Druid into a competent healer?

[Master Thrower]

Im planning on making a straight druid. how do i turn him/her into a comptent healer?
Books usable are- PH, PLH, Drc, CadV,CD,CA,CW,LB,

[druid91]

1: Prepare healing spells.
2: Remember that you are a druid.
3: Crush everything in your path as some massive monster creature, allowing your party to do mop up. from your lighting blasts, and firestorms, and feet.
4: Cast a couple of healing spells.
5: ???
6: Profit!

Not really.

[Ilmryn]

The vigor line of spells is what you need. They can be cast at the same level as a cleric can. They are out of cobalt healing since they take a few rounds, but they heal more than cures. They are in the spell compendium, I don't know if what book they appeared in initially, it's possible that it was complete divine.

[eggynack]

Instead, depending on your level, you could use sna IV to get a unicorn. They can cast cure moderate once and cure light thrice. This gets more bang for your buck in terms of out of combat healing ( the best healing to boot) and you get a unicorn for a few rounds for unicorn stuff.

[Devmaar]

Don't prepare healing spells.
Buy a wand of Lesser Vigour.
It contains 550 hp for 750 gp.
That's value of more than 0.7 hp per gp.

Now follow steps 3 and onward of druid91's plan.

[Master Thrower]

Don't prepare healing spells.
Buy a wand of Lesser Vigour.
It contains 550 hp for 750 gp.
That's value of more than 0.7 hp per gp.

Now follow steps 3 and onward of druid91's plan.

the problem isnt out of combat healing i have two wands of lesser vigor. its in combat healing im worried about

[WarKitty]

As you get a few levels up, there are some spells you will want to have back-up plans for: restoration, regenerate, and the raise dead line.

Edit: For in combat healing, really you just need to prepare healing spells. Although your time can probably be better spent preparing spells that can get someone away from the enemy or make the enemy stand still. If you want in combat healing, take reach spell. I think there's also an ability somewhere that lets you cast heal spells spontaneously as a cleric.

[mootoall]

The best in-combat healing is killing the people who are hurting your friends. Now, how you're going to get a druid to do that I'll never know ...

[Glimbur]

the problem isnt out of combat healing i have two wands of lesser vigor. its in combat healing im worried about

First, let's assume you are as good as a cleric at healing. That takes some trickery on a druid, but whatever.

Say your 5th level party is fighting a CR 5 monster: a Dire Lion. Your party fighter wears full plate +1 and has +1 from Dex for an AC of 20. The lion does, on average, (14/20)x10.5x2 from claws and (9/20)x7.5 from a bite, for an average DPR of 18 and some change. A 3rd level cure spell cures 3d8+5, or on average 18.5 damage per round. Therefore, if you spend your highest level spell on healing you can about keep up.

Or, as has been suggested, you could instead kill the monster faster. The only hit point that really matters is the last one, barring Power Words or such.

[pwykersotz]

Ocular Spell is also great once you have a few levels. Two heals at once as a ranged touch attack on your ally is great for that 'oh snap' moment.

[Tvtyrant]

The Unicorn suggestion is a good one; you also get regeneration later so your end game healing is equal. Its only Heal that really puts you behind. I suggest Just prepping some healing spells and then converting them to summons if they aren't needed.

OR there is a reserve feat that allows you to heal a small amount of damage and infinite number of times a day.

[Master Thrower]

So I shouldnt take augment healing?

[Aquillion]

the problem isnt out of combat healing i have two wands of lesser vigor. its in combat healing im worried about

As a general rule, combat healing is not so useful. A well-chosen buff/battlefield alteration/save-or-x effect can usually prevent much more damage than an equivalent-level healing spell. Also, high-level spells are most useful in situations where your party is completely screwed (the enemy is massively outdamaging them, or you're unable to hurt them effectively at all, or some similar problem) -- healing can't do that. Most high-level spells are game-changers; healing just isn't, usually.

You're better off focusing your magic on stuff that keeps your party from being damaged in the first place -- buffs to raise their defense, debuffs or save-or-suck or battlefield alteration to keep the enemy from swarming them, summons to take enemies down faster and maybe soak up a few hits, etc. Don't focus on combat healing just because you feel your party needs it -- you don't, really.

With that said, if you still want to heal for thematic or character-concept reasons, Unicorns are definitely the way to go for 'easy' healing -- you don't have to prepare anything, and before you rest you can just dump your 4th level spell slots into healing by summoning unicorns (or your 5th level spell slots into summoning multiple unicorns.) The only problem, of course, is that that means you can't heal until you get 4th level spells.

Or you can just prepare healing spells. I mean, it's suboptimal, sure, but you're a druid, so who cares?

[Master Thrower]

As a general rule, combat healing is not so useful. A well-chosen buff/battlefield alteration/save-or-x effect can usually prevent much more damage than an equivalent-level healing spell. Also, high-level spells are most useful in situations where your party is completely screwed (the enemy is massively outdamaging them, or you're unable to hurt them effectively at all, or some similar problem) -- healing can't do that. Most high-level spells are game-changers; healing just isn't, usually.

You're better off focusing your magic on stuff that keeps your party from being damaged in the first place -- buffs to raise their defense, debuffs or save-or-suck or battlefield alteration to keep the enemy from swarming them, summons to take enemies down faster and maybe soak up a few hits, etc. Don't focus on combat healing just because you feel your party needs it -- you don't, really.

With that said, if you still want to heal for thematic or character-concept reasons, Unicorns are definitely the way to go for 'easy' healing -- you don't have to prepare anything, and before you rest you can just dump your 4th level spell slots into healing by summoning unicorns (or your 5th level spell slots into summoning multiple unicorns.) The only problem, of course, is that that means you can't heal until you get 4th level spells.

Or you can just prepare healing spells. I mean, it's suboptimal, sure, but you're a druid, so who cares?

ok. So I should only actuallty use healing spells when somebody's about to die. Ok. So unicorns and lesser vigor

[BenInHB]

I still like lesser vigor even in combat. It takes out the 1d8 randomness and you get the guaranteed 10hp instead, even if it does take time.

Sharing it with your animal companion is great too. My level 1 druid survived a near TPK with that combo. I had 11hp total so lesser vigor basically doubled my hp, add onto that that i shared it with my Riding Dog and that is 22hp for a 1st level spell at level 1. That is a great deal. The other great thing about it is once its cast it is active with no action on your part. I survived the TPK because even though i was dropped i had already cast vigor several turn earlier and it stabilized me the next round. Several rounds later i was up and running.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

So I shouldnt take augment healing?

Heck no!

Hell, if you want to be a better healer, just pick up the feat 'spontaneous cure' which lets you spontaneously cast any cure spell in your inventory, just like a cleric does.

Congratulations, you're now as good a healer as a cleric. And can still turn into a bear and rip people's faces off.

[Greenish]

The best in-combat healing is killing the people who are hurting your friends. Now, how you're going to get a druid to do that I'll never know ...

Almost had me there.

[Master Thrower]

Heck no!

Hell, if you want to be a better healer, just pick up the feat 'spontaneous cure' which lets you spontaneously cast any cure spell in your inventory, just like a cleric does.

Congratulations, you're now as good a healer as a cleric. And can still turn into a bear and rip people's faces off.

So with those two feats i'll be as good as a cleric and can maul faces. im satisfied.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

So with those two feats i'll be as good as a cleric and can maul faces. im satisfied.

One feat. Spontaneous healer. That's it. There are no other feats.

[Coidzor]

the problem isnt out of combat healing i have two wands of lesser vigor. its in combat healing im worried about

Ah, then the problem is reducing the amount of damage your guys take in combat because Heal is the only remotely effective spell for healing in combat.

[Master Thrower]

Ah, then the problem is reducing the amount of damage your guys take in combat because Heal is the only remotely effective spell for healing in combat.

How would I reduce the damage? without being a bear (and all other things i could turn into. but mostly bear)

[Dr.Epic]

Just memorize mostly healing spells. Also, there's a feat in I think Complete Divine that let's you convert spells you prepared into cure spells.

[Coidzor]

How would I reduce the damage? without being a bear (and all other things i could turn into. but mostly bear)

Well, beating them over the head until the players play better is always an option, since it's not like it's your sole responsibility for the party to have the ability to survive encounters.

[Glimbur]

How would I reduce the damage? without being a bear (and all other things i could turn into. but mostly bear)

Win the combat faster. Entangle half of the enemy party, use Produce Flame and kill people, barkskin the party pre-combat, use your animal companion, etc. You had hit points before, and now you have fewer. If you want to change the battle, adding more hp is not dramatic.

[nedz]

The only useful in-combat healing, IMHO, is Cure Moderate or Heal.

Cure Moderate because it is pretty much garanteed to get someone who is unconcious back on their feet: just in time to use their evasion to avoid the fireball which would have killed them otherwise. Its an action economy thing. Cure Light may or may not get them active, Cure Serious is a higher level spell than you need to allow them to act.

There is also a 5th level spell called Rejuvanation Cacoon in the SpC. This has the same effect as Heal, but takes two rounds to run.

[Lord.Sorasen]

If you can get knowledge (religion) you might consider contemplative.. Or something of this sort to get access to the healing domain. Slightly stronger heal spells (sort of lame that late level) but also access to many healing spells at a lower level, including heal, which a lot of people are talking about here as being a useful in combat healing spells.

Consider your wild shape, as it's one thing clerics can't do: the mobility of flying animals and the like could be your friend when someone is in a bad place.

[Master Thrower]

hmm apart from contemlative how could i get access to the healing domain?

[panaikhan]

I know it's a little outside the book list, but you might want to look at some of the druid variants from PHB2.
One lets you sacrifice spells to give every ally around you fast healing for 3 rounds. This rapidly outstrips Cures for total HP gained (assuming you are in range of everyone).
I also know here's a feat somewhere (I don't have my books to hand) that lets you heal while casting other spells (though you need a K:Nature roll to succeed). Great for blanket buffs.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

If you can get knowledge (religion) you might consider contemplative.. Or something of this sort to get access to the healing domain. Slightly stronger heal spells (sort of lame that late level) but also access to many healing spells at a lower level, including heal, which a lot of people are talking about here as being a useful in combat healing spells.

Consider your wild shape, as it's one thing clerics can't do: the mobility of flying animals and the like could be your friend when someone is in a bad place.

Druids already get Heal and the Cure spells... your point?

[Gnaeus]

Instead, depending on your level, you could use sna IV to get a unicorn. They can cast cure moderate once and cure light thrice. This gets more bang for your buck in terms of out of combat healing ( the best healing to boot) and you get a unicorn for a few rounds for unicorn stuff.

Good advice.

To elaborate, Get a Ring of the Beast (C Champ I think.) That ramps all your summon natures allies up by one category if you can cast a summons of the higher level.

So, a 11th level cleric can use a level 3 spell for cure serious, 3d8+10, avg 23.5. You summon a unicorn with a 3rd level spell, who casts 3 cure lights and a cure moderate=5d8+20, avg 42.

A 4th level cure from the cleric = cure crit, 4d8+11. avg 29. You can either take Rapid Spell and summon a unicorn quickly for avg 42 hp of healing, or Summon 1-3 unicorns, avg 2, for an average of 84 points of healing.

A Heal spell from the cleric = 110 hp. A Rapid Summon Natures Ally 5 (boosted by the ring to 6) summons 2-5 (average 3.5) unicorns, who will heal a total average of 147 hp.

So, you can actually heal more hp damage than a cleric who isn't heavily specced for healing. Also, while the unicorns take longer to do their healing, and they don't have all the beneficial effects of a heal, they do provide free Magic Circle's v. Evil to raise your ac so that you take less damage, they can heal poison, block enemies, and even attack in a pinch. Also, they can spread their healing out among multiple targets.