously in trade to cast one of their domains in that manner. Take the Healing domain and you are golden. Prep your spells like normal, and convert them into heal spells as you need them.