Pimp My Healer

[Infundibular]

Hey, all. I'm playing in a campaign with an experienced DM, but eight new players. As such, our party composition is incredibly squishy: we have a paladin and my cleric as tanks, and then a wizard, a sorcerer, two fighters, a monk, a ranger, and a rogue, all built full glass cannon. As such, my resources are stretched to the limit keeping them from dying horrific deaths, and it's still a sketchy proposition.

I'm currently playing a tricked out Life cleric: my standard combat rotation is Beacon of Hope into Cure Wounds and Healing Word spam, abusing Disciple of Life with Goodberry for out of combat healing.

Are there any better options for a straight-up healer, or should I just start letting people die until they get the message?

[Douche]

Only heal people when they're down. If someone is at 2 health and you heal them to 12, then they take 13 damage, they ended up downed anyway. You just wasted 10 health points. Meanwhile, if you let them get hit while at 2 health, that's only a loss of 2 hit points. Then you heal them and they're at 10.

Furthermore, heal them for the minimal amount possible. Like, your paladin could use all his Lay on Hands points to raise one guy and then he's gonna go down from one attack anyway... or you could heal them for 1 point to get them up and acting.

Always make sure you go after the enemies. You don't want the enemies to go before your allies get a chance to do anything after you healed them, so it should ideally go Healer > Allies > Enemies or Allies > Enemies > Healer.

Buffs are more important than using a heal. I use bless every time I think we're gonna have a serious combat.

[MrStabby]

As you get more spell slots and of higher level you can control movement, which is a very effective way of preventing damage. Spirit guardians for example is great at slowing people trying to get to your squishies in the back rank. If you pin an enemy with two melee attacks outside of combat for a turn (or pin them in combat with something they are unlikely to hit due to a high AC) then you can prevent 15 to 20 damage a turn - good value for your spell slots, more so than most healing.

[Flashy]

As you get more spell slots and of higher level you can control movement, which is a very effective way of preventing damage. Spirit guardians for example is great at slowing people trying to get to your squishies in the back rank.

It doesn't get brought up a lot, but I've also found that Guardian of Faith is an astonishingly powerful battlefield control spell. No concentration, great guaranteed damage, and a wide radius that enemy mooks avoid like the plague.

[Biggstick]

Hey, all. I'm playing in a campaign with an experienced DM, but eight new players. As such, our party composition is incredibly squishy: we have a paladin and my cleric as tanks, and then a wizard, a sorcerer, two fighters, a monk, a ranger, and a rogue, all built full glass cannon. As such, my resources are stretched to the limit keeping them from dying horrific deaths, and it's still a sketchy proposition.

I'm currently playing a tricked out Life cleric: my standard combat rotation is Beacon of Hope into Cure Wounds and Healing Word spam, abusing Disciple of Life with Goodberry for out of combat healing.

Are there any better options for a straight-up healer, or should I just start letting people die until they get the message?

Those players need to position better if they're requiring that much healing. Both the fighters and the ranger have the ability to heal themselves, as does the paladin. Beacon of hope can be used pretty well, but only if you have another member in your group healing.

As for your combat encounters, start having your cleric PC yell for the squishies to stay out of range and only heal them when they start making death saves (Healing word is fantastic for this). Your standard rotation should include you getting into melee or just being in front of the squishies (as long as they're not getting caught out in front for some reason. You can't fix stupid ya know). Use and abuse that sacred flame, bless, spiritual weapon, spirit guardians. Healing word when a player drops, Channel Divinity + Mass healing word if the group takes a big aoe hit to below half hp, or prayer of healing after combat.

[Talamare]

Let a few of them die, less people to heal

[hymer]

Let a few of them die, less people to heal

Doesn't reduce the incoming damage, though, unless there's mostly AoE damage. For this to have any impact you have to let reckless DPS die and focus on keeping yourself and the tank up. And then you go over the whole thing after the fight, so you can explain to them exactly what they did wrong and why that led to this. Boy, that takes me back! :smallsmile:

[CaptAl]

Doesn't reduce the incoming damage, though, unless there's mostly AoE damage. For this to have any impact you have to let reckless DPS die and focus on keeping yourself and the tank up. And then you go over the whole thing after the fight, so you can explain to them exactly what they did wrong and why that led to this. Boy, that takes me back! :smallsmile:

I can't even begin to surmise how many DPS I let go down while the Tank and I cleared an instance back in the WoW days. Smh

[Talamare]

For this to have any impact you have to let reckless DPS die and focus on keeping yourself and the tank up. And then you go over the whole thing after the fight, so you can explain to them exactly what they did wrong and why that led to this. Boy, that takes me back! :smallsmile:

Exactly, once a player goes down to 2 death saving throws. His demeanor will usually change from reckless and demanding "yo heal bot, heal me now" to a wary and pleading "Hey, Cleric friend; buddy; ol pal, please please heal me"

[Ashrym]

Hey, all. I'm playing in a campaign with an experienced DM, but eight new players. As such, our party composition is incredibly squishy: we have a paladin and my cleric as tanks, and then a wizard, a sorcerer, two fighters, a monk, a ranger, and a rogue, all built full glass cannon. As such, my resources are stretched to the limit keeping them from dying horrific deaths, and it's still a sketchy proposition.

I'm currently playing a tricked out Life cleric: my standard combat rotation is Beacon of Hope into Cure Wounds and Healing Word spam, abusing Disciple of Life with Goodberry for out of combat healing.

Are there any better options for a straight-up healer, or should I just start letting people die until they get the message?

If you and the paladin are tanking, why are the other players getting hurt in the first place? ;-)

You stated 8 new players and listed 9 characters, btw. It's a pretty big group to be healing by cure wounds and word of healing. I'm not sure how some of them even turned into glass, tbh. Stop using beacon of hope so much and work on prayer of healing outside of combats instead, even using the 3rd-level slots for it. You should heal way more total hp that way. Use first level slots for bless, command, sanctuary if needed, or possibly bane. Healing word for emergencies.

Someone should take the healer feat if they haven't already. With the group size that feat becomes phenomenal.

Positioning is a big thing, the wizard should be able to help mitigate damage via some controlling effects. The paladin can help with buffs and healing, possibly the ranger, and the fighters definitely have some self healing with second wind. Make sure the paladin help with aura of vitality at higher levels if it's still needed. Buy some healing potions. They are on the basic equipment list.

Make sure they are using their hit dice healing during short rests. That turns into a lot of healing as well.

And yes, wait for them to drop if you need to do so. It stretches out the healing spells used, getting back to emergencies.

[Markoff Chainey]

Heal them as long as they fight smart, but when they become reckless, leave it to them.

What is your alignment? If you are neutral or evil, you may want to think about selling "healing tickets" like a life insurance for the next combat ;-)