A short guide to healing in combat - Discussion thread

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

As far as healing through a divine feat goes Sacred Healing gives considerably more bang for your buck.

The problem with using it in combat, of course, is that it heals the other guys as well. You might be able to deal with this by putting up just before combat begins or just being careful to exclude as many of the enemy as possible.

It's awesome if you're fighting Undead, Constructs or other non-living opponents or for out of combat use.

[Sevash]

A solid feat if you're looking to get a bit more utility out of healing spells (and if Dragon mag content is allowed) is the Invigorating Spellcaster feat from the Compendium.

It has no prerequisites, gives you a +2 bonus to Heal checks (bah) in addition to adding the Invigorating template to your healing spells.  The template can be added as you cast the spell (which means it can be added to spontaneous healing spells), has no spell slot cost, and heals the following conditions in addition to normal hit point damage:  dazed, exhausted, fatigued, sickened, and stunned.

Now if an enemy monk tags someone with a Stunning Fist, even the Healer can shake his head sadly and make a snide remark about how the monk is useless.  The other conditions are either a pain to remove or protect against, and in the case of being dazed is especially bad.  A spontaneously-cast Cure Minor Wounds can help the barbarian catch his breath and get back in the action.  Mass CLW casually removes the problem of a necromancer's Waves of Exhaustion combo.  The Healer handbook makes a comment about how the class is counter-CC, and this adds a fair amount of utility to their spells.

[phaedrusxy]

A solid feat if you're looking to get a bit more utility out of healing spells (and if Dragon mag content is allowed) is the Invigorating Spellcaster feat from the Compendium.

It has no prerequisites, gives you a +2 bonus to Heal checks (bah) in addition to adding the Invigorating template to your healing spells.  The template can be added as you cast the spell (which means it can be added to spontaneous healing spells), has no spell slot cost, and heals the following conditions in addition to normal hit point damage:  dazed, exhausted, fatigued, sickened, and stunned.

Now if an enemy monk tags someone with a Stunning Fist, even the Healer can shake his head sadly and make a snide remark about how the monk is useless.  The other conditions are either a pain to remove or protect against, and in the case of being dazed is especially bad.  A spontaneously-cast Cure Minor Wounds can help the barbarian catch his breath and get back in the action.  Mass CLW casually removes the problem of a necromancer's Waves of Exhaustion combo.  The Healer handbook makes a comment about how the class is counter-CC, and this adds a fair amount of utility to their spells.

Wow. Tacking this onto Close Wounds would allow the fantastic ability to cure all of those status conditions as an immediate action via a 2nd level spell. That's just nuts.

[Sevash]

Wow. Tacking this onto Close Wounds would allow the fantastic ability to cure all of those status conditions as an immediate action via a 2nd level spell. That's just nuts.

This combination effectively negated what was supposed to be the climactic end of a campaign I was in.  People I game with still remember how effective my character was at stymieing our DM's plans, and I was playing a *Healer*.  Our DM was fond of necromancy as a focus for our enemies.  Between being able to easily negate the school's most common adverse effects as well as access to easy undead destruction, I pretty handily annoyed our DM.

Edit:  I just realized another fun way to go crazy-go-nuts with this combination.  Reserves of Strength is usually only good at later levels when it's feasible to gain immunity to stunning, but with this combination a healer can help the friendly neighborhood blaster deal arbitrarily large amounts of damage/abjurer dispel a neutronium golem's buffs/necromancer raise absurd amounts of undead by ensuring that the stunning effect lasts 0 seconds after their outrageously effective spell is cast.  Heck, a human could pull this off themselves as soon as Close Wounds is available, using their resources to heal large amounts of HP damage (which is still a solid idea at low level) and immediately turn around and be not stunned by using their immediate action on themselves.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

hmm ...
Discipline Psychometabolism Erudite and
ditches the psicrystal for Magic Mantle(d) Erudite
Psiotheurgist (healing)/(healing) for more MLs
would look pretty good with a recharge set-up.
Weak upto recharge, thin for the concept until level 7.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Along the same lines of Close Wounds, and also in SpC, is Delay Death.  It will just plain keep someone from dying due to hp damage for round/level, and is an IMMEDIATE action!  Of course, without Diehard  feat, Fierce Pride of the Beastlands spell, or simlar effect, the target will still be laying there unconscious.  But at least he won't die.

Spell Compendium has much more to offer, too:

You oddly did not mention the Revivify spell.  Every party should at the least have scrolls of this (with some means of being able to draw it, move up to the fallen guy, and still have a standard action remaining) for when the healing is not enough or is too late.

The fortunate fate spell is basically paying +1 spell level to turn Heal into a contingent spell.  In other words, you automatically get heal when you need it, and don't have to spend an action doing so.  This is a great deal!

Healing Lorecall is an absolute STEAL.  Only a 2nd level spell, 10 min/level duration (hint: lesser extend rods are only 3k), and for a middling amount of Heal skill ranks, you can remove some pretty nasty status effects up to and including DAZE with ANY conj (healing) spell you cast, even cure minor wounds!!!

Outside of SpC...

A Shadow Sun Ninja (tome of battle), even with just a 1 level dip, can heal an amount equal to his unarmed strike damage.  Which can be maxed out through optimization.  The best part is it's unlimited use.  Only catch is that you need to deliver a negative energy version between each healing use, it's a yin-yang thing.  So... have your SSN be a Necropolitan or have tomb tainted soul.  Or have an ally w/ undead minions.  Viola!  Infinite use large amount healing.  Or in combat just alternate rounds healing allies and maiming enemies.

Amulet of Retributive Healing (MIC): This amulet is dirt cheap (2000 gp), so you can easily add it for +50% to another amulet if you want.  3/day as a swift, you can heal yourself the same amount you just healed someone else.  That's like free Twin Spell on Heal 3/day!  If you're going to be the heal bitch, might as well pick this up, cause you just know the enemies will be trying to shoot the medic.

[phaedrusxy]

You oddly did not mention the Revivify spell.  Every party should at the least have scrolls of this (with some means of being able to draw it, move up to the fallen guy, and still have a standard action remaining) for when the healing is not enough or is too late.

A scroll of Revenance and another of Revivify is the great combo. It delays the amount of time you have to get to your buddy dramatically, letting you take care of it after combat is over rather than having to do it right in the middle.

But... I guess that takes it outside the purview of this thread.

[Jackinthegreen]

Wow. Tacking this onto Close Wounds would allow the fantastic ability to cure all of those status conditions as an immediate action via a 2nd level spell. That's just nuts.

This combination effectively negated what was supposed to be the climactic end of a campaign I was in.  People I game with still remember how effective my character was at stymieing our DM's plans, and I was playing a *Healer*.  Our DM was fond of necromancy as a focus for our enemies.  Between being able to easily negate the school's most common adverse effects as well as access to easy undead destruction, I pretty handily annoyed our DM.

Speaking of Invigorating...  While looking at it, one interpretation of it would suggest that it might work with the Vigor line and cure the chosen ailments (I can't imagine anyone not having all of them apply unless the DM is fond of throwing books over such things) then it's essentially free condition healing when getting healed from the spell, possibly the day if Persisted.

[Waazraath]

I started to include all the suggestions (thnx all, again ). I'm not finished with everything, but got to reply  #20, I'll include the rest later (but first try to experiment with the formatting a bit, any tips on that are welcome as well). Some replies:

@Snakeman830: I reread everything in the books, think you're right about the draconic aura feat. Included it in the text.
@Concerned Ninja Citizen: agree on you regarding prestige paladin and battle blessing (and emphasised the controversionalness of the combo a bit more), but for the purpose of the guide it is worth mentioning that if that interpretation flies, it makes swift heals, mass cures and mass heals possible. As for your comment on Sacred healing: there are 2 versions of the feat (one in Complete Divine, one in PHB2. I included them both.
@Maat Mons: included your suggestion, will go through the thread you recommend later.
@Sevash: sounds interesting, but I can't find the feat. Have the dragon compendium now in front of me, but don't see an Invigorating Spellcaster 

More to follow later!

[Jackinthegreen]

Page 146 has the template and page 147 has the feat.

[Waazraath]

2nd the 'wow' at the invigorating template... damn, I never read that part of my Compendium, but that's good! Also the other spell templates, like shackeled and champion, can be really worth it. Nice!

Ok, added everything (thnx all), with the exeption of what D_M_golem said. Sorry, would like to include it but I really don't have a clue what you're saying (due to my limited knowledge of psionics)... could you explain plz?