Empathic Healing... feedback please?

[DrakeStryker]

So I'm trying to homebrew this spell tree for those healers that don't feel like they're altruistic enough being the party medic. This would be an Empathic Healing spell tree, from Light to Major (or something) and I'm thinking would be the equivalent spell levels of the usual Cure spells, but would be different in two significant ways:

1) It would heal more lost hit points than the usual Cure spell. Wait, but if it's the same spell level, why should it heal more? That's where the second element comes in:

2) Upon healing the target, the spell would do damage to the caster. I'm thinking at least half of the hit points restored.

The fluff idea behind this is that the caster would be taking the damage inflicted on the target upon themselves, essentially sapping wounds the way a vampire sucks blood... if that metaphor makes any sense. I don't want to do "double the hit points for half of it backlashed" without some feedback, though. So... whatchu guys think? Here's what I've got so far....

Empathic Light Cure
Transmutation (Healing)
Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Drd 1, Healing 1, Pal 1, Rgr 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless); see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless); see text

When laying your hands upon a living creature, you take their injuries upon yourself, sealing their wounds while sapping your vitality. The target receives 2d8 hit points +2 per caster level (maximum +10). The target regains a number of hit points equal to the dice result, and you lose hit points equal to half of that amount. Powers and abilities you may have such as damage reduction and regeneration do not lessen or change this damage, since you are taking the target’s pain into yourself in an empathic manner (This loss can bring you to 0 or fewer hit points). The damage transferred by this power has no type, so even if you have immunity to the type of damage the target originally took, the transfer occurs normally and deals hit point damage to you. This damage can not be regained by any means until the caster has taken a full minute of rest. The caster cannot use this spell on themselves.

[Dragon Elite]

Seems pretty good, great for healing the barb with 18 con.

[Cute_Riolu]

That last line means that no one will ever take it.

[Merk]

I wonder what kinds of shenanigans a cleric / crusader could pull with this spell and the delayed damage pool?

[Apalala]

Looks okay, aside from the image of opening wounds on your own body. Just because you're losing hp doesn't mean you have to bleed. Flavoring it as losing "life force" or simply "vitality" would be good enough, I think.

Also, being unable to heal the hp lost is pretty harsh. I would replace

"This damage can not be regained by any means until the caster has taken eight hours of rest. "

with

"This damage can not be healed by any mean until the caster has taken five minutes of rest."

That way, you still have it as a risky but effective option in combat, but it won't cripple you for the rest of the day.

[Kamai]

Instead of saying that you cannot heal damage caused by empathic transfer, that you cannot use empathic transfer on yourself? That should deal with most of the loopholes that this spell can cause, and make it possible with other resources to deal with.

[lesser_minion]

Well, the concept made it into the game as a psionic power, which I'd suggest using as a guide:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/po...icTransfer.htm

If someone uses a spell to heal the damage they take... let them. There is no way that should become an issue.

What might become an issue is if someone tries to become immune to the damage. That's covered in the power I linked.

[DrakeStryker]

Yeah, I thought the "no healing" part of the spell may have been a little harsh, especially considering it's just a first level spell. Maybe have the rest required before healing the spell to be on a sliding scale? So perhaps the first level spell will only take a minute to recover from, and the higher spells may take longer, like ten minutes, an hour, eight hours, a day or something? I'll edit this first spell accordingly, and await to hear more feedback.