As a dedicated healer who has to throw one of two stupid offensive cantrips in battle, I am dissatisfied with the state of healing in 5e. I think it would help if they gave us a couple of cantrips that could support the party. The numbers could be low and not work if a party member was at 0 hp and still give a Cleric who wants to be Cleric something to do besides through non-thematic boring and low damage spells.
Cleric get guidance, one of the best cantrips in the game, and the ultimate support spell. If you are doing anything out of combat, you throw a guidance on who is doing it. Resistance helps buff allies saving throws if a fight. Spare the dying keeps people alive. Sounds like everything you’re talking about missing is here except healing.
If there was a cantrip that healed, cleric could just spam that between encounters and everyone would start every fight with full hp every time.
And clerics have always been holy warriors. Maybe they could only use blunt weapons in 1 and 2 e, but they were always warriors, armor, good hit points, ready to mix it up in a fight by calling down the wrath of their god onto their enemies. I’m not sure how making attacks is not thematic. And you are certainly free to re-flavor spells to fit with your character. With DM approval, you might even change the damage type on sacred flame to something more appropriate for your god.
Not quite Xalthu, it is possible to basically do some healing.
I made a healing Cleric Cantrip. Touch of Life, public in D&D Beyond Homebrew.
It grants 1 Temporary hitpoint, duration of 5 minutes. Cantrip progression 2,3, then finally 4 hitpoints at 17th level.
Not entirely sure it should not be 1/3/7/11. But it is a reasonably good cantrip at least at levels 1-4 where I play-tested it. Long enough duration to make it through battles, but not enough if there is a social encounter going on.
Because of the way the game was designed, they don't want anyone playing a dedicated healer. The game isn't designed with infinite healing in mind. The game mechanics would have to be done very differently if infinite healing is possible. If you want to play a dedicated healer, D&D 5e isn't the right game for it, unfortunately.
If you're not satisfied with the Cleric cantrips, you can also smack somebody with a weapon. You can stab somebody over and over again in D&D 5e, but you can't heal a stab wound over and over again in D&D 5e.
The start of my subject is abjuration for a reason. Expanding combat actions passed attack can only make things more interesting. I would also like to point to the healing in heroism as a smart way to work things like this.
Not quite Xalthu, it is possible to basically do some healing.
I made a healing Cleric Cantrip. Touch of Life, public in D&D Beyond Homebrew.
It grants 1 Temporary hitpoint, duration of 5 minutes. Cantrip progression 2,3, then finally 4 hitpoints at 17th level.
Not entirely sure it should not be 1/3/7/11. But it is a reasonably good cantrip at least at levels 1-4 where I play-tested it. Long enough duration to make it through battles, but not enough if there is a social encounter going on.
Temporary hit points are not health. They're armour.
I can meet you in the middle, patch up, cantrip touch, heals 1 hp, can not be used to heal past half max health, can’t target people with 0 hp.
the other option I would offer you quick regeneration cantrip 30 target gains 1d4 hp and loses a hit dice, this spell can not be cast on a target with no hit dice
As a dedicated healer who has to throw one of two stupid offensive cantrips in battle, I am dissatisfied with the state of healing in 5e. I think it would help if they gave us a couple of cantrips that could support the party. The numbers could be low and not work if a party member was at 0 hp and still give a Cleric who wants to be Cleric something to do besides through non-thematic boring and low damage spells.
Thoughts?
Cleric get guidance, one of the best cantrips in the game, and the ultimate support spell. If you are doing anything out of combat, you throw a guidance on who is doing it. Resistance helps buff allies saving throws if a fight. Spare the dying keeps people alive. Sounds like everything you’re talking about missing is here except healing.
If there was a cantrip that healed, cleric could just spam that between encounters and everyone would start every fight with full hp every time.
And clerics have always been holy warriors. Maybe they could only use blunt weapons in 1 and 2 e, but they were always warriors, armor, good hit points, ready to mix it up in a fight by calling down the wrath of their god onto their enemies. I’m not sure how making attacks is not thematic. And you are certainly free to re-flavor spells to fit with your character. With DM approval, you might even change the damage type on sacred flame to something more appropriate for your god.
Not quite Xalthu, it is possible to basically do some healing.
I made a healing Cleric Cantrip. Touch of Life, public in D&D Beyond Homebrew.
It grants 1 Temporary hitpoint, duration of 5 minutes. Cantrip progression 2,3, then finally 4 hitpoints at 17th level.
Not entirely sure it should not be 1/3/7/11. But it is a reasonably good cantrip at least at levels 1-4 where I play-tested it. Long enough duration to make it through battles, but not enough if there is a social encounter going on.
Because of the way the game was designed, they don't want anyone playing a dedicated healer. The game isn't designed with infinite healing in mind. The game mechanics would have to be done very differently if infinite healing is possible. If you want to play a dedicated healer, D&D 5e isn't the right game for it, unfortunately.
If you're not satisfied with the Cleric cantrips, you can also smack somebody with a weapon. You can stab somebody over and over again in D&D 5e, but you can't heal a stab wound over and over again in D&D 5e.
The start of my subject is abjuration for a reason. Expanding combat actions passed attack can only make things more interesting. I would also like to point to the healing in heroism as a smart way to work things like this.
Temporary hit points are not health. They're armour.
Temp Hitpoints are close enough to healing and unlike unlimited healing it would not be abusive.
Another way to do it is to make a cantrip that actually heals 1d4 points, with a casting time of 1 hour.
I can meet you in the middle, patch up, cantrip touch, heals 1 hp, can not be used to heal past half max health, can’t target people with 0 hp.
the other option I would offer you quick regeneration cantrip 30 target gains 1d4 hp and loses a hit dice, this spell can not be cast on a target with no hit dice