Hey all, I'm toying around with the concept of trying to play a wizard as a healer without multiclassing or falling back on theurgy. Instead I'd be relying on the Healer feat for most of the actual healing so, like a real combat medic, they'll be more focused on getting people off the ground or stabalized rather than healing to full, and I'll try to grab herbalism kit proficiency so I can craft healing potions during downtime as long as I have materials.
My main question is should I go with Abjurer for max protective capabilities, or should I go with War Wizard for someone who can still handle herself on the battlefield? I do like the tactical flavor of the War Wizard and it kind of fits the concept better, but I also recognize Abjurer might be more useful...
*edit* If I do multi class, I feel like it would be a couple levels of rogue for cunning action to be able to weave in and out of combat.
I like the deep gnome abjuration wizard for that. You could be use the at will casting of Nondetection provided by the Svirfneblin Magic feat to quickly restore your arcane ward.
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Uhm why not take Aasimar for the racial healing, its not a great deal of healing but in combat sometimes a little is the difference between walking away with loot. Or making new characters.
If you multi-class then it would only make sense to take classes that have healing baked in. Or classes that offer protection and defense to your party. Combat medics in the Army don't just carry an aid bag. They also carry a rifle. You not only need to protect your own life but the life of the casualty as well. The image of a combat medic running out into a hail of bullets to drag or carry a wounded soldier out of harms way is iconic. But in D&D I see more of a character who is a healer but has a focus on DPS as well. The Artificer has some interesting subclasses that might be good fits for what you are trying to do. Another thing you could do is try home brewing with the DM and seeing if they will let you sacrifice some pure mage stuff in order to be able to have healing spells. Or just letting you have some odd ball back story to explains away why your mage has cure wounds or something lol. Honestly I think you could take a Ranger and focus their combat on Bows ranged attacks. But specialize their magic towards healing. And of course throw in the skills and feats you wanted to add with the wizard. And if you go with having a pet then you could make the pet your assistant and they grab the wounded and bring them to you. Then you can begin first aid and all that good stuff behind cover if possible. Making a Combat medic that is a Wizard just feels odd and doesn't feel right. I was deployed to Iraq 3 times and as a soldier I know how heavy a casualty can be. Once you add in armor weapons and equipment. Having a Wizard rush out and drag a warrior out of harm just doesn't add up. Strength checks would be the first thing I would be making you do. And you don't want to be sitting in the open wearing cloth treating a downed character. You would basically be wearing a bullseye to the enemy. If the DM doesn't take advantage of that then they are avoiding it and not playing their hand. I'm not trying to rain on your parade here. I am just trying to point out the possible down sides of this idea but also throw out some options to maybe make a better fit for what you a trying to do. But if you are dead set on this then I wish you luck and I hope you have a blast before you get blasted hehehe.
I don't care much about having access to healing spells, or even being a out- and-out healer. I'm more interested in what you can do without those things and like, generally just buffing the party just that extra inch.
I'm not really looking for advice on how to be a good wizard- healer because that's not what I want the character to do, I'm thinking more of doing like, battlefield triage, like "it may not be pretty but nobody's dying on my watch!" kind of deal.
And, while it might be tough for a wizard to drag a wounded person around a battlefield, that's not entirely necessary when you can:
Cast Wall of Force/ Otiluke's Resilient Sphere around you and them, restore just enough hp with healer ft to get them conscious and then polymorph them into something more mobile/more HP, Dimension Door you both to safety, etc...
That's why, and I recognize it is a weird concept, I decided to go full wizard for just straight up support/utility, to control the battle, not just the healing.
I would say go War Wizard. The counters and surges would be a big help. And if you take the Hermit background you get prof. with the Herbalism kit.
If you MC... Sorcerer for the meta-magic... Bard for the song of rest... Warlock for the invocations, cast mage armor at will... or paladin for the auras that aren't concentration.
I would say go War Wizard. The counters and surges would be a big help. And if you take the Hermit background you get prof. with the Herbalism kit.
If you MC... Sorcerer for the meta-magic... Bard for the song of rest... Warlock for the invocations, cast mage armor at will... or paladin for the auras that aren't concentration.
Yeah I think I was leaning a little more towards War Wizard. And I'm pretty set on not multi classing into any other casters. If I do (debatable, mc is not my favourite thing in the world) it'll be a level of rogue or fighter for either armor proficiencies or cunning actions
I don't care much about having access to healing spells, or even being a out- and-out healer. I'm more interested in what you can do without those things and like, generally just buffing the party just that extra inch.
I'm not really looking for advice on how to be a good wizard- healer because that's not what I want the character to do, I'm thinking more of doing like, battlefield triage, like "it may not be pretty but nobody's dying on my watch!" kind of deal.
As a Wizard you have half of what you need to accomplish this: a familiar. You don't need to MC or get any actual healing spells (although you could ). Take the feat Magic Initiate (Cleric), and pick Spare the Dying as one of your cantrips. Do whatever else you want with the feat because Spare the Dying is the only thing you need.
You can now auto-stabilize allies at range without using any resources. Bonus points if your familiar is an Owl.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
With all due respect to @Blackmail for his live combat experience, I would disagree about Wizards being useful as a Combat Medic. Wizards, even low level ones, bring a lot of abilities that help themselves and others to survive on the fantasy battlefield.
Minor Illusion, for instance, is a great cantrip for short term cover. Don't want to get shot at? Make an illusion of a boulder. Need to sneak past an enemy check point? Use Disguise Self and pretend that the wounded person is your prisoner.
Enlarge/Reduce is also great for decreasing encumbrance. Turn your Small wounded ally into a Tiny wounded ally. Or make yourself bigger to better pull a cart with your injured compatriots in it.
Re: abjuration or war Wizard, I think that depends on when you plan to leave Wizard to multi-class if you plan to do so. Abjuration gives you more abilities at higher levels. War Wizard is great for a low level dip to keep that concentration going.
It seems... odd but if you want to do this lets do it.
Ritual cast unseen servant, you now have a healing potion dispenser 'Pour it down the dwarfs throat Terrence just like with the Chateau Neuf De Drow at the Bacchanalia ' A bonus action so you can bandage whilst your unseen nurse chokes them on potion.
Tensers floating disk to run around carrying wounded behind you.
Prestidigitation to make the potions taste better 'a spoon full of sugar'
Mage hand - ranged healing potion: The chuginator edition or - depending on how generous your dm is considering your stepping on the arcane tricksters shtick healers kit at range. (Healers kit is an object right guys? right?) Dont expect that one to work.
Catnap ( 20cc of morphine ) #edit# and then of course as they had a short rest bandage with healers kit again!
Necromancer healing - subclass necromancer and Life Transference spell (XTGE) - you hurt yourself to apply healing to others. The downside is, you know, dying? BUT fear not the mighty Dr. Death(mage) cares not for common medical practice and happily loses 4d8 hitpoints to heal double to the patient. If that reduces you to zero hitpoints it still heals the patient the full value and your dying.. or not as you just reduced a target to zero hitpoints with a necromancy spell and grim harvest heals you 9 hitpoints. Invigorating.
Simulcrum - a cleric
From the people that thought healing spirit was too weak: Simulcrum - a biomancer from Ravnica - Unlimited healing for everyone that was toooootally considered when they gave a humanoid an ability to heal 1d10 a round in an aoe shower IN PERPETUITY. In no way prone for abuse, nope, nope, nope.
IMO war wizard is better for dipping, abjuration is better for straight builds. Using the arcane deflection as a full caster really, really gimps your casting.
It limits casting of spells to cantrips, which isn't too bad if you're Wizard/Rogue or gish multiclass as long as you're not playing with PHB Only or PHB+1. Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade are good for maintaining damage.
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Hey all, I'm toying around with the concept of trying to play a wizard as a healer without multiclassing or falling back on theurgy. Instead I'd be relying on the Healer feat for most of the actual healing so, like a real combat medic, they'll be more focused on getting people off the ground or stabalized rather than healing to full, and I'll try to grab herbalism kit proficiency so I can craft healing potions during downtime as long as I have materials.
My main question is should I go with Abjurer for max protective capabilities, or should I go with War Wizard for someone who can still handle herself on the battlefield? I do like the tactical flavor of the War Wizard and it kind of fits the concept better, but I also recognize Abjurer might be more useful...
*edit* If I do multi class, I feel like it would be a couple levels of rogue for cunning action to be able to weave in and out of combat.
Go goblin for the bonus action disengage ;)
If you multiclass, it should be with alchemists.
Mechanically, I think abjurer is better at keeping the party alive.
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ModeratorI like the deep gnome abjuration wizard for that. You could be use the at will casting of Nondetection provided by the Svirfneblin Magic feat to quickly restore your arcane ward.
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Uhm why not take Aasimar for the racial healing, its not a great deal of healing but in combat sometimes a little is the difference between walking away with loot. Or making new characters.
If you multi-class then it would only make sense to take classes that have healing baked in. Or classes that offer protection and defense to your party. Combat medics in the Army don't just carry an aid bag. They also carry a rifle. You not only need to protect your own life but the life of the casualty as well. The image of a combat medic running out into a hail of bullets to drag or carry a wounded soldier out of harms way is iconic. But in D&D I see more of a character who is a healer but has a focus on DPS as well. The Artificer has some interesting subclasses that might be good fits for what you are trying to do. Another thing you could do is try home brewing with the DM and seeing if they will let you sacrifice some pure mage stuff in order to be able to have healing spells. Or just letting you have some odd ball back story to explains away why your mage has cure wounds or something lol. Honestly I think you could take a Ranger and focus their combat on Bows ranged attacks. But specialize their magic towards healing. And of course throw in the skills and feats you wanted to add with the wizard. And if you go with having a pet then you could make the pet your assistant and they grab the wounded and bring them to you. Then you can begin first aid and all that good stuff behind cover if possible. Making a Combat medic that is a Wizard just feels odd and doesn't feel right. I was deployed to Iraq 3 times and as a soldier I know how heavy a casualty can be. Once you add in armor weapons and equipment. Having a Wizard rush out and drag a warrior out of harm just doesn't add up. Strength checks would be the first thing I would be making you do. And you don't want to be sitting in the open wearing cloth treating a downed character. You would basically be wearing a bullseye to the enemy. If the DM doesn't take advantage of that then they are avoiding it and not playing their hand. I'm not trying to rain on your parade here. I am just trying to point out the possible down sides of this idea but also throw out some options to maybe make a better fit for what you a trying to do. But if you are dead set on this then I wish you luck and I hope you have a blast before you get blasted hehehe.
I don't care much about having access to healing spells, or even being a out- and-out healer. I'm more interested in what you can do without those things and like, generally just buffing the party just that extra inch.
I'm not really looking for advice on how to be a good wizard- healer because that's not what I want the character to do, I'm thinking more of doing like, battlefield triage, like "it may not be pretty but nobody's dying on my watch!" kind of deal.
And, while it might be tough for a wizard to drag a wounded person around a battlefield, that's not entirely necessary when you can:
Cast Wall of Force/ Otiluke's Resilient Sphere around you and them, restore just enough hp with healer ft to get them conscious and then polymorph them into something more mobile/more HP, Dimension Door you both to safety, etc...
That's why, and I recognize it is a weird concept, I decided to go full wizard for just straight up support/utility, to control the battle, not just the healing.
I would say go War Wizard. The counters and surges would be a big help. And if you take the Hermit background you get prof. with the Herbalism kit.
If you MC... Sorcerer for the meta-magic... Bard for the song of rest... Warlock for the invocations, cast mage armor at will... or paladin for the auras that aren't concentration.
Yeah I think I was leaning a little more towards War Wizard. And I'm pretty set on not multi classing into any other casters. If I do (debatable, mc is not my favourite thing in the world) it'll be a level of rogue or fighter for either armor proficiencies or cunning actions
As a Wizard you have half of what you need to accomplish this: a familiar. You don't need to MC or get any actual healing spells (although you could ). Take the feat Magic Initiate (Cleric), and pick Spare the Dying as one of your cantrips. Do whatever else you want with the feat because Spare the Dying is the only thing you need.
You can now auto-stabilize allies at range without using any resources. Bonus points if your familiar is an Owl.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
With all due respect to @Blackmail for his live combat experience, I would disagree about Wizards being useful as a Combat Medic. Wizards, even low level ones, bring a lot of abilities that help themselves and others to survive on the fantasy battlefield.
Minor Illusion, for instance, is a great cantrip for short term cover. Don't want to get shot at? Make an illusion of a boulder. Need to sneak past an enemy check point? Use Disguise Self and pretend that the wounded person is your prisoner.
Enlarge/Reduce is also great for decreasing encumbrance. Turn your Small wounded ally into a Tiny wounded ally. Or make yourself bigger to better pull a cart with your injured compatriots in it.
Re: abjuration or war Wizard, I think that depends on when you plan to leave Wizard to multi-class if you plan to do so. Abjuration gives you more abilities at higher levels. War Wizard is great for a low level dip to keep that concentration going.
It seems... odd but if you want to do this lets do it.
Ritual cast unseen servant, you now have a healing potion dispenser 'Pour it down the dwarfs throat Terrence just like with the Chateau Neuf De Drow at the Bacchanalia ' A bonus action so you can bandage whilst your unseen nurse chokes them on potion.
Tensers floating disk to run around carrying wounded behind you.
Prestidigitation to make the potions taste better 'a spoon full of sugar'
Mage hand - ranged healing potion: The chuginator edition or - depending on how generous your dm is considering your stepping on the arcane tricksters shtick healers kit at range. (Healers kit is an object right guys? right?) Dont expect that one to work.
Catnap ( 20cc of morphine ) #edit# and then of course as they had a short rest bandage with healers kit again!
Necromancer healing - subclass necromancer and Life Transference spell (XTGE) - you hurt yourself to apply healing to others. The downside is, you know, dying? BUT fear not the mighty Dr. Death(mage) cares not for common medical practice and happily loses 4d8 hitpoints to heal double to the patient. If that reduces you to zero hitpoints it still heals the patient the full value and your dying.. or not as you just reduced a target to zero hitpoints with a necromancy spell and grim harvest heals you 9 hitpoints. Invigorating.
Simulcrum - a cleric
From the people that thought healing spirit was too weak: Simulcrum - a biomancer from Ravnica - Unlimited healing for everyone that was toooootally considered when they gave a humanoid an ability to heal 1d10 a round in an aoe shower IN PERPETUITY. In no way prone for abuse, nope, nope, nope.
IMO war wizard is better for dipping, abjuration is better for straight builds. Using the arcane deflection as a full caster really, really gimps your casting.
[Edited to fix a glaring error!]
@Silmakhor Are you saying that the arcane ward from Abjuration gimps casting or the Power Surge ability from the War Mage subclass?
Ugh. Monstrous error - I meant to say that Arcane Deflection from Warmage gimps casting. Needs more coffee!
It limits casting of spells to cantrips, which isn't too bad if you're Wizard/Rogue or gish multiclass as long as you're not playing with PHB Only or PHB+1. Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade are good for maintaining damage.