The Healer [Base Class]: an alternative to clerics

[Abjurer]

Here's a base class I made a while ago as a less combat-oriented alternative to other divine casters. His crowning achievement is, at 20th level, to be able to cast heal as a quickened spell with a range of 20 ft. This would, I realize as an afterthought, be extremely effective against undead. But clerics sort of are. Meh, it's pretty much for the fun of it. Check it out before you criticize.

The Healer

Alignment
A healer cannot be evil.

Hit Die
d6.

Class Skills
A healer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4 + Int modifier

The Healer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Practiced Healer +1, Healer's Edge|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Defensive Knack|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|First Aid +1|6|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Practiced Healer +2|6|6|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Healing Reach, Golden Vigor|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Subtle Healing|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Practiced Healer +3|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Reflexive Healing 2|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-|-

9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|First Aid +2|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-|-

10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Practiced Healer +4|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-|-

11th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Reflexive Healing 3|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-|-

12th|

+6/+1

|

+4

|

+4

|

+8

||6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-|-

13th|

+6/+1

|

+4

|

+4

|

+8

|Practiced Healer +5|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-|-

14th|

+7/+2

|

+4

|

+4

|

+9

|Reflexive Healing 4|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-|-

15th|

+7/+2

|

+5

|

+5

|

+9

|First Aid +3|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-|-

16th|

+8/+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+10

|Practiced Healer +6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|-

17th|

+8/+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+10

|Reflexive Healing 5|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|-

18th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+11

||6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3

19th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+11

|Practiced Healer +7|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4

20th|

+10/+5

|

+6

|

+6

|

+12

|Reflexive Healing 6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the healer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Healers are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield.

Aura
If a healer is good or lawful, or both, he has a particularly powerful aura of that alignment.

Spells
A healer casts divine spells, which are drawn from the healer spell list. A healer gains bonus spells per day for a high wisdom score.

To cast a spell, a healer must have a wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell level. The difficulty class for a saving throw against a healer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the healer’s wisdom modifier.

A healer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.

Bonus Languages
Celestial, Draconic, and Sylvan are added to a healer’s list of bonus languages.

Practiced Healer
All spells with the healing descriptor cast by a healer are cast at +1 caster level. In addition, at first level, a healer gets a +1 bonus to all heal checks. This bonus to heal checks increases by +1 every three levels thereafter, stopping at +7 when the character reaches level 19.

Healer's Edge
Because the healer specializes almost exclusively in healing magic, his healing spells are more potent than those of other casters at the same level. A healer can add his WIS modifier as a bonus on any spell he casts with the healing descriptor. (Example: Cure Light Wounds at CL 5 would heal 1D8 + 5 + WIS)

Defensive Knack
A second-level healer has had a taste of the front lines, and developed a "sixth sense" towards incoming attacks. While wearing no armor or shield, he may add his wisdom modifier as a dodge bonus to his AC, to a maximum of half his healer level. This bonus is lost whenever the healer would be denied his dexterity to his AC.

First Aid
Beginning at 3rd level, a healer can provide first aid as a move action. In addition, when a healer provides first aid to stabalize an ally who has dropped below zero hit points, the ally gains one hit point. This increases to two hit points at 9th level and to three hit points at 15th level.

Healing Reach
Beginning at 5th level, a healer can cast touch-range healing spells with as ranged touch spells with a range of five feet. At tenth level, the range of the healer's healing reach increases to 10 ft, at fifteenth it increases to 15 ft, and at 20th level to 20 ft.

Golden Vigor
Positive energy flows continuously through the veins of a fifth-level healer. Whenever he falls below half his maximum hit points, he gains Fast Healing 1 for as long as his hit points are below half their maximum. This fast healing can never heal him above half his maximum health. At 10th level, and every 5 healer levels thereafter, the Fast Healing granted by Golden Vigor increases by 1, to a maximum of four at 20th level.

Subtle Healing
Beginning at 6th level, a healer can cast healing spells without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Reflexive Healing
At 8th level, all spells with the healing descriptor of spell level two or lower are automatically quickened. At 11th level, this extends to third level spells, at 14th level it extends to fourth level spells, at 17th level, it extends to fifth level spells, and at 20th level, it extends to sixth level spells.

The Healer Spell List

Spoiler

Show

Spells marked with an asterisk * can be found in the Spell Compendium.
Those with a superscript one ¹ are from the Book of Exalted Deeds.
The ones marked with a two ² are from Complete Scoundrel.
Those with a three ³ are from the Player's Handbook II.

Healer Orisons:
Create Water
Cure Minor Wounds
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Know Direction
Light
Mending
Purify Food and Drink
Read Magic
Virtue

1st-Level Healer Spells:
Bless
Bless Water
Comprehend Languages
Cure Light Wounds
Delay disease*
Detect Evil/Chaos
Entropic Shield
Healer's Vision²
Healthful rest*
Invest Light Protection³
Obscuring Mist
Protection from Evil/Chaos
Remove Fear
Sanctuary
Second Wind¹
Shield of Faith
Vigor, lesser*

2nd-Level Healer Spells:
Aid
Augury
Calm Emotions
Close wounds*
Cure Moderate Wounds
Delay Poison
Ease Pain¹
Estanna's Stew¹
Gentle Repose
Insight of Good Fortune³
Make Whole
Moment of Clarity¹
Remove Addiction¹
Remove Paralysis
Resist Energy
Restoration, Lesser
Stabalize*
Status
Stay the Hand³
Zone of Truth

3rd-Level Healer Spells:
Aid, mass*
Alter Fortune³
Create Food and Water
Cure Serious Wounds
Daylight
Dispel Magic
Heart's Ease¹
Invest Moderate Protection³
Locate Object
Magic Circle against Evil/Chaos
Obscure Object
Prayer
Protection from Energy
Refreshment¹
Remove Blindness/Deafness
Remove Curse
Remove Disease
Remove Nausea¹
Water Breathing
Vigor*
Vigor, mass lesser*

4th-Level Healer Spells:
Air Walk
Blood of the Martyr¹
Channeled Divine Health³
Cure Critical Wounds
Death Ward
Delay death*
Discern Lies
Dismissal
Freedom of Movement
Glory of the Martyr¹
Greater Status¹
Healing Spirit³
Neutralize Poison
Panacea*
Positive energy aura*
Reincarnate
Remove Fatigue¹
Restoration
Spell Immunity
Sustain¹
Tongues

5th-Level Healer Spells:
Atonement
Break Enchantment
Convert Wand¹
Cure Light Wounds, Mass
Energetic Healing¹
Evacuation Rune²
Invest Heavy Protection³
Magical Convalescence³
Renewed Vigor³
Revivify*
Sanctuary, mass*
Spell Resistance
True Seeing
Vigor, greater*
Warding Gems¹

6th-Level Healer Spells:
Banishment
Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass
Dispel Magic, Greater
Heal
Revive outsider*
Starmantle¹
Wind Walk
Word of Recall

7th-Level Healer Spells:
Bastion of Good¹
Cure Serious Wounds, Mass
Fortunate fate*
Refuge
Regenerate
Restoration, Greater
Restoration, mass*
Resurrection
Shield of the Archons¹

8th-Level Healer Spells:
Cure Critical Wounds, Mass
Death ward, mass*
Holy Aura
Shield of Law
Spell Immunity, Greater
Spread of Contentment¹
Visions of the Future³

9th-Level Healer Spells:
Heal, Mass
Miracle
Mordenkainen’s Disjunction
Sublime Revelry¹
True Resurrection

----------
Feats:

Extended Reach Spell [Metamagic]
Prerequisites: Healing Reach, Heal 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks

Benefit: This feat can only be applied to a spell with the [healing] descriptor to which the Healing Reach ability applies. With the Extended Reach metamagic, the range of the spell is increased to Close (25 ft. + five ft. per two levels) as you force your Healing Reach beyond its normal limits. However, tending to allies from a distance is taxing because it it difficult to analyze their wounds without being in contact with them, and as such no other bonuses (such as Practiced Healer or Healer's Edge) apply to a spell modified in this way. An Extended Reach spell uses a spell slot one higher than the spell's normal level.

Special: Because of their strict focus, a Healer may use Extended Reach without increasing the spell's casting time.



Mobile Healer [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Mobility, Healer 6, Wis 15+

Benefits: You are specialized in moving quickly through combat, healing allies and avoiding enemies on the way. You may move before and after casting a spell with the [healing] descriptor, though you may only move up to your normal land speed in a single round. Your movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

Normal: Normally you may only move before or after casting any spell.



Parley [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Charisma 15+, Diplomacy 8 ranks, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), and either access to one or more spell with the healing descriptor or 8 ranks in heal.

Benefit: It's said that actions speak louder than words, but you know the power of well-spoken words. Before you and your party engage an enemy or enemies in combat, you can choose to inform them that you are not a threat, but simply a medic. All intelligent, level-headed enemies that can hear you and can understand the language you're speaking must make a Will save or Sense Motive check (DC 10 + 1/2 your ranks in Diplomacy + your CHA modifier) or be unable to make attacks of opportunity against you. They may still target you and attack you as normal. This effect is broken if you deal any damage to anyone under the effects of Parley. This is a language-dependent, mind-affecting effect.

Normal: Asking someone to not kill you is only more reason for you to die.

-

[Umarth]

It seems a PC would be unlikely to ever take this class. Healing is the least fun part of the game in most peoples opinion.

Still I imagine this would be popular for cohorts.

[Lady Tialait]

I would personally loose the cleric for this class...but then again. I'm not much for agrro clerics.

Healing is one of the Vital funtions of the game....i've played two campaings now that the cleric acually ran out of spells without healing ANYONE...resulting in a TPK...so..maybe this would be a nice addition..

[JackMage666]

The main problem I see if the end result of +7 CL for the Healing spells... That's huge when you put it into spells like Heal or Mass Heal. As well, he can slay undead better than a cleric, because his (ranged) healing spells deal massive amounts of damage.

You might want to consider reducing the CL bonus, is all. +4 at level 20 is considerable better, so you could give a CL increase at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

EDIT - Also, reflexive spellcasting is unusually strong as well. Free Quickening as early as 8th level, and as high level spells as 6th could cause problems. A 20th level Healer casting Heal quickened ever time there's a problem could lead to an unbeatable party.


EDIT2 - I forgot to mention that the Healer is a class in Minature's Handbook. While widely considered underpowered, this could be a decent fix (once some things get squared away) , so the name could stay the same.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yes, but in a campaign without Undead(easily possible), this class is restricted to just healing. And sure, an extra +70 HP with Heal or Mass Heal is big, but at the levels you have access to that HP damage is very, very, very rarely what drops a PC. Usually it's a status effect like Flesh to Stone.

[Magnor Criol]

The main problem I see if the end result of +7 CL for the Healing spells... That's huge when you put it into spells like Heal or Mass Heal. As well, he can slay undead better than a cleric, because his (ranged) healing spells deal massive amounts of damage.

You might want to consider reducing the CL bonus, is all. +4 at level 20 is considerable better, so you could give a CL increase at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Practiced Healer
At first level, a healer gets a +1 bonus to all heal checks. This bonus increases by +1 every three levels thereafter, stopping at +7 when the character reaches level 19. In addition, all spells with the healing descriptor cast by the healer are cast at +1 caster level.

They don't get +7 to caster level, only to heal checks; the +1 to caster level is flat.

Perhaps, to counter the effectiveness versus undead problem (which, as ZeroNumerous pointed out, stands a decent chance of not really being a problem at all), you could simply add some sort of clause that the healer's healing spells lose power when not actively healing, or something. Crunchwise it'd be something along the lines of healing spells that are modified by one of the healer's abilities (perhaps the ranged touch bit) are nerfed versus undead, and fluffwise it'd be something along the lines of a healer's powers are granted to heal, not to harm - even as it applies to undead.

I like the flavor of this class; and despite Umarth's comments, I'd not mind taking this class, I usually play support roles anyhow.

I'd consider adding shield and maybe some armor proficiency. The shield, especially, fits flavorfully with the class, in my opinion.

[Zenos]

I would say put in some stuff like stone to flesh and remove curse and stuff. Maybe also give them a little offensive abilities tied with hypnotism, since hypnotism can supposedly be kind off used in healing.

[Abjurer]

Thank you, Magnor. Yes, the healer does not gain his practiced healer bonus on caster level. That would be ridiculous. I'm pretty sure that's how it's written, so let's read it before shooting it down, yes? Also, heal tops out at 150 hit points, so the worst that's going to happen is a perfect heal spell at fourteenth level instead of fifteenth. Any cleric with the healing domain gets exactly the same thing.

In response to JackMage's criticism of reflexive spellcasting, I do in fact have a reason for every bump and dip in the class progression. All those I can see, leastways. Reflexive spellcasting included. Sure an eighth-level healer can cast quickened second-level spells, but let's look at his options, shall we?

He can give his buddies a +1 to fear and a couple extra hit points! He can calm wild animals! He can heal a spectacular 2d8+10 points of damage! For whom, at eighth level, is ~19 points of healing seriously going to make a significant impact? The healer himself, perhaps, but doesn't it make sense that he can take care of himself on the fly? He can delay poison. He can restore damaged attributes. He can check the conditions of his allies. I like the image of the healer running around patching people up quick. He can cover a whole regiment if he needs to.

And I really don't think he's overpowered.

EDIT: I thought I'd already given him remove curse (or at least meant to), but looking back I don't see it. Thanks, I'll add it now.

EDIT EDIT: Ah, nevermind. It is there. Look under 3rd level spells.

[JackMage666]

Alright, for one the wording on the Practiced Healer is a bit misleading, hence why I thought i was at every gain. Perhaps changing the wording will help.

Well, let's take Reflexive Spellcasting into account another way. If a Cleric want to, say, cast Cure Moderate Wounds quickened, at 8th level, He couldn't, because the +4 Spell Level makes it uncastable. In fact, he wouldn't be able to Quicken a 2nd Level Spell until 11th level. Not to mention it would take up a spell slot at 6th level, rather than 2nd.

In fact, Quickening 6th level spells (barring certain feats), pre-epic isn't possible.

Quickening is powerful stuff. They can cast 2 spells a round, and it won't even take up an advanced spell level.

[Abjurer]

Right, and try to tell me any 20th-level healing-specialized cleric doesn't have access to quickened spells somehow or another. Usually, it's probably through a metamagic rod, but a healer can't use metamagic at all, because he's spontaneous. At least, he can't quicken. This fixes the whole issue and let's him heal in a way that normal clerics cannot. That is, faster.

Please remember, too, that I'm docking quite a lot of stuff for this healing magic. Clerics are proficient with armor. They have 75% BAB progression. They have d8 hit dice. They get higher-level spells sooner than my healer (just as a wizard gets them sooner than a sorcerer), and they're more flexible in their spellcasting. That's not to mention the powerful destructive magic at their disposal.

EDIT: In addition, the reflexive healing ability only applies to healing. This restricts the choices even more. Because of this, an eighth-level healer can cast one quickened cure light wounds or one quickened cure moderate wounds every round. Every round seems like a lot, but healing is likely all the healer will be doing anyway. And one extra member to the party (even if he is an NPC cohort, which seems likely) increases the CR of the party, meaning harder monsters, meaning more necessity for healing. Everything balances itself out, as long as the healing abilities of the healer are not out of proportion to his physical weakness in combat.

[Charlie Kemek]

you might want to lower the level of the healing spells by one, bar the 9th level and the raise dead spells, and maybe even make it so that the class member knows all the spells on the list at any given level. however, they should only be able to cast them at long range at the normal level. do you think that making the member make a heal check when he casts it at long range more balanced with all of this? I am a little new, and it is kind of late over here. if i make a huge mistake, please tell me.

[Abjurer]

The idea of this class is as a better healer than clerics, but at the cost of combat prowise (like, all of it). And now you're suggesting I completely dock the highest-level spells? Mass Heal should be right up there with the caster's favorite spells, should it not? And ressurection spells are sort of what this class is about. They complete the circle, am I wrong? I do not understand your argument; please explain what's wrong. Is the class just too powerful?

[Magnor Criol]

Barring 9th level spells seems like an arbitrary suggestion to me. Perhaps he simply saw others commenting on the power level and wanted to throw out a few suggestions that came to mind.

Perhaps, for some more flavorful abilities here, you could let them do more with the Heal skill. Let them sacrifice a spell (a la the cleric's spontaneous heal-casting ability) to magically empower their hands as they heal someone, giving them the chance to remove a curse, or some other status not usually effected by a Heal check. I'm not sure what mechanics should be involved (what spell level, what sort of DC to set) but I think it'd be a cool addition to the class, and it would let it do something no one else could, not even clerics.

[Abjurer]

But if that's the case, why don't they just cast the spell? I mean, you're sacking a spell to perform exactly the same action as the spell would.

It might be handy in an antimagic field, but empowering your hands with positive energy seems like it would be blocked by antimagic just as well as casting remove curse.

I could let them sac spells to get a bonus on heal checks...

[Fenix_of_Doom]

Alignment
A healer cannot be evil or chaotic.

What do you have against chaos? I can't see why a chaotic good person shouldn't be able to heal.

Other then that, I'd never want to play this class either, but it does do exactly what it's supposed to do.
However I'd up the hit die to D6 or D8 and give access to either light armour or some monk type defences, what use is a healer that dies when he rushes in to save someone?
It also seems to me that handle animal wouldn't be a bad class skill for this class, so that it is also playable as a more nature oriented type.

Edit: with poor BaB, poor weapons and no offensive spells, I think you can safely make this class a bit tougher, it'll never become a combat monster(besides against undead that is).

[Magnor Criol]

I'm merely thinking out loud here, not saying I'm coming up with gems of ideas. =p Giving it an ability like that would simply allowing it to expand the Heal skill in a way that that no one else can do, not even with a feat.

Obviously there'd need to be some sort of boost or incentive to make it a better choice, or at least a viable alternative, to simply casting the spell. I don't know what that incentive would have been. The idea just came to me whilst reading, and so I put it down, rather than let it evaporate from my head as ideas so often do.

[Abjurer]

And I appreciate bouncing ideas off you.

And I'll think about yours, but I found a spell that might cover what you're thinking of. Healing lorecall allows the caster to remove afflictions along with castings of healing-descriptor spells, based on the number of ranks he has in the heal skill. Five or more ranks allow him to remove daze, dazzle or fatigue. Ten or more allow him to remove exhaustion, nausea or sickness. Plus, you can substitute your ranks in heal for your caster level when determining the amount of damage healed by your healing-descriptor spells. So, for example, a third-level healer with six ranks of heal cures 1d8+5 points of damage with cure light wounds.

Speaking of healing spells, I got a Spell Compendium for Christmas, and I've been looking through it for new healing spells. I've found a few, and I'm thinking of adding them to the healer spell list:

-----

1st-level:
Delay disease- like delay poison, but disease. One whole day.
Healthful rest- subjects heal twice as fast as normal. One day.
Vigor, lesser- grants the subject fast healing 1. Up to 15 rounds.

2nd-level:
Close wounds- close-range immediate cure 1d4 +1/level (max+5).
Healing lorecall- use healing-descriptor spells to remove conditions.
Stabalize- pretty much mass cure minor wounds. 1 point to area.

3rd-level:
Aid, mass- aid. mass. and up to 1d8+15 temperory hit points.
Vigor- as lesser vigor, but 2 hp/round, and up to 25 rounds.
Vigor, mass lesser- as lesser vigor, but with multiple subjects.

4th-level:
Delay death- only from hit point loss. It works for a round/level.
Panacea- cures light wounds, and removes magical affliction, poison.
Positive energy aura- heals 1 hp/3 levels in 10 ft, for 1 round/level.

5th-level:
Revivify- raises dead with no level loss, but must be cast immediately.
Sanctuary, mass- sanctuary, except affects one creature per level.
Vigor, greater- as lesser vigor, but 4 hp per round.

6th-level:
Revive outsider- as revive, but can be cast successfully on outsiders.

7th-level:
Fortunate fate- sets contingent heal on target, cast to prevent death.
Restoration, mass- restoration. on multiple targets. and at higher level.

8th-level:
Death ward, mass- protects multiple targets from death magic.

-----

What do you think?

[Magnor Criol]

Healing Lorecall sounds excellent. I'd make it a class feature rather than a spell they can cast, though - either a Spell-Like Ability or even something more pervasively active than that, such as a constant ability. Whatever balance dictates.

I like the expanded list of spells, but you probably want to notate that they're not from core as you add them to the list, putting an asterix or something behind them. This way someone who doesn't have the SpC can still play the Healer. (For this reason, too, if you make Healing Lorecall a class feature, make sure to write it out.)

[Abjurer]

Wow, you're speaking my mind.

I was just deliberating making healing lorecall a sort of... supernatural ability for the healer. I think it would be good, but I don't want to put it in at the start... at least, I don't want to make it a permanent quality at the start... Maybe I'll allow it to work, but only if the healer spends at least a minute working on the subject. Then I can knock it down to, like, two full round actions at 12th level and one full round at 18th... or something.

And yeah, I'd planned to use asterisks.

Also, since I'm expanding the spell list (it does look ever so nice and professional now), I think I'll limit the number of spells a healer can know... sort of like a sorcerer.

[ZeroNumerous]

Also, since I'm expanding the spell list (it does look ever so nice and professional now), I think I'll limit the number of spells a healer can know... sort of like a sorcerer.

...Why? It's not like a Healer is going to be an obscenely powerful caster who completely overshadows anyone else in the party, so there is no point in giving them a restriction on their spellcasting ability. Really, I don't see the class as being overpowered even with a D8 HD, armor, shields, and 3/4th BAB.

[Abjurer]

Good point. I'm not giving him armor or better hit dice or BAB, though. That's one of the points I'm trying to adhere to with this class--that he can't fight.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

Good point. I'm not giving him armor or better hit dice or BAB, though. That's one of the points I'm trying to adhere to with this class--that he can't fight.

Having a D8 hit die or wearing light armour doesn't make you capable of fighting, it makes you capable of surviving.

BTW did you even read the post I made above?

[Abjurer]

Yes, I did. A chaotic cleric would never heal people. I mean, what reason does a divine caster have to cast divine spells if he's chaotic? Probably to incite chaos. And if that's your goal, why on earth would you specialize (exclusively) in healing?

Healers can still wear armor, they just aren't proficient. Heck, they could even take feats and get proficiency; they don't have to worry about spell failure chance. Healers just aren't trained to use armor. They are trained to heal.

Same deal with the hit dice. Healers are not meant to stand up well in heavy fire. They're not trained to confront enemies themselves, and they're not trained to withstand large amounts of damage. They have devoted their lives to an unparalleled mastery of the healing arts just as a wizard is dedicated to the arcane ones.

[Witch]

Yes, I did. A chaotic cleric would never heal people. I mean, what reason does a divine caster have to cast divine spells if he's chaotic? Probably to incite chaos. And if that's your goal, why on earth would you specialize (exclusively) in healing?

Because you like helping people but still value individual freedom?
Because you cannot stand to see people suffer?
Because you want to assist your friends in their struggle against tyranny?

Going further than that, why would evil people not be able to heal?
What if a man wants to keep control over a city by eliminating all other healers, establishing a rule by ensuring he is the only one to combat disease around? What if a man is significantly evil because he is selfish in a sense, but still deeply cares about his hometown, family and friends - just not about anybody else - and wants to help them defend themselves, or conquer? After all, he realizes healing is important.


Thinking evil or chaotic people can't heal is a significant simplification of the alignment system to the point where it makes no sense other than to make people play caricatures of their alignment.

[Magnor Criol]

Yes, I did. A chaotic cleric would never heal people. I mean, what reason does a divine caster have to cast divine spells if he's chaotic? Probably to incite chaos. And if that's your goal, why on earth would you specialize (exclusively) in healing?

I disagree with your point about chaotic characters. Chaotic good characters have every reason to heal friends and allies - they're friends and allies, after all, and that means that they're worry about them (as per the "Good" component of their alignment.) Chaotic speaks to other aspects of behavior, but at least for the reasons you just professed I don't think that they'd be inimical to this class. A chaotic good cleric doesn't cast spells purely to incite chaos; she casts spells to spread good and to counter law. (as far as overarching goals of things go, anyhow.) And healing falls under "Good", in my book.

However, this discussion may be starting to travel off the topic of healer and into the oft-rehashed discussion of what alignment means...which may not be a very fruitful conversation.

In the end, is it really a big deal? If one of us likes this class, but wants to play a chaotic good character, it's simple to just say that we are. It's already a homebrewed character, it's not like homebrewing the homebrew is against some rule or something. =p



To counter the low hit die problem, how about letting the Healer have some abilities to help save his hide in case of a potentially fatal attack? Some sort of Heal check made when they receive an attack that would put them between -1 and -9 hit points that automatically stabilizes them.

This allows a healer to still be quite vulnerable to attack, but they stand a much better chance of surviving a fight, albiet not necessarily in top condition. A party with a Healer in its ranks isn't likely to worry much about other healing methods, so a Healer knocked to negative hit points - and thus losing 1 HP per round - isn't likely to get the aid they require, it would seem to me. An auto-stabilization feature would let them simply hang tight at whatever level below 0 they're at, wait for their comrades to (hopefully) finish the fight, then tend to them with whatever limited means they have.

Fluffwise, it works - someone so well-versed in healing would likely know a trick or two about how to help themselves out if they're in a medical crisis.

-E- Edited for quote clarity.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

Yes, I did. A chaotic cleric would never heal people. I mean, what reason does a divine caster have to cast divine spells if he's chaotic? Probably to incite chaos. And if that's your goal, why on earth would you specialize (exclusively) in healing?

Healers can still wear armor, they just aren't proficient. Heck, they could even take feats and get proficiency; they don't have to worry about spell failure chance. Healers just aren't trained to use armor. They are trained to heal.

Same deal with the hit dice. Healers are not meant to stand up well in heavy fire. They're not trained to confront enemies themselves, and they're not trained to withstand large amounts of damage. They have devoted their lives to an unparalleled mastery of the healing arts just as a wizard is dedicated to the arcane ones.

I hope you are being sarcastic.
Traditionally a healers first rule is: Stay alive, if your dead, nobody will save your companions.
About the chaotic part, healing isn't lawful by any definition.
If creating law is your goal, why would you want to heal exclusively; maybe we should restrict it to neutral good only!!!
Or maybe we should just admit that creating law/chaos has very little to do with the alignments themselves.

[Holocron Coder]

I attempted something like this at one point.. I think the result (Curate) is in my sig as well.

Feel free to steal from it

[Abjurer]

Yeah, it's good for the party wizard or sorcerer to stay alive, too. Everyone's goal is to stay alive, is it not? But for some reason Wizards of the Coast decided to give different classes different proficiencies and hit dice. I rather like the system they came up with. Higher hit dice has no impact whatsoever on a character's will to stay alive, and only a partial one on his ability to do so. If having bad HD was as integral as you're making it sound, no one would play arcane spellcasters.

And if you or anyone else wants to play a chaotic healer, go ahead. I have nothing wrong with it. The reason I discluded evil characters from the class is because traditionally, good clerics focus positive energy and evil clerics focus negative energy. Again, though, you're free to modify it in whatever way you wish. For your own campaign.

[throtecutter]

Healing Reach is useless for actually healing your teammates until level 10 since you can normally heal people from 5 feet away.
Also, on the spell list the healer should get invisibility.
It looks good though.

[Abjurer]

It's still a ranged touch, though. So you can use your dexterity modifier instead, which is probably higher. But for healing teammates, yeah, pretty much useless.

And why should the healer get invisibility? He's not a buff-caster.