Upcoming Base Class - Healer

[EO]

We are hoping to release another hak update sometime in the new year, perhaps earlier. In the meantime, here's information on the upcoming future base class, the healer, which is adapted from the Miniatures' Handbook version. Keep in mind that further modifications may be made before it is implemented.

Class Information:

The hurts of the world are manifold. Minor accidents are common, and usually easily dealt with. However, when conflict and all out warfare occur, they leave misery and hurt in their wake that can stagger the imagination. While good-aligned clerics are called upon to heal, their complex obligations and abilities often get in the way of pure solace and remediation. Not so the healer. One of the healer's great purposes in life is to provide protection, and failing that, healing, to all good people who require his aid.

Healers are trained in the use of simple weapons and can use light armors without penalty, since it does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. However, a healer who uses metal armor or any kind of shield is severely hampered. The armor of a healer is restricted by traditional oaths, not simply training. A healer knows how to wear light metal armor and could become proficient with medium or heavy armor, but wearing metal armor or bearing a shield would violate his oath and suppress his healer powers. His ethos requires a certain vulnerability that allows him to more fully empathize with those in his care.

WARNING: To cast a spell, a healer must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level. For example, to cast a 9th-level spell, a healer must have a Wisdom of 19.

- Alignment Restrictions: Must be good.
- Base Attack Bonus: +1 / 2 Levels.
- Hit Die: d6.
- Primary Saving Throws: Fortitude, Will.
- Proficiencies: All simple weapons and light armor. Healers are not proficient with shields.
- Skill Points (*4 at 1st level): 4 + Int Modifier.
- Spellcasting: Divine (Wisdom-based, spell failure from armor is ignored).
- Ex-Healers: A healer who is no longer good or grossly violates their ethos (such as by refusing to heal an ally or a good-aligned creature) loses all healer spells and abilities and cannot gain levels until they atone and become good again. A healer who wears metal armor or wields a shield temporarily loses all healer spells and abilities until they have unequipped the prohibited equipment and rested.

Class Skills: Concentration, Heal, Influence, Lore, Parry, Spellcraft.
Unavailable Skills: Animal Empathy, Use Magic Device.

ABILITIES:

Level
1: Healing Hands - Add Wisdom modifier to hit point damage healed from healing spells.
2: Skill Focus (Heal)
3: Cleanse Paralysis (1x/day) - Cast Remove Paralysis as per the spell.
4: Cleanse Disease (1x/day) - Cast Remove Disease as per the spell.
5: Cleanse Fear (1x/day) - Cast Remove Fear as per the spell.
    Cleanse Paralysis (2x/day)
6: Cleanse Poison (1x/day) - Cast Neutralize Poison as per the spell.
    Cleanse Disease (2x/day)
7: Combat Casting
    Cleanse Fear (2x/day)
    Cleanse Paralysis (3x/day)
8: Cleanse Poison (2x/day)
    Cleanse Disease (3x/day)   
9: Cleanse Blindness (1x/day) - Cast Remove Blindness/Deafness as per the spell.
    Cleanse Fear (3x/day)
    Cleanse Paralysis (4x/day)
10: Cleanse Petrification (1x/day) - Cast Stone to Flesh as per the spell.
     Cleanse Poison (3x/day)
     Cleanse Disease (4x/day)
11: New Breath (1x/day) - Remove exhaustion from a single target.
     Cleanse Blindness (2x/day)
     Cleanse Fear (4x/day)
     Cleanse Paralysis (unlimited)
12: Cleanse Petrification (2x/day)
     Cleanse Poison (4x/day)
     Cleanse Disease (unlimited)
13: Cleanse Spirit (1x/day) - Cast Greater Restoration as per the spell.
     New Breath (2x/day)
     Cleanse Blindness (3x/day)
     Cleanse Fear (unlimited)
14: Cleanse Petrification (3x/day)
     Cleanse Poison (unlimited)     
15: Improved Combat Casting - No attacks of opportunities when casting in combat.
     New Limb (1x/day) - Cast Regenerate as per the spell.
     Cleanse Spirit (2x/day)
     New Breath (3x/day)
     Cleanse Blindness (4x/day)
16: Cleanse Petrification (4x/day)
17: New Limb (2x/day)
     Cleanse Spirit (3x/day)
     New Breath (4x/day)
     Cleanse Blindness (unlimited)     
18: Cleanse Petrification (unlimited)
19: New Limb (3x/day)
     Cleanse Spirit (4x/day)
     New Breath (unlimited)
20: New Life (1x/day) - Cast Resurrection as per the spell.

Feats:

Healing Hands

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 1.
Specifics: Whenever a healer casts a healer spell that cures hit point damage, he adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) per spell level (minimum 1) to the amount of damage healed. This extra healing cannot exceed the maximum healing the spell would do without it. If a spell heals damage for more than 1 round, it heals this extra damage in each round.

This bonus applies only to spells with the healing descriptor that he casts as a healer, not to those that he may have by virtue of levels in another class.
Use: Automatic.

Cleanse Paralysis

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 3.
Specifics: The healer can cleanse paralysis once per day, as if casting a remove paralysis spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 5, three times per day at level 7, four times per day at level 9, and an unlimited number of times at level 11.
Use: Selected.

Cleanse Disease

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 4.
Specifics: The healer can cleanse disease once per day, as if casting a remove disease spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 6, three times per day at level 8, four times per day at level 10, and an unlimited number of times at level 12.
Use: Selected.

Cleanse Fear

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 5.
Specifics: The healer can cleanse fear once per day, as if casting a remove fear spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 7, three times per day at level 9, four times per day at level 11, and an unlimited number of times at level 13.
Use: Selected.

Cleanse Poison

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 6.
Specifics: The healer can cleanse poison once per day, as if casting a neutralize poison spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 8, three times per day at level 10, four times per day at level 12, and an unlimited number of times at level 14.
Use: Selected.

Cleanse Blindness

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 9.
Specifics: The healer can cleanse blindness and deafness once per day, as if casting a remove blindness/deafness spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 11, three times per day at level 13, four times per day at level 15, and an unlimited number of times at level 17.
Use: Selected.

Cleanse Petrification

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 10.
Specifics: The healer can restore a petrified creature to health once per day, as if casting a stone to flesh spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 12, three times per day at level 14, four times per day at level 16, and an unlimited number of times at level 18.
Use: Selected.

Cleanse Spirit

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 13.
Specifics: The healer can restore a creature to health once per day, as if casting a greater restoration spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 15, three times per day at level 17, and four times per day at level 19.
Use: Selected.

New Limb

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 15.
Specifics: The healer can regrow a creature's lost or damaged body parts once per day, as if casting a regenerate spell. This ability can be used twice per day at level 17, and three times per day at level 19.
Use: Selected.

New Life

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 20.
Specifics: The healer can bring a dead creature back to life once per day, as if casting a resurrection spell. A creature thus raised has no chance to rise as an undead. This ability does not require the need to place diamonds near the corpse.
Use: Selected.

New Breath

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 11.
Specifics: The healer can remove exhaustion from a creature once per day. This ability can be used twice per day at level 13, three times per day at level 15, four times per day at level 17, and an unlimited number of times at level 19.
Use: Selected.

Extra Healing

Spoiler: show

Type of Feat: General
Prerequisite: Healer level 4.
Specifics: The healer's ability to cure hit point damage is particularly potent. He gains a +1 bonus on his healing hands, plus an additional +1 bonus per four healer levels.
Use: Automatic.

Spell List

Spells:

Spoiler: show

Level 0
Cure Minor Wounds
Detect Poison
Light
Resistance
Virtue

Level 1
Bless
Burial Blessing
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Ironguts
Protection from Alignment
Regenerate Light Wounds
Remove Fear
Remove Paralysis
Sanctuary

Level 2
Aid
Benediction
Clarity
Cure Moderate Wounds
Lesser Restoration
Protection from Curses
Regenerate Moderate Wounds
Remove Blindness and Deafness
Remove Disease
Resist Elements

Level 3
Continual Flame
Cure Serious Wounds
Lionheart
Magic Circle against Alignment
Mass Aid
Negative Energy Protection
Neutralize Poison
Prayer
Protection from Elements
Remove Curse
Restoration
Vision of the Omniscient Eye

Level 4
Cure Critical Wounds
Death Ward
Freedom of Movement
Healing Circle I
Mass Protection from Curses
Mass Resist Elements
Regenerate Serious Wounds
Seed of Life

Level 5
Aura of Glory
Healing Circle II
Mass Protection from Elements
Raise Dead
Regenerate Critical Wounds
Spell Resistance
Stone to Flesh
Stoneskin
True Seeing

Level 6
Greater Restoration
Greater Stoneskin
Heal
Healing Circle III
Mass Restoration
Planar Ally
Regenerate

Level 7
Healing Circle IV
Mass Negative Energy Protection
Mass Spell Resistance
Resurrection

Level 8
Aura vs Alignment
Mass Death Ward
Mass Heal
Premonition

Level 9
Gate
Sacred Haven
Undeath's Eternal Foe

[EO]

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Healer healing bonus apply to other classes?
No, only to spells cast as a healer.

Where is my unicorn?
We've decided not to give them the unicorn for thematic reasons and also because mounts don't work well in NwN. It's similar to how paladins also don't get their mount.

Shouldn't they get Animal Empathy?
Handle Animal works differently in PnP than it does in NwN, and healers get it for their unicorn. Paladins also don't get it in NwN, even if they do in PnP.

Do they need to worship a deity?
The answer to that depends on the setting they come from. We have not finalized the rules but they will likely be similar to how we handle other non-cleric/favored soul divine casters.

Will Healing Hands apply to damage dealt to undead?
Yes.

Wait, don't we already have a feat named Healing Hands?
Yes, but we'll rename the existing one Healer's Touch to avoid confusion.

I thought you guys were sticking to the source books when adding content. Why have you altered this class?
We try to emulate PnP as much as possible, but we've always tweaked classes to a lesser or greater extent either for balance or technical reasons. Healers, like warmages, were very lackluster in the source books, and we've decided to make them more potent at what they specialize in, healing.

[ASymphony]

The armor of a healer is restricted by traditional oaths, not simply training. A healer knows how to wear light metal armor and could become proficient with medium or heavy armor, but wearing metal armor or bearing a shield would violate his oath and suppress his healer powers.

I presume this should be "knows how to wear light armor [....]"?

[EO]

The armor of a healer is restricted by traditional oaths, not simply training. A healer knows how to wear light metal armor and could become proficient with medium or heavy armor, but wearing metal armor or bearing a shield would violate his oath and suppress his healer powers.

I presume this should be "knows how to wear light armor [....]"?

No it’s written correctly. Since they have light armor proficiency they know how to wear any light armor, including metal, but they won’t. Hence the phrasing.

[Darmaniac]

It is what i wanted to build mostly when i made my healer for NCE has a Cleric High Priest! Oh well.. wonder if ill make another type of healer eventually.

[AZJaguar]

This class is exactly what I tried to fashion my main character as for Nimara Starwind. lol.

[Talis]

I think this looks quite cool. One thing that stood out to me was:

"New Life
Type of Feat: Class
Prerequisite: Healer level 20.
Specifics: The healer can bring a dead creature back to life once per day, as if casting a resurrection spell. A creature thus raised has no chance to rise as an undead. This ability does not require the need to place diamonds near the corpse.
Use: Selected."

So you might remember I've been someone who has asked for something like this for Clerics in the past, to encourage people to seek resurrections and the like from PCs rather than NPCs. So, good, love this.

Is there any chance you could consider a similar feat for Clerics? The spell True Resurrection could easily be flavoured that way. Either that or letting Clerics access the feat too.

I feel like parity there would be nice given the classic role of the Cleric in relation to healing people or bringing them back and the slight danger that this new class diminishes that.

It'd be nice as an RP tool, too.

Edit: I've just learned about Burial Blessing, so that alleviates my concern somewhat.

[HM01]

For a class that is so non-combatant, I would slip Energy Buffer into their spell book. Otherwise, looks interesting.

[Maiyannah]

I feel like the only design goal this class accomplishes is taking one the emblematic roles of Clerics and doing it better.  Not a fan.

[HM01]

I feel like the only design goal this class accomplishes is taking one the emblematic roles of Clerics and doing it better.  Not a fan.

Perhaps you are missing the point of the class entirely then, the design goal clearly is aimed at people who want to play a healer and not leave their party wondering why they aren't at 40+ ab crushing the server as a cleric.

[Merry Munchkin]

Clerics have always been martial oriented, with healing and other support functions as almost ancillary RP features of the class.  This just cements this, and shifts the bulk of support function to the healer.  I suppose I am a fan of this -- cleric and healer are now the two faces of what was once only one class.

[Vantes-]

I feel like the only design goal this class accomplishes is taking one the emblematic roles of Clerics and doing it better.  Not a fan.

Perhaps you are missing the point of the class entirely then, the design goal clearly is aimed at people who want to play a healer and not leave their party wondering why they aren't at 40+ ab crushing the server as a cleric.

This.

The point of Cleric is not to be a healer. Clerics can focus a little bit into healing, sure. And nothing will stop someone from still doing that. But this specific class is aimed at a more specific type of healer. It takes nothing away from Cleric.

[myrddraal]

I feel like the only design goal this class accomplishes is taking one the emblematic roles of Clerics and doing it better.  Not a fan.

I mean personally I just see the class as a worse cleric because they cant wear armor and will be entirely reliant on others to do anything.  They also dont really get that many useful buffs so I cant think of any reason why most parties would even want one mechanically.  They only get really useful spells to help with party synergy at like level 4 with negative energy protection and stoneskin but otherwise it looks like they lack armor of faith which clerics get or any other boost to AC.  All that said, there is a way that COULD make it much more useful as an undead blaster.  If they were given a feat that could make them cast healing spells from a greater distance so they dont need to send the MAYBE fully buffed 20 ac person in to get slapped like Chris Rock as soon as they step near any hostile mobs with opportunity attacks that would help give them a bit more viability.

With the introduction of burial blessing to not need to worry about corpse raising failing, the biggest feature this class really seems to have unique to it is that you dont need diamonds to raise the dead, but Voodans dont either unless that was fixed, and thats at level 20.

[KovosDatch]

I feel like the only design goal this class accomplishes is taking one the emblematic roles of Clerics and doing it better.  Not a fan.

I mean personally I just see the class as a worse cleric because they cant wear armor and will be entirely reliant on others to do anything.

Rp flavor class, but outpaced by clerics. Yep, I see this too.

[MAB77]

And we're not branding it as anything more than that either. It is a support character highly specialized in life magic and little else. It won't appeal to everyone, will indeed be a harder challenge than playing a cleric, will be dependent on others for protection, and on herbalism for self-buffing. All this is perfectly fine and are no hindrance to being an interesting character. We add flavor and options as per the tabletop game, free for you to use or not.

[KovosDatch]

And we're not branding it as anything more than that either. It is a support character highly specialized in life magic and little else. It won't appeal to everyone, will indeed be a harder challenge than playing a cleric, will be dependent on others for protection, and on herbalism for self-buffing. All this is perfectly fine and are no hindrance to being an interesting character. We add flavor and options as per the tabletop game, free for you to use or not.

I mean I'd much rather see bloodline RP added to the Sorcerer existing class, but I'm not disappointed other classes are being added. Just seems strange not to add things that we were told were being looked into for classes that already exist over more or less coding a completely new class. But hey, thanks for more options regardless!

[MAB77]

To be quite frank, scripting a new class, depending on the features that need to be scripted, is often easier and faster than resolving the hardcoded issues preventing us to add sorcerous bloodlines as we'd like them to be (which btw is still very much a project some of the devs work on). Working on something does not prevent us from working on other things in parallels either. But this is off-topic, let's return to the topic at hand: healers.

I've posted drafts for potential healer's packages. Do not discuss them here, but send me your thoughts in private messages on how to tweak/improve them.

[Cody]

I was hoping to see the Heal and Mass Heal spells be at a lower level like how the Healing domain clerics get to enjoy, but will this class at least have a faster spell slot progression compared to clerics?

Does the healing hands feat apply anything to the regenerate spells?

This class might end up being the newest best rogue dip support. You can provide amazing healing while also crushing all the locks and traps.

Edit edit
I wonder if it would be possible if a level 20 healer could divine the location of an ally's corpse somehow....

[ladylena]

Looks pretty cool! So it's a healer that is a totally focused on healing. Not seeing how this would be a bad thing. It would allow Clerics to still do their thing, but clerics tended to be more battle focused anyway, so having a class that is purely healing focused is neat.

Sure it is more like a rp class, but this is a rp server, so not seeing how that's a bad thing. I do wonder if this will be compatible with the Hallowed Witch PrC as it really fits the theme of the religion.

Also, are there going to be some clarifications on what sort of oaths? It just seems a little odd for a healer to be restricted to no shield or metal armour which is rather akin to a druid. So how will this work with deities that are more combat oriented? And is there clarification as to why no shield or metal armour? Will chitin be allowed to be used in place of metal armour like druids?

[Cody]

Does the Healings Hand feat really need that cap on the healing bonuses not being allowed to go past the spell's original limit? Seems to defeat the benefit of the feat and Extra Healing when Healing Domain clerics are able to easily cast the same spells but at an empowered version anyway.

So for example... At possibly level 9 a Healer can cast Healing Circle 2.
If their wisdom modifier at that stage is +4 (they also can't raise it higher on their own since they don't get Owl's wisdom)
They get a +2 to healing damage points from the Extra Healing feat.
The spell level of the spell is 5, so their bonus healing would 4+2 multiplied by 5. The total healing bonus will be 30.
So they'd be able to basically max out the limits of Healing Circle 2 at level 9. Since it is only (imo a measly) 2d8 + 15 caster levels = 31.

I think it would be more unique and useful if the class could surpass that limit, like for Healing Circle 2 being 2d8 + 15 caster levels + Healing Hands bonus.

[RedMoney]

I'd say give them an animal companion or familiar (no evil familiars) to replace the loss of the Unicorn, OR do away with the alignment (none or non-evil only) and armor restrictions since being good enough for a unicorn is sort of the reason those restrictions exist and it would allow a more diverse cast of healers to show up.

[Skelni]

I'd say give them an animal companion or familiar (no evil familiars) to replace the loss of the Unicorn, OR do away with the alignment (none or non-evil only) and armor restrictions since being good enough for a unicorn is sort of the reason those restrictions exist and it would allow a more diverse cast of healers to show up.

I think removal of their alignment restrictions seems reasonable. I'm seeing healer as someone proficient with their abilities. The whole consideration of it being a faith based class and all that just seems like a whole lot for no reason.

[MAB77]

Looks pretty cool! So it's a healer that is a totally focused on healing. Not seeing how this would be a bad thing. It would allow Clerics to still do their thing, but clerics tended to be more battle focused anyway, so having a class that is purely healing focused is neat.

Sure it is more like a rp class, but this is a rp server, so not seeing how that's a bad thing. I do wonder if this will be compatible with the Hallowed Witch PrC as it really fits the theme of the religion.

Also, are there going to be some clarifications on what sort of oaths? It just seems a little odd for a healer to be restricted to no shield or metal armour which is rather akin to a druid. So how will this work with deities that are more combat oriented? And is there clarification as to why no shield or metal armour? Will chitin be allowed to be used in place of metal armour like druids?

Yes, healers will be compatible with Hallowed Witch, though that will not make acquiring the class any easier.
//Addendum just realized the Hallowed Witches are restricted to True Neutral alignment, so no.

Regarding the oath, it is explained in the source material that "Her ethos requires a certain vulnerability that allows her to more fully empathize with those in their care". There will be no clarification beyond that. The Hippocratic Oath of doctors could serve as a good starting point for players wishing to flesh out their own vows.

At least for Forgotten Realms, it was duly clarified in an official article from Wizards of the Coast that "Healers could be members of any non-evil religions, but never associated with gods of the death, destruction, hatred, metal, retribution, suffering, tyranny, undeath, or war domains (Ilmater being an exception). Other clergies with known healers included those of the dwarven goddesses Berronar Truesilver and Sharindlar, Lurue the Unicorn Queen and Torm the god of paladins."

It is not decided yet if the same restriction will hold true for other and all settings. For instance, a healer could fit as a Pure Heart, despite Ezra having the Destruction domain. Though they would always face suspicions for not manifesting the Shield anyway.

Chitin is not metal, therefore yes a healer could wear a chitin plate, at the cost of investing 2 feats.

[Alcoholic Squirrel (Birdman)]

I feel like the only design goal this class accomplishes is taking one the emblematic roles of Clerics and doing it better.  Not a fan.

Common misconception, Clerics aren't healers. They CAN heal but they are better off just buffing up getting an enormous amount of AB, entering improved expertise, and fighting basically whatever the heck they want. This is commonly referred to as CoDzilla (Cleric or Druid-Zilla  )

I'd say give them an animal companion or familiar (no evil familiars) to replace the loss of the Unicorn, OR do away with the alignment (none or non-evil only) and armor restrictions since being good enough for a unicorn is sort of the reason those restrictions exist and it would allow a more diverse cast of healers to show up.

I'd be for alignment being 'Any Non-Evil' rather than only good. I could easily see Healer's charging for their services and that's hardly out of the goodness of their heart. Neutral and Evil divine casters are capable of healing but I could only see Good or Neutral characters making this a focus of theirs.


Honestly an interesting choice and funny because on another thread on the forums I jokingly said they oughta include something from miniatures handbook. Class is usually considered a joke in 3.5 Tabletop but it just might work for NWN. I'm for it!

[Bizarro]

This is good, healer good!
They will be great for the gameplay! I'm so happy.