D&D: Increasing the Party's Healing Efficiency

In the game of D&D, combat is an expected event and one can’t help but get injured (or worse, actually die). Healing becomes such an integral aspect of the game that an entire class, the Cleric, is devoted to it. This leads to strange gaming dynamics, from a player fully embracing the part, to others shunning the duty of the party healer. Nonetheless, healing is a necessary aspect of the game, at least if you want your characters to live, and here are some tips to help spread out healing duties among party members and even enable the Cleric save his spells for more offensive or utilitarian uses.

In General:

Heal Skill + Healer’s Kit: The heal skill won’t bring unconscious party members back in action but at least it’ll prevent their death by stabilizing them. It’s also handy when a party member is poisoned and Fortitude isn’t his best save. During downtime, Heal can also increase a character’s natural healing rate making it a must-have even for those who don’t have Heal as a class skill. Character classes with a natural high Wisdom score (such as Monks) equipped with a healer’s kit can, on the average, make the DC 15 check.

Healing Potions: It’s a common advice yet holds true nonetheless: stock up on healing potions. They’re no substitutes for a good Cleric but when the Cleric goes down and you need someone to get him back up, you can’t go wrong with healing potions.

Healing Salve (Tome and Blood pg. 72): They’re just as expensive as potions of cure light wounds and heals less but anyone can make them as long as they make the Craft (Alchemy) check. Make sure your GM allows it as Tome and Blood is a 3.0 supplement.

Healing Hands (Complete Scoundrel pg. 87): While conceivably anyone can obtain this skill trick, it’s best used by those who have Heal as a class skill to make certain that the character you’re stabilizing actually gets healed. It’s best if the non-main healer member in the group gets it so that when the Cleric goes down, the damage healed might just be enough to make him active in the game again.

Faster Healing (Complete Warrior pg. 98): If you have the feat to burn and a high Fortitude save, Faster Healing lets you recover more during periods of rest. Doesn’t do much during combat but that’s one less cure light wounds spell the party healer needs to cast before you go to sleep.

Barbarians:

Not exactly the most savvy of classes when it comes to healing, the general tips applies to Barbarians. However, he’s not necessarily the best character to stabilize other characters during a fight, especially when he’s raging. Leave the fighting to him and the healing to others.

Bard:

Wand of Cure Light Wounds: You don’t need to have the cure spells on your spells known list to utilize this magic item. Better yet, maximize your ranks in Use Magic Device mid to late game and you can use magic items that befits a true party healer such as a Staff of Life.

Cleric:

Sacred Healing (Complete Divine pg. 84) and/or Sacred Purification (Player’s Handbook II pg. 89): Both feats transform what would otherwise be a sub-optimal resource on the Cleric’s part into a source of healing. High Charisma Clerics get the most out of it but even those with a decent Charisma score can get mileage with it thanks to Charisma-boosting items. And unlike the other alternatives, these feats can be used during combat.

Augment Healing (Complete Divine pg. 79), Sacred Boost (Complete Divine pg. 84), Magic of the Land (Races of the Wild pg. 152) and/or Sacred Healing (Player’s Handbook II pg. 89): These feats augment your healing prowess, enabling you to heal more for less expenditure of spells.

Druid:

Wand of Cure Light Wounds: You can never go wrong with additional wands of cure light wounds, especially when the party has no Cleric. And unlike the Bard, you don’t really need to invest ranks in Use Magic Device to utilize staves that contain healing spells.

Spontaneous Healer (Complete Divine pg. 84): With this feat, you don’t necessarily have to prepare cure spells in order to cast them. You can save your spell slots for something more useful and then swap them out when needed.

Augment Healing (Complete Divine pg. 79) and/or Magic of the Land (Races of the Wild pg. 152): Much like what’s been mentioned in the Cleric section, these feats gives you more bang for you buck, especially when the party is lacking the services of a true Cleric.

Fighter:

Combat Vigor (Player’s Handbook II pg. 88): Not a replacement for true healing but recovering 2 or 4 hit points per round in the thick of combat ain’t bad. Aside from that, the advice for Barbarians holds true for Fighters.

Monk:

Wholeness of Body: It’s too easy to forget that amidst the myriad of abilities as Monk has, he can heal himself. Wholeness of Body isn’t a lot and it won’t aid your party members but it’s some healing the party healer doesn’t need to expend on you.

Paladin:

Lay on Hands: Much like the Monk’s Wholeness of Body ability, Lay on Hands can lighten the healing load on the rest of the party and unlike Wholeness of Body, can be used on other characters.

Wand of Cure Light Wounds: Nothing new can be said that’s not said before. They’re like potions except cheaper.

Sacred Healing (Complete Divine pg. 84) and/or Sacred Purification (Player’s Handbook II pg. 89): If anyone should get these feats, it should be the Paladin more so than the Cleric especially considering a Paladin will most likely have a high Charisma score and thus gain more benefits from these feats (not to mention you won’t be doing lots of actual turning against undead).

Divine Spirit (Dungeonscape): By ditching your mount, this alternate class features significantly increases the healing capabilities of a Paladin. Suddenly Lay on Hands doesn’t seem as limited thanks to Spirit of Healing.

Ranger:

Wand of Cure Light Wounds: ‘nuff said. The general advice, especially Healing Hands, was meant for the Ranger more than any other class. You’re no Aragorn but you’re better off than say the Barbarian or the Fighter. Light armor also means that you can get to unconscious party members quicker than others.

Rogue:

Wand of Cure Light Wounds: All it takes is enough skill ranks in Use Magic Device. You’re not limited to wands but other items as well such as staves. Just be sure to invest ranks and money to such items.

Sorcerer:

Polymorph: It’s not the most efficient way to heal but the spell does let you recover hit points equal to a day’s rest.

Summon Monster: You may not be able to heal but that doesn’t mean you can’t summon a monster that can. Summon Monster VI lets you summon a Bralani which can use cure serious wounds twice a day while Summon Monster VII lets you summon an Avoral that can use Lay on Hands equal to its hit points.

Limited Wish: When you’re truly desperate, it’s nice to have an option.

Arcane Disciple (Complete Divine pg. 79): You need to invest in a good Wisdom score but now you have limited access to Cleric domains, specifically that of the Healing domain assuming you worship a deity of healing. Even better, you can start using wands of cure light wounds.

Draconic Vigor (Dragon Magic pg. 17): It’s bits of healing for every spell you cast but hey, 1 or 2 hit points might mean the difference between life and death. Spells that have a casting time of an immediate action can also acts as a “buffer” for lethal damage, even if it’s the lowly feather fall.

Undying Vigor of the Dragon Lords (Dragon Magic pg. 74): Perhaps not as efficient as cure critical wounds but it does come close and is a nice alternative than resorting to say, Polymorph or Limited Wish for healing.

Wizard:

Polymorph, Summon Monster, Limited Wish, Arcane Disciple: See my advice for Sorcerers. Better yet, you can scribe scrolls of these spells so you don’t have to prepare them ahead of time.

Arcane Toughness (Player’s Handbook II pg. 75): While not necessarily something you want to rely on, Arcane Toughness might save you from death during a tight spot.

Synostodweomer (Spell Compedium pg. 218): Again, not the most efficient of methods of healing but this spell helps you out a bit as you don’t have some of the healing options of Sorcerers.