Ranged Heal Spells?

[Gwazi Magnum]

If people know of any other ways to make heal spells ranged please say so, but there is one idea that just dawned on me I want to check to see if it works.

In one group I'm in we have a player who throws wooden daggers at the party members, casting healing spells through them in order to heal them giving the heal spells some range.

Now, when I was considering a sniper archer like build my mind wandered to Zen Archery. I knew that mixes really well with Clerics which is where it dawned on me, would I be able to do a similar thing with arrows? Blunt harmless arrows mind you, but could I use my bow to shoot healing spells at allies?

[chaos_redefined]

I don't think you can throw the knives of healing...

However, there is a few healing spells that already carry a range, such as Close Wounds (also, swift action), Mass Cure _ Wounds (also hits most of the party), and Reach spell. There's also a divine feat somewhere that lets you cast touch spells at a range when targetting specific people. You prepare it with those people in advance.

[aabicus]

I know that when I went through my Team Fortress 2 phase my group let me use a Crossbow of healing (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Crusader%27s_Crossbow) similar to how you describe. It was pretty sweet. Don't see why you couldn't use arrows of healing, I think it's a nifty idea.

[Kazyan]

I don't think you can throw the knives of healing...

It involves an exploit of Ordained Champion's Channel Spell wording and the fact that daggers are both thrown and melee weapons. (I'm in the group too.)

[Emperor Tippy]

Occular Spell, Arcane Reach, Reach Spell, a couple of spell combinations.

[ArcturusV]

Well, could also take something like Heirophant and pick up the Touch Spells = 30' Range.

[Mutazoia]

If people know of any other ways to make heal spells ranged please say so, but there is one idea that just dawned on me I want to check to see if it works.

In one group I'm in we have a player who throws wooden daggers at the party members, casting healing spells through them in order to heal them giving the heal spells some range.

Now, when I was considering a sniper archer like build my mind wandered to Zen Archery. I knew that mixes really well with Clerics which is where it dawned on me, would I be able to do a similar thing with arrows? Blunt harmless arrows mind you, but could I use my bow to shoot healing spells at allies?

My Bard use to do this all the time after picking up the Arcane Archer PRC and getting the "Imbue Arrow" ability. He would fire arrows with blunted and padded heads at party member and imbue the arrows with his various "cure" spells. Nothing like healing at bow shot length....

[Kazyan]

Aha. The Smiting Spell metamagic can be applied to a projectile. You could use that. +1 metamagic and annoying "opponent" wording, though.

[Sylthia]

You need a Throwing Hammer of Cure Moderate Wounds. Deal d4+Str mod damage and heal 2d8+3 damage.

[tyckspoon]

Darts of Life is my go-to ranged healing spell- Level 5, Complete Champ, creates 10 spell-darts that heal 1d8 apiece. Notable because unlike most healing spells it's all in individual dice, so it has better effects with things like Empower and the PHB2 version of the Sacred Healing feat. Somewhat annoying that it has almost no scaling with caster level (this does make it a decent candidate to carry around a few scrolls of it) but it doesn't really need it, I guess - if you dump it all on one target it has better than the average healing power of a maximum-caster-level Cure Critical, and it scales a lot better with metamagics and healing-improving feats (Try to convince your DM that Augment Healing applies per-dart, for 1d8+5 apiece.. that's the same output as 10 Cure Lights from a single spell slot.)

[Gwazi Magnum]

It involves an exploit of Ordained Champion's Channel Spell wording and the fact that daggers are both thrown and melee weapons. (I'm in the group too.)

So that's how he does it...
Well that rules out bows for this specific idea then.

Note: This is not meant for our campaign though just so you're aware. It's just what gave me the idea.

Edit: Actually it just dawned on me, is there a way a bow or something can fire melee weapons like daggers?


Well, could also take something like Heirophant and pick up the Touch Spells = 30' Range.

True, though that's pretty late game and I'm looking to pull off some pretty ridiculous ranges is possible.


My Bard use to do this all the time after picking up the Arcane Archer PRC and getting the "Imbue Arrow" ability. He would fire arrows with blunted and padded heads at party member and imbue the arrows with his various "cure" spells. Nothing like healing at bow shot length....

This would defelently work. :)
Though is there a way to make a Bard Wisdom dependent?

Cause part of the idea was to make it work with Zen Archery.


Aha. The Smiting Spell metamagic can be applied to a projectile. You could use that. +1 metamagic and annoying "opponent" wording, though.

Everyone is my enemy then... O_O

[Gwazi Magnum]

Darts of Life is my go-to ranged healing spell- Level 5, Complete Champ, creates 10 spell-darts that heal 1d8 apiece. Notable because unlike most healing spells it's all in individual dice, so it has better effects with things like Empower and the PHB2 version of the Sacred Healing feat. Somewhat annoying that it has almost no scaling with caster level (this does make it a decent candidate to carry around a few scrolls of it) but it doesn't really need it, I guess - if you dump it all on one target it has better than the average healing power of a maximum-caster-level Cure Critical, and it scales a lot better with metamagics and healing-improving feats (Try to convince your DM that Augment Healing applies per-dart, for 1d8+5 apiece.. that's the same output as 10 Cure Lights from a single spell slot.)

Seems cool, but the need to cast it as a standard action one turn and then use it with another action next turn seems worrisome.

[Mutazoia]

This would defelently work. :)
Though is there a way to make a Bard Wisdom dependent?

Cause part of the idea was to make it work with Zen Archery.

I don't see why you couldn't put your stat increases into Wisdom and/or craft (have crafted for you) a ring or some such that boosts Wisdom. Or something like a Periapt of Wisdom...cast Owl's Wisdom at the start of combat, etc.

[Kuulvheysoon]

This would defelently work. :)
Though is there a way to make a Bard Wisdom dependent?

Cause part of the idea was to make it work with Zen Archery.

Well, Divine Bard (UA) splits the casting stat between Wisdom and Charisma... but also makes his spells divine. In fact, the only Wisdom-based arcane caster that I can think of is the Unseelie Dark Hunter.

[Gwazi Magnum]

I don't see why you couldn't put your stat increases into Wisdom and/or craft (have crafted for you) a ring or some such that boosts Wisdom. Or something like a Periapt of Wisdom...cast Owl's Wisdom at the start of combat, etc.

I mean in terms of spells though, because the Bard would have less spells per day than a Cleric does so the extra Wisdom would help.

I think I've found something though.

A feat called "Lost Tradition" from Bastards and Bloodlines.
It's 3rd party (From d20 System) but let's me swap out a spell casting ability score for another.

And since Bardic Music depends on Perform ranks and not the skill total itself that should cover me for all Bard abilities.

[Psyren]

Eldritch Disciple's healing blast is one of my favorite ways, particularly if you enter the class with Sha'ir or Divine Crusader. You'll need turn undead either way, either from a cleric dip or Sacred Exorcist.

[Saintheart]

There's also a couple of maneuvers and stances from Tome of Battle that do this (afb at the moment). The traditional use is to whack an innocent tree with your long sword, thus healing 2 hp per strike, out of combat of course.

[Ravens_cry]

Does anything like Pathfinder's Reach metamagic exist in 3.5? If not, does your DM object to your porting it over?

[Jeff the Green]

This is horribly inefficient, but a unicorn horn (190 GP, CC) can transform any healing spell into a 30' ray if used as an optional material component.

[Emperor Tippy]

Does anything like Pathfinder's Reach metamagic exist in 3.5? If not, does your DM object to your porting it over?

Reach Spell, already mentioned. In Complete Divine.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Does anything like Pathfinder's Reach metamagic exist in 3.5? If not, does your DM object to your porting it over?

Eh, this build is currently labeled as a 'maybe' for a campaign.

Reason being there's 2 groups I might apply it for.

1. High School Friends group, but it's going down hill *cough* (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288428) *cough* (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280386) and one of the things is a heavy ban on magic (player side only). If I were to use this build in that campaign it would be after the DM already went insane enough that no one wants to play anymore so I would collab with other players to make magic crazy characters to end it with a non-DM approved bang.

2. An online group, where it would probably be allowed but I'd need to check. But only if my current character dies, and even then I probably wouldn't because we got another person doing ranged healing atm and I wouldn't want to steal the show from him.

[thethird]

My favorite exploitable build that heals at range is:

Favored soul 3 / Geomancer 7 / Spellguard of Silverymoon 5 / War weaver 5

Using dragon's blood pool, magical training or any of the ways to be an arcane spellcaster in a divine chasis. Combining the favored soul deity's favor with the spellguard and the eldritch tapestry to have tasty druid personal buffs casted at range, at several targets and healing them too. You can add initiate of mystra and some persistomancy to that if you feel like cheesing it.

[Mutazoia]

Eh, this build is currently labeled as a 'maybe' for a campaign.

Reason being there's 2 groups I might apply it for.

1. High School Friends group, but it's going down hill *cough* (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288428) *cough* (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280386) and one of the things is a heavy ban on magic (player side only). If I were to use this build in that campaign it would be after the DM already went insane enough that no one wants to play anymore so I would collab with other players to make magic crazy characters to end it with a non-DM approved bang.

2. An online group, where it would probably be allowed but I'd need to check. But only if my current character dies, and even then I probably wouldn't because we got another person doing ranged healing atm and I wouldn't want to steal the show from him.

Well the nice thing about the Arcane Archer rout is that you can do more than just heal at bow-shot range. Fire an arrow imbued with Sonic burst out of a +3 bow of Icy Burst, and your doing arrow damage + Icy burst damage + Sonic burst damage. Or fire an arrow imbued with Grease out of an bow with firey burst and you've effectively got a napalm arrow.... Besides...there's no such thing as too many healers.

[EyethatBinds]

Nevermind.

[Chronos]

Quoth tyckspoon:

Notable because unlike most healing spells it's all in individual dice, so it has better effects with things like Empower and the PHB2 version of the Sacred Healing feat.
It all being in individual dice doesn't make any difference for Empower: Empower Spell can multiply even the non-dice portions, so long as the total effect has a random component. So, for instance, with a high-CL Empowered Mass Cure Light Wounds, you'll heal 1.5*(1d8+15), or a minimum of 24, for each party member.

[Hyena]

Can't spectral hand deliver healing spells?

[TmasterT]

Divine Magician, take spectral hand at second lvl spells, cast any touch spell including healing with it. range is 100+10' /lvl

[Keld Denar]

Insignia of Healing is kinda neat. I forget the source exactly, but I think it is Races of Destiny or Cityscape.

[Psyren]

The PF Cleric's channel is a great way to heal at range, as is the Vitalist's Collective.