The Kool
2019-02-22, 04:14 PM
I know, I know, this has been done before. I've generally been left unsatisfied though. A while back, a buddy and I rebuilt this class and have come very close to actually using it (just need to get it cleared for use in our campaign and I'll play it myself).
I want to get a few things out of the way first with regards to the philosophy behind this rework. The Healer is supposed to do one thing, and do it well. While it's true that they heal well, it's a sad truth that a dedicated Cleric will outpace a dedicated Healer, the Healer's abilities are almost wholly redundant with their spell list, and they have zero versatility. So, what did I want to improve? Well, firstly they need to be the best at healing. Not just good, but specifically good enough for it to be worth using. That inspired the abilities focused on potency and action economy. Secondly, they still need to be able to hold their own in a fight, but they are not damage dealers. This inspired the abilities that give them some kickback for healing, improved companion, and allow them to swing their club and actually do something with it. They need to be able to adapt to the situation and spontaneous casting is the best for that (I'm fully aware this prevents them from using sanctified spells, regardless of the fact that I dislike sanctifieds to begin with they very much never fit the MO of the class). I've gone through a number of iterations on these abilities and have some ideas floating around for other things to give them or other ways to work the abilities listed below, but I feel like any more might be too much. At the end of the day, the class still does one thing and does it well. It's far from a Tier 1 class like the Cleric, but I know this and was aiming for Tier 3 and not being completely overshadowed by said Cleric. Hopefully you'll find this version to give them a slew of abilities that make being a combat healer actually worthwhile and make them more than just a pincushion while they're not busy being a healbot.
Without further ado, the class. I'm not going to post a table of all the numbers, as it's mostly the same or else very easy to reference a change.
1. Skill Focus: Heal, Healing Hands (+CHA)
2. Battlefield Medic, Devoted Healer
3. Swift Healing 1/day, Merciful Strike (non-lethal)
4. Celestial Companion, Karmic Healing
5. Healing Hands (+1/spell level)
6. Merciful Strike (Merciful weapons)
7. Swift Healing 2/day, Effortless Healing
8. Powerful Healing (Empowered)
9. Cleanse Spirit 1/week
10. Healing Hands (+2/spell level)
11. Swift Healing 3/day
12. New Life (Revivify)
13. Powerful Healing (Maximized)
14. Healer's Reach
15. Swift Healing 4/day, Healing Hands (+3/spell level)
16. New Life (Raise Dead)
17. Cleanse Spirit 1/day
18. Powerful Healing (Maximized and Empowered)
19. Swift Healing 5/day
20. New Life (Resurrection), Healing Hands (+4/spell level)
Skills, BAB, and Saves are untouched.
HP use a d8, not a d4.
Spells per day use the wizard table (capping at 4 of each spell level instead of 6).
Proficiencies: Add Bucklers. Wearing metal armor may go against her oaths, but even the most pacifistic healer understands that a simple buckler can be the difference between life and death on the battlefield. The restriction on shields of other forms still applies.
Spellcasting: A Healer casts Divine spells spontaneously from the Healer spell list. The Healer knows all spells on the list from any level that she can cast. She need not have any particular amount of rest to recover spell slots, but must choose a time of day (such as dawn, or noon) when she must meditate for an hour each day to recover lost spell slots. The number of spells per day that the Healer may cast is shown on the table above. The Healer uses Charisma to determine bonus spells per day and save DCs of her spells.
Skill Focus: Heal is gained as a bonus feat at level 1
Healing Hands: When casting a spell that restores hit points, the healer may add her Charisma modifier to the amount healed by the spell. If the spell heals over multiple rounds (such as the Vigor line of spells) then it only applies this bonus healing on the first round.* If it heals multiple targets, the bonus healing applies to all targets.
At level 5, the bonus healing granted by this ability increases by 1 hp per spell level. At level 5 and every 5th level beyond 5 this amount increases by 1, up to +4 hp per spell level at level 20. Thus for example, a level 7 Healer with 16 Charisma would cure 4d8+14 hp from a CLW (+7 from caster level, +3 from Charisma, and +4 for being a 4th level spell).
Battlefield Medic: The Healer keeps a cool head in the heat of battle, and is sure enough in her craft to provide aid even in the most stressful of situations. Starting at level 2, the Healer may always take 10 on a Heal check, even if threatened or under adverse conditions. In addition, the Heal skill will no longer provoke attacks of opportunity against the Healer.
Devoted Healer: Starting at level 2, the Healer's dedication to her allies makes her more resistant to effects that would turn her against them or disable her. She gains a +4 morale bonus on will saves versus enchantments.
Swift Healing: Once per day starting at level 3, a Healer may cast any of the Cure spells as a swift action as if using the Quicken Spell feat, but without any increase in spell level. For every 4 levels gained beyond level 3, this ability may be used one additional time per day.
Merciful Strike: As the healer is an expert in healing the injured, so are they experienced in subduing a combative foe (or patient) without causing injury. Beginning at level 3, the healer no longer takes the normal -4 penalty to attack rolls for dealing nonlethal damage with a weapon. Upon reaching level 6, any weapon that the Healer wields is treated as if it had the Merciful property.
Celestial Companion: ((The rework of the unicorn mount, this is intended to function more like the Ranger's animal companion than the Paladin's special mount. Options may include things like the celestial wolf at lower levels and the unicorn or even better as levels increase. I apparently never did detail it... work still to be done!))
Karmic Healing: Starting at level 4, the Healer learns how to channel healing magic in such as way as to benefit from it herself during the casting. Whenever the healer casts a spell that heals HP, she may also heal for an amount equal to 1d8 hp per level of the spell. Level 0 spells do not grant any healing in this manner.
Effortless Healing: At level 7, the Healer has become so familiar with the Cure spells that casting them no longer provokes attacks of opportunity.
Powerful Healing: Upon reaching level 8, the Healer begins to channel healing energies with greater effectiveness. Whenever the Healer casts a Cure spell, it is treated as if Empowered. At level 13, they are instead treated as if Maximized. At level 18, they are treated as both Maximized and Empowered. This ability does not increase the level of the spell, and only applies to Cure spells cast as a Healer.
Cleanse Spirit: Even powerful restorative magic comes naturally to the Healer. Once per week starting at level 9, the Healer may restore one creature to health as if casting Greater Restoration. When the Healer reaches level 17, this ability may be used once per day.
Healer's Reach: The truly dedicated Healer can restore health to an ally in need from across the battlefield without putting herself in danger. Starting at level 14, all Cure spells cast as a Healer with a range of Touch now instead have a range of Close (25ft + 5ft / 2 levels).
New Life: At level 12, the Healer has truly reached the pinnacle of her art, and can readily bring fallen allies
back from the dead. Once per week, the Healer may restore someone to life as if having cast
Revivify. When the healer reaches level 16, this ability improves to be equivalent to the
Raise Dead spell, and at level 20 it becomes equivalent to Resurrection.
Edited to remove spontaneous asterisks appearing in the midst of my text
I want to get a few things out of the way first with regards to the philosophy behind this rework. The Healer is supposed to do one thing, and do it well. While it's true that they heal well, it's a sad truth that a dedicated Cleric will outpace a dedicated Healer, the Healer's abilities are almost wholly redundant with their spell list, and they have zero versatility. So, what did I want to improve? Well, firstly they need to be the best at healing. Not just good, but specifically good enough for it to be worth using. That inspired the abilities focused on potency and action economy. Secondly, they still need to be able to hold their own in a fight, but they are not damage dealers. This inspired the abilities that give them some kickback for healing, improved companion, and allow them to swing their club and actually do something with it. They need to be able to adapt to the situation and spontaneous casting is the best for that (I'm fully aware this prevents them from using sanctified spells, regardless of the fact that I dislike sanctifieds to begin with they very much never fit the MO of the class). I've gone through a number of iterations on these abilities and have some ideas floating around for other things to give them or other ways to work the abilities listed below, but I feel like any more might be too much. At the end of the day, the class still does one thing and does it well. It's far from a Tier 1 class like the Cleric, but I know this and was aiming for Tier 3 and not being completely overshadowed by said Cleric. Hopefully you'll find this version to give them a slew of abilities that make being a combat healer actually worthwhile and make them more than just a pincushion while they're not busy being a healbot.
Without further ado, the class. I'm not going to post a table of all the numbers, as it's mostly the same or else very easy to reference a change.
1. Skill Focus: Heal, Healing Hands (+CHA)
2. Battlefield Medic, Devoted Healer
3. Swift Healing 1/day, Merciful Strike (non-lethal)
4. Celestial Companion, Karmic Healing
5. Healing Hands (+1/spell level)
6. Merciful Strike (Merciful weapons)
7. Swift Healing 2/day, Effortless Healing
8. Powerful Healing (Empowered)
9. Cleanse Spirit 1/week
10. Healing Hands (+2/spell level)
11. Swift Healing 3/day
12. New Life (Revivify)
13. Powerful Healing (Maximized)
14. Healer's Reach
15. Swift Healing 4/day, Healing Hands (+3/spell level)
16. New Life (Raise Dead)
17. Cleanse Spirit 1/day
18. Powerful Healing (Maximized and Empowered)
19. Swift Healing 5/day
20. New Life (Resurrection), Healing Hands (+4/spell level)
Skills, BAB, and Saves are untouched.
HP use a d8, not a d4.
Spells per day use the wizard table (capping at 4 of each spell level instead of 6).
Proficiencies: Add Bucklers. Wearing metal armor may go against her oaths, but even the most pacifistic healer understands that a simple buckler can be the difference between life and death on the battlefield. The restriction on shields of other forms still applies.
Spellcasting: A Healer casts Divine spells spontaneously from the Healer spell list. The Healer knows all spells on the list from any level that she can cast. She need not have any particular amount of rest to recover spell slots, but must choose a time of day (such as dawn, or noon) when she must meditate for an hour each day to recover lost spell slots. The number of spells per day that the Healer may cast is shown on the table above. The Healer uses Charisma to determine bonus spells per day and save DCs of her spells.
Skill Focus: Heal is gained as a bonus feat at level 1
Healing Hands: When casting a spell that restores hit points, the healer may add her Charisma modifier to the amount healed by the spell. If the spell heals over multiple rounds (such as the Vigor line of spells) then it only applies this bonus healing on the first round.* If it heals multiple targets, the bonus healing applies to all targets.
At level 5, the bonus healing granted by this ability increases by 1 hp per spell level. At level 5 and every 5th level beyond 5 this amount increases by 1, up to +4 hp per spell level at level 20. Thus for example, a level 7 Healer with 16 Charisma would cure 4d8+14 hp from a CLW (+7 from caster level, +3 from Charisma, and +4 for being a 4th level spell).
Battlefield Medic: The Healer keeps a cool head in the heat of battle, and is sure enough in her craft to provide aid even in the most stressful of situations. Starting at level 2, the Healer may always take 10 on a Heal check, even if threatened or under adverse conditions. In addition, the Heal skill will no longer provoke attacks of opportunity against the Healer.
Devoted Healer: Starting at level 2, the Healer's dedication to her allies makes her more resistant to effects that would turn her against them or disable her. She gains a +4 morale bonus on will saves versus enchantments.
Swift Healing: Once per day starting at level 3, a Healer may cast any of the Cure spells as a swift action as if using the Quicken Spell feat, but without any increase in spell level. For every 4 levels gained beyond level 3, this ability may be used one additional time per day.
Merciful Strike: As the healer is an expert in healing the injured, so are they experienced in subduing a combative foe (or patient) without causing injury. Beginning at level 3, the healer no longer takes the normal -4 penalty to attack rolls for dealing nonlethal damage with a weapon. Upon reaching level 6, any weapon that the Healer wields is treated as if it had the Merciful property.
Celestial Companion: ((The rework of the unicorn mount, this is intended to function more like the Ranger's animal companion than the Paladin's special mount. Options may include things like the celestial wolf at lower levels and the unicorn or even better as levels increase. I apparently never did detail it... work still to be done!))
Karmic Healing: Starting at level 4, the Healer learns how to channel healing magic in such as way as to benefit from it herself during the casting. Whenever the healer casts a spell that heals HP, she may also heal for an amount equal to 1d8 hp per level of the spell. Level 0 spells do not grant any healing in this manner.
Effortless Healing: At level 7, the Healer has become so familiar with the Cure spells that casting them no longer provokes attacks of opportunity.
Powerful Healing: Upon reaching level 8, the Healer begins to channel healing energies with greater effectiveness. Whenever the Healer casts a Cure spell, it is treated as if Empowered. At level 13, they are instead treated as if Maximized. At level 18, they are treated as both Maximized and Empowered. This ability does not increase the level of the spell, and only applies to Cure spells cast as a Healer.
Cleanse Spirit: Even powerful restorative magic comes naturally to the Healer. Once per week starting at level 9, the Healer may restore one creature to health as if casting Greater Restoration. When the Healer reaches level 17, this ability may be used once per day.
Healer's Reach: The truly dedicated Healer can restore health to an ally in need from across the battlefield without putting herself in danger. Starting at level 14, all Cure spells cast as a Healer with a range of Touch now instead have a range of Close (25ft + 5ft / 2 levels).
New Life: At level 12, the Healer has truly reached the pinnacle of her art, and can readily bring fallen allies
back from the dead. Once per week, the Healer may restore someone to life as if having cast
Revivify. When the healer reaches level 16, this ability improves to be equivalent to the
Raise Dead spell, and at level 20 it becomes equivalent to Resurrection.
Edited to remove spontaneous asterisks appearing in the midst of my text