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Axorfett12
2016-02-26, 01:16 AM
Hello all,
I have a player new to D&D joining my game soon. She wants to play a designated healer type, but dislikes all the classes that can provide that. She is a nurse and wants to be able to heal through hard work and study. Seeking to create a good experience for her, I have created a Wizard variant I call the Scholar. I took the wizard base, replaced the Arcane Traditions with skill based features, changed the 20th level feature (though we will never get that high), and revamped the spell list. I also added proficiency in light armor to add a bit of defense to a potentially mid-range caster. This is my first attempt at homebrewing for 5e, and I could really use some help from those more experienced. I want to offer a good play experience without forcing her to conform to the base classes presented. Questions? Comments? Concerns?

EDIT: CHANGES

- Removed Light Armor Proficiency
- Changed the Medicine subclass significantly
- Added more spells to the class lists, Fireball, Cure Wounds, Heal, etc


THE SCHOLAR

A gray robed human watches silently as his foe chants a long incantation. Smirking slightly, his eyes flash with light and his foe’s spell fails.

A slim halfling grinds herbs in her mortar. Sprinkling them into a foul smelling liquid, she spoon feeds it to a deathly pale halfling child in a bed. She smiles as color returns to his face.

Weapons at her sides, a green garbed elf grunts and growls to the angry bear whose territory she is trespassing in. The bear slowly turns and walks away.

A scholar is a divine caster who draws power not from a deity, but from intense study of ancient lore. Scholars seek to preserve knowledge in all its forms. As spellcasters, they use their magic to find and preserve lost knowledge and learning. Their spells mend broken bindings, divine the location of lost lore, and heal and protect those who delve into dungeons with them. Drawing on their learning, they can even expose a monster’s greatest weaknesses, commune with ancient otherworldly beings, and even raise the dead.

Quick Build: You can make a scholar quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Dexterity. Second, choose the sage background. Third choose the mending, light, and sacred flame cantrips, along with the following 1st level spells for your spellbook: comprehend languages, detect magic, healing word, identify, mage armor, and magic missile.



The Scholar



Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Cantrips Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
+2
Spellcasting, Spell Recovery
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
+2
Field of Study
3
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
+2
--
3
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
+3
--
4
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
+3
Field of Study Feature
4
4
3
3
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
+3
--
4
4
3
3
1
-
-
-
-
-


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-


9th
+4
--
4
4
3
3
3
1
-
-
-
-


10th
+4
Field of Study Feature
5
4
3
3
3
2
-
-
-
-


11th
+4
--
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
-
-
-


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
-
-
-


13th
+5
--
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
-
-


14th
+5
Field of Study Feature
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
-
-


15th
+5
--
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
-


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
-


17th
+6
--
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1


18th
+6
Spell Mastery
5
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
5
4
3
3
3
3
2
1
1
1


20th
+6
Iron Mind
5
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
1





Class Features:
As a scholar, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points:
Hit Dice: 1d6 per scholar level
Hit Points at 1st level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier

Proficiencies:
Armor: No Armor
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: Calligraphers Supplies
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: Choose 2 from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion

Equipment:
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted from your background
(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
(a) a component pouch or (b) a holy symbol
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
A spellbook

Spellcasting: As a student of divine magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and below for the scholar spell list.

Cantrips: At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the scholar spell list. You learn additional scholar cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as show n in the Cantrips Known column of the Scholar table.

Your Spellbook: The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard's chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.

Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a scholar spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. Copying a spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the scholar who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.

Replacing the Book. You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book— for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell. If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place.

The Book’s Appearance. Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.

Spellbook At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level scholat spells of your choice.

Preparing and Casting Spells: The Scholar table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of scholar spells that are available for you to cast. To do so. choose a number of scholar spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your scholar level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you're a 3rd-level scholar, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of scholar spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability: Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your scholar spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a scholar spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting: You can cast a scholar spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus: You can use a holy symbol (found in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your scholar spells.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher: Each time you gain a scholar level, you can add two scholar spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Scholar table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook (see the “Your Spellbook” sidebar).


Spell Recovery: You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your scholar level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. For example, if you are a 4th level scholar, you can recover up to 2 levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd level spell slot or two 1st level spell slots.

Field of Study: At 2nd level, you select a field of study, shaping your collection of knowledge and spells through specialization in a specific area of expertise: Medicine, Arcana, Religion, or Nature, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement: When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Spell Mastery: At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level scholar spell and a 2nd-level scholar spell that are in your spellbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.

By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.


Iron Mind: At level 20, your life of study has strengthened your mind far above that of others. Your Intelligence score increases by 4. Your maximum for Intelligence is now 24. In addition, you gain immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions and have immunity to psychic damage.


Fields of Study:

Arcana:
Basic Studies: When you choose this field of study at level 2, if you do not have proficiency in Arcana, you gain proficiency in Arcana. You have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks.

Student of the Arcane: Starting at level 2, you begin to apply your knowledge of the arcane to strengthen your magic. As a bonus action on your turn, you may make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to your Spell Save DC. If you succeed, you may impose disadvantage on saving throws against the next spell you cast this turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Counter Arcane: At level 6, you gain unparalleled control over magic in your vicinity. Whenever a spell is cast within your line of sight, you may make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to the spellcaster’s Spell Save DC. If you succeed, you learn the level and school of the spell, and may choose to cast Counterspell as a 3rd level spell without expending a spell slot. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).

Arcane Lore: In your quest for greater knowledge you have mastered certain rituals for learning. At level 10, you may cast Contact Other Plane as a ritual once per day.

Master of the Arcane: At 14th level, you have mastered your chosen field. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Arcana) check, if your total on that check is less than your Intelligence score, you may use that score in place of the total.

Medicine:
Basic Studies: When you choose this field of study at level 2, if you do not have proficiency in Medicine, you gain proficiency in Medicine. You have advantage on Intelligence (Medicine) checks. In addition, you gain proficiency with herbalism kits and can use them to make healer’s kits. This process takes 1 hour per healer’s kit.


Student of Medicine: Your study of medicine has taught you a chilling pragmatism. You may use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Wisdom modifier when determining your bonus on Wisdom (Medicine) checks. At 2rd level, you can create special herbal poultices that have healing power comparable to some potions. You can spend 1 hour gathering herbs and preparing herbal poultices using treated bandages to create a number of such poultices equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You can carry a number of poultices at one time equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). The poultices you create cannot be applied by anyone but you. After 24 hours, any poultices that you have not used lose their potency.

If you spend 1 minute applying one of your poultices to a wounded humanoid creature, thereby expending its use, that creature regains 1d6 hit points for every two ranger levels you have (rounded up).

Grimoire Medical: You have a tome of anatomical knowledge. Starting at level 6, you can spend 10 minutes quickly dissecting a creature to gain insight into its anatomy and record it in your tome. As a bonus action on your turn, you may choose a hostile creature whose anatomy is recorded in your tome. Make an Intelligence (Medicine) check with a DC equal to your Spell Save DC. If you succeed, you or an ally that can hear you gains advantage on the next weapon attack they make against that creature. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1)

Medical Lore: At level 10, you learn medical techniques to cure a variety of conditions. You may cast Greater Restoration, but only as a ritual.

Master of Medicine: At 14th level, you have mastered your chosen field. You can make antivenom, healer's kits, healing potions, and poultices in half the normal time.

Nature:
Basic Studies: When you choose this field of study at level 2, if you do not have proficiency in Nature, you gain proficiency in Nature. You have advantage on Intelligence (Nature) checks.

Student of Nature: Starting at level 2, you can draw upon your study of the natural world to influence your surroundings. As a bonus action on your turn you may make an Intelligence (Nature) check with a DC equal to your spell save DC. If you succeed, the ground around you in a 20 ft. square becomes overgrown with plants and counts as difficult terrain. This effect lasts for one minute. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).

Animal Empathy: At level 6, you have learned to emulate the body language of most beasts and communicate with them. You can cast the Beast Bond and Speak with Animals spells, but only as rituals.

Natural Lore: In your pursuit of greater knowledge, you have mastered certain rituals that assist your learning. You can cast the Commune with Nature spell as a ritual once per day.

Master of Nature: At 14th level, you have mastered your chosen field. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Nature) check, if your total on that check is less than your Intelligence score, you may use that score in place of the total.

Religion:
Basic Studies: When you choose this field of study at level 2, if you do not have proficiency in Religion, you gain proficiency in Religion. You have advantage on Intelligence (Religion) checks.

Student of Religion: Starting at level 2, your knowledge of religion shapes your spellcasting. Choose one of the cleric’s divine domains. You add that domains spells for 1st level clerics to your spellbook. These spells are considered to be scholar spells for you. At 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels, you add the spells for 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level clerics to your spellbook.

Channel Divinity: At 6th level, you gain the 2nd level Channel Divinity feature of the domain you chose at 2nd level. You use your scholar level instead of your cleric level when determining effects. Once you use your Channel Divinity, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Religious Lore: In your quest for greater knowledge, you have mastered certain rituals to advance your learning. Starting at level 10, you can cast the Commune spell as a ritual once per day.

Master of Religion: At 14th level, you have mastered your chosen field. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Religion) check, if your total on that check is less than your Intelligence score, you may use that score in place of the total.


Scholar Spell List:

Cantrips:
Blade Ward
Dancing Lights
Fire Bolt
Friends
Guidance
Light
Mage Hand
Mending
Message
Minor Illusion
Prestidigitation
Ray of Frost
Resistance
Sacred Flame

Level 1:
Alarm
Chromatic Orb
Command
Comprehend Languages
Cure Wounds
Detect Good and Evil
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Expeditious Retreat
Healing Word
Identify
Illusory Script
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Protection from Evil and Good
Sanctuary
Tenser’s Floating Disk
Thunderwave
Unseen Servant

Level 2:
Animal Messenger
Arcane Lock
Augury
Calm Emotions
Darkvision
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Ability
Find Traps
Flaming Sphere
Gentle Repose
Lesser Restoration
Locate Animals or Plants
Locate Object
Magic Mouth
Nystul’s Magic Aura
Phantasmal Force
Prayer of Healing
Silence
Warding Bond
Zone of Truth

Level 3:
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Fireball
Glyph of Warding
Haste
Magic Circle
Mass Healing Word
Protection from Energy
Revivify
Sending
Slow
Speak with Dead
Speak with Plants
Tongues

Level 4:
Banishment
Blight
Confusion
Death Ward
Divination
Hallucinatory Terrain
Leomund’s Secret Chest
Locate Creature
Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum
Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
Stone Shape

Level 5:
Bigby’s Hand
Dispel Evil and Good
Legend Lore
Modify Memory
Planar Binding
Raise Dead
Rary’s Telepathic Bond
Scrying
Seeming
Wall of Stone

Level 6:
Find the Path
Forbiddance
Guards and Wards
Heal
Harm
Planar Ally
Programmed Illusion
True Seeing
Word of Recall

Level 7:
Divine Word
Etherealness
Fire Storm
Mirage Arcane
Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion
Resurrection
Sequester
Symbol

Level 8:
Antimagic Field
Control Weather
Demiplane
Feeblemind
Incendiary Cloud
Mind Blank
Telepathy

Level 9:
Astral Projection
Foresight
Gate
Imprisonment
Prismatic Wall
True Resurrection
True Polymorph
Weird

khadgar567
2016-02-26, 03:07 AM
I am not an expert but looks good

Ninja_Prawn
2016-02-26, 03:47 AM
Thoughts:

Looks generally ok. The 20th level feature is powerful, but then, so is Signature Spell. And no one complains about the barbarian's 'limit breaking' feature.
Note: I've only really looked at the medic subclass, because that's the one you'll be using.
Crafting a healer's kit should probably have a gp cost associated with it. Probably half the market value (2.5gp).
The 10th level Medic feature seems weak. Why not just add Greater Restoration to the spellbook and allow it to be cast as a ritual?
If Mage Armour is on the spell list (which it is), you don't need armour proficiency.
You know, the medicine skill doesn't really do very much in-play. The only major use is stabilising someone who's bleeding out, which is a DC 10 check, with (potentially) two do-overs. So all the boosts to that skill are kind of redundant. You may as well make the first one "as an action, you can stabilise a dying creature" and use the other feature slots for something more interesting.
Cure Wounds and Heal really need to be on the spell list if this is going to work as a frontline 'healer' class.
There are also no direct-damage spells on the list at levels 3, 5, 6 or 8. Weird barely counts as a 9th-level spell, but that's ok because this class doesn't need Power Word: Kill or Meteor Swarm. Still, a class that only has buff/debuff and utility spells isn't going to be much fun to play. I would recommend allowing at least one of the big-ticket attacks at 3 and 5 (spells like Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Cone of Cold, Immolation).

RakiReborn
2016-02-26, 03:53 AM
The sub-classes have the feature 'expertise' which i dislike as they stand. The standard expertise in the PHB for rogue and bard is two of the players choice, and gives double proficiency bonus to the check. I think i would personally think they looked better if you changed the advantage part to 'Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ... check you make', and maybe change the name into something more specific (nature - green hands, medicine - surgeon's hands, etc).
Another thing is the infinite healing that usually goes with combining healing and wizards. The 18th level feature lets you pick Healing Word, so you can cast the spell indefenitally, effectively doing free healing between fights.
That was just my two cents. Rest looks decent to me now.

Ninja_Prawn
2016-02-26, 04:04 AM
The sub-classes have the feature 'expertise' which i dislike as they stand. The standard expertise in the PHB for rogue and bard is two of the players choice, and gives double proficiency bonus to the check. I think i would personally think they looked better if you changed the advantage part to 'Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ... check you make', and maybe change the name into something more specific (nature - green hands, medicine - surgeon's hands, etc).
Another thing is the infinite healing that usually goes with combining healing and wizards. The 18th level feature lets you pick Healing Word, so you can cast the spell indefenitally, effectively doing free healing between fights.
That was just my two cents. Rest looks decent to me now.

These are both good points. On the first one, I don't mind this class having expertise, but it's confusing to use the word if that's not what you're giving.

On the second, yes, you can't have Healing Word (or Cure Wounds) available at-will. That'd just be the whole 'bag of rats' incident all over again... I'd suggest completely changing the Spell Mastery Feature. It'd be clumsy to say "you can master any spell... except this one," and the class won't work if you take healing off the spell list.

JohanOfKitten
2016-02-26, 05:41 AM
These are both good points. On the first one, I don't mind this class having expertise, but it's confusing to use the word if that's not what you're giving.

On the second, yes, you can't have Healing Word (or Cure Wounds) available at-will. That'd just be the whole 'bag of rats' incident all over again... I'd suggest completely changing the Spell Mastery Feature. It'd be clumsy to say "you can master any spell... except this one," and the class won't work if you take healing off the spell list.

I can see why it bother people to have the potentiality of at-will healing (it was too my first thought when I saw the spell mastery feature and believing there will be cure wound in the spell list.)

But when we take some distance, we can see it's a 18th level feature.
At this time in a game, a group is supposed to be good at healing without expending to much ressources for their (wealth) level, if they have time to lose.
And in fight, well, a first level healing spell is not of much use.

I don't think it will broke the game.
Though, I'm completely sure for D&D5 about healing at very high levels, but in D&D3.5, there were ways, in official extensions, to have easy full healing if you take your time to rest a bit. I'm thinking of Pact binder, who allowed me at level 8 to heal all the group if we take a break of 15/30 minutes after a fight, so the clerics wouldn't ahev to use their spell slots off-fight. From level 8 to 14 (end of campaign), it worked well and we didn't have the feeling of unbalanced/broke game.

One thing to be said is that when you orient your character towards this abilities, he progress slower on other things. "Fine, you save the group of buying half the store of the alchemist in healing potions, but it would have be great if you used your arcane powers to protect us during the fight or kill the dragon before he crits against the rogue..."
(In my binder example, there was some days for which I chose not to take the pact with healing powers, for I needed to be more competitive in close fight or needed specific pacts to fight a known ennemy.)

Axorfett12
2016-02-26, 03:30 PM
Thank you all for your responses, you all raise great points.

- I made the 20th level feature how it is as a direct comparison to the Barbarian ability. Seeing as it is a 20th level feature, I wanted it to be worth waiting 20 levels for. Gaining a potent increase to Intelligence on a class that does nothing but study seemed appropriate. I added the immunities for an extra oomph. Immunity to charm, fright, and psychic are far from game breaking at 20th level.

- My biggest problem with the Medicine subclass as a whole was that Medicine isn't really used for anything, and is also a wisdom skill on an intelligence class. It just didn't mesh well. Changing the 1st feature overlaps with the ability to create healer's kits, which do the same thing anyway without a check. Perhaps the 1st feature should instead allow the player to create poultices similar to the spell-less ranger variant. But then that overlaps with the ability to make healing potions. I suppose having more doesn't hurt and the poultices scale. For the feature, something like "At 2nd level, you can create special herbal poultices that have healing power comparable to some potions. You can spend 1 hour gathering herbs and preparing herbal poultices using treated bandages to create a number of such poultices equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You can carry a number of poultices at one time equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). The poultices you create cannot be applied by anyone but you. After 24 hours, any poultices that you have not used lose their potency.

If you spend 1 minute applying one of your poultices to a wounded humanoid creature, thereby expending its use, that creature regains 1d6 hit points for every two scholar levels you have (rounded up)."

- Light armor proficiency will be going.

- I intentionally left out all the "Power Word" Spells due to this being a divine caster and those being arcane only spells fluff wise. There is a reason the Cleric doesn't get Power Word Heal. I will add more offensive spells to the list though as well as some more healing.

- You are correct, Greater Restoration should be allowed to be cast as a ritual. My main reason for limiting it was to keep it in line with the other Fields but it is now clear that Medicine requires a completely different approach than the others.

- On Expertise: That is a typo on my part. Those features originally granted double proficiency, but that can get out of hand easily on a skill check based class. Advantage translates to about a +5 bonus, which is better. I just forgot to change the name.

- I considered the pros and cons of having infinite healing and decided that at level 18, it is far from a huge problem. If they have time outside if combat, they will start each fight at full hit points. In combat, a level 1 spell is only really good for getting someone back on their feet.

- To sum up that changes;
- Removed light armor proficiency
- Changed Medicine level 2 feature to grant poultices instead of a skill boost. It still grants herbalism kit proficiency and allows healer's kits to be made. Note that making a poultice takes an hour, making a healer's kit takes an hour, antivenom, an hour, etc. Lots of uses for your time, none short.
- 10th level feature of the Medicine Field now allows Greater Restoration to be cast at will as a ritual.
- Spell List revamped to include more healing and damage.

Flashy
2016-02-26, 04:11 PM
Starting at level 6, you can spend 10 minutes quickly dissecting a creature to gain insight into its anatomy and record it in your tome. As a bonus action on your turn, you may choose a hostile creature whose anatomy is recorded in your tome. Make an Intelligence (Medicine) check with a DC equal to your Spell Save DC. If you succeed, you or an ally that can hear you gains advantage on the next weapon attack they make against that creature. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1)


Why are you using the spell save DC for this? Since the Medicine check and the spell save DC key off the exact same two modifiers (intelligence bonus and proficiency modifier) it's always going to be the exact same difficulty regardless of the stage of play. When your spell save goes up by one your Intelligence (Medicine) modifier also goes up by one. If a flat difficulty check is what you want then just make it a flat d20 roll with a success on an 8 or higher, since that's what you're doing with the current system anyway. It'll save a lot of time. Frankly since it's a long rest limited resource there's no real reason to bother with the rolling. Just let them grant an ally advantage on the next attack without the fiddly skill check.

PoeticDwarf
2016-02-27, 07:18 AM
Spellmastery and heal spells? At will out of conbat heal is in 5e OP all the way

Axorfett12
2016-02-27, 09:54 PM
Why are you using the spell save DC for this? Since the Medicine check and the spell save DC key off the exact same two modifiers (intelligence bonus and proficiency modifier) it's always going to be the exact same difficulty regardless of the stage of play. When your spell save goes up by one your Intelligence (Medicine) modifier also goes up by one. If a flat difficulty check is what you want then just make it a flat d20 roll with a success on an 8 or higher, since that's what you're doing with the current system anyway. It'll save a lot of time. Frankly since it's a long rest limited resource there's no real reason to bother with the rolling. Just let them grant an ally advantage on the next attack without the fiddly skill check.


That is a good point. Bad math on my part. Ill change the Medicine one to not require a check and reconsider if the other ones need a check.

As for the healing and spell mastery, as I said previously, by level 18, starting every encounter at full HP is far from game breaking. Useful, but not broken. In addition, being able to cast a level 1 healing spell at will isn't going to do much in combat besides allow you to revive at range. Where they will promptly drop again due to the tiny amount you healed them for. Again. Useful, not broken. If it does become a problem, just work around it. That's your job as DM isn't it?

RakiReborn
2016-02-28, 01:21 PM
As for the healing and spell mastery, as I said previously, by level 18, starting every encounter at full HP is far from game breaking. Useful, but not broken. In addition, being able to cast a level 1 healing spell at will isn't going to do much in combat besides allow you to revive at range. Where they will promptly drop again due to the tiny amount you healed them for. Again. Useful, not broken. If it does become a problem, just work around it. That's your job as DM isn't it?
Though i see your point, you do have to think about other things. If your party has one short-rest-dependant player (monk or warlock), this might step on it a bit. Besides those kind of characters, you only need SR's for healing, which this does instead. If 3/4 of your party doesnt need the SR's anymore, that could step on the toes of the SR-dependent player. Just some food for thought.
Besides that, as long as you adjust your monsters accordingly, this shouldnt be much of a problem. With average encounters on a day, with average amounts, your party should deplete most of their spells, abilities, and hit dice. With free healing, that part isn't needed, and your party will be stronger than usual, so think of that with making the encounters ;)

Axorfett12
2016-03-03, 12:36 AM
Though i see your point, you do have to think about other things. If your party has one short-rest-dependant player (monk or warlock), this might step on it a bit. Besides those kind of characters, you only need SR's for healing, which this does instead. If 3/4 of your party doesnt need the SR's anymore, that could step on the toes of the SR-dependent player. Just some food for thought.
Besides that, as long as you adjust your monsters accordingly, this shouldnt be much of a problem. With average encounters on a day, with average amounts, your party should deplete most of their spells, abilities, and hit dice. With free healing, that part isn't needed, and your party will be stronger than usual, so think of that with making the encounters ;)

Thank you, I hadn't considered the warlock/monk aspect. I generally adjust according to need. It turned out to not matter though. She decided to make a cleric with some reflavoring. I'll still be using the class for some NPCs, so its not a complete waste. Thank you all so much for your input, I really appreciate all the help.