New Healing Spells

[bkdubs123]

Cure Light Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

You channel positive energy that heals the target 1d10 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +5) regardless of whether the creature is normally vulnerable to positive energy or not. Any healing that would be in excess of the target creature's maximum hitpoints is granted to that creature in the form of temporary hitpoints which last 1 minute.

Cure Moderate Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Cure Light Wounds except the healing/damage is 3d10, +1/caster level (maximum +10).

Cure Serious Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Cure Light Wounds except the healing/damage is 5d10, +2/caster level (maximum +20).

Cure Critical Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Cure Light Wounds except the healing/damage is 7d10, +2/caster level (maximum 40).

Mass Cure Light Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

You channel positive energy throughout a large area restoring 1d10 hitpoints +2/caster level (maximum +20) to each selected creature within range regardless of whether the creatures are normally vulnerable to positive energy or not.

Mass Cure Moderate Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Mass Cure Light Wounds except that the healing/damage is 3d10 hitpoints +2/caster level (maximum 40).

Mass Cure Serious Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Mass Cure Light Wounds except that the healing/damage is 5d10 hitpoints +2/caster level (maximum 40).

Mass Cure Critical Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Mass Cure Light Wounds except that the healing/damage is 7d10 hitpoints +2/caster level (maximum 40).

Minor Heal
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

You channel powerful positive energies healing the touched creature for 10 hitpoints +5/caster level (maximum 25) and removing the following effects: Fear, Blindness, Deafness, and Sleep. Any healing that would be in excess of the touched creature's maximum hitpoints is granted to that creature in the form of temporary hitpoints which last 1 minute. This spell even heals creatures which are normally vulnerable to positive energy but does not remove effects from such creatures nor does it grant them temporary hitpoints.

Lesser Heal
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Minor Heal except that the healing/damage is 15 hitpoints +10/caster level (maximum 100), and removing all effects that Minor Heal can as well as Dazed, Stunned, Poison, and Disease. Lesser Heal also dispels ability penalties or repairs ability damage/drain up to 1 point/two caster levels, and removes 1 negative level. This spell doesn't dispel ability penalties, repair ability damage, or remove negative levels from creatures that are vulnerable to positive energy.

Heal
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute (or 4 rounds, see spell description)
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Minor Heal except that the healing/damage is 30 hitpoints +10/caster level (maximum 200), and removing all effects that Lesser Heal can as well as Paralysis, Confusion, Insanity, but also any effects that can be undone with Remove Curse and Break Enchantment. Heal removes all ability penalties, damage or drain, and removes all negative levels. Finally, a recipient of the heal spell is immune to Death and Negative Energy effects for the next 4 rounds. This spell doesn't dispel ability penalties, repair ability damage, or remove negative levels from creatures that are vulnerable to positive energy, nor do such creatures become immune to Death or Negative Energy effects for 4 rounds.

Mass Heal
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute (or 4 rounds, see spell description)
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

As Heal except that the healing/damage is 50 hitpoints +10/caster level (no cap) and heals each selected creature within range.

Close Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will half (harmless)

You channel positive energy when your allies need it most to restore 1d10+3 hitpoints to the target per two caster levels. Close Wounds even heals creatures that are normally vulnerable to positive energy.

~~~~~~~

Okay, I'm done for now! Let's see some other effective healing spells to take the standard action slot! Anyone feel free to design some other stuff. I'll have some more spells up in the next few days I'm sure.

[Soda]

Well done. Good fix.

I've been reading the HP/healing thread fiasco. I think the problems are tied to the system, and it'd take huge effort to fully solve anything.

Healing will never be good, but this makes it better.

[Kuroimaken]

Hmmm.

On average, that only means an extra point of healing per spell level, not nearly enough to keep up with the damage.

Ideally, spells should heal a percentage of HP, but that'd make low-level healing EXTREMELY unfeasible.

I think one thing that could really help is to remove the Touch range from all Healing spells (in addition to making them swift actions). That way we remove one main problem of healing in general, which is having to move the caster towards the beatsticks.

[Bauglir]

The spread of hp healing improves as you increase in level. Note that a CL 15 Cure Crit, for instance (yes, I picked CL 15 at random), heals an average of 68 hp vs an average of 33 with the Core version, and as a swift action to boot. Range might be good.

Also, just to be absolutely sure, close wounds is (1d10+3)/2 levels, right? not 1d10+(3/2 levels)? That's what the parsing looks like, but it never hurts to be sure.

[Kuroimaken]

Removing the cap for healing spells would also work pretty well, IMO.

Yes, it'd make CL-boosted Clerics much better healers, but that's not exactly a problem, is it?

[Sunic_Flames]

Percentage or fixed value, whichever is higher. Suddenly it's not unfeasible at low levels anymore.

[bkdubs123]

The spread of hp healing improves as you increase in level. Note that a CL 15 Cure Crit, for instance (yes, I picked CL 15 at random), heals an average of 68 hp vs an average of 33 with the Core version, and as a swift action to boot. Range might be good.

Also, just to be absolutely sure, close wounds is (1d10+3)/2 levels, right? not 1d10+(3/2 levels)? That's what the parsing looks like, but it never hurts to be sure.

All of the Cure line now have a range of Close (aka 25ft +5ft per caster level). And yes, Close Wounds is (1d10+3)/2 levels.

[Bauglir]

Huh, don't know how I missed that. The range thing, I mean.

Thanks for the clarification.

[bkdubs123]

It's cool, it appears most everyone else did as well.

I left the caps on in order to keep lower level spells further in power gap than higher level spells, and I didn't do any sort of percentage healing (not strictly at least) because we already know the problems that sort of thing can bring about.

[Straw_Man]

  So swift healing spells. Personally I think I'd use minor heal constantly versus CLW, if I'm going to be spending any action I want it to be worth it.

[RobbyPants]

Removing the cap for healing spells would also work pretty well, IMO.

Yes, it'd make CL-boosted Clerics much better healers, but that's not exactly a problem, is it?

As bkdubs started to hit on, the CL cap keeps the higher level spells more powerful by comparision.

One way that could work to keep the higher level spells viable and remove the CL cap would be to multiply the CL boost at each spell level.  So, CLW would be +CL * 1, CMW would be +CL * 2, CSW would be +CL * 3, and CCW would be +CL * 4.  Of course, at this point, the dice you roll become fairly meaningless.  Even if you're rolling 7d10 on a CCW (38.5 on average), you'd be adding +28 at the minium CL of 7 when you get the spell.  By 10th level, you'd be getting more HP from the CL boost than from the dice themselves on average.

[bkdubs123]

One way that could work to keep the higher level spells viable and remove the CL cap would be to multiply the CL boost at each spell level.  So, CLW would be +CL * 1, CMW would be +CL * 2, CSW would be +CL * 3, and CCW would be +CL * 4.  Of course, at this point, the dice you roll become fairly meaningless.  Even if you're rolling 7d10 on a CCW (38.5 on average), you'd be adding +28 at the minium CL of 7 when you get the spell.  By 10th level, you'd be getting more HP from the CL boost than from the dice themselves on average.

Yep, I had that idea too, but I scrapped it exactly because of the dice becoming meaningless.

[Straw_Man]

One way that could work to keep the higher level spells viable and remove the CL cap would be to multiply the CL boost at each spell level.  So, CLW would be +CL * 1, CMW would be +CL * 2, CSW would be +CL * 3, and CCW would be +CL * 4.  Of course, at this point, the dice you roll become fairly meaningless.  Even if you're rolling 7d10 on a CCW (38.5 on average), you'd be adding +28 at the minium CL of 7 when you get the spell.  By 10th level, you'd be getting more HP from the CL boost than from the dice themselves on average.

Yep, I had that idea too, but I scrapped it exactly because of the dice becoming meaningless.

  Maybe they need to be? I like the change bkdubs, but it feels like a patch solution. I don't know if healing will really become more relevant with better spells.

[bkdubs123]

Maybe they need to be? I like the change bkdubs, but it feels like a patch solution. I don't know if healing will really become more relevant with better spells.

Of course, it is only 1 part of a (minimum) three-prong attack. Fix the spells and make other spells that heal and do something relevant at the same time. Make HP a more dear resource. Make casters actually fear losing their HP. These are the three prongs that most definitely need to be attacked before healing can become more relevant.

I support a bonus for having optimal HP levels, which would encourage people to be at or above 50% hitpoints. This is just one other facet of making healing relevant.

Finally, the "real defenses" of casters need to be much more easily chewed through, especially for melee warrior types. This would cause casters to fear losing their HP, partly because they have much less than anyone else, but also so they don't lose their bonuses to caster level from having over 50% HP.

[Kuroimaken]

Maybe they need to be? I like the change bkdubs, but it feels like a patch solution. I don't know if healing will really become more relevant with better spells.

Of course, it is only 1 part of a (minimum) three-prong attack. Fix the spells and make other spells that heal and do something relevant at the same time. Make HP a more dear resource. Make casters actually fear losing their HP. These are the three prongs that most definitely need to be attacked before healing can become more relevant.

I support a bonus for having optimal HP levels, which would encourage people to be at or above 50% hitpoints. This is just one other facet of making healing relevant.

Finally, the "real defenses" of casters need to be much more easily chewed through, especially for melee warrior types. This would cause casters to fear losing their HP, partly because they have much less than anyone else, but also so they don't lose their bonuses to caster level from having over 50% HP.

The Mage Slayer line of feats does wonders for this, but sadly you can't just give it to everyone.

[Sinfire Titan]

As much as I love this idea, I need to point out something seriously wrong with it.

Undead. Specifically an undead campaign. The Inflict line of spells suddenly became much weaker than the Cure line, and a 2nd level spell now becomes a major threat.

Please hear me out before you point out the obvious. I'm using an Artificer for this example because they can do this relatively cheaply and quickly.

Step 1: Artificer crafts 3 wands of Cure Critical Wounds set at the maximum CL he can.
Step 2: Rod of Many Wands+Twin Spell+Repeat Spell+Metamagic Spell Trigger class feature.
Step 3:
Step 4: As a full round action the Artificer can expend a large number of charges (assuming no metamagic reduction) to force a single undead to make 6 Will saves or take 42d10+240 damage (save halves the damage only). One round after the spells have hit, the undead must make another save or take the same amount of damage again, and success means only half damage. Add in Echo spell for absurdity.

Now, I understand that undead are a trivial encounter to bypass (Turn undead can be boosted obscenely, and mindless undead are very prone to even the most simple of Illusions). But this is a tad bit overboard, even for me. With one full-round action his Artificer can deal 7d10+40 to up to six targets of his choice from a fair distance away. This is effectively a save or die for undead, where even one Cure Critical Wounds can be metamagiced into utterly retarded levels of damage that far exceed the normal values, even for a Nova build.

I realize this is highly impractical, and very situational. But there are ways to make a creature an undead or even just vulnerable to Cure magic almost spontaneously (several spells in the SC have the potential to turn someone into an undead temporarily).

To fix this, I'd suggest removing the option of using healing spells to injure undead. Simply have it so Cure spells heal everyone and everything equally (undead or not) and have the Inflict spells be the damaging versions (where even undead are hurt by the spells). It removes a major abuse from the fix, thus allowing DMs some peace from such absurdity.

[bkdubs123]

1. Artificer crafts 3 wands of Scorching ray set at the maximum CL he can.
2. Rod of Many Wands+Twin Spell+Repeat Spell+Metamagic Spell Trigger class feature.
3. ? ? ?
4. Profit. As a Full Round Action the Artificer can expend a large number of charges (assuming no metamagic reduction) to make 18 ranged touch attacks against a single creature (or not) each one dealing 4d6 fire damage (74d6). One round after the rays hit, you make 18 additional ranged touch attacks spread out against any creature you hit in the previous round for the same damage. Add in Echo Spell for adsurdity.

The average damage of your Cure retinue against an Undead being, admittedly much higher, ~900 (with no saves). The average damage of the Scorching Ray bomb against ANY creature being 444. Assuming that the Undead saves roughly half the time the damage goes down to 450, and assuming that the rays miss roughly half the time the damage goes down to 222. So, basically, the Cure line can deal double standard nova damage ONLY against Undead.

Honestly, I'm not seeing a huge problem.

HOWEVER,

To fix this, I'd suggest removing the option of using healing spells to injure undead. Simply have it so Cure spells heal everyone and everything equally (undead or not) and have the Inflict spells be the damaging versions (where even undead are hurt by the spells). It removes a major abuse from the fix, thus allowing DMs some peace from such absurdity.

This thought had crossed my mind.

[Sinfire Titan]

The difference between using Scorching Ray and Cure spells is that SR is fire damage, while there's only one undead who's resistant to Cure spells (as far as I am aware).

I realize the impracticality of my example, but it was the best thing I could come up with that conveyed my message. It would ease my thoughts a tad bit to see the line removed, although doing so is at your digression completely. I was just pointing this out.

[bkdubs123]

Well, there certainly is the matter of what to do with the god-awful Inflict line of spells after revamping the Cure line as I've done, so I am not completely dismissing your concern. As I said, the same thoughts had crossed my mind, "Undead... damn," and "What about Inflict? Hrm, maybe Cure ONLY heals, and Inflict ONLY damages both regardless of living or unliving."

I don't think the Inflict line should deal quite so much damage, especially with the swift actions, but they certainly need to be brought up to a reasonable level. And Minor Harm, Lesser Harm, Harm, and Mass Harm versions could certainly be drawn out each bestowing their own league of status effects upon the targets as well.

[Sinfire Titan]

Well, there certainly is the matter of what to do with the god-awful Inflict line of spells after revamping the Cure line as I've done, so I am not completely dismissing your concern. As I said, the same thoughts had crossed my mind, "Undead... damn," and "What about Inflict? Hrm, maybe Cure ONLY heals, and Inflict ONLY damages both regardless of living or unliving."

I don't think the Inflict line should deal quite so much damage, especially with the swift actions, but they certainly need to be brought up to a reasonable level. And Minor Harm, Lesser Harm, Harm, and Mass Harm versions could certainly be drawn out each bestowing their own league of status effects upon the targets as well.

That's my thoughts of the matter too. I dislike healing being used as a weapon. Bringing the Inflict spells up to this level of power would be a tad overboard if you left them as Touch spells (Duskblades would have no reason not to get them all), but boosting them a slight amount would be worthwhile.