My thoughts on healing

[NecroDancer]

So in my opinion the best way for a character to be a "healer" is with an ability separate from spell slots, like the paladin's lay on hands, the dream Druid's balm, and the celestial warlock's healing light.

These abilities give you a way to heal your allies without a drain on your non healing resources. You don't have to spend a spell slots which you could have used to do something cool.

The spell healing spirit is also a good healing spell because even though you have to spend a 2nd Level slot the spell will last for multiple rounds so you don't need to spend more slots later on.

TLDR: I think healing abilities that are specifically for healing and don't require you to use spell slots are a great way to make healing viable both in and out of combat.

[Tiadoppler]

What do you think of Healer's Kits and the Healer feat? What about Alchemist's Equipment for making healing potions?

There are plenty of outside-of-combat healing methods that are very efficient. How about a Lore Bard with Song of Rest, Magical Secrets for Healing Spirit, and enough levels in Warlock to regain a use of Healing Spirit every short rest? It's pretty easy to have a class for which Short Rest = Party at full HP.


My experience is that I've been tempted to tone down the power of healing powers for my campaign (my players wanted fairly gritty realism) or simply limit availability/encourage players to play things that aren't the top-tier healing classes. The main healer in my current campaign is a Paladin/Bard with the Healer feat, who's not especially optimized. The off-healer is a Fighter with Magic Initiate and Goodberries. The support "healer" is a Sorcerer with proficiencies in Medicine and Alchemist's Equipment. It's a pretty big party that makes some tactical errors, but they haven't been feeling like they don't have enough healing power.

[OldTrees1]

So in my opinion the best way for a character to be a "healer" is with an ability separate from spell slots, like the paladin's lay on hands, the dream Druid's balm, and the celestial warlock's healing light.

These abilities give you a way to heal your allies without a drain on your non healing resources. You don't have to spend a spell slots which you could have used to do something cool.

The spell healing spirit is also a good healing spell because even though you have to spend a 2nd Level slot the spell will last for multiple rounds so you don't need to spend more slots later on.

TLDR: I think healing abilities that are specifically for healing and don't require you to use spell slots are a great way to make healing viable both in and out of combat.

You buy those "healing only" abilities with the same chargen resources you buy your other abilities. You can use generic resources to heal OR to do something else. In both cases you are spending a generic resource to get a healing effect. The only difference between spending "healing only" abilities vs other abilities, is that you chose to allocate those resources to healing in advance.


As such, I focus more on endurance and efficiency in cost and outcome.

The Healer feat does 2 things at the cost of 0.5 gold each:

It heals 1hp when used to stabilize. This is like using Lay On Hands for 1hp to get them back on their feet.
It can heal each person 1d6+4+L per short rest they take.

The Inspiring Leader feat grants Cha + L temporary hp to each person per short rest they take. (It also grants +1 Cha)

Both of those feats give a lot of healing that recharges on a short rest. However they are action intensive (so use them out of combat). In combat you care more about the action cost and number of uses than about the hp healed.

Lay On Hands takes an Action but can be used 5L times per combat to get someone back up and into the fight.
Healing Word takes a Bonus Action but is limited by your slots
Aura of Vitality takes a Bonus Action and Concentration but gets 10 uses per 3rd level slot.
Mass Healing Word takes a Bonus Action and is limited by your 3rd level slots, but works on 6 people (by comparison this is worth 6 bonus actions).
Aura of Life takes Concentration and a 4th level slot, but takes no action and works on everyone.

[Rebonack]

I ran a Celestial warlock rocking Inspiring Leader and packing the Healing Elixir UA spell. She had a little celestial imp with a bandoleer full of potions that flit around in combat feeding heals to the party. It was pretty effective and allowed her to use her spell-slots on encounter changing spells instead of heals. Worked pretty great, I would say.

Personal option: I think the Cure Wounds in the Celestial expanded list should be replaced with something like Healing Elixir. That fits quite a bit better with the Warlock's tempo.

[ad_hoc]

Healing Potions are pretty good.

[NecroDancer]

Healing potions and kits are excellent but they may not be affordable at lower levels or you may not have downtime to purchase or craft them.

I can't believe I forgot about inspiring leader! It's one of my top feats.

[quark12000]

That was a nice thing about the Pathfinder cleric. Channel Positive Energy saved us many a time.

[Tanarii]

Healing potions and kits are excellent but they may not be affordable at lower levels or you may not have downtime to purchase or craft them.

I can't believe I forgot about inspiring leader! It's one of my top feats.
Cure Wounds spells are generally at their most efficient at low levels though. Before you can pick up a Feat like Healer or Inspiring Leader at level 4, or easily afford potions after level 5, they're often effectively 'nullify multiple enemies turns' spells when cast on a high AC ally.

[Toofey]

Cure Wounds spells are generally at their most efficient at low levels though. Before you can pick up a Feat like Healer or Inspiring Leader at level 4, or easily afford potions after level 5, they're often effectively 'nullify multiple enemies turns' spells when cast on a high AC ally.

agreed, much like spell damage, I don't think spell healing scales aggressively enough as you get into higher levels. Cure Wounds, is great right until about 5th level when it falls behind per action damage to most enemies at CR and instantly becomes next to useless. This paired with many players expectation that the character who can heal be healing (which thankfully is not every group) can make a healing character go from quite fun at tier 1 to no fun whatsoever very quickly.

[mephnick]

The best way to be a Healer is to take Healing Spirit and hope the DM doesn't realize how stupid unbalanced it is.