[3.5] Healer Remix: God's Left Hand

[jiriku]

HEALER

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.”

- Hippocrates

The healer is a steadfast supporter of his friends and allies. Armed with powerful buffing and healing spells, he readies his team for battle, cures their wounds, cleanses their afflictions, and even raises them from the dead if the need should arise. Confident and wise, most healers don't seek attention, instead preferring to let others take the spotlight while they assume an advisory role. However, healers are a varied lot, and most pick up a secondary talent or two, becoming able negotiators, strategic battlefield controllers, stealthy scouts, or deadly blasters. A healer eventually gains a divine companion much like a paladin does, which may act as a mount, bodyguard, or adjunct for him.

The healer is a class for cautious or quiet players who prefer to follow along with whatever the other players are doing, supporting as needed. It is also the go-to class for DMs who want to include a DMPC in the party to advise and heal the PCs without overshadowing them or reducing them to mere accessories (as a powerful cleric might do).

Overview / Design Notes:

Spoiler

Despite his superior healing prowess and metamagic skill, the healer is a downgrade from the cleric. This is intentional! Why is that?

Consider this:

Spoiler

Well, Let's talk about class tiers. If you're reading and using my classes, it's because you understand that class tiers are real and they can affect everyone's enjoyment of the game. The aim of my homebrew classes is to find/create a happy medium where everyone can play whatever class they want without having to worry about whether their preference is a "power class" or a "gimp class". The healer and its companion class, the prophet, are intended to replace the cleric class, dividing its capabilities into smaller spheres of ability that won't overpower my other remixed classes.

Ok, so why remix the healer? You all know the conventional wisdom. Healing during combat is a loser's game. It's the gimp's role. Just buy a wand, right?

Consider this:

Spoiler

There are two arguments against playing a healer in D&D 3.5. The first is that it's sub-optimal, because it's easier to deal damage in D&D than to repair it. That's true, but not graven in stone -- with better healing options (such as you'll find herein), the remixed healer can heal damage fast enough to make a real difference in combat. Healing is a good strategy if it's a remixed healer who's healing you.

The second complaint against healing is that it's no fun, that no one would want to play a support role, sitting around waiting for others to get injured. For some, that's a true concern. If you're one of those people, please look at my other classes -- they'll be of more interest to you. But for players who enjoy a supporting role, who don't want to have to run the group, lead the combat, or spearhead the negotiations, you'll like what you'll find here. The healer is a class that makes it easy to participate without forcing you to put yourself on the spot. I've also added a lot of buffing and a little bit of blasting to the healer's arsenal so you can step into that spotlight when you do feel like it.

Finally, if you are the DM of your group, and you're thinking the party is too small and fragile to make it and needs an NPC to heal them from time to time, then the remixed healer is a great option for you. It's got all the right tools to keep your PCs in the game without making them feel like they're just accessories to the NPC. Enjoy!

Credits:

Spoiler

This class draws much inspiration steals shamelessly from T.G. Oskar's healer class, which is an extremely worthy replacement for the original healer. It's so good, in fact, that I was tempted not to make this class at all, but merely to use his. I created this healer chiefly because, as with all of my class remixes, I'm striving to create something that's as true to the mechanics of the original class as possible.

Version Log:

Spoiler

1.0 Original version
1.1 Added Ride to the class skill list. Since the healer can get a mount as a class feature, he ought to be able to learn to ride it well.
1.2 Removed Advanced Learning and the interactions between domains and abilities that mitigated metamagic costs. Restricted domain selection somewhat.
1.3 Adjusted Divine Surge prerequisites.
1.4 Replaced Divine Surge (immediate counterspell) with Divine Surge (fortified healing).

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Healers have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Wisdom determines how many spells a healer can cast, while Charisma determines how powerful his spells are. Constitution and Dexterity help the healer survive attacks.

Alignment: Any, but most healers tend to be of Good alignment, since the class revolves around helping others. Neutral healers appreciate the wealth and respect that a healer’s power brings, while Evil healers view a healer’s talents as a means of making others beholden to them. Good-aligned healers have a broader choice of divine companions than do healers of other alignments.

HIT DIE: d8

Level	Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	-0-	-1-	-2-	-3-	-4-	-5-	-6-	-7-	-8-	-9-
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Domain casting, healing hands	4	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Augment healing	4	4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Divine surge (cleansing)	5	4	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Master surgeon	5	4	4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Extra domain, healer feat	5	5	4	3	–	–	–	–	–	–
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Divine surge (healing reach)	5	5	4	4	–	–	–	–	–	–
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Effortless healing	6	5	5	4	3	–	–	–	–	–
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Divine companion	6	5	5	4	4	–	–	–	–	–
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Divine surge (metamagic surge)	6	6	5	5	4	3	–	–	–	–
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Extra domain, healer feat	6	6	5	5	4	4	–	–	–	–
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Impenetrable casting	6	6	6	5	5	4	3	–	–	–
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Divine surge (immediate healing)	6	6	6	5	5	4	4	–	–	–
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Healing buffer	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3	–	–
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Improved healer magic, last rites	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4	–	–
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Divine surge (ward), extra domain, healer feat	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3	–
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Improved metamagic	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4	–
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Font of life	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Divine surge (fortified healing)	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Eternal rest	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Extra domain, healer feat	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4

CLASS SKILLS (4 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
A healer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

“In nothing do men more nearly approach the gods than in giving health to men.”

~ Cicero

CLASS FEATURES
In combat, your spells and class features make you an effective buffer and healer, and an occasional battlefield controller. While you don’t fight well with a weapon and have few offensive magics, your magic usually ensures that your allies will achieve victory. However, your powerful spells combined with your poor defenses make you a tempting target, so try to stick close to your friends rather than playing the lone wolf. Depending on your choice of divine companion, you might use your companion as a bodyguard, or ride it as a mount and use its mobility to stay out of trouble. In non-combat situations, you have the skills, magic and personality to serve as an able negotiator and a valuable contributor to group efforts.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The healer gains proficiency with all simple weapons. He gains proficiency with light armor and light shields.

Spells: A healer casts divine spells, which are drawn from the healer spell list (below). However, his alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells that are opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs. A healer must choose and prepare his spells in advance, but gains the ability to spontaneously cast spells from his domains (see Domain Casting, below).

To prepare or cast a healer spell, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a healer's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the healer's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a healer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The base daily spell allotment is given in the table above. In addition, you receive bonus spells for a high Wisdom score.

Healers do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they meditate or pray for their spells much as a cleric does. A healer may prepare and cast any spell on the healer spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation. A healer may not prepare or cast a healer spell with an alignment that opposes his own (e.g., a lawful neutral healer may not cast mantle of chaos).

Domain Casting: Choose a deity for your healer. Sample deities are listed on Table 3—7: Deities in the Player’s Handbook, and described on page 106-108 of that book. The healer’s deity influences his alignment, what magic he can perform, his values, and how others see him.

If typical worshipers of a deity include the members of a race, a healer must be of the indicated race to choose that deity as his own (the god may have occasional worshipers of other races, but not healers). When you have chosen an alignment and a deity for your healer, choose one domain from the following list: you may choose the Cure, Life, Renewal, Restoration, or Ward domain (all described in the post below). You gain the domain’s granted power, and you may stack your levels in the cleric, healer, and prophet classes when determining the effectiveness of your domain granted powers.

You can also channel stored spell energy into domain spells that you did not prepare ahead of time. You can “lose” any prepared divine spell to cast any domain spell of the same spell level or lower. For example, a healer with the Cure domain who has prepared command (a 1st-level divine spell), may lose command in order to cast cure light wounds (a 1st-level spell from the Cure domain). Healers can cast domain spells in this way because their devotion to healing, protecting, and furthering their deity’s interests makes them especially proficient with their domain spells.

Healing Hands (Ex): All of your healer spells that provide one or more dice of healing or temporary hit points provide twice as many dice (of the same die size) of healing or temporary hit points. All of your mass cure spells instead provided three times as many dice. Additionally, the spells listed below provide the following benefits instead of their usual effects. These benefits apply only to spells you cast yourself, not to spells you cast from items.

Spell	Effect
Cure minor wounds	heals 1d8
Cure minor wounds, mass	Heals 1d8+1/caster level (max +20)
Faith healing	heals 16+1/caster level (max +5)
Virtue	provides 1d8 temp hp

Augment Healing: Upon reaching 2nd level, the healer gains Augment Healing (CD 79) as a bonus feat, ignoring prerequisites.

Divine Surge (Su): A healer of 3rd level or higher can manipulate positive energy to cleanse afflictions, heal his allies, counter baneful magic, and more. To use this ability, the healer must be wielding or prominently wearing a holy (or unholy) symbol. Each use of divine surge described below requires both a minimum healer level and a minimum number of ranks in the Heal skill to qualify. If the healer does not have at least 6 ranks in Heal, he does not gain Divine Surge class feature until he acquires the needed ranks.

Divine surge qualifies a healer for divine feats as if it was the Turn Undead ability, and the healer can expend divine surge uses in place of turn undead uses when using divine feats. However, some divine feats may not be usable for a healer, since he cannot actually turn undead – good judgment should be used in deciding which divine feats are appropriate.

The healer can use divine surge a number of times per day equal to his class level + his Charisma modifier.

Divine Surge Options:

Spoiler

Cleansing: A healer of 3rd level or higher with at least 6 ranks in the Heal skill can cleanse the afflictions of his allies. As a standard action, the healer invokes spiritual cleansing for all allies within a 60-foot radius emanation, centered on himself. The healer is bathed in a pearly white radiance (which gives him a -40 penalty to Hide checks) for the duration of the effect, which lasts for as long as the healer concentrates, to a maximum of 1 round per healer level.

Each round on the healer’s turn, he cleanses his allies of one of the following negative conditions of his choice: dazzled, nauseated, shaken, or sickened.

By concentrating for two rounds, a healer with 11 or more ranks in the Heal skill can instead cleanse one of the following conditions: deafened, fatigued, frightened, panicked, or paralyzed.

By concentrating for three rounds, a healer with 16 or more ranks in the Heal skill can instead cleanse one of the following conditions: blinded, dazed, exhausted, or stunned.

By concentrating for four rounds, a healer with 21 or more ranks in the Heal skill can instead cleanse one of the following conditions: diseased, petrified, or poisoned. Alternately, a healer with 21 or more ranks in the Heal skill can devote four rounds of concentration to cause affected allies to shed one negative level.

The healer may remove no more than one condition per round, and must remove the same condition from all allies. Thus, if two of his allies are shaken and three of them are sickened, when he activates the power he can either remove the shaken condition from all allies or remove the sickened condition from all allies. He could remove both conditions, one per round, by concentrating on the power to sustain it for two rounds. If one of his allies had also been turned to stone and he had the ability to remove the petrified condition, he would need to concentrate for four additional rounds to cleanse his petrified companion.

Healing Reach: A healer of 6th level or higher with at least 9 ranks in the Heal skill learns to impart healing to allies who are out of reach. As a free action when casting a Conjuration (healing) spell with a range of Touch, you can expend one use of divine surge to change the spell’s range to Close.

This effect is superior under most circumstances to the Divine Ward feat (PH2 88). If the healer possesses the Divine Ward feat, he may opt to retrain it to another allowable feat upon gaining the Healing Reach ability.

Metamagic Surge: A healer of 9th level or higher with at least 12 ranks in the Heal skill learns to channel divine energy into some of his spells to make them more powerful. As a free action when applying a metamagic feat that you know to one of your Conjuration (healing) spells, you can invoke metamagic surge and use it to apply the metamagic without increasing the level of the spell slot in which the spell is prepared or cast. You must spend one use of divine surge for each level increase in the metamagic feat you are using.

This ability may under some circumstances render the Divine Metamagic feat (CD 80) a poor choice for the healer. If the healer possesses the Divine Metamagic feat, he may opt to retrain it to another allowable feat upon gaining the Metamagic Surge ability.

Example:

Spoiler

Deem Pisea the healer could spend two divine surge attempts to empower an insignia of healing spell as he prepares it. If Deem Pisea is spontaneously converting one of his prepared 1st-level spells to cast cure light wounds, he could likewise spend two divine surge attempts to empower it as he casts it. Because he’s using positive energy to augment his spells, the spell slot for the spell doesn’t change.

Immediate Healing: A healer of 12th level or higher with at least 15 ranks in the Heal skill has learned to quickly send a surge of healing magic when it is needed most. As an immediate action, he may activate divine surge to cast a Conjuration (healing) spell with a casting time of one standard action or less (which can be a spontaneously converted cure spell). If he uses this ability immediately after his target(s) take damage, he effectively prevents the damage, which may prevent his allies from dying if the damage they took would otherwise have been enough to kill them.

Ward: A healer of 15th level or higher with at least 18 ranks in the Heal skill can ward his allies against negative energy. As a standard action, he may activate divine surge to place a positive energy ward on all living allies within range. The first time a warded creature is affected by a death effect, an effect that would inflict negative energy damage or negative levels, or any effect which is derived from negative energy (such as the ability-draining attacks of some undead, for example), the effect is negated and the ward is discharged for that creature. The buffer lasts for five minutes or until discharged.

This effect is superior under most circumstances to the Sacred Vitality divine feat (LM 30). If the healer possesses the Sacred Vitality feat, he may opt to retrain it to another allowable feat upon gaining the Ward ability.

Fortified Healing: A healer of 18th level or higher with at least 21 ranks in the Heal skill can fortify his healing spells with an additional beneficial effect. Once per round when you cast a Conjuration (healing) spell, you can make this spell a fortified healing spell and augment it with the effect of another spell you know. Select a secondary spell, which can be any spell you have prepared (or can cast spontaneously), subject to the limitations below. Expend a number of divine surge uses equal to the spell's level. Your fortified spell also grants its target(s) the benefit of this secondary spell as if you had cast it on them as well. The secondary spell is expended as if you had cast it.

The secondary spell must meet a number of requirements:

• It must have the same casting time as the fortified spell.
• It must occupy a spell slot at least four levels lower than the spell slot occupied by the fortified spell.
• It must not be a Conjuration (healing) spell.
• It must have a range of Personal or a Saving Throw entry of Yes (harmless).

Recipients must be legal targets of the secondary spell to gain its benefit. For example, you can't cast Personal-range spells on your allies, affect a distant target with a Touch spell, or affect more targets with the secondary spell than you normally could. Any effect that counters the fortified spell also counters its secondary spell effect. Once the fortified spell has been cast, however, both spell effects function separately.

Master Surgeon (Ex): A healer’s training begins with the mundane arts of the apothecary and the chirurgeon, and he practices such skills with dedication, for inevitably he will face vile wounds, exotic poisons, and strange diseases that cannot be healed through magical means. He may Take 10 on Heal checks even when rushed, threatened, or distracted.

Additionally, he gains a number of new uses for the Heal skill, as shown on the table below:

Spoiler

Task	DC
Identify wounds from vile damage as such	10
Discern that a creature is possessed	20
Treat snow blindness or sun glare	20
Treat high altitude fatigue	20
Treat altitude sickness	25
Enable patient to benefit from magical healing of frostburn damage	35
Enable patient to benefit from magical healing of heatstroke damage in a hot area	35
Enable patient to benefit from magical healing of vile damage without benefit of a consecrate or hallow spell	35
Provide long-term care for self	35
Enable patient to benefit from mundane healing of vile damage within the area of a consecrate or hallow spell	50
Enable patient to benefit from mundane healing of frostburn damage	55
Enable patient to benefit from mundane healing of heatstroke damage in a hot area	55
Enable patient to benefit from mundane healing of vile damage without benefit of a consecrate or hallow spell	60
Discern that a creature is afflicted with a curse	Curse’s save DC
Assist a character recovering from a drug addiction	Recovery save DC
Treat a poison or disease that normally cannot be treated without magic*	+40
Treat a poison or disease that normally cannot be treated, even magically*	+60

*At the DM’s discretion, treating a poison or disease that cannot normally be treated by mundane means may require the would-be healer to procure exotic reagents, rare drugs, or obscure treatment regimens that are not readily available.

Extra Domain (Ex): At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, a healer may select an additional domain. You may select any domain from your list of allowable Healer domains (see Domain Casting, above), or any domain granted by your deity. You can select an alignment domain for your healer only if his alignment matches that domain. You gain the granted power for each of these domains and can spontaneously convert prepared divine spells to spells of this domain.

Healer Feat: At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, a healer may select any divine feat or metamagic feat as a bonus feat.

Effortless Healing (Ex): At 7th level, the healer has learned to cast Conjuration (healing) spells with minimal effort. He does not provoke attacks of opportunity when casting such spells.

Divine Companion (Su): When a healer attains 8th level, his deity recognizes his devotion and grants him a mystical companion to aid him in his endeavors, typically a celestial unicorn.

See the spoiler below for details on the healer’s companion.

Spoiler

The healer may select a bloodbag imp (FF 98), celestial pegasus, or celestial unicorn. At the DM’s discretion, the healer may receive a different creature of similar power, or one of an unusual alignment for its type (for example, a Lawful Good celestial pegasus), but the deity will not send a creature whose alignment is opposed to its own.

Once per day, as a full-round action, the healer may magically call his companion from the plane where it resides. The creature immediately appears adjacent to the healer and remains for 2 hours per healer level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The companion is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the healer may release a particular companion from service (if he wishes to call a creature of a different type, for instance). Each time the companion is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The companion always appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed (including barding, saddle, saddlebags, and the like). Calling a divine companion is a conjuration (calling) effect.

Should the healer's companion die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The healer may not summon another companion for thirty days or until he gains a healer level, whichever comes first, even if the companion is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the healer is distraught and takes a -1 penalty on his caster level.

The divine companion advances as shown in the sidebar The Healer’s Companion (Miniatures Handbook 10). However, the table of alternate companions is replaced with the table below:

12th level or higher (Level -4)
Celestial or Fiendish Water naga (N, CR 8)
Lammasu (LG, CR 8)
Celestial or Fiendish Gynosphinx (N, CR 9)
Fiendish Dark Naga (LE, CR 9)

16th level or higher (Level -8)
Celestial Androsphinx (CG, CR 11)
Fiendish Spirit Naga (CE, CR 11)
Couatl (LG, CR 10)
Dragon Eel (NE, CR 11, MM3 44)

Impenetrable Casting (Ex): Upon reaching 11th level, a healer has perfected his defensive training. He no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for his spellcasting.

Healing Buffer (Ex): A healer of 13th level or higher can use his curative magic to buttress his allies against future injuries. When one of his Conjuration (healing) spells would heal damage in excess of the target’s current injuries, the excess healing is gained as temporary hit points, up to a maximum of the 50% of the creature’s full normal hit point total. These temporary hit points last for one hour. Temporary hit points gained from multiple sources (whether the same or a different source) overlap and do not stack.

Improved Healer Magic (Ex): Whenever a healer of 14th level or higher casts a spell that cures hit point damage, he adds his Charisma modifier to the amount of damage healed. If the spell affects multiple creatures (e.g. mass cure light wounds), each receives the benefit. If the spell provides multiple instances of healing (e.g. darts of healing), the benefit applies to each instance of healing. Improved healer magic only improves spells that directly cure damage; it provides no benefit for spells that grant a creature the fast healing ability (e.g. lesser vigor). These benefits apply only to spells you cast yourself, not to spells you cast from items.

Last Rites (Su): A healer of 14th level can administer last rites to a dead creature, allowing its soul to depart unhindered to its final destination. This at-will ability is a full-round action with a range of Touch that provokes attacks of opportunity. Dead creatures who have received last rites will not return as undead, even if subjected to a spell such as animate dead. Dead creatures that are currently in possession of another creature that is unwilling to permit the rite (e.g. the bodies pinned to a carcass crab or corpse gatherer) receive a saving throw using the possessing creature’s save modifier (as if they were attended objects), and the healer may need to succeed on a melee attack to touch the dead creature. Dead creatures that would normally return to life under their own power (such as a lich or a xorvintaal dragon with the rejuvenation ability) are entitled to a save as well. Other sorts of dead creatures do not receive a saving throw. The save DC is Fortitude based (DC = 10 + ½ healer level + Charisma modifier). A healer with at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (religion) gains a +2 to the save DC of this ability.

Improved Metamagic (Ex): At 16th level, a healer has mastered metamagic to such a degree that whenever he uses a metamagic feat to augment a Conjuration (healing) spell, the required increase in spell level (if any), is reduced by 1 to a minimum of +1 spell level).

This benefit also applies to the healer’s other class abilities, such as divine surge. Thus, using his metamagic surge option to quicken a heal spell would cost three uses of divine surge rather than four.

Font of Life (Su): A healer of 17th level or higher is an unending font of positive energy, and is continuously protected from negative energy and death effects as if by the death ward spell. The healer does not suffer Constitution loss when he casts the death pact spell on himself.

Eternal Rest (Su): Upon reaching 19th level, the healer can now administer last rites from close range instead of touch range. The healer can now use last rites to release tormented spirits that have been denied access to the afterlife, such as ghosts, haunts, the essence trapped by a devourer, or the guardian souls of a death giant. Unquiet spirits receive a saving throw (see Last Rites, above), and trapped spirits save as attended objects (using the saving throw of the creature binding them). If the healer wishes, any creature that receives last rites can be granted eternal rest; the creature is forever dead, and will not return to life even if powerful magic such as miracle, wish, or true resurrection is used.

“The physician should look upon the patient as a besieged city
and try to rescue him with every means that art and science place at his command.”

~ Alexander of Tralles

HEALER SPELL LIST
The healer spell list appears below. All spells are notated with the name and page number of the sourcebook in which they appear.

Spoiler

0 Level: cure minor wounds (PH 216), delay disease (SpC 63), detect magic (PH 219), foundation of stone (SpC 99), purify food and drink (PH 267), read magic (PH 269), summon holy symbol (CC 128).

1st Level: aid (PH 196), bless (PH 205), conviction (SpC 52), cure light wounds (PH 216), endure elements (PH 226), entropic shield (PH 227), expeditious retreat, swift (SpC 85), faith healing (SpC 87), guiding light (SpC 108), healthful rest (SpC 111), inhibit (SpC 123), invest light protection (PH2 115), ironguts (SpC 126), obscuring mist (PH 258), protection from chaos/evil/good/law (PH 266), remove fear (PH 271), resurgence (SpC 174), sanctuary (PH 274), shield of faith (PH 278), vigor, lesser (SpC 229), vision of glory (SpC 231), whelm (PH2 128).

2nd Level: avoid planar effects (SpC 19), bear’s endurance (PH 203), benediction (CC 116), blade brothers (PH2 103), body ward (CC 117), bull’s strength (PH 207), calm emotions (PH 207), close wounds (SpC 48), conduit of life (CC 118), cure moderate wounds (PH 216), delay poison (PH 217), divine insight (SpC 70), divine interdiction (SpC 70), divine protection (SpC 70), eagle’s splendor (PH 225), enthrall (PH 227), false life (PH 229), gentle repose (PH 235), healing lorecall (SpC 110), insight of good fortune (PH2 115), interfaith blessing (CC 123), lore of the gods (CC 124), mark of judgment (PH2 119), master’s touch (PH2 119), owl’s wisdom (PH 259), remove paralysis (PH 271), protection from negative energy (SpC 163), resist energy (PH 272), restoration, lesser (PH 272), share talents (PH2 124), shield other (PH 278), silence (PH 279), soul ward (CC 127), spell immunity, lesser (SpC 199), stabilize (SpC 204), status (PH 284), stay the hand (PH2 126), substitute domain (CC 128), whelming blast (PH2 128).

3rd Level: aid mass, (SpC 8), attune form (SpC 17), conviction, mass (SpC 52), create food and water (PH 214), channeled divine shield (PH2 106), cloak of bravery (SpC 47), crown of protection (PH2 108), cure serious wounds (PH 216), dispel magic (PH 223), divine retaliation (PH2 110), energy aegis (PH2 111), footsteps of the divine (CC 120), grace (SpC 107), inevitable defeat (PH2 115), invest moderate protection (PH2 115), invisibility purge (PH 245), magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law (PH 249), magic vestment (PH 251), mantle of chaos/evil/good/law, prayer (PH 264), protection from energy (PH 266), remove blindness/deafness (PH 270), remove curse (PH 270), remove disease (PH 271), renewed vigor (Ph2 123), resist energy, mass (SpC 174), resistance, greater (SpC 174), resurgence, mass, (SpC 175), safety (SpC 179), sonorous hum (SpC 196), stifle spell (PH2 126), vigor (SpC 229), vigor, mass lesser (SpC 229), wall of light (SpC 234), weapon of energy (SpC 236), wind wall (PH 302).

4th Level: aligned aura (CC 116), blessing of the righteous (CC 104), channeled divine health (PH2 106), contingent energy resistance (SpC 52), cure critical wounds (PH 215), cure minor wounds, mass (new spell), dampen magic (CC 118), death ward (PH 217), delay death (SpC 63), freedom of movement (PH 233), globe of invulnerability, lesser (PHB 236), hand of the faithful (SpC 109), healing spirit (PH2 114), imbue with spell ability (PH 243), magic weapon, greater (PH 51), mystic aegis (PH2 120), neutralize poison (PH 257), panacea (SpC 152), planar tolerance (SpC 158), positive energy aura (SpC 161), recitation (SpC 170), repel vermin (PH 271), restoration (PH 272), revenance (SpC 175), seed of life (CC 127), sheltered vitality (SpC 188), shield of faith, mass (SpC 188), spell immunity (PH 282), wall of chaos/evil/good/law (SpC 233), wall of sand (SpC 235), whelm, mass (PH2 128).

5th Level: break enchantment (PH 207), cure light wounds, mass (PH 216), darts of life (CC 118), dispel chaos/evil/good/law (PH 222), divine retribution (CC 119), etherealness, swift (PH2 113), hallow (PH 238), healing circle (CC 122), invest heavy protection (PH2 115), life’s grace (SpC 131), magic convalescence (PH2 118), mana flux (PH2 119), plane shift (PH 262), raise dead (PH 268), revivify (SpC 176), righteous wrath of the faithful (SpC 177), sanctuary, mass (SpC 179), spell resistance (PH 282), stalwart pact (SpC 204), surge of fortune (CC 129), triadspell (SpC 224), unhallow (PH 297), vigor, greater (SpC 229), wall of dispel magic (SpC 233), wall of stone (PH 299), zone of respite (SpC 244), zone of revelation (SpC 244).

6th Level: antilife shell (PH 199), bear’s endurance, mass (PH 203), blade barrier (PH 205), bull’s strength, mass (PH 207), chasing perfection (PH2 106), cure moderate wounds, mass (PH 216), dispel magic, greater (PH 223), eagle’s splendor, mass (PH 225), energy immunity (SpC 80), forbiddance (PH 232), globe of invulnerability (PHB 236), heal (PH 239), heroes’ feast (PH 240), overwhelm (PH2 120), owl’s wisdom, mass (PH 259), rejection (SpC 172), resistance, superior (SpC 174), restoration, mass (SpC 174), revive outsider (SpC 175), righteous burst (PH2 123), vigorous circle (SpC 229), word of recall (PH 303), zealot pact (SpC 244).

7th Level: brilliant blade (SpC 40), cure serious wounds, mass (PH 216), ethereal jaunt (PH 227), fortunate fate (SpC 99), planar bubble (SpC 158), plane shift, greater (SpC 159), refuge (PH 269), regenerate (PH 270), rejuvenating light (CC 126), renewal pact (SpC 173), repulsion (PH 271), restoration, greater (PH 272), resurrection (PH 272), spell resistance, mass (SpC 199).

8th Level: antimagic field (PH 200), brilliant aura (SpC 39), chain dispel (PH2 105), cloak of chaos (PH 210), cure critical wounds mass (PH 215), death pact (SpC 60), death ward, mass (SpC 61), dimensional lock (PH 221), holy aura (PH 241), lion’s roar (SpC 133), shield of law (PH 278), spell immunity, greater (PH 282), unholy aura (PH 297), wall of greater dispel magic (SpC 234).

9th Level: astral projection (PH 201), etherealness (PH 228), gate (PH 234), heal, mass (PH 239), mind blank (PHB 253), miracle (PH 254), true resurrection (PH 296).

[jiriku]

NEW HEALER DOMAINS

Spoiler

These new domains are usable by any class, but are created especially for healer characters.

Cure domain
Granted Power: All of your spells that heal dice of damage use dice one die size larger (d12 maximum) to determine the amount of damage healed. This benefit applies only to spells you cast yourself, not to spells you cast from items.

If you have the ability to spontaneously cast your domain spells, you can spontaneously cure minor wounds and mass cure minor wounds as if they were Cure domain spells for you.

Level	Spells
1st	cure light wounds
2nd	cure moderate wounds
3rd	cure serious wounds
4th	cure critical wounds
5th	cure light wounds, mass
6th	cure moderate wounds, mass
7th	cure serious wounds, mass
8th	cure critical wounds, mass
9th	heal, mass

Life Domain
Granted Power: All of your spells that grant dice of temporary hit points use dice one die size larger (d12 maximum) to determine the amount of temporary hp granted. This benefit applies only to spells you cast yourself, not to spells you cast from items.

If you have the ability to spontaneously cast your domain spells, you can spontaneously virtue as if it was a Life domain spell for you.

Level	Spells
1st	aid
2nd	false life
3rd	aid, mass
4th	delay death
5th	revivify
6th	righteous burst
7th	resurrection
8th	lion’s roar
9th	true resurrection

Renewal Domain
Granted Power: Once per day as an immediate action, negate an effect that would inflict a debilitating status (such as blinded, dazed, stunned, etc.) on you or an ally within close range.

Level	Spells
1st	remove fear
2nd	remove paralysis
3rd	remove blindness/deafness
4th	panacea
5th	break enchantment
6th	heal
7th	regenerate
8th	renewal pact
9th	heal, mass

Restoration Domain
Granted Power: Once per day as an immediate action, negate an effect that would inflict ability damage or negative levels on you or an ally within close range.

Level	Spells
1st	resurgence
2nd	restoration, lesser
3rd	resurgence, mass
4th	restoration
5th	break enchantment
6th	restoration, mass
7th	restoration, greater
8th	fortunate fate
9th	heal, mass

Ward domain
Granted Power: Once per day when you cast a spell, the spell does not have its usual range, targets, effect, or area. Instead, it appears as an opaque or translucent, square wall with dimensions of up to twice the size of your current space (e.g. 10 ft by 10 ft for a Small or Medium creature, or 20 ft by 20 ft for a Large creature). The effect lasts for one round per level instead of its normal duration. The wall must touch at least one corner of your space and can extend in any direction. It must be continuous and unbroken when created, although it will be constrained by nearby major terrain features (thus, you can use it to wall off a passage or an open doorway). Any creature passing through the wall takes damage equal to that normally dealt by the spell, or 1 point per spell level if the spell does not normally deal damage (Ref half, using the normal DC for a spell of that level cast by you).

Level	Spells
1st	sanctuary
2nd	shield other
3rd	wind wall
4th	globe of lesser invulnerability
5th	wall of dispel magic
6th	globe of invulnerability
7th	repulsion
8th	wall of greater dispel magic
9th	mind blank

NEW HEALER SPELLS

Spoiler

These new spells are usable by any class, but are created especially for healer characters.

CURE MINOR WOUNDS, MASS
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Cleric 3, Healer 4, Prophet 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart

You invoke the holy words and gesture at your allies. Instantly, their wounds begin to mend.

This spell works like cure minor wounds, except as noted above, and the spell heals one point of damage per caster level (maximum 20 points).

[jiriku]

Reserved for future development.

Corrupted Healer:

[Teln]

Since ranks in Heal (and to a lesser extent Ride) are a must-have for this class, I find myself wondering if 4+Int modifier skill points/level are enough.

[jiriku]

That's a valid concern. I'm hoping that spells like divine insight, insight of good fortune, lore of the gods, and share talents are sufficient to close the gap. With these, the caster can gain significant bonuses to certain skills, or reroll a failed skill check. Plus, since they're all pretty low-level, a high-level healer can use them a lot. What do you think?

[Seerow]

First, why doesn't the Healer get the Cure domain as a free domain? Having a healer who can't spontaneously heal because he picked a different domain at level 1 seems funny to me. I doubt it would overpower anything to give it Cure Domain plus one more at level 1.

Second, why do 3 of your new healer domains have Heal, Mass as their 9th level spell? Seems kind of a waste, given that's the primary method for spontaneous casting for the Healer.

I'd also recommend making the Advanced Learning spells castable spontaneously. Additionally, since you have a focus on metamagic here, allowing metamagic to be applied to spontaneous spells without the extra cast time being incurred would be pretty nice.

[jiriku]

Wow. You want *more*? I was figuring with the spontaneous domain casting and the built-in discounted divine metamagic and the cheaper metamagic and the easy immediate ranged heals that it was maybe too much.

What other 9th level domain spells would you suggest?

[Seerow]

Originally Posted by jiriku

Wow. You want *more*? I was figuring with the spontaneous domain casting and the built-in discounted divine metamagic and the cheaper metamagic and the easy immediate ranged heals that it was maybe too much.

You do have a lot of neat toys in here, but remember, healing in of itself is a pretty weak role. Giving spontaneous quickened heals isn't anywhere near the same power level of spontaneous quickened Dominate Monster, or Wail of the Banshee.

Also, I'm comparing it to the base healer, which is a pretty weak class, but has 100% spontaneity. While I like the direction you went with giving prepared spells, and a smaller selection of spontaneous spells, I find it funny to imagine a Healer who can't actually spontaneously cast healing spells, while any cleric who's CoDzillaing it up without actually caring about healing can. Giving the cure domain as the first domain 100% of the time, or making it a bonus domain in addition to the others.

The rest of what I mentioned falls under the realm of "would be nice". The advanced learning spells becoming spontaneous would translate into 5 extra spontaneous spells known, and chances are those spells won't be affected by the majority of your class features.

What other 9th level domain spells would you suggest?

Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know when I looked through the domains and saw more than half with the same 9th level spell, something seemed off. I mean, someone could avoid that problem by taking deity domains instead of the overlapping domains, but it still seems... wasteful. There may be something in spell compendium, or really even make something up that is fitting with the domains in question, since you're already homebrewing.

[jiriku]

Originally Posted by Seerow

Also, I'm comparing it to the base healer, which is a pretty weak class, but has 100% spontaneity.

The original healer is a prepared caster and cannot cast cure spells spontaneously. Does that change your assessment any?

[Seerow]

Originally Posted by jiriku

The original healer is a prepared caster and cannot cast cure spells spontaneously. Does that change your assessment any?

Oh wow it sucked harder than I thought then. I'm comparing it to the other specialized classes which -can- spontaneously cast from their full specialized spell lists.


If you tell me all of them are prepared as well, then I've lost my mind and probably should stop talking.

[DaTedinator]

I echo the sentiment that it should be a spontaneous caster, along the lines of the Beguiler or Dread Necromancer.

Also, it could really use a capstone. Right now, the closest thing it has is the ability to prevent people from being resurrected. It can be useful in the right situations, sure, but when your entire class is focused around a single function, and you've stuck with it for twenty levels, I feel like you deserve Regeneration, or the ability to cast True Resurrection for free, or something.

[T.G. Oskar]

Originally Posted by DaTedinator

I echo the sentiment that it should be a spontaneous caster, along the lines of the Beguiler or Dread Necromancer.

Also, it could really use a capstone. Right now, the closest thing it has is the ability to prevent people from being resurrected. It can be useful in the right situations, sure, but when your entire class is focused around a single function, and you've stuck with it for twenty levels, I feel like you deserve Regeneration, or the ability to cast True Resurrection for free, or something.

This'll sound like shameless self-promotion, but...

Notice that jiriku mentioned he wanted to do the Healer "in the flavor of the original", which means he intended to make it Wis-based prepared spellcaster instead of spontaneous specialist (which is the term I use to distinguish sorcerers and bards from beguilers, dread necros and warlocks). To resemble the original, he needs to make it a prepared spellcaster.

If not, and if he had the capstone you suggest...well, notice the first spoiler he has? That's basically suggesting he rips off my job; he decided that the capstone (basically, having none) and the abilities would be strikingly different from mine, echoing the original (which was basically prepared spells, a plethora of spells cast as spell-like abilities 1/day, and the unicorn companion which was the only ability that really progressed alongside spellcasting).

Besides, the class does have a capstone...basically it ends a chain of three level based abilities, gaining a plethora of spells, more powers, an extra feat and one more 9th level spell. Just because it doesn't have a named, unique capstone doesn't mean he doesn't has one (the level is quite certainly not-dead, and adding a capstone to that 20th level would make it really cluttered)

jiriku, one thing tho: text states that you learn new spells at 3rd level and then every 4 levels afterwards, table states you learn new spells at 4th level and then every 4 levels afterwards. Does 1st one apply, or does 2nd one apply?

[Renchard]

I've been browsing your stuff for the past few days, and I have to say I'm really impressed. I made some changes to my planning for upcoming game to use your elemental classes as the main arcane orders of the setting, because they fit so exactly with what I wanted them to feel like. Kudos!

One design note...please don't give in to people asking for 20th level capstones. I feel they're one of the worst design flaws in Pathfinder, simply because they're conceptually fun but gameplay irrelevant, as virtually no one plays at 20th level. Put game changing class abilities between 8-12th level, so they can actually get some use!

[Seerow]

Originally Posted by Renchard

I've been browsing your stuff for the past few days, and I have to say I'm really impressed. I made some changes to my planning for upcoming game to use your elemental classes as the main arcane orders of the setting, because they fit so exactly with what I wanted them to feel like. Kudos!

One design note...please don't give in to people asking for 20th level capstones. I feel they're one of the worst design flaws in Pathfinder, simply because they're conceptually fun but gameplay irrelevant, as virtually no one plays at 20th level. Put game changing class abilities between 8-12th level, so they can actually get some use!

The main argument in favor of a big capstone is that it discourages multiclassing. No matter what you're doing, there's probably a prestige class out there that does what you're trying to do with the base class, that has some really cool unique features you can pick up by going into it.


By introducing a lategame capstone, you introduce a real tradeoff for multiclassing. Also, as you mention, so few games continue past 20, having a really cool gamebreaking capstone is largely irrelevant, so you can make that capstone exceedingly good and cool, without worrying too much about balance (and even if you are worried about balance, compare it to some of the stuff you get from multiclassing out and you figure 'eh, this really isn't that over the top afterall).


I'm not saying the Healer specifically needs something more than it already has at level 20. Eternal Rest is pretty cool. Having an at will make undead go away is always nice. It could easily be shifted up to 20 and be good... but then that leaves 19 as a dead level (and dead levels always suck). Maybe shift the Healer Bonus feats from level 5 + 1/5 levels to level 4+1/5 levels. This also solves the minor annoyance of the bonus feat and extra domain coming at the same level every time.

[Renchard]

Originally Posted by Seerow

The main argument in favor of a big capstone is that it discourages multiclassing. No matter what you're doing, there's probably a prestige class out there that does what you're trying to do with the base class, that has some really cool unique features you can pick up by going into it.

By introducing a lategame capstone, you introduce a real tradeoff for multiclassing. Also, as you mention, so few games continue past 20, having a really cool gamebreaking capstone is largely irrelevant, so you can make that capstone exceedingly good and cool, without worrying too much about balance (and even if you are worried about balance, compare it to some of the stuff you get from multiclassing out and you figure 'eh, this really isn't that over the top afterall).

While I've heard the capstone logic before, I disagree with it. The best way to discourage multi-classing is to have cool features that are dependent on your class level to improve. I mean, if you want to throw a capstone on, that's fine, but don't make it distinct from every other ability you've gained. Make it a natural extension of a previously existing class feature series. If you're going to have a capstone, Eternal Rest is a pretty good one. Powerful in a narrative sense as much as a gameplay sense, and a fitting growth to earlier existing powers.

[Realms of Chaos]

I honestly don't see why this thing would need any more power than it currently has. It's already looks like a very solid tier 2 class.

Though it does have a limited spell list, spontaneous casting from 5 domains allows you to snare most spells that you'd want (if you plan ahead), Advanced learning gets you additional buffs that you'd need, and you have more uses per day of your divine feats (and you get bonus divine/metamagic feats).

Unless I'm missing something, a healer can battle as a persist spell self-buffer fairly well (especially as there are so many buffs in the spell list). Even if the bad BAB looks like it prevents this, simply persisting Divine Power is enough to be a brawler anyways.

In fact, a combination of bonus metamagic feats, better spells per day, and more versatile spontaneous casting (even a cleric spontaneously casting from domains has only two domains to choose from while this class can get 5 domains, 5 cleric spells of choice, and cure spells if they select spontaneous healer as a feat) may make this class a bit more powerful than the cleric in certain situations.

[jiriku]

Spontaneous Casting: My philosophy is that if you want a healer with spontaneous casting and a capstone, you should use Oskar's healer. It's really quite good. But my schtick when remixing weak classes is to preserve the playstyle and feature set of the original class as much as possible. I want the class to play the same way as the original healer and do the same things as the original healer, but simply fill its role better and pull its weight in a party of Tier 3 classes. Still, spontaneous casting of at least some spells is a design goal since I'm blending a little more cleric into the healer (see below for notes on that).

Oskar: Good catch. The table is wrong. I'll correct it.

Renchard: Thank you! I'm really pleased. The elemental classes haven't seen much playtesting, so please give me your feedback. I'm open to adjusting them if they prove over/underpowered at any level.

Realms of Chaos: I had the same concern. It's no godling, but I'm worried that I overshot the mark. I'm considering one or more of the following possible nerfs to reduce the power somewhat:

1. Eliminate metamagic surge and improved metamagic for domain spells.
2. Eliminate spontaneous domain casting and grant Spontaneous Healer as a bonus feat at level 1.
3. Eliminate the free domain slot at level 1 and automatically grant the Cure domain at that level.
4. Bar healers from taking the Death, Destruction, Strength, Undeath, or War domains.

What do you think?

[Realms of Chaos]

Having you considered getting rid of advanced learning (or letting the healer choose between a domain and a doubled advanced learning at 5th level and every 5 levels afterwords)? Although it seems good to do it and keep in step with other healing specialists, your domains pretty much do the exact same job and then some.

Restricting the metamagic effects to healing spells is probably a good idea (if I'm reading your first suggestion properly).

Combining your second and third idea, perhaps keep spontaneous domain access but replace the first level domain with spontaneous healer? Giving the cure domain wouldn't grant any new spells known and though the boost to the healing dice is nice, healing hands seems like more than enough for 1st level.

The last idea sounds interesting. I'd definitely say yes to death/undeath but I could imagine a healer of Hextor/Heironous wanting the strength/war domains to serve on the battlefield so... do as you see fit.

Also, have you considered giving this class a way to sneak in buffs to allies along with heals (beyond temporary hit points) such as through temporary buffs like field medic from heroes of battle or through a reversed duskblade channeling ability (letting you target someone targeting by your healing spell with an additional spell).

[Zaydos]

Looks neat. I was going to suggest that you don't allow metamagic surge and improved metamagic for domain spells but it seems that you've already thought of that so I'll second the idea instead.

[jiriku]

WHACK goes the nerf-bat!

• Eliminated Advanced learning.
• Removed the interactions between domains and the features that mitigate metamagic costs.
• Restricted domain choices for the domains granted at 1st level.

With these restrictions, I think the Healer still has the freedom to define secondary roles for himself outside of mere healing, but he's not likely to be ABSOLUTELY AWESOME at them, and certainly won't be as strong as he is when operating within the intended core class function of healing and buffing.

I'm also considering the idea of heal w/buff rider. I like the concept, just need to decide on how to implement, and what I might be willing to sacrifice to make room for it.

Feedback from all and sundry is still welcome.

[Renchard]

Jiriku,

Still looking over your changes for evaluation.

Question 1. Why does the Divine Surge ability require level+2 ranks in Heal, when all of your elemental casters, for example, require the more customary level+3 max ranks in a skill?

Second question, if you were going to make a Tier 3 campaign based around your classes, what other core classes would you add in to support?

My current list is:
Bard
Beguiler
Dread Necromancer
Warblade
Crusader
Swordsage
Barbarian(?)

[jiriku]

1. That was a holdover from an earlier version of the healer that gained divine surge at level 2. I usually spend about 20-30 hours building these classes before posting them, and the extensive revision process sometimess bites me in the ass. It's now corrected.

2. I'd add factotum to that list, and warlock can be made suitable with a very minor fix (we give it an eldritch blast of 1d6/level, and two invocations at 1st level + 1 new invocation every level thereafter -- works great!). Barbarian is not really functional.

I've been working on a fighter remix for the past six months (fighter is much harder to fix than the other classes) which upgrades/replaces the barbarian, fighter, marshal, and samurai. I'll be posting it in Homebrew for further feedback and review once I finalize the dawnblade and the healer.

Down the road, I also expect to be writing the Prophet, an aggressively focused divine caster, the Shapeshifter, an arcane transmutation specialist, the Seer, an arcane divination/abjuration specialist, and probably a rewrite of the warmage.

Near term, you could also look into some other homebrew. T.G. Oskar has a decent warmage fix, Frog Dragon has a good Seer class, and Benly has made the Divine Soul, a domain caster that I particularly like.


Edit: I have added a fortified healing option to divine surge, allowing you to add a lower-level buff spell to a higher-level healing spell once per round. I removed the immediate counterspell divine surge option to make room for it, since that ability didn't really mesh well with the rest of the class features anyhow.