All corrections must be started with the phrase “Um, actually…”.
Yes, of course you are correct that rangers have access to cure wounds from the player’s handbook. Personally I don’t think that this is a strong choice for a ranger even in a three member party with them as the primary healer. ESPECIALLY if goodberry can be fed to an unconscious creature.
2nd vote for the healer feat. I have it as a phantom rogue in one game and its amazing.
Honestly. The right answer here is have someone else in the party take the healer feat. In particular the fighter with his extra feats. There is no reason one character should be sacrificing their build to be the healer. If everyone in the party helps out you can piece together some pretty good healing.
The real, real long term trouble is greater restoration. Once you hit 9th and above the monsters you meet will be regularly handing out things you need it for. Not much you can do there.
I had a less bad version of this and multi'ed into a level of cleric for easy access to healing word/cure wounds (yes a ranger gets them, but with so few spells known it kills your Ranger effectiveness to take them that way).
I played a healer feat fast hands rogue multi class and it was rediculous. even though you can only do it once per creature per short rest its pretty good. it saved so many spell slots.(which a ranger probably will want to save them for other things).
technically goodberry + life cleric works and is huge to the point where dms complain and homebrew it away. also remember berries last 24 hours so you can blow all your remaining spell slots before a long rest and have insane amounts of 1hp healing. I once stopped at 50 goodberries just because I knew if i used my remaining slot(6th level) my dm would start crying.(semi-joke but he did restrict healing next campain)
I also kind of second the concept of "shared healing". if everyone does a bit it wont be too bad. and all you need is 1 hp to take your turn so smart planing can make that happen.
Get the Goodberry spell and tell the party wizard he should take the metallic dragon feat or artificer initiate if you need more healing. You don't have enough slots to be a go-to party healer. That is all you will be doing with your slots if you gothat route. With Strixhaven, a Wizard or Sorcerer just using Whither and Bloom is probably better than you.
Before you go to sleep at night cast all your remaining slots on Goodberry so you have a supply for tomorrow. Hand them out to party members (except that Rogue that you don't get along with), so they have a bit of healing for the next day.
I would generally not get dedicated healing spells as a Ranger other than Goodberry. Although a Tasha's Ranger with spell feats can cast a ton of spells a day, a lot of them are through "once a day" casts and the good Ranger spells are so good I would not want to trade them for a healing spell either in terms of a spell known or a spell slot.
Things like Ensnaring Strike, Pass Without Trace, Spike Growth and Summon Fey are not worth trading for cure wounds, aid or healing spirit IMO. I might have aid as my 4th spell known once I reached 5th level (and already have ES, PWT and SG as the other three), but it would generally only be for emergencies to bring back someone who was downed.
You are really good to go with Goodberry and some potions. Don’t take Cure Wounds, it’s terrible. Aid is quite good, actually, but I would get it later on.
You can maximize Goodberry effectiveness if your party has access to minions who can easily administer some berries to unconscious allies. Familiars, Unseen Servants, Undeads, Tiny Servants, etc. Even your beast companion! Just handout some goodberries to them, plan accordingly with your folks and you will have the most effective and cheap Healing Word ever.
I came up against this, my party was running into trouble and getting themselves downed while I was at the back picking off targets with my arrows.
I looked at my spells, healing spirit goes against my character aesthetic so I homebrewed a weak healing arrow spell with my DM. It’s the healing word spell essentially. A spell that is fired from my bow and hits a target giving them 1d4 +4 hp. 60ft range. But I can’t use it on myself. That way there is someone who can give a little helping hand but with a limited Ranger spell slots it’s not a reliable or sustainable heal solution, but might save someone who goes down.
You don’t need a healer in DnD. It’s very nice to have either a Paladin or someone with Healing Word, but unless you have one of those things it’s not usually worth worrying about. For the party I DMed for over a year, the only healing spells that were cast were healing word by the Bard or Druid, heal in the final fight by the Druid, and a few cure wounds by the third-caster NPC every once in a while.
Beat me to it Frank, if your DM allows it take the outlander background and exchange the musical instrument (why? WHY?) for the herbalism kit and then you can brew potions of healing in down time and have them available when needed.
That’s not even an “if your DM allows it” rule. Backgrounds are 100% customizable RAW, as long as you pick from published features. I can have an Outlander with Perception, History, Glassblowing Tools, and speaks Elvish, all completely RAW.
Actually no, you can have it RAW only if your DM is willing to allow the Tasha’s options. Which is why I said ask your DM. Everything after the PHB, DMG, MM is optional at the DM’s discretion.
Actually no, you can have it RAW only if your DM is willing to allow the Tasha’s options. Which is why I said ask your DM. Everything after the PHB, DMG, MM is optional at the DM’s discretion.
From the Players handbook (not dmg)
Customizing a Background
You might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, choose any two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or languages from the sample backgrounds. You can either use the equipment package from your background or spend coin on gear as described in chapter 5. (If you spend coin, you can’t also take the equipment package suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two personality traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a feature that matches your desired background, work with your DM to create one.
so you can customize outlander to be exactly the same except the instrument. I have done this and taken wood carvers tools instead on multiple occasions. any dm that takes this option away should explain their deviation away from RAW. So far the only one I have accepted was "I want to simplify creation for new players."
All of which in the end the DM can say no to if they want (granted it’s unlikely) which again is why you need to check with the DM.
any dm that changes the rule is hombrewing. we were talking about RAW game mechanics. That type of answer is usless to an AL DM because they are no longer offical games if they start changing RAW.
You shouldn't need to check with your dm before following raw rules.
I need help determining a course of action I must take. What should I do if I'm a Ranger and the only healer in a three-man party?
Ren
1. Check with your DM to see if you can feed a goodberry to an unconscious creature.
2. Either way, take the goodberry spell.
3. Take the healer feat and get some healer’s kits.
4. If you are using any additional resource books, look at the 2nd level spell healing spirit.
5. If multiclassing is allowed, multiclass into 1 level of either druid or cleric for the healing word and cure wounds spells.
Rangers already get access to Cure Wounds, actually.
All corrections must be started with the phrase “Um, actually…”.
Yes, of course you are correct that rangers have access to cure wounds from the player’s handbook. Personally I don’t think that this is a strong choice for a ranger even in a three member party with them as the primary healer. ESPECIALLY if goodberry can be fed to an unconscious creature.
2nd vote for the healer feat. I have it as a phantom rogue in one game and its amazing.
Honestly. The right answer here is have someone else in the party take the healer feat. In particular the fighter with his extra feats. There is no reason one character should be sacrificing their build to be the healer. If everyone in the party helps out you can piece together some pretty good healing.
The real, real long term trouble is greater restoration. Once you hit 9th and above the monsters you meet will be regularly handing out things you need it for. Not much you can do there.
I had a less bad version of this and multi'ed into a level of cleric for easy access to healing word/cure wounds (yes a ranger gets them, but with so few spells known it kills your Ranger effectiveness to take them that way).
I played a healer feat fast hands rogue multi class and it was rediculous. even though you can only do it once per creature per short rest its pretty good. it saved so many spell slots.(which a ranger probably will want to save them for other things).
technically goodberry + life cleric works and is huge to the point where dms complain and homebrew it away. also remember berries last 24 hours so you can blow all your remaining spell slots before a long rest and have insane amounts of 1hp healing. I once stopped at 50 goodberries just because I knew if i used my remaining slot(6th level) my dm would start crying.(semi-joke but he did restrict healing next campain)
I also kind of second the concept of "shared healing". if everyone does a bit it wont be too bad. and all you need is 1 hp to take your turn so smart planing can make that happen.
Get the Goodberry spell and tell the party wizard he should take the metallic dragon feat or artificer initiate if you need more healing. You don't have enough slots to be a go-to party healer. That is all you will be doing with your slots if you gothat route. With Strixhaven, a Wizard or Sorcerer just using Whither and Bloom is probably better than you.
Before you go to sleep at night cast all your remaining slots on Goodberry so you have a supply for tomorrow. Hand them out to party members (except that Rogue that you don't get along with), so they have a bit of healing for the next day.
I would generally not get dedicated healing spells as a Ranger other than Goodberry. Although a Tasha's Ranger with spell feats can cast a ton of spells a day, a lot of them are through "once a day" casts and the good Ranger spells are so good I would not want to trade them for a healing spell either in terms of a spell known or a spell slot.
Things like Ensnaring Strike, Pass Without Trace, Spike Growth and Summon Fey are not worth trading for cure wounds, aid or healing spirit IMO. I might have aid as my 4th spell known once I reached 5th level (and already have ES, PWT and SG as the other three), but it would generally only be for emergencies to bring back someone who was downed.
You are really good to go with Goodberry and some potions. Don’t take Cure Wounds, it’s terrible. Aid is quite good, actually, but I would get it later on.
You can maximize Goodberry effectiveness if your party has access to minions who can easily administer some berries to unconscious allies. Familiars, Unseen Servants, Undeads, Tiny Servants, etc. Even your beast companion! Just handout some goodberries to them, plan accordingly with your folks and you will have the most effective and cheap Healing Word ever.
I came up against this, my party was running into trouble and getting themselves downed while I was at the back picking off targets with my arrows.
I looked at my spells, healing spirit goes against my character aesthetic so I homebrewed a weak healing arrow spell with my DM. It’s the healing word spell essentially. A spell that is fired from my bow and hits a target giving them 1d4 +4 hp. 60ft range. But I can’t use it on myself. That way there is someone who can give a little helping hand but with a limited Ranger spell slots it’s not a reliable or sustainable heal solution, but might save someone who goes down.
You don’t need a healer in DnD. It’s very nice to have either a Paladin or someone with Healing Word, but unless you have one of those things it’s not usually worth worrying about. For the party I DMed for over a year, the only healing spells that were cast were healing word by the Bard or Druid, heal in the final fight by the Druid, and a few cure wounds by the third-caster NPC every once in a while.
Also, other than the first few levels of play, potions of healing are cheap and can be made with time and proficiency in an herbalist kit.
Beat me to it Frank, if your DM allows it take the outlander background and exchange the musical instrument (why? WHY?) for the herbalism kit and then you can brew potions of healing in down time and have them available when needed.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
That’s not even an “if your DM allows it” rule. Backgrounds are 100% customizable RAW, as long as you pick from published features. I can have an Outlander with Perception, History, Glassblowing Tools, and speaks Elvish, all completely RAW.
Actually no, you can have it RAW only if your DM is willing to allow the Tasha’s options. Which is why I said ask your DM. Everything after the PHB, DMG, MM is optional at the DM’s discretion.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Everyone's a healer after a short rest! All your party members can heal themselves using hit dice afterall ☺
If you want more than that, you can pick spells or feats that help you heal others.
From the Players handbook (not dmg)
Customizing a Background
You might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, choose any two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or languages from the sample backgrounds. You can either use the equipment package from your background or spend coin on gear as described in chapter 5. (If you spend coin, you can’t also take the equipment package suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two personality traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a feature that matches your desired background, work with your DM to create one.
so you can customize outlander to be exactly the same except the instrument. I have done this and taken wood carvers tools instead on multiple occasions. any dm that takes this option away should explain their deviation away from RAW. So far the only one I have accepted was "I want to simplify creation for new players."
All of which in the end the DM can say no to if they want (granted it’s unlikely) which again is why you need to check with the DM.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
any dm that changes the rule is hombrewing. we were talking about RAW game mechanics. That type of answer is usless to an AL DM because they are no longer offical games if they start changing RAW.
You shouldn't need to check with your dm before following raw rules.