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Cuddly
2008-06-22, 09:00 PM
Other than the Restoration line of spells, what other spells heal ability damage? Any low level spells (1 to 3) that heal temporary ability damage?

Jack_Simth
2008-06-22, 09:16 PM
Other than the Restoration line of spells, what other spells heal ability damage? Any low level spells (1 to 3) that heal temporary ability damage?
Well, Lesser Restoration fits to a T... except that you don't want the Restoration line. Is there any particular reason you need something else?

Chronos
2008-06-22, 09:22 PM
Are you looking just for spells, or magical effects in general? Because the first-level binder vestige Naberius heals ability damage (rather infamously, for its use in Hellfire Warlock builds). I think there might also be a soulmeld that heals ability damage, and Strongheart Vest prevents it.

Cuddly
2008-06-22, 09:46 PM
Well, Lesser Restoration fits to a T... except that you don't want the Restoration line. Is there any particular reason you need something else?

Lesser Restoration's variable healing isn't very good- I'd rather have a spell that always healed 2 point of damage or whatever. That, and since core, there have been numerous splatbooks that may have better spells.

Does restoration (the regular variety) appear on any caster lists at lower than core level?


Are you looking just for spells, or magical effects in general? Because the first-level binder vestige Naberius heals ability damage (rather infamously, for its use in Hellfire Warlock builds). I think there might also be a soulmeld that heals ability damage, and Strongheart Vest prevents it.

Can you get a feat that lets you bind vestiges? I'm not sure if I want to give up caster levels (using that borked 3 level metamagic based prc from BoEF).

RTGoodman
2008-06-22, 10:02 PM
Unfortunately, binding Naberius won't work for you unless you dip a level of Binder. The only things you get from the Bind Vestige and Practiced Binder feats for him are some skill-related stuff. I believe the Incarnum stuff Chronos mention works with just feats, though, but I don't have MoI to check.

I guess you could carry a metamagic rod of Maximize Spell if you really wanted a non-variable lesser restoration...

Isomenes
2008-06-22, 10:39 PM
There's a rod in the MIC that does half of what you want, but it's got three charges/day: the Rod of Bodily Restoration. It only heals Str/Con/Wis damage, 2/3/4 points for healing all scores, or 4/6/8 to one score. I imagine you could play with that base if you needed a more generic ability damage healer thingo. And it's listed as only 3,100 gp.

Animefunkmaster
2008-06-22, 11:22 PM
The Feat 'Mitigate Suffering' is a reserve feat found in Complete Champion. Rather than heal ability damage it gives a set number (based upon spell still prepared) of temporary ability points. These points can not exceed your normal ability score, it is sort of like temp healing with no cost (except not spending spells).

bigbaddragon
2008-06-23, 02:04 AM
Lesser Restoration's variable healing isn't very good- I'd rather have a spell that always healed 2 point of damage or whatever.


Plus it takes 3 bloody rounds to cast so it is highly unusable in combat.

On the other hand there are Body Ward and Soul Ward spells that prevent some ability damage to the stat you protected. As you already assume one is for physical and the other for mental stats. If you ward one stat it protects up to 4 points of damage, if you ward two both are protected from 6 points of damage and if you ward all three protection is 8 points to each.

Both spells are 2nd level spells (I may be wrong on numbers, If I am someone will most definitely correct me :smalltongue:).

Jack_Simth
2008-06-23, 06:16 AM
Lesser Restoration's variable healing isn't very good- I'd rather have a spell that always healed 2 point of damage or whatever. That, and since core, there have been numerous splatbooks that may have better spells.

Does restoration (the regular variety) appear on any caster lists at lower than core level?
So in essence, you're looking for a stronger spell that does the same thing at the same or a lower level? If you can find it, chances are it is an overpowered spell (at least compared to the line it's replacing).

Chronos
2008-06-23, 12:06 PM
If you ward one stat it protects up to 4 points of damage, if you ward two both are protected from 6 points of damage and if you ward all three protection is 8 points to each.I presume you meant that the other way around? Because if that's how it actually works, there's never any reason to only ward one or two scores.

And you can definitely get Strongheart Vest with a feat, but without any other investment to get essentia points, all it'll do for you is decrease ability score damage by 1 point, whenever you take any ability damage.

Is there any particular reason you want to be able to heal ability damage more efficiently? And is this just for you, or for others, too? That might make a difference on what works and what doesn't (Naberius and Strongheart Vest are both self-only, for instance).

bigbaddragon
2008-06-23, 04:04 PM
I presume you meant that the other way around? Because if that's how it actually works, there's never any reason to only ward one or two scores.


I meant that you have to cast the spell multiple times in order to ward more than one stat. I guess my post was a bit unclear ... sorry about that :smallwink:

Anyway I was away from books at the time I posted so here are some corrections/clarifications. Lets assume we want to protect our physical stats and thus we're casting Body Ward:
- if you cast the spell once you choose one physical stat and its protected from 5 (not 4) points of damage;
- you can cast it the second time to protect another physical stat and if you already have one physical stat protected by the spell it has a synergistic effect meaning that both of protected stats are now warded against 8 damage each;
- if you decide to also protect the third physical stat then all three stats would be warded against 10 points of damage each.

There is one catch though, in order to achieve synergy mentioned ^ the multiple castings must occur in subsequent rounds.

Soul ward functions the same way except it works on mental stats. Spells are in Complete Champion.

Cuddly
2008-06-23, 04:21 PM
So in essence, you're looking for a stronger spell that does the same thing at the same or a lower level? If you can find it, chances are it is an overpowered spell (at least compared to the line it's replacing).

Yes, that is correct.


Is there any particular reason you want to be able to heal ability damage more efficiently? And is this just for you, or for others, too? That might make a difference on what works and what doesn't (Naberius and Strongheart Vest are both self-only, for instance).

I have a prestige class that lets me take ability damage when using metamagic in place of having to use a higher spell slot. The damage, when taken, must all go to a single stat (I'll be burning charisma). Naberius looks like a fine vestige to bind- he works quite thematically with the character. The only problem is having to dip a level of binder.

bigbaddragon
2008-06-24, 10:06 AM
I have a prestige class that lets me take ability damage when using metamagic in place of having to use a higher spell slot. The damage, when taken, must all go to a single stat (I'll be burning charisma) ...

Which PrC is this and what book is it in? If it is homebrewed could you post it?

Tokiko Mima
2008-06-24, 10:18 AM
Oh, I think I know what one. If I'm right, someone is looking in the BoEF at the Meta-spell Shaper(sp?) PrC. :smalltongue:

It's kinda overpowered, FYI, for the same reason that Incantatrix and Divine Metamagic are. You get basically free metamagic, since it's easy to heal away ability damage.

Chronos
2008-06-24, 11:05 AM
Is there any restriction on preventing the ability damage? If not, then spending a couple of feats on Shape Soulmeld (Strongheart Vest) and Bonus Essentia will reduce the damage by 3 every time, with no loss of caster levels needed. Some damage will still get through from the expensive metas like Persist (I'm presuming it's one point of damage per level adjustment of the meta feat), but that should bring it down into the range where the Restoration spells will be enough.

monty
2008-06-24, 01:17 PM
Is it bad that when I look at that I immediately look for ways to break it?

Anyway, what if you're playing as something immune to ability damage or lacking one or more scores? (for example, if you're undead, could you apply the damage to Con?) I didn't see anything in the description saying that the damage has to actually affect you, just that you have to take it.