The Healer's Handbook [3.5 Class from the Miniatures' Handbook]

[Prime32]

I would say that "see page 86" rather than "from page 86" means to go there for the definition of what a draconic aura is. These additional auras don't seem to be a different mechanic to the dragon shaman ones or have anything setting them apart other than the book they are in (and that doesn't stop a fighter from selecting fighter feats from Complete Warrior), and they are already stated as being interchangeable in one instance.

[snakeman830]

Likewise, nobody is going to limit a Warlock selecting the "Extra Invocation" feat to those invocations printed in Complete Arcane.  It really is no different.  Vigor is a valid choice.

[Surreal]

*shrug* I've presented my side. I have other points I could make, but I don't care enough to go into it any further if it'll just fall on deaf ears.

[snakeman830]

@Akalsaris: although it should be obvious, make sure you mention that the Healer is a danger to undead, friendly or othewise.  Most of the spells on their list channel positive energy, so if there are undead in the party, they need their own healing.

[cru]

Some more prestige options, especially Eberron focused:

Moonspeaker (RoE), gives useless summoning stuff, few spells (e.g. invisibility), some wild shape, some shifter bonuses
High Elemental Binder (PGtE): requires 2 feats; 9/10 casting; gives elemental companions and self-buffs
Medani Prophet (DM): req 3 divinations (cantrips!), crossclass knowledge arcane; grants divination bonuses and dm bonuses
Heir of Siberys

Domain Icon (item, FoE) - 10k - can swap slot for a domain spell 3 x day - could be used for qualification
Healer 7 / Skypledged 10 (with domain icon, animal domain) (could be reflavored to the Shifter with fly trait)
Healer 10 / Contemplative 1 / Skypledged 9

Healer 5 / Holt Warden 10 (needs access to plant domain to qualify; borrow one of the domain access items, then you can return it, Holt Warden 1 grants the domain): gives you heal at ECL 8
Healer 5 / Holt Warden 3 / Sor/Wiz 1 / Arcane Hierophant 10 / 1 xx
Healer 3 / Wiz 1 /MT2 / HW3 / AH10 / MT1

[Akalsaris]

Thanks all, guide has been updated with your contributions

[Theomniadept]

Hey, I gots me a questions. When you wrote that the Restoration and True Resurrection abilities of the Healer class use no material components or experience, is that true? I mean, it just says it acts like the spell, so how does it ignore costs?

Cleanse Spirit (Su): At 10th level, a healer gains the ability to
restore a creature to health once per day, as if casting a greater
restoration spell.

New Life (Su): Once per week, a 20th-level healer can bring
a dead creature back to life, as if casting a true resurrection spell.

That's verbatim copied from the book (credits of course go where they are due). If it's "as if casting", doesn't that mean that if I were casting it I would need such components, ipso facto they're not free, just abilities that grant an extra prepared spell if needed (kinda making those last 5 levels useless and readily replacable with a full casting PrC)?

[Agita]

Both abilities are Supernatural Abilities, which by default ignore components.

[Theomniadept]

Where does it say that? I looked in the entry under special abilities but nothing under supernatural abilities says that - is it something elsewhere?

I see under spell-like ability it says there's no compenents of any type, but not supernatural, and yes I double checked, those abilities that are essentially spells for the Healer are supernatural.

[snakeman830]

Only spells have components.  Extraordinary, Spell-like, and Supernatural abilities emulating spells do not have components.  Spell-like abilities they needed that clarification becuase it is exactly like casting the spell except as noted (no components, can't counterspell/be counterspelled).  Supernatural abilities have several other differences (never provoke AoO's, ignore SR, never need Concentration checks).

If Supernatural abilities had components, then Blink Dogs wouldn't be able to use their Dimension Door ability (Verbal component on the spell) or Blink ability (again, verbal component, but also somatic).

[Growin]

Is the prestige class "Healing Hands of Mishakal" from the dragonlance book Holy Orders of the Stars a good prestige class for the healer?  We have one in our group and his 0th level cure minor wounds spell heals people for like 13 points

[Archao]

Is the prestige class "Healing Hands of Mishakal" from the dragonlance book Holy Orders of the Stars a good prestige class for the healer?  We have one in our group and his 0th level cure minor wounds spell heals people for like 13 points

It looks like something that could be made use of (though some would say healers are a waste, I believe they can be handy when you need them) but being one requires that you be a pacifist. Depending on your DM's interpretation of the Pacifism wording, you could be a Healing Hand and use unarmed strikes (choosing to be non-lethal) to damage opponents who get too close for comfort.

As someone who has been playing a healstick cleric, I really like the appearance of this PrC, and would suggest combining it with Mastery of Day and Night (feat: PGtE p125, requires Maximize Spell) and Improved Power [Healing] (Dragon #342 p24) to shoot beams of maximized, empowered healing. But it seems to be weakened quite a bit, as the pacifism prevents you from engaging in most forms of combat, and you don't gain additional turning levels.

Throwing some RSoP may boost a little bit of power, but I'm not sure how to pull that off.

[nijineko]

On the Psionics side, there is the Sangehirn PrC. It's available at Mind's Eye. I don't like it.

this prestige was also updated to 3.5 on the website. here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c

there are a number of the prestiges from mind's eye which were updated to 3.5, including the astral constructor (erbauer), crystal master, variant kineticists for the rest of the energy types, meditant, and psi-weapon master.

i find that most of the prestiges are more workable in their 3.5 incarnations, though at least one strikes me as over the top, with another following not too far behind.

[Akalsaris]

Is the prestige class "Healing Hands of Mishakal" from the dragonlance book Holy Orders of the Stars a good prestige class for the healer?  We have one in our group and his 0th level cure minor wounds spell heals people for like 13 points

Unfortunately I don't have this book, so I can't comment. 

On another note, handbook has been updated to clean it up a bunch.  Ahh, it's good to be done with classes and have time for this stuff again.  At least until I start my job next week 

[bearsarebrown]

The class adds Charisma modifier to each Healing spell and automatically empowers. And (healing) spells are Silent and don't provoke AoO. But it forces you to never kill.

Sidenote: This is a fucking awesome book. There are a ton of sweet PrCs in this.

[Archao]

The class adds Charisma modifier to each Healing spell and automatically empowers. And (healing) spells are Silent and don't provoke AoO. But it forces you to never kill.

Sidenote: This is a fucking awesome book. There are a ton of sweet PrCs in this.

A question for the bolded portion: Can you use unarmed strikes, or some other weapon, to deal nonlethal damage and get away with it?

[bearsarebrown]

...she is forbidden to take the life or cause the death of another. For the purposes of this oath, the following creature types are excempt: contructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead and vermin.

If you break it you must seek Atonement.

[Bozwevial]

...she is forbidden to take the life or cause the death of another. For the purposes of this oath, the following creature types are excempt: contructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead and vermin.

If you break it you must seek Atonement.

Which is why the patented method of "going out of the room to wash your hands while your allies tidy up" was invented.

[Akalsaris]

The class adds Charisma modifier to each Healing spell and automatically empowers. And (healing) spells are Silent and don't provoke AoO. But it forces you to never kill.

Sidenote: This is a fucking awesome book. There are a ton of sweet PrCs in this.

Wow, that is a freaking sweet PrC.  It might even make Apostle of Peace worthwhile too.  I'd love to get a copy of Holy Orders, but I don't do torrents and am close to broke, so guess I'll have to wait a while on that

And a Dragonlance book with PrCs that have both cool flavor AND good mechanics?  What is the world coming to? 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Grey Guard.

"Well, they say I should never kill, but the way I figure, I'm effectively casting planeshift. 

By stabbing them in the face repeatedly."