Topic: Qs on playing the Healer

[DangerMan]

I'm about to play a Healer, for the first time. We've never had one in our previous campaigns, either. Naturally, I have a few questions.

- Subconscious spells (sic!). When caster is unconscious these spells will operate, no SCSM requiered, given that the preconditions for automatic spell casting is not in breach. If caster is conscious, these spells are treated as any other normal spell (i.e. SCSM needed, normal activity 75% etc). Am I correct?

- Joining. Do you need 4 SCSMs, once you have transfered the damage?

- Tactics. Should a healer wait things out, until the combat is over, or should one try to heal up the fighters during the battle? Depends on the given tactical situation, I guess. Comments are welcome!

- Tha doodoo!?! Is the healer possibly the coolest profession ever?!?!?!

[Ecthelion]

I'm about to play a Healer, for the first time. We've never had one in our previous campaigns, either. Naturally, I have a few questions.

- Subconscious spells (sic!). When caster is unconscious these spells will operate, no SCSM requiered, given that the preconditions for automatic spell casting is not in breach. If caster is conscious, these spells are treated as any other normal spell (i.e. SCSM needed, normal activity 75% etc). Am I correct?

SCSMs are only required if the conditions for automatic spell casting are not met. Therefore yes, the spells are then treated just like any other spells, but no, they therefore don't automatically require a SCSM.

- Joining. Do you need 4 SCSMs, once you have transfered the damage?

The four joining spells from the different lists have to be cast to join the limb. On SCSMs see above.

- Tactics. Should a healer wait things out, until the combat is over, or should one try to heal up the fighters during the battle? Depends on the given tactical situation, I guess. Comments are welcome!

That depends on how you handle Touch spells, because the Transfer spell IIRC has a range of Touch. We require that during the complete casting time (i.e. 7-8 seconds in this case) the target needs to be touched. In that case it is only possible to heal another character during combat if that character can move out of combat for a complete round. Therefore the Healer I once played usually cast his spells after combat.

- Tha doodoo!?! Is the healer possibly the coolest profession ever?!?!?!

The healing power is cool at later levels (lvl 8 and higher) and almost any kind of damage can be healed. But OTOH the Healer can often do nothing but healing, which can be boring.

[DangerMan]

Thanks for the reply, Ecthelion! Subconscious spells are powerful stuff!

Transfer is "touch", indeed, and the way you do it make sense.

As for doing nothing but healing, I do not fully agree. If the GM allows it you could take a combat oriented talent and achive a decent OB, allthough at a high price. Add a haste spell, and you're rather deadly. Armour costs are not too bad, either. More importantly, one would have access to a vast array of utility spells, making the healer quite a useful companion.

As a sidenote, I have introduced Mr. Narvonil as a NPC in a campaign I'm GMing. I love the fact that you have made all those characters available online.

[Ecthelion]

As for doing nothing but healing, I do not fully agree. If the GM allows it you could take a combat oriented talent and achive a decent OB, allthough at a high price. Add a haste spell, and you're rather deadly. Armour costs are not too bad, either. More importantly, one would have access to a vast array of utility spells, making the healer quite a useful companion.

Agreed. The Healer Narvonil you mentioned below did just that, developing a bit of combat skills and utility spells etc. IMO it is important to do this in order to not sit bored beside the gaming table most of the time, while the rest of the party is battling monsters, disarming traps etc.

As a sidenote, I have introduced Mr. Narvonil as a NPC in a campaign I'm GMing. I love the fact that you have made all those characters available online.

Thanks 

[Cory Magel]

Healers are, hands down, the best healer. So much so that we didn't bother using Fate Points in the campaign in which one was played.  It is, however, a very one dimensional character and you might need to find a way to spice it up depending on the person playing it.  We actually started ours as a first level Warrior then changed professions to a Healer.  You could also start as a first level Warrior Monk then switch.  Then there's more drastic ideas like playing a shapeshifter.  They can also be extremely handy if the party needs to make an extra buck.  Imagine what people would pay to essentially have a miracle worker heal them.

As to how to actually play the character in combat... just wing it really imo.  It's really not all that different than playing a normal healing type class as far as what to heal when, the only major consideration is if you transfer an injury to the Healer that is going to cause it to go down (unconscious) the party is going to have to weigh the pros and cons of that and how long before the Healer will be back up again.

If you use Talents I would suggest looking through all of the healing related ones, especially the (effective) 150% Concussion Hits one (if I remember correctly).

[MariusH]

I think if I were plating a healer, I'd definitely consider spell mastery in order to give the "transfer" spell a range other than touch. Being able to take serious effects off the fighters in a combat sure will make your group more powerful.

[ToM]

Tinkering with some talents to give him combat abilities (either with blunt weapons or martial arts, which may be uber-cool) becomes a very playable and interesting character. The beauty of suffering and sacrificing for others, enduring physical pain to harden the body and mind, and stuff like that, ya know.

Maybe you can also give him developement progression of a semi spell user, using templates for priests in Channeling Companion (AFAIK, there is a template for a priest of Healing: you can change the lists with those of the Healer and use the template for semi or hybrid priests).

[rdanhenry]

Giving the Healer lists to someone with Semi-Spell User DP costs would make a very potent character. With the existing Healer Profession, you can make a strong combatant, but you pay a price for it in lost opportunities to increase spell-casting ability or otherwise enhance your character (boosting non-magical healing ability, for example, which conserves PPs). I'd make an SSU Healer only if I had a group where I really wanted a PC healer and nobody wanted to play one, as a bribe to play the healer.

An Evil Healer, with access to two Realms of Evil lists, could be quite potent, depending on how Evil lists are treated. Having the Disease list alone offers some interesting possibilities in fraud and emotional manipulation. For most groups, however, this would work better as an antagonist than as a player-character.

[Cory Magel]

Giving the Healer lists to someone with Semi-Spell User DP costs would make a very potent character. With the existing Healer Profession, you can make a strong combatant, but you pay a price for it in lost opportunities to increase spell-casting ability or otherwise enhance your character (boosting non-magical healing ability, for example, which conserves PPs). I'd make an SSU Healer only if I had a group where I really wanted a PC healer and nobody wanted to play one, as a bribe to play the healer.

Gotta agree strongly with rdanhenry here.  Giving a Pure casters spell lists to a Semi caster causes an imbalance in the power.  Semi spell users take longer to gain spells equal to the power of a Pure.  This is one of the things you need to be very careful about.  In the Channeling Companion it states; In the case of a Semi spell user, keep in mind that a Semi spell user's spell lists are, on average, generally weaker than those of a Pure spell user or a Hybrid spell user. Remember this as you create any Semi-Priests. Try to keep the profession balance with those that already exist.

In my opinion you are better off giving the Healer access to some slight fighting ability.  If you develop a particular weapon strongly from the very beginning and pick up some talents geared towards that you can become very efficient with a single weapon skill, allowing a small amount of flexibility in the Healers role without getting too overpowered.

[DangerMan]

I agree, a healer should not be allowed a semi users developent, depending on the overall power level fo the game, of course.

An Evil Healer, with access to two Realms of Evil lists, could be quite potent, depending on how Evil lists are treated. Having the Disease list alone offers some interesting possibilities in fraud and emotional manipulation.

This is something I've been contemplating. IMO "diseases" and "wounding" would fit nicely into the healer concept, for obvious reasons. However, evil lists are very expensive for an hybrid (10/10 at lvl 1-5).

I'm thinking a character with an decent melee OB and wounding would be a terrifying opponent Perhaps, too much so. I never understood why they made those spells instantanious

[rdanhenry]

There are no official guidelines for Evil Hybrids. The basic assumption of the guidelines in Spell Law assume a Pure Spell User trading his additional base list selection to get the Evil lists. Hybrids and Semis are never considered (given the long history of the Anti-Paladin as an RPG minor archetype, and the number of Evil Monks in fiction, this seems a bit odd, really). Allow them as Base lists with the taking of a suitable Flaw as payment, and development is limited mainly by the need to develop all six base lists to be effective as a Healer -- but that would still allow ready development of up to four lists. I'd go with Disease, Necromancy, Mind Disease, and Mind Subversion and serve the God(dess) of Pain and Madness, who approves of healing arts because (s)he wants everyone's suffering to continue (and Necromancy prevents death from being a complete escape). Bwahahahahahaha! If I were going for power rather than character, I'd take Dark Channels instead of Necromancy (instantaneous attack spell!) and Mind Subversion (trading either of the other Mind lists to gain power of control).

[DangerMan]

I thought the rules on evil lists were pretty clear cut; Only pure users may choose evil lists as base lists. Therefor, all other professions follow development costs as given i standard rules Spell list DP cost table T-2.4. For a healer, thus, this would be "same realm/other base list" (mentalism and channeling), or other realm / base list (essence) - which is very expensive.

Other possibilities include training packages, the flaw talent "Dark temptation", or, of course, GM fiat.

I'd go with Disease, Necromancy, Mind Disease, and Mind Subversion and serve the God(dess) of Pain and Madness, who approves of healing arts because (s)he wants everyone's suffering to continue (and Necromancy prevents death from being a complete escape). Bwahahahahahaha! If I were going for power rather than character, I'd take Dark Channels instead of Necromancy (instantaneous attack spell!) and Mind Subversion (trading either of the other Mind lists to gain power of control).

  Nice take on an evil healer. Inspirational!

[Cory Magel]

I wouldn't worry a whole lot trying to balance a Pure vs a Hybrid.  The main differences between those in power is in their profession bonuses, skill costs, and the fact that they are unable to pick an extra four spell lists as a Pure can.  The difference in their actual spell development is trivial other than that.  Their spells may cost them more to develop, but the actual power level of the spells themselves isn't going to make a drastic difference. Although I'm sure an example can be found to prove me wrong.

[TerryTee]

If you are looking at Evil, what will it take to Spell Master Transfer so that you may transfer a wound from a person to another person? 
 
-Terry

[Old Man]

If you are looking at Evil, what will it take to Spell Master Transfer so that you may transfer a wound from a person to another person? 
 
-Terry

LOL. That was the first thing the current Healer in my campaign asked. (The second was about transferring at range.) Since I treat Transferring Ways as an innate ability (curse or blessing take your pick), I said no to both. He is currently playing a Troll to he can suck up a ton of damage, plus has a modicum of combat skills and spells as well.

Ciao,
Old Man

[rdanhenry]

One approach might be to go through first level without any Base lists. Take TPs and purchase skills to build up your "other" focus first. After all, at first level your healing abilities won't be all that amazing anyway. By third level, you can have all your Base lists to level, and some extras.

[Ecthelion]

If you are looking at Evil, what will it take to Spell Master Transfer so that you may transfer a wound from a person to another person? 

Transfer is a Utility spell. Such spells only work on willing targets. Since the type of the spell cannot be changed, be it through Spell Mastery or other means, there is no way to have the Transfer spell transfer a wound to another person that does not want this.

[yammahoper]

Spell Type can be changed with some arcane magic spells. 

Back in an old discussion, this resulted in a guantlet being designed that allowed transfer as an elemental attack at range, with an evil healer that mutilated faithful servants (or himself) and transfered the wounds to foes in battle.  Was a neat discussion.

The spells to change spell type are in the RMSS arcane companion.  Horribly powerful list.

[Ecthelion]

yammahoper, I think this was only possible in RM2. IMO RMSS Arcane Companion does not contain spells that may alter the type of another spell. At least I did not find such spell on a brief look into the book. If you can point out which spell you mean this would be helpful.

[rdanhenry]

yammahoper is correct. Spell Shaping (13.3.4) Arcanist Base list, level 20 Spell Typing is the most unambiguous, allowing the change of any spell of a type other than DE or BE (they actually thought the elemental attack tables were the balance risk for this list!) to any other type of spell except I. Never doubt yammahoper again.