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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class 3.5 Healer Fix



artimus261
2017-02-14, 11:59 PM
Disclaimer: This class fix is using my fix for healing spells in general which is as follows: Cure spells can be cast as swift actions at a range of touch but can be cast as standard actions with a range of close. This also applies to the Mass spells which, as a swift action are cast at close range and as a standard are cast at a medium range. This applies to all classes not just the healer. Now tell me how this is broken or whatnot. I’m sure I’m overdoing it to some degree but with how hard it is to keep up with healing and this class intending to be purely a fixer and not even a preventer I felt like they needed a big kick in the pants.

Know entire list: Instead of making the healer worry about what she should be preparing, ‘should i prepare this many cure spells or this many remove spells or what?’ they should simply be allowed to know their entire list. It is already so limited and single minded in it’s application that forcing them to pick and choose on a daily basis seems like nothing short than the creators trying to torture the poor things: “OOHHHH GOOOODS IF ONLY I HAD PREPARED ANOTHER NEUTRALIZE POISON!!!! WHYYYYYYY!?” And while this does force her to increase the casting times of her spells for applying metamagic i feel that with the changes below she can manage more than enough without metamagic and in single rounds.

Healer’s Grace(Su): The healer’s influence increases the body’s ability to heal itself without almost any effort on her part. Beginning at 3rd level whenever the healer casts a spell on a creature that restores hit points it gains fast healing equal to the spell’s level for a number of rounds equal to the healer’s Charisma modifier. The healer cannot benefit from Healer’s Grace. The effects of spells that bestow fast healing do not stack with healer’s grace but the character benefits from the highest amount of fast healing available for the duration of it’s effect and then continues to gain the effects of the lesser amount for the remainder of it’s duration. As an example when the healer casts Greater Vigor, which bestows fast healing 4, the subject gains fast healing 5 since Greater Vigor is a level 5 spell. However after a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier the subject’s fast healing becomes 4 as the remainder of Greater Vigor’s duration passes.
This lets all of the healer’s spell have a nice lasting effect that can let her tend to others.

Swift Cleansing: All of the Healer’s Cleanse abilities are cast as swift actions.
With Curative secret below their cleanse abilities can end up being some of the few ways they can fix themselves since the spells they pick are actually stripped from their lists.

Curative Secret(Su): The healer is able to remove spells from her list at certain levels to apply their effects to all cure spells she casts from that point on. She must be able to cast that spell to remove it at the level given. She can only apply one curative secret to any one target of a cure spell but need not apply the same one to all targets of any given cure spell. For instance a healer of 4th level can now affect anyone with remove fear by simply casting any cure spell upon them after removing it from his list. The healer cannot benefit from her Curative Secrets. The healer gains this ability at 6th, 12th, and 18th and the spells she may remove are listed below:
ease pain, neutralize poison, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, remove fear, remove nausea, remove paralysis.

Healer's Chosen(Su): The healer is highly aware of the condition of living things around her and can pinpoint their ailments without fail. At 5th level the healer can bestow the effects of Status on creatures at will and can have a number of creatures under the effects of the spell simultaneously at any given time equal to her Wisdom modifier. There is no duration limit for this effect. If the healer wishes to bestow the effect on a new target but is at her limit she can choose to end it on an ally of her choice as a standard action. This status can be dispelled from the target as normal however or ends if they enter an area of anti-magic. The healer is aware of the difference between the effect ending due to the targets death or the hindrance of anti-magic sources. Additionally if the status of an ally changes while the healer is asleep she is instantly awoken.

With You at the End(Su): The healer is able to move to the side of her fallen comrades with supernatural urgency. At 17th level the healer can now teleport as an immediate action to an adjacent square to any ally she has selected with the Healer's Chosen that is reduced to dying or has the status effect end by being reduced to dead.

Added Spells
0: Ease Pain(BofExD), Healer's Vision(CmpSc), Healthful Rest(CmpAdv)

1st: Delay Disease(SpCmp), Estanna’s Stew(BofExD), Healing Lorecall(CmpAdv), Invest Light Protection(PHBII), Lesser Vigor(CmpDiv), Ray of Hope(BofExD)

2nd: Benign Transposition(SpCmp), Healing Spirit(PHBII), Heart’s Ease(BofExD), Mass Lesser Vigor(CmpDiv), Remove Nausea(BofExD), Stabilize(SpCmp)

3rd: Bear's Endurance, Channeled Divine Health(PHBII), Circle Dance(SpCmp), Delay Death(RofDest), Insignia of Healing(RofDest), Invest Moderate Protection(PHBII), Remove Fatigue(BofExD), Safe Clearing(SpCmp), Safety(SpCmp), Unicorn Horn(CmpMg), Vigor(CmpDiv)

4th: Dance of the Unicorn(CmpDiv), Dimension Step(PHBII), Heal Mount, Healing Circle(CmpChp), Melf's Unicorn Arrow(PHBII), Seed of Life(CmpChp), Vigorous Circle(CmpDiv)

5th: Greater Vigor(CmpDiv), Invest Heavy Protection(PHBII), Regal Procession(SpCmp), Regroup(PHBII), Spear of Valarian(BofExD), Unicorn Blood(CmpMg), Winged Mount(CmpDiv)

6th: Evacuation Rune(CmpSc), Greater Status(HofBat), Renewed Vigor(PHBII)

7th: Fortunate Fate(SpCmp), Rejuvenating Light(CmpChp), Renewal Pact(CmpDiv), Unicorn Heart(CmpMg)

8th: Mass Restoration(LbMrt), Tactical Teleportation(CmpMg)

9th: Pavilion of Grandeur(SpCmp), Unicorn Manifestation

PHBII: Player’s Handbook II
BofExD: Book of Exalted Deeds
CmpDiv: Complete Divine
CmpChp: Complete Champion
CmpAdv: Complete Adventurer
RofDest: Races of Destiny
SpCmp: Spell Compendium
CmpMg: Complete Mage
CmpSc: Complete Scoundrel
LbMrt: Libris Mortis
HofBat: Heroes of Battle

Heal Mount, Winged Mount: Since the Healer's companion functions roughly as a Paladin's mount it feels right to give the healer these options for their Unicorn Companion.

Additionally the Healer may take the Celestial Heritage feats listed in the Player's Handbook II as if she were a sorcerer of her Healer level.

Some of these spells might seem to get away from the intended role of the healer but the offensive options given to them here truly only allow them some semblance of defense and damage without steering them into the direction as a class. Obviously I ran with the unicorn theme given that they receive one as a damn companion and with the small number of offensive spells that fit in that theme I feel like they can at least do something when an ogre walks right up to them.

On top of those options their new ability to rearrange the battlefield and truly become indispensable when they need to leave a threatened area, move an injured ally to themselves, AND move the fighter right into the face of the baddy makes them very powerful in terms of field control and with regroup she has a panic button, ‘EVERYONE GET THE EFF OVER HERE NOW!” It also helps set her up for some of her multiple-target spells so that with her next action she can grant everyone a nice little heal or tiny buff(like renewed vigor).

All in all I think the improved spell list definitely makes them a powerful ally in combat, able to keep her allies fighting at their peak ability, and even manipulate the battle flow with minor touches. And also not just get completely beat down when she’s cornered.

artimus261
2017-02-17, 01:31 PM
Also granting them the ability to pursue the Celestial Heritage feats as a sorcerer of their healer level. Think it's fair considering their magic and gives them so options they wouldn't have otherwise.

artimus261
2017-03-02, 08:59 PM
Starting to think that with their spell list expanded so much it might stand to reason that they gain a spells known growth instead of simply knowing this whole damn beautiful list. What y'all think?

Though even with this huge list it doesn't allow them to truly deviate from their intended purpose so I'm not sure the restriction is necessary.

nonsi
2017-03-03, 01:58 AM
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1. Let them know the entire list. No reason for further restrictions.
2. Since it's 9th level we're talking about, I'd replace Unicorn Heart with a new spell ("Unicorn Manifestation" maybe) that grants the combined benefits of all 3 mentioned spells. And none of the Unicorn spells should be any higher than its minimum level - especially since the Healer gains a Unicorn mount.

artimus261
2017-03-03, 09:28 AM
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1. Let them know the entire list. No reason for further restrictions.
2. Since it's 9th level we're talking about, I'd replace Unicorn Heart with a new spell ("Unicorn Manifestation" maybe) that grants the combined benefits of all 3 mentioned spells. And none of the Unicorn spells should be any higher than its minimum level - especially since the Healer gains a Unicorn mount.

I love your idea about the blanket spell for the Unicorn effects at 9th level. Do you think that the others things like Healer's Grace, Healer's Chosen, Curative Secret, and With You at the End aren't needed with the expansion of their list?

artimus261
2017-03-03, 10:27 AM
Tell me how this looks. Definitely provides the BANG of a 9th level spell considering it's all granted by a single spell as a standard action
Also probably gonna just drop Melf's Unicorn Arrow to 4th, 6th was extreme, but since it's a fairly versatile offensive spell I don't feel like having it at 3rd would be okay, this way it is on the same level as some pretty important spells for them like Panacea and Revenance which feels balanced to some degree.

Think I should pump up the DR granted to 10? DR 10/evil doesn't seem like too much late game. Also thinking about increasing the maximum number of temporary hit points granted to 60 instead of 30 so it has growth for epic levels.

UNICORN MANIFESTATION
Transmutation (Good)
Level: Healer 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 5 minutes/level (D) or until expended

The full power of the unicorn flows through the healer, empowering them.

Upon casting this spell the full effects of the spells Unicorn Blood, Unicorn Heart, and Unicorn Horn are bestowed upon the user for the duration of this spell. In addition all of the effects that normally end the duration of the spells upon their use can be used up to three times during the duration of this spell before it ends. For instance the healer could bestow a character with temporary hit points equal to twice her healer level with the use of Unicorn Blood, gain the +3 enhancement bonus to her Horn attack as a swift action, and still teleport herself with the effects of Unicorn Heart before ending the duration of this spell. Finally the Smite ability bestowed upon her by Unicorn Heart can be used three times during the duration of this spell.

nonsi
2017-03-03, 05:23 PM
I love your idea about the blanket spell for the Unicorn effects at 9th level. Do you think that the others things like Healer's Grace, Healer's Chosen, Curative Secret, and With You at the End aren't needed with the expansion of their list?

These all seem useful and in place, given the class/character's role.

Also, given that healers are significantly more fragile than clerics, I see no justification in the decision that Healer's Grace and Curative Secret are not self-applicable (heaven forbid they might actually survive at the end of the day). Clerics would still outshine them in most non-healbot roles.
If a set of abilities makes a class feel more round and complete for its role w/o ending up broken or stepping on others' toes - I say let them enjoy the lenient approach rather than ending up feeling that something's lacking.

You've made a good Healer fix overall. Don't quit the Marathon run 100' before the finish line.


Btw, I like what you did with UNICORN MANIFESTATION.
Also, good call on Melf's Unicorn Arrow.

nonsi
2017-03-03, 05:32 PM
Think I should pump up the DR granted to 10? DR 10/evil doesn't seem like too much late game. Also thinking about increasing the maximum number of temporary hit points granted to 60 instead of 30 so it has growth for epic levels.


1. What DR are we talking about here?
2. It is unorthodox (as in quite rare) to allow stat-growth of pre-epic powers to evolve during epic progression. Your call on a case-by-case basis.

nonsi
2017-03-03, 11:40 PM
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Just noticed why you were considering spells-known.
The list of added spells is indeed too big. Try to dwindle it down so that no SL contains more than 12 spells overall. That should definitely suffice. No reason why any healer fix should know every official beneficial spell ever written. Focus on the essentials.

artimus261
2017-03-09, 12:16 PM
1. What DR are we talking about here?
2. It is unorthodox (as in quite rare) to allow stat-growth of pre-epic powers to evolve during epic progression. Your call on a case-by-case basis.

Well as for 1. Unicorn Heart grants DR 5/Evil if the caster is under the effects of the other two as well and I feel like bumping that up a touch isn't outrageous.

As for 2. I feel like it shouldn't be a problem, heck Cure Critical Wounds, Mass gets up to +40 based on caster level so I think i'll go with it since they get it so late in the game

As for the list slimming I'm probably going to eliminate some that are more minor and potentially unnecessary but give the option of them swapping a spell of that spell level with it when they get that spell level(like Hydrate which is only useful if the dm is using Sandstorm content) thanks for your feedback on all of this :) been very helpful

artimus261
2017-03-09, 12:26 PM
I do want to mention that the Beguiler has an butt load of spells known so while i am eliminating some I don't think I'm going to worry about sticking to a specific number, i mean heck the beguiler knows 20 level 3 spells :O

artimus261
2017-03-09, 12:59 PM
Just took the axe to 22 spells on the list, hopefully this slims it down enough and allows them to remain as a powerful new element in a party