Pathfinder Fast Healer Feat question

[Yogibear41]

Does the Fast Healer feat work with natural or magically gained fast healing?

Here is the feat in question: from d20pfsrd

You benefit greatly from your healing, be it from spells or natural healing.

Prerequisites: Con 13, Diehard, Endurance.

Benefit: When you regain hit points by resting or through magical healing, you recover additional hit points equal to half your Constitution modifier (minimum +1).

[Another_Poet]

I would say "no" for two reasons.

First off, Fast Healing is not a Spell or Spell-Like Ability so it is not "magical." It is an "extraordinary" ability which is arguably natural, however, I believe it's more reasonable to assume that "natural healing" in this context refers to the specific Natural Healing (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/combat.html#healing) ability of all creatures to regain hp from 8 hours' rest.

So by a reasonable reading of the rules, I don't think the feat would apply to Fast Healing.

Moreover I think there is an argument from balance here. Fast Healer is supposed to give you an extra +1 to +4 points of healing for every night you spend at an inn, or for every Cure Wounds spell a cleric spends on you. That is a useful, but relatively small benefit. On the other hand if you apply it to Fast Healing, then you are gaining an extra +1 to +4 hp per round. Depending on your base Fast Healing rate that's easily an increase of +50% healing or more.

That is a completely different scale than the usual use of this feat.

So it's a judgment call, but I'd say no.

[Yogibear41]

I figured as much especially with natural fast healing, was curious about fast healing granted through spells though, figured since it had so many requirement feats maybe ha :smallsmile:

[Stouts]

I would say "no" for two reasons.

First off, Fast Healing is not a Spell or Spell-Like Ability so it is not "magical." It is an "extraordinary" ability which is arguably natural, however, I believe it's more reasonable to assume that "natural healing" in this context refers to the specific Natural Healing (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/combat.html#healing) ability of all creatures to regain hp from 8 hours' rest.

So by a reasonable reading of the rules, I don't think the feat would apply to Fast Healing.

Moreover I think there is an argument from balance here. Fast Healer is supposed to give you an extra +1 to +4 points of healing for every night you spend at an inn, or for every Cure Wounds spell a cleric spends on you. That is a useful, but relatively small benefit. On the other hand if you apply it to Fast Healing, then you are gaining an extra +1 to +4 hp per round. Depending on your base Fast Healing rate that's easily an increase of +50% healing or more.

That is a completely different scale than the usual use of this feat.

So it's a judgment call, but I'd say no.

Given the amount of spells (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/infernal-healing) and supernatural abilities (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/inquisitor) in PF that give short-term, magical fast-healing, I would say that for RAW, this feat is nearly as valid for fast-healing as it is for Cure.

That being said, as a DM, I would never allow it on a per-round basis. My advice would be to ask your DM about a per-instance bonus for fast-healing (eg, first round). If we are talking about persistent fast-healing rather than from a spell / su ability, though, then you're pretty much out of luck.