Helping the Healer [3.5]

[CockroachTeaParty]

I've always liked the Healer class, from the Miniatures Handbook. Yes, I'm aware that it fails at its intended roll in comparison to the Cleric. The class, as written, is hampered by many unpleasant restrictions that make it inferior to just about any other divine casting class when it comes to healing, or anything else, for that matter.

I know that the 'quick n'dirty' fix for the Healer is to make it a spontaneous caster, with access to every spell on its list, not unlike the Warmage, Beguiler, or Dread Necromancer. However, I wanted to get a bit more in depth than that, so I went and made an entirely new spell list for the Healer, trying to keep to the original list as much as possible.

So, what do folks think about the following changes to the Healer class?

Hit die, skills, BAB, saves, weapon and armor proficiencies, and special abilities remain the same.

The maximum spell level a Healer is able to cast, bonus spells granted, and their save DCs, are based off of Wisdom (instead of split between Wisdom and Charisma).

The Healer's spell casting progression is the same as the Beguiler or Warmage. They are spontaneous casters, capable of casting any spell on their class list without preparing it ahead of time. (This delays their access to higher level spells, but the Healer gains access to several healing spells a level earlier than a Cleric, Archivist, or Druid would, so it balances out pretty well.)

Finally, here's my new suggested Healer spell list, with additions from the Spell Compendium, Player's Handbook II, and the Book of Exalted Deeds.
(The newly added or changed spells are bold.

0 Level Spells:

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0: Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Deathwatch, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Virtue, Resistance, Prestidigitation.
Just a few minor additions. I wanted the Healer to be better able to prevent injury, so the inclusion of a few new abjurations (such as Resistance, here) are a common occurrence. I figured Prestidigitation would be useful for keeping tools, healing kits, clothes, and patients clean and in good spirits. The Healer's access to Deathwatch as a 0th level spell is too funny to correct (it's an Evil spell, technically, but for the purposes of this class that could easily be waived).

1st Level Spells:

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1: Bless Water, Cure Light Wounds, Goodberry, Protection from Evil, Remove Fear, Remove Paralysis, Sanctuary, Speak With Animals, Endure Elements, Unseen Servant (?), Delay Disease, Healthful Rest, Lesser Vigor, Invest Light Protection.
I'm not sure about Unseen Servant, but I figured it could be a useful aid at a hospital or medic's camp. The rest are pretty straightforward. The Vigor line is a no-brainer, and the Invest Protection line from PHB II is a strange but thematically appropriate addition.

2nd Level Spells:

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2: Calm Emotions, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Gentle Repose, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Disease, Lesser Restoration, Bear's Endurance, Consecrate, Resist Energy, Shield Other, Status, Close Wounds, Healing Lorecall, Stabilize, Vigor, Ease Pain, Remove Addiction, Refreshment, Remove Nausea, Invest Moderate Protection.
I decided to include some energy resistance spells in order to help prevent injury and take some of the pressure off the party Cleric, Druid, or Wizard a bit. Also, the Healer's access to Status and Close Wounds was originally as 3rd level spells, but they're harmless enough that I thought they warranted earlier access. A few more status-removing spells were in order as well. Note that the Healer gets earlier access to Vigor earlier than normal. This reflects the slightly hastened access to the Mass Cure spells, as well as a few restorative spells (and even Mass Heal).

3rd Level Spells:

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3: Create Food and Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Neutralize Poison, Remove Curse, Restoration, Create Food and Water, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Evil, Protection from Energy, Speak with Dead, Plant Growth, Quench, Mass Resist Energy, Mass Lesser Vigor, Remove Fatigue, Healing Spirit.
Healer's get their first Mass healing spell in the from of Mass Lesser Vigor. I also continued their anti-Evil theme, and tossed in Speak with Dead, Daylight, and some more Druid spells in for flavor. Things like Plant Growth and Quench would allow them to serve a community protector role, preventing fires and helping crops during droughts, etc.

4th Level Spells:

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4: Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Panacea, Spell Immunity, Delay Death, Positive Energy Aura, Greater Resistance, Sheltered Vitality, Greater Vigor, Greater Status, Channeled Divine Health, Invest Heavy Protection.
More of the same, with some useful additions to give them something more to do than just heal the entire time.

5th Level Spells:

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5: Atonement, Break Enchantment, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Raise Dead, Revivify, Stone to Flesh, True Seeing, Dispel Evil, Spell Resistance, Mass Sanctuary, Vigorous Circle.
Our choices are getting much more limited, but the Beguiler has the same problem...

6th Level Spells:

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6: Greater Restoration, Heal, Heroes' Feast, Mass Cure Serious Wounds, Regenerate, Repulsion, Mass Bear's Endurance, Greater Dispel Magic, Word of Recall, Energy Immunity, Revive Outsider, Superior Resistance, Mass Restoration.
You'll note a few more advancement bumps, including Repulsion a level earlier than they originally got it. I tried to avoid any unnecessary delays, and tried to encourage a few spells with earlier access. The inclusion of Dispel Magic and its big brother is also useful, not just for removing hostile spells, but for debuffing enemies and giving the Healer a few technically 'nonviolent' offensive options.

7th Level Spells:

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7: Mass Cure Critical Wounds, Resurrection, Mage's Magnificent Mansion, Mass Spell Resistance, Mass Deathward.
An unfortunate side effect of bumping certain spells down a level is that there are really few thematically appropriate spells at 7th level and above. I tossed Magnificent Mansion in there for laughs. It's got food and shelter, right? Those are an important part of the healing process.

8th Level Spells:

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8: Discern Location, Holy Aura, Mass Heal, Holy Aura, Greater Spell Immunity, Mind Blank, Protection from Spells, Clone?, Temporal Stasis.
I considered bringing a few of these down to 7th level, but I wasn't sure. Mind Blank is an important spell to have. Maybe Temporal Stasis could be bumped down to 7th level. I mostly thought it would be good for preventing people from dying from curses or afflictions beyond the Healer's ability to immediately handle, but at this level, there's very little they couldn't cure... Clone is a strange spell, and perhaps a bit too Arcane to warrant inclusion in the list, but it's a preventative measure against death, and isn't that the Healer's greatest foe?

9th Level Spells:

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9: Foresight, Gate, True Resurrection, Freedom, Time Stop.
I always thought it interesting that one of the weakest casters in the game got access to one of the most powerful spells (Gate). Why do they get Gate? I'm actually rather inclined to strike it from the list, leaving them with a whopping 4 9th level spells known. Time Stop doesn't help them heal, but it gives them time to buff if they need it, I suppose. They have so few offensive options, I didn't think Time Stop's inclusion breaks anything.

In general, I tried to not step on the Druid or Cleric's toes too much; summoning, planar and overtly alignment-based effects, and nature manipulation are their territories. I also avoided offensive combat spells and buffs, or anti-undead spells. This leaves the Healer with a few defensive buffs, spells to help them keep tabs on their party members, and of course, healing and affliction-removing spells.

I like the idea of the Healer not being tied to any particular deity, but rather channeling their magic out of compassion and a desire to ease the suffering of others. Even with this fix, they're still much worse than Clerics, Druids, or Archivists at pretty much everything, but I think it could be a fun class to play, especially for those keen on playing a non-violent character, or perhaps in busting out some Exalted Deeds goodness.

I'm not sure how I feel about the whole Unicorn companion thing, though. It's a bit odd. Also, I wasn't sure if maybe the Healer should get an Advanced Learning feature, like the Beguiler or Warmage, with the ability to add a divine abjuration spell to their spells known.

Any thoughts, opinions? Does this seem too unbalanced? Really, with a class like Healer, it's kind of hard to overpower them too much, considering how very focused they are at an aspect of the game generally considered sub-optimal from a tactical perspective (killing things is better than in-combat healing, etc.).

[Fortuna]

I think that this should be in the homebrew forum, shouldn't it?

[CockroachTeaParty]

Well, the thread about the Soulknife fixes got me thinking about the Healer. Was that thread moved?

[ranagrande]

I was never too worried about the Healer's MAD with Charisma powering their save DCs, since they had a grand total of one spell that things might try to save against.

I like your expanded list, but I would even take it further. I'd give them the Repair line of spells one level after the arcane types get them, and I'd give them Revive Undead at level 7. They should be able to heal everything.

You may have just overlooked it, but they should also get Stabilize at level 2.

Also, I'd give them Miracle at level 9. I always thought that that would have made more sense than Gate, and now it would also make more sense than Time Stop.

I'm sure there's more to be done, but this is a good start! My own fix for the Healer was to gestalt it with the Monk and make them a single class.

[sonofzeal]

My list.....

LVL0

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Create Water
Cure Minor
Dawn: Sleeping/unconscious creatures in area awaken.
Deathwatch
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Light
Mending
Naturewatch: As Deathwatch, but on animals and plants.
Purify Food and Drink
Read Magic
Analyze Fertility (BoCFB)
- reveals fertility cycle, impotence, contraception
Detect Pregnancy (BoCFB)
- also reveals parasites, such as baby slaads

LVL1:

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Bless Water
Buoyant Lifting: Underwater creatures rise to surface.
Cure Light Wounds
Deep Breath: Your lungs are filled with air.
Delay Disease: Ravages of disease staved off for a day.
Faith Healing: Cures 8hp +1/level (max +5) to worshipper
Goodberry
Healthful Rest: Subjects heal at twice the normal rate.
Ironguts: Subject gains +5 bonus on saving throws against poison.
Omen of Peril: You know how dangerous the future will be.
(requires 25-gp engraved sticks as focus)
Protection from Evil
Remove Fear
Remove Paralysis
Resist Planar Alignment: Subject can resist penalties for
being of an opposed alignment on an aligned Outer Plane.
Resurgence: You grant subject a second chance at a saving throw.
Sanctuary
Speak with Animals
Vigor, Lesser: Creature heals 1 hp/round (max 15 rounds).
Block the Seed (BoCFB)
- 1 day/level magical infertility.
Find a Soulmate (BoCFB)
- as Locate Creature
- no guarentee of reciprocity.
Pleasant Dreams (BoCFB)
- blocks all negative magical dream effects
Share Sensation (generalist BoCFB 115)
- personal
- 10 min/level
- feel physical sensations of target

LVL2

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Avoid Planar Effects
- temporary protection vs overtly damaging planar traits.
Calm Emotions
Cure Moderate
Delay Poison
Ease Pain (BoED)
- Remove lingering effects of pain.
Easy Trail
- You make a temporary trail through any kind of undergrowth.
Estanna's Stew (BoED)
- Conjures stew that heals 1d6+1 per serving.
- requires 50-gp engraved stewpot as focus
- 1 serving per 2 levels
Gentle Repose
Healing Lorecall
- 5 Heal = Cure also heals dazed, dazzled, fatigued
- 10 Heal = exhausted, nauseated, sickened
- Use Heal ranks instead of CL for healing
Remove Addiction (BoED)
- Cures target of drug addictions.
Remove Blindness/Deafness
Remove Disease
Restoration, Lesser
Stabilize
- Cures 1 point of damage, 50' burst
Summon Elysian Thrush
- doubles natural healing overnight
Detect Disease (BoCFB)
- Incubating/Infected/Carrier
Magic Probe (BoCFB 110)
- will negates
- reveals all spells+CL active on target
Mantle of Love (BoCFB)
- 1 min/level
- +4 moral bonus on saves
- target must remain in sight of the caster
Resist Temptation (BoCFB 114)
- Personal
- +4 Will vs charms, enchantments, etc
- +4 vs Diplomacy checks with sexual overtones
Touch Me Not (BoCFB)
- +2 deflection AC
- touch or grapple = 1d8+1/CL damage
- defensive only

LVL3

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Close Wounds
- immediate action, 2d4 healing
- functions BEFORE person would potentially die
Create Food and Water
Cure Serious Wounds
Heart's Ease (BoED; pg 100)
- Removes fear, despair, confusion, insanity
- Removes some mind-influencing effects
- restores 2d4 points of temporary Wisdom damage.
Neutralize Poison
Refreshment (BoED): Cures creatures of all nonlethal damage.
Remove Nausea (BoED): Cures a nauseated or sickened character.
Remove Curse
Restoration
Resurgence, Mass: As Resurgence, but multiple subjects.
Safety: Touched creature knows shortest route to safety.
Status
Vigor: As Lesser Vigor, but 2 hp/round (max 25 rounds)
Vigor, Mass Lesser: As Lesser Vigor, but multiple subjects (max 25 rounds)
Analyze Ancestry (BoCFB)
- 10 generations of geneology information
- material component: 100gp of herbs/oils
Healing Sphere (BoCFB)
- 1 minute or until used
- provides light as "light" spell
- can be targetted up to 25+5/CL ft away
Innocence of the Virgin (BoCFB)
- subject loses all knowledge of sex
- -10 on Perform:Sexual
(good for trauma clinicness?)
Lifebond (BoCFB)
- applies for two beings who must be in love
- as "Status" but permanent

lvl4:

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Astral Hospice: While on the Astral Plane, open a
portal to a demiplane so natural healing can occur.
- (Requires 250-gp gemstone)
Blood of the Martyr (BoED):
- You heal a target at range and take a like amount of damage.
Delay Death: Losing hit points doesn't kill subject.
Greater Status: As Status, but cast some spells through bond.
Land Womb: You and one creature/level hide within the earth.
Planar Tolerance: Provides long-term protection against
overtly damaging planar traits.
Positive Energy Aura: 10-ft. radius surrounding you
- heals 1 hp / 3 levels for 1 round / level.
Remove Fatigue (BoED): Removes effects of fatigue as 8 hours of rest.
Sheltered Vitality: Subject gains immunity to fatigue, exhaustion,
ability damage, and ability drain.
Sustain (BoED): Recipients need no food or drink for 6 hours/level.
- requires flask of wine and warm bread)
Blessed Seed (BoCFB)
- 1 hour/CL, 100% fertility
- bypasses nonmagical contraception
- child will be Half-Celestial
Impotency (BoCFB)
- permanent
- countered by Remove Curse
Orgasmic Vibrations ("Moment of Ecstasy") (BoCFB)
- 1 round/level
- disrupt skills (conc DC 20)
- disrupt spellcasting (conc DC 20+spell level)
Succor (BoCFB)
- 1 min/level
- absorbs <=5 negative levels or level drain
- absorbs <=4 points of ability damage per stat

lvl5:

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Dance of the Unicorn: Purifying mist washes the air clean of
smoke, dust, and poisons.
Energetic Healing (BoED): Target is immune to one energy type
and gains 10% of the energy damage as healing.
Heal Animal Companion: As Heal on your animal companion.
Life's Grace: Grants immunity to many undead attacks
and protection against incorporeal attacks.
Rejuvenation Cocoon: Energy cocoon shields creature, then heals it.
Sacred Guardian (BoED): You know status of subject
and can teleport or scry without error.
Sanctuary, Mass: One creature / level can't be attacked, and can't attack.
Vigor, Greater: As Lesser Vigor, but 4 hp/round.
Warding Gems (BoED): Creates gems that heal on command.
- requires one or more 500-gp gems
Hedonist's Delight (BoCFB)
- 1 hour/level
- cure spells on target are maximized
- heightened sensitivity to all pleasures
- target gets +2 to craft checks
Life Shell (BoCFB)
- 10' radius, 10 min/level
- nothing nonliving can enter
- includes undead, arrows, clothes
- caster must be naked
Magic Status (BoCFB)
- as "status" except identifies any spells+CL
Mind to Mind (BoCFB)
- 10 min/level
- see and hear through target
- gaze attacks affect both
Sanctuary, Mass (BoCFB)
- One creature/level

lvl6:

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Energy Immunity
- Subject and gear immune to specified energy type
Renewal Pact:
- Creature is automatically healed when damaged
- requires 500-gp topaz
Revive Outsider: You restore to life a dead outsider.
- 5,000-gp diamond and some stuff from outsider's home plane
Valiant Steed (BoED): Calls a pegasus or unicorn
- serves caster for up to 1 year. (Sanctified Spell, does 1d3 Str damage)
Vigorous Circle: As Mass Lesser Vigor except 3 hp/round (max 40 rounds)
Kiss of Life (BoCFB)
- "Raise Dead" for creatures dead for CL rounds

lvl7

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Fortunate Fate: Subject immediately recieves a Heal
if it would be killed by damage.
Restoration, Mass
- as Restoration
- requires 100-gp diamond dust
Peace Aura (BoCFB)
- 40' emanation, 24 hours
- any attacks incure 1d6/CL force damage
- Will Half
Shadow Life (BoCFB)
- no-penalty "raise dead", only lasts 1 day/level
- caster takes 1 negative level while active

lvl8

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Cocoon:
- Preserves a corpse and reincarnates with no level loss
- 250 xp
Spread of Contentment (BoED)
- Calms hostile creatures within 10-ft/level radius.
- requires lammasu's feather
Invigorate (BoCFB)
- permanently cures sterility
- 1 hour/level +4 Con, Endurance, 100% fertility
Orgasmic Vibrations, Mass ("Moment of Ecstasy") (BoCFB)
- as Orgasmic Vibrations
- any number of creatures in 30' burst

lvl9

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Sanctify the Wicked (BoED):
- Traps evil creature in a diamond for one year
- releases it as a sanctified creature.
- Sanctified Spell, costs 1 character level
- requires 10,000-gp diamond as focus
Sublime Revelry (BoED)
- Targets immune to pain and to mind-influencing effects
- takes half damage from melee and ranged attacks.
Youth's Beauty (BoCFB)
- age backwards until age 15-30 equivalent
- Appearance +2
- additional +2 for each age category back

[Mushroom Ninja]

It seems to me that the problem with the healer class has always been that it was designed to be a heal-bot and, in most cases, healing is not a very good in-combat strategy.

Your addition of more buff spells does help the class somewhat, giving them more options.

[Optimystik]

I always figured the Favored Soul to be better at the Healer's job than the Healer was. I suppose that's because of the "quick and dirty fix" mentioned in the first post.

[sonofzeal]

Other houserules I used for playing a Healer.....


- Everything shifts to Charisma, so that class features and casting work from the same attribute

- Still a prep'd caster, but casts spontaneously off the Healing domain.

- Access to the "Combat Focus" line of feats, triggered by casting healing spells (mostly just flavour for the particular character).

[deuxhero]

Farmhand works better for a healer than Prestidigitation (Click The Gleaner on the left for Farmhand).

[CockroachTeaParty]

I was never too worried about the Healer's MAD with Charisma powering their save DCs, since they had a grand total of one spell that things might try to save against.

I like your expanded list, but I would even take it further. I'd give them the Repair line of spells one level after the arcane types get them, and I'd give them Revive Undead at level 7. They should be able to heal everything.

You may have just overlooked it, but they should also get Stabilize at level 2.

Also, I'd give them Miracle at level 9. I always thought that that would have made more sense than Gate, and now it would also make more sense than Time Stop.

I'm sure there's more to be done, but this is a good start! My own fix for the Healer was to gestalt it with the Monk and make them a single class.

Whoops, I meant to add Stabilize. I considered giving them the Repair line, but I think I would only do that in an Eberron game, and even then only after some consideration. Artificers and Wizards are the makers and healers of constructs. Perhaps one could make a Warforged racial substitution for the Healer where they get access to the Repair spells.

I personally wouldn't give them Revive Undead, seeing as they're mostly a good, positive energy wielding class. I considered giving them Miracle, and I suppose that would make sense, but I like to think of Healers as not being beholden to gods, and thus unlikely to receive something as powerful as a miracle. That's just personal preference, though, and I could see a Miracle being granted on behalf of The Force of Light in general.

I suppose Charisma could be an effective casting stat, but I prefer Wisdom; a Healer's not a leader, but a wise and empathetic support character.

@ sonofzeal:
I didn't include the Sanctified Spells in the list, since technically any good caster is capable of casting them. What is the source you mention repeatedly, concerning fertility, etc.? Is that the Book of Erotic Fantasy or some such?

I avoided those kind of spells. Few campaigns are going to deal with birth, fertility, etc., my focus more on in-combat healing or tending to the ill. In a campaign where those issues are important, I could see them being added.

Also, I skipped spells like Cocoon and Reincarnate, because I didn't want to rob the Druid of some its funkier spells.

[sonofzeal]

@ sonofzeal:
I didn't include the Sanctified Spells in the list, since technically any good caster is capable of casting them. What is the source you mention repeatedly, concerning fertility, etc.? Is that the Book of Erotic Fantasy or some such?

I avoided those kind of spells. Few campaigns are going to deal with birth, fertility, etc., my focus more on in-combat healing or tending to the ill. In a campaign where those issues are important, I could see them being added.

Yeah, anything marked with "BoCFB" is actually from Erotic Fantasy. It comes from a running joke in our group, we call it "Book of Cuddly Fluffy Bunnies" so that we can talk about it in public. =P

As to the spells, well, they do fit within the Healer's shtick. If they're not useful in your game, just don't use them, y'know? Having them on is not going to hold you back, and might become obscurely useful at some point. It certainly helps the flavour to be able to handle those fundamental parts of life better than any other class, IMO.

Also, I skipped spells like Cocoon and Reincarnate, because I didn't want to rob the Druid of some its funkier spells.

Our philosophy was that they knew what they were doing inside Core. We didn't expand their Core list at all, instead borrowing from all the other sources that weren't around when Healers were printed.

[Lycanthromancer]

Our philosophy was that they knew what they were doing inside Core.

You're doing it wrong.

[sonofzeal]

You're doing it wrong.

lol

Sorry, wrong wording. What I meant was that RAI and RAW imply anything Core that's missing is supposed to be missing, but RAI is utterly silent on non-Core spells so we're more free to play around with them. This is easier to justify to DMs, and the expanded spell list is still a big step up.

[BobVosh]

I was humored by a monk fix to make healer based off wisdom for casting. Then gestalt them. Looks like you want more casting, rather than other stuff though.