@Jdale
The semi professions pay for that versatility in that most healing is higher level for them
I don't disagree, but some of these all encompassing lists basically are a time-gated way to being as good as some of the pure spell users. To my mind, even at higher levels, a semi should never be quite as good as a pure anything, whether Arms user or Pure spellcaster. Granted, a Paladin's PP costs will always be higher, but ultimately they can cure most of the same ailments at high level as a Healer who needs 3 lists (or worse, 5-6 lists in the current system) to do the same. Without trying to sound too critical, I'm just not comfortable with that form of balance.
I'm not proposing a full rewrite; it's far too late in the game to think that would be a reality. This is more a thought experiment that I'm considering for my own house rules, but I think it empowers healing classes across the board. As OLF rightly notes, the
Transference list was certainly a clunky mechanic. I also don't wholly depart from the concept of a Healer who takes injuries onto himself where his healing is
more effective, but I agree that ranged healing is a staple in virtually every other RPG (at least for healing centered classes), so it should be more standardized for a primary Healing class.
Aside: Is the RM Healer (not the Lay Healer) directly influenced by Stephen R. Donaldson's healers in his
Thomas Covenant: The Unbeliever series? It looks like the timelines for publication sync up, in which case the concept of the Healer profession might simply be a freeze-frame of a particular time in the genre, and worth casting aside unless we really look at whether the class is worth playing.