Healer Class- multi?

[ZhanStrider]

Hey Playgrounders!
I'm making a Healer, and wondering if there's any classes I would benefit from taking a 1-2 level dip into, and what my first feat should be

Tanks!

[Waker]

Hey Playgrounders!
I'm making a Healer, and wondering if there's any classes I would benefit from taking a 1-2 level dip into, and what my first feat should be

Tanks!

Did you have any particular goals with the character? Restrictions on books?
The general rule concerning spellcasters it to avoid dips in other classes, so as to prevent spell loss. That being said, if you really want a dip, perhaps Monk (for Wis-AC and Evasion) or Paladin (Cha-Saves). Going into a PrC that expands on your spells known is a very good idea, like Contemplative, Divine Oracle or Skypledged. You might also consider Combat Medic if being a healer during a fight is your goal, though that is a somewhat underwhelming tactic. If you don't go the Combat Medic approach, Spontaneous Healer is a feat to consider.

[Rubik]

Going into a PrC that expands on your spells known is a very good idea, like Contemplative, Divine Oracle or Skypledged.This. As a healer, you really need spells that do something proactive, since the vast majority of the healer is purely reactive, and you need ways to buff, debuff, bring in allies, or some other way to contribute. Sandshaper is another good PrC, though you'd have to take a feat to turn your divine casting into arcane casting, such as Southern Magician, to qualify.

You'll also need to ask your DM to allow you to spontaneously cast from your whole list, a la beguiler or dread necromancer. Prepping spells is far too restrictive for the healer, and you need more spontaneity to make it worthwhile.

Otherwise, you might as well just play a cleric, since they not only gain non-healing spells to contribute proactively, but they're actually better at healing than the healer is, which is sad.

[edit] Also, how about a template or a race to give you more utility? Ghost can give you Telekinesis, so you have offensive and utility things to do, and phrenic gives you psi-like abilities to use a few times per day. What about red ethergaunt or phaerimm hatchling? You'll be a freaky monster thing, but you'll get arcane casting for free.

[holywhippet]

If you do decide to play as a cleric but want to be less combat focused, like a healer, considered the cloistered cleric variant.

[ZhanStrider]

Did you have any particular goals with the character? Restrictions on books?
The general rule concerning spellcasters it to avoid dips in other classes, so as to prevent spell loss. That being said, if you really want a dip, perhaps Monk (for Wis-AC and Evasion) or Paladin (Cha-Saves). Going into a PrC that expands on your spells known is a very good idea, like Contemplative, Divine Oracle or Skypledged. You might also consider Combat Medic if being a healer during a fight is your goal, though that is a somewhat underwhelming tactic. If you don't go the Combat Medic approach, Spontaneous Healer is a feat to consider.

Sadly, at Level 1 we're stuck in the SRD with a few exceptions (like the Healer class). As we level and more of the world the DM has made shows up he will add to the list of books we can use. I definately want to play a Healer (i want my unicorn) and My DM has added to the class by giving me a single Domain as if i was a cleric. I'm mostly just party support with some unique flair.

[NoACWarrior]

If you are talking about PrC Radiant servent of pelor is pretty fun especially if you have the heal domain and the domain substitution ACF. But you won't get some of the more awesome abilities until later levels.

If you are uninterested in actual spells and want to get infinite healing which is very effective OoC, then there are ways. The issue is in combat effectiveness for healing - that is limited at times.

Theres the healing touch reserve feat which let you reserve a healing spell in a 2nd level slot to heal people to 1/2 HP infinitely. Theres also Dragon shaman with vigor aura to give FH 1 until 1/2 HP. The more infinite methods involve taking a larger dip in a particular class, getting energy absorbtion of some sort to be used vs a particular unlimited ability, or using healing in a way with an unlimited trigger source.

At 5th level binder you can get Buer (with improved binding) who gives you an at will healing touch - binders use expel vestige to free up their vestige slot to slot her heal up, expel her and slot back.

A Dread necromancer gets their carnal touch at will to do negative energy damage, versus a person with tomb tainted soul, that translates to infinite healing.

The Sacred Healing feat when combined with tenaberous vestige will have infinite rounds of FH3 (at a rate of 1+cha mod to 6 rounds of course, but also requires a 5th level binder with improved binding).

Also lastly - abuse of magic items if your DM allows it you could get a unlimited use activated or command word version of healing spells, but most DMs will veto that. You could also load lvl 0 cure minor wounds into a spell storing ring for 25 years of spells as a 12th level caster and get over 325k castings of it, this allows you to heal like buer without taking any binding levels, and can be usable by any other character if they want, but you would waste so much time on the ring that it might not be worth it.

[Rubik]

Sadly, at Level 1 we're stuck in the SRD with a few exceptions (like the Healer class). As we level and more of the world the DM has made shows up he will add to the list of books we can use. I definately want to play a Healer (i want my unicorn) and My DM has added to the class by giving me a single Domain as if i was a cleric. I'm mostly just party support with some unique flair.Leadership will give you a unicorn companion, and there are other ways to get them, as well, such as raising one as a foal. If you wanted to play a druid, you could take the Exalted Companion feat and get a unicorn as an animal companion at 7th level (make sure to take the Natural Bond feat, too). You might also be able to take the Wild Cohort feat, followed by Exalted Companion, to get a unicorn as any character class.

So, my suggestions are (cloistered) cleric, druid, or another divine caster, take those feats for a unicorn, and use strategically-chosen wands and scrolls of healing spells for casting, so you can use your spell slots for more interesting and useful things than healing.

[Coidzor]

You may find this guide to healing (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2710.0) of interest as well, even if all you'd have access to initially would be wands of Cure Light Wounds and your party's pooled spellcasting abilities.

[Waker]

Sadly, at Level 1 we're stuck in the SRD with a few exceptions (like the Healer class). As we level and more of the world the DM has made shows up he will add to the list of books we can use. I definately want to play a Healer (i want my unicorn) and My DM has added to the class by giving me a single Domain as if i was a cleric. I'm mostly just party support with some unique flair.

Aside from the Unicorn, is there any particular aspect of being a Healer that you particularly like? Because as has been suggested by Rubik, there are other ways to get a Unicorn. As for being a support character, you could probably do better as a Cleric, Bard or any number of other classes. I say this simply because the Healer as it is written is rather ineffective given that it has so little in the way of buffing, BFC, out of combat utility... Really the only thing it does is heal and even that isn't all that impressive given that they are prepared casters. If you are adamant about playing a Healer, I would recommend giving T G Oskar's homebrew fix of the class a peek (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=7396384&postcount=1). Otherwise I must emphasize again for effect, but you must seriously consider focusing on ways to expand your spell list.

[DMVerdandi]

May I ask why healer?
It really is not as good as a cleric/archivist.
Hell, The favored soul is better.

Even for buffing and healing it is far down the list, not to mention everything else.
Why not a cleric of healing and protection?

[Akal Saris]

Sidenote: The link in my signature is to a guide for the Healer class.

If you have access to the spells from the Book of Exalted Deeds, then I'd take a close look at a 1 level dip into Binder for the Naberius vestige, to negate the side effects of casting many of the (powerful!) spells that the Healer gains from the BoED. A 1 level dip in Contemplative is another terrific value after 10th level.

I hope you have fun with the character! Every time I start a healer, the game never lasts long :(

[ZhanStrider]

May I ask why healer?
It really is not as good as a cleric/archivist.
Hell, The favored soul is better.

Even for buffing and healing it is far down the list, not to mention everything else.
Why not a cleric of healing and protection?


What would you advise that isn't a cleric or druid for just healing? I'd like to be background, healing and shying away from combat.

[ZhanStrider]

Aside from the Unicorn, is there any particular aspect of being a Healer that you particularly like? Because as has been suggested by Rubik, there are other ways to get a Unicorn. As for being a support character, you could probably do better as a Cleric, Bard or any number of other classes. I say this simply because the Healer as it is written is rather ineffective given that it has so little in the way of buffing, BFC, out of combat utility... Really the only thing it does is heal and even that isn't all that impressive given that they are prepared casters. If you are adamant about playing a Healer, I would recommend giving T G Oskar's homebrew fix of the class a peek (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=7396384&postcount=1). Otherwise I must emphasize again for effect, but you must seriously consider focusing on ways to expand your spell list.

Can someone elaborate on why it's subpar at healing?

[Coidzor]

What would you advise that isn't a cleric or druid for just healing? I'd like to be background, healing and shying away from combat.

Why? That's the sort of thing you have a DM run NPC for, generally, since it's not a character that interacts with the plot in a meaningful way if it stays in the background all the time. :smallconfused:

[ZhanStrider]

Why? That's the sort of thing you have a DM run NPC for, generally, since it's not a character that interacts with the plot in a meaningful way if it stays in the background all the time. :smallconfused:

Just because I'm not a combat character does not mean that I can't have valuable insight, or have useful skills.

[Rubik]

What would you advise that isn't a cleric or druid for just healing? I'd like to be background, healing and shying away from combat.Rogue or factotum. UMD + wand of Lesser Vigor or Cure Light Wounds + Hide = good healer with more options than a healer for other stuff.

[Coidzor]

Just because I'm not a combat character does not mean that I can't have valuable insight, or have useful skills.

You said you wanted to be background though, and if you're a background character in general, you might as well have an NPC. If you're just talking about being in the background in combat, then you're not pulling your weight and need to either revisit your concept or need to talk it over with the DM so they compensate for not having a full PC for balancing their encounters.

As far as why Clerics are better healers than clerics, part of it is spontaneous conversion to cure spells, and another part is the action economy (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1520.msg13787#msg13787) where preventing damage is often better than healing the damage, because it's a bit hard (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6656.0) to heal more than what the enemy dishes out until the Heal spell comes on board. Though by that point, fully kitted out damage dealers can basically 1-round and drop most things with HP.

Edit: If you want to contribute without actively doing much a Bard is probably a better way to approach it, since Inspire Courage and/or Dragonfire Inspiration can be quite potent for upping your party's damage while also receiving enough healing magic and the ability to use healing items like wands of CLW to handle most situations. And you can throw out buffs while keeping the bardic music up. A cleric can also just focus on buffing instead of acting as a beatstick or casting in a directly offensive manner. Warweaver and Heartfire Fanner would both be Prestige Classes of interest for such a playstyle.

[Waker]

Can someone elaborate on why it's subpar at healing?

The big reason it's subpar at healing is the fact that it's a prepared caster who can't spontaneously convert spells like a Cleric. Now in order to make sure they can heal, they need to occupy spell slots that might otherwise hold useful buffs or utility spells (y'know, if a Healer had any). Other casters like Druid might not be able to spontaneously convert, but they can utilize other spells and class abilities to proactively prevent damage from occurring in the first place. The one thing that it does to improve healing is adding it's Charisma mod to damage healed, which is nice and all, but still short of the mark.
Coidzor has gone into the why of healing being less than effective, I greatly suggest you read his links if you haven't already. The Healer class as written is one of the weaker classes and in my opinion is the weakest full-caster in the game, even if it does have a few gems like Freedom of Movement and True Seeing. I'm not bashing support characters, far from it, but the Healer is just inadequate outside of any group comprised of fireball-hurling wizards and sword and board fighters. There are plenty of classes that can heal and contribute to the party via buffing, utility, damage or whatever floats your boat; I would strongly suggest looking at Archivist, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, Spirit Shaman, Shugenja.
If you are insistent on playing the Healer, I would see if the DM is willing to entertain other improvements to the class like:
1. Spontaneous caster- With it's tiny spell list, there is no reason not to be able to just spontaneously cast the whole list.
2. Healing at range- A d8HD, light armor and the need to touch a damaged target don't make for a good combo. Not to mention that if a target is outside of your standard movement range, they aren't getting healed. See about extending the range to at least close (25ft+5ft/2 levels) for Healing spells and Remove Poison/Disease...
3. Reactive casting- Less important than the others since the Healer has so few options to contribute to the fight anyways, but if you could get a better action economy going by being able to heal as a swift or immediate action, that would be swell.
4. Cleanse X- Make them 1+Charisma Mod/day instead of 1/day?