Hi, I am getting my son into D&D and beginning a campaign for him and his friends. As a support NPC, I created a Divine Soul sorcerer for their party. The 6th level sorcerous origin ability, Empowered Healing, is a bit debatable in terms of utility. I am thinking of instituting a change and would appreciate opinions on the balance of my proposition.
Empowered healing can be useful, particularly if there are multiple healers in the party (which is not the case in the campaign I am building). The problem is that in most cases healing spells involve only a few dice rolls, and the strategy of using healing word in combat and aura of vitality or prayer of healing out of combat works against Empowered Healing. In particular, aura of vitality is so flexible that the inefficiency attributable to healing a party member multiple times due to poor dice rolls would not justify expending sorcerer points to reroll the two dice instead.
Since the NPC serves as both primary healer and secondary blaster, I was thinking of replacing empowered healing with something similar the to the Elemental Affinity ability of the Draconic bloodline (or Radiant Soul ability of the Celestial/Undying Light warlock background). Basically, add charisma bonus to fire/radiant spell damage and resistance to radiant damage. A balance challenge is that the resistance component of the Elemental Affinity ability is borked. Considering the example of a fire damage specialist, in any case where fire resistance would be needed, the likelihood is that one would not want to cast fire spells due to the target being resistant or immune. It would have made more sense for the Draconic sorcerer to simply be resistant to his/her chosen damage type. I am loathe to impose the "cast a radiant damage spell to gain radiant damage resistance," particularly since there are few radiant damage spells a Divine Soul sorcerer would take (sunbeam and word of radiance, perhaps), and radiant damage is infrequently encountered and generally a damage type associated with good-aligned monsters. In my estimation, for a party member, the value of radiant damage resistance is limited.
From Googling Empowered Healing, it is clear that I am not alone in my concerns about the ability and thoughts about replacing it with something more generally useful. I would appreciate others' thoughts based on their own experience. Thanks for your help.
Thanks for the response. A dip in Life Cleric definitely synergizes well with Divine Soul. However, I was exploring the possibility of modifying the 6th level Divine Soul ability, which would be unaffected by a dip. Are you suggesting you are playing a character for which you made a change to Empowered Healing similar to the one I suggested (as well as took a dip in Life Cleric)?
No, I am saying I don't think a modification is necessary. You could get everything you're proposing by making them a Protector Aasimar. Inherent Radiant/Necrotic resistance and bonus Radiant damage while using Radiant Soul, while maintaining the ability to reroll low healing rolls on the fly with Empowered Healing. But if you're running the campaign then modify however you like.
Also, I'm not a fan of making NPCs that powerful in terms of damage dealing. If a NPC is getting all the kills in a party I find it takes away from the enjoyment of the PCs.
Ok, thanks. That helps. I was not familiar with the aasimar. They seem a bit powerful, though protector aasimar flight is redundant with divine soul angelic form.
One related question: Can you point me to any healing spells, other than possibly mass cure wounds, where empowered healing would make a substantial difference? I cannot think of a healing spell that involves rolling more than three dice (either once or per target). I suppose it could have an appreciable impact for mass cure wounds assuming 5 or 6 targets, the dice are rolled once for all targets, and the spell is cast at 5th or higher level. However, the impact would still be marginal over aura of vitality, and the latter is more flexible (single or multi-target healing) as well as uses a lower level spell slot.
Ok, thanks. That helps. I was not familiar with the aasimar. They seem a bit powerful, though protector aasimar flight is redundant with divine soul angelic form.
One related question: Can you point me to any healing spells, other than possibly mass cure wounds, where empowered healing would make a substantial difference? I cannot think of a healing spell that involves rolling more than three dice (either once or per target). I suppose it could have an appreciable impact for mass cure wounds assuming 5 or 6 targets, the dice are rolled once for all targets, and the spell is cast at 5th or higher level. However, the impact would still be marginal over aura of vitality, and the latter is more flexible (single or multi-target healing) as well as uses a lower level spell slot.
Wings from Radiant Soul are available at 1st level and only last for a minute. Otherwordly Wings are persistent, but not available until level 14. Typically, it's a long road from 1 - 14, so I'm ok with some overlap on the back end, especially because RS will still add Radiant damage (+14 at that level) so it doesn't become completely useless.
As for spells, literally any healing spell could have a substantial benefit. I'm not sure why you think healing spells don't roll more than 3 dice, since the spells use an additional die roll per level cast. Cure Wounds cast at 5th level is 5d8 + spell mod. Yes, mass spells out of combat will benefit the entire party the most, but the healing applied to indiviual creatures is the same dice roll whether it's a single target or multiple. And actually, single target heals are more powerful because of the level they're cast at. Mass Healing Word is a 3rd level spell restoring 1d4 +spell mod. Regular Healing Word cast at the same level is 3d4 + mod. The mass spell restores less HP individually, but affects more creatures. Let's assume the spell mod is +2, and the front-line PC just took a massive hit. The DS Sorc casts Healing word at 3rd level, but rolls three 1's, totaling 5HP restored. Empowered Healing lets you reroll those dice to potentially raise the healing to 14HP restored on a max rol, and in combat any additional HP can have a huge impact on the outcome.
I'm not saying it's a perfect or even great feature, but it does make you a more effective healer, particularly in combat, since you will almost always be able to roll higher than minimum. If there is another healer on the team, this feature can benefit them as well.
This post is old so I hope i'm not too late to change your mind on this one...
From your post here's what I understand: You trying to build a NPC that can support your Son & Friends from their invetiably bad decision making ( being new players no insult intended).
What I would actually suggest:
Sorcerer: Level 3 - Stick with Divine Soul
Bard: Level 3: Take the College of Glamour
It might even be worth throwing the NPC the Inspiring Leader Feat or taking it on Level Up as well. Either way this Character is built to save your team!
What you can do: Metamagic - Distant Spell - That Cure Wounds you got for free? It's now got a range of 30ft also take Careful Spell: Need to drop an AoE with a Save? Ensure they automatically succeed (Great for things like Fairie Fire, etc...)!
Healing Word (Can take as Bard Spell or as a Divine Soul) - They drop ? No worries here you go buddy :)
Sorcerors get some cool AoE Spells - Use them when the team needs it.
College of Glamour - You want Mantle of Inspiration as it allows you to throw 5 or so temp HP but ALSO let them move into a better tactical position with their reactions and on your turn!
So now - if someone drops or is about to even, you can literally pick them up with Cure Wounds (if your within 30ft) and throw some Temp HP to top them off.
Great Support Spells:
Vicous Mockery (Not Bad - But you can also take Frostbite Cantrip which is a bit better IMO)
Shocking Grasp (Can make enemies not take reactions)
Spare the Dying (Because your a Divine Soul Sorc)
Ray of Frost (decent dmg and also slows the creature by 10ft)
Level 1:
Bane or Bless - Your call
Healing Word
Dissonant Whispers ( This spell is great if your team has the BBEG surrounded as the movement provokes oppty attacks)
Level 2
Lesser Restoration - Great for any supporter
Blindness/Deafness - I always found the blindness more useful, especially against enemy casters
Shatter - It's too fun not to have?
Anyway you will only have level 2 spells but your abilities and build will keep them alive , depending on how long you guys play i'd keep leveling the sorceror and look at spells like Sleet Storm and Errupting Earth.
I am trying to make a divine soul sorcerer of a death god that gets extra necromancy spells from the cleric spell list, and empowered healing just does not fit the theme. I was thinking of suggesting the death domain clerics 1st level abilty, but what do yalls think?
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Hi, I am getting my son into D&D and beginning a campaign for him and his friends. As a support NPC, I created a Divine Soul sorcerer for their party. The 6th level sorcerous origin ability, Empowered Healing, is a bit debatable in terms of utility. I am thinking of instituting a change and would appreciate opinions on the balance of my proposition.
Empowered healing can be useful, particularly if there are multiple healers in the party (which is not the case in the campaign I am building). The problem is that in most cases healing spells involve only a few dice rolls, and the strategy of using healing word in combat and aura of vitality or prayer of healing out of combat works against Empowered Healing. In particular, aura of vitality is so flexible that the inefficiency attributable to healing a party member multiple times due to poor dice rolls would not justify expending sorcerer points to reroll the two dice instead.
Since the NPC serves as both primary healer and secondary blaster, I was thinking of replacing empowered healing with something similar the to the Elemental Affinity ability of the Draconic bloodline (or Radiant Soul ability of the Celestial/Undying Light warlock background). Basically, add charisma bonus to fire/radiant spell damage and resistance to radiant damage. A balance challenge is that the resistance component of the Elemental Affinity ability is borked. Considering the example of a fire damage specialist, in any case where fire resistance would be needed, the likelihood is that one would not want to cast fire spells due to the target being resistant or immune. It would have made more sense for the Draconic sorcerer to simply be resistant to his/her chosen damage type. I am loathe to impose the "cast a radiant damage spell to gain radiant damage resistance," particularly since there are few radiant damage spells a Divine Soul sorcerer would take (sunbeam and word of radiance, perhaps), and radiant damage is infrequently encountered and generally a damage type associated with good-aligned monsters. In my estimation, for a party member, the value of radiant damage resistance is limited.
From Googling Empowered Healing, it is clear that I am not alone in my concerns about the ability and thoughts about replacing it with something more generally useful. I would appreciate others' thoughts based on their own experience. Thanks for your help.
You can always dip into Life Domain Cleric instead. You'd get additional boosts to heals, weapon/ armor proficiencies, Channel Divinity (at level 2).
This is literally the character I'm playing now in campaign.
Thanks for the response. A dip in Life Cleric definitely synergizes well with Divine Soul. However, I was exploring the possibility of modifying the 6th level Divine Soul ability, which would be unaffected by a dip. Are you suggesting you are playing a character for which you made a change to Empowered Healing similar to the one I suggested (as well as took a dip in Life Cleric)?
No, I am saying I don't think a modification is necessary. You could get everything you're proposing by making them a Protector Aasimar. Inherent Radiant/Necrotic resistance and bonus Radiant damage while using Radiant Soul, while maintaining the ability to reroll low healing rolls on the fly with Empowered Healing. But if you're running the campaign then modify however you like.
Also, I'm not a fan of making NPCs that powerful in terms of damage dealing. If a NPC is getting all the kills in a party I find it takes away from the enjoyment of the PCs.
Ok, thanks. That helps. I was not familiar with the aasimar. They seem a bit powerful, though protector aasimar flight is redundant with divine soul angelic form.
One related question: Can you point me to any healing spells, other than possibly mass cure wounds, where empowered healing would make a substantial difference? I cannot think of a healing spell that involves rolling more than three dice (either once or per target). I suppose it could have an appreciable impact for mass cure wounds assuming 5 or 6 targets, the dice are rolled once for all targets, and the spell is cast at 5th or higher level. However, the impact would still be marginal over aura of vitality, and the latter is more flexible (single or multi-target healing) as well as uses a lower level spell slot.
Wings from Radiant Soul are available at 1st level and only last for a minute. Otherwordly Wings are persistent, but not available until level 14. Typically, it's a long road from 1 - 14, so I'm ok with some overlap on the back end, especially because RS will still add Radiant damage (+14 at that level) so it doesn't become completely useless.
As for spells, literally any healing spell could have a substantial benefit. I'm not sure why you think healing spells don't roll more than 3 dice, since the spells use an additional die roll per level cast. Cure Wounds cast at 5th level is 5d8 + spell mod. Yes, mass spells out of combat will benefit the entire party the most, but the healing applied to indiviual creatures is the same dice roll whether it's a single target or multiple. And actually, single target heals are more powerful because of the level they're cast at. Mass Healing Word is a 3rd level spell restoring 1d4 +spell mod. Regular Healing Word cast at the same level is 3d4 + mod. The mass spell restores less HP individually, but affects more creatures. Let's assume the spell mod is +2, and the front-line PC just took a massive hit. The DS Sorc casts Healing word at 3rd level, but rolls three 1's, totaling 5HP restored. Empowered Healing lets you reroll those dice to potentially raise the healing to 14HP restored on a max rol, and in combat any additional HP can have a huge impact on the outcome.
I'm not saying it's a perfect or even great feature, but it does make you a more effective healer, particularly in combat, since you will almost always be able to roll higher than minimum. If there is another healer on the team, this feature can benefit them as well.
This post is old so I hope i'm not too late to change your mind on this one...
From your post here's what I understand: You trying to build a NPC that can support your Son & Friends from their invetiably bad decision making ( being new players no insult intended).
What I would actually suggest:
Sorcerer: Level 3 - Stick with Divine Soul
Bard: Level 3: Take the College of Glamour
It might even be worth throwing the NPC the Inspiring Leader Feat or taking it on Level Up as well. Either way this Character is built to save your team!
What you can do: Metamagic - Distant Spell - That Cure Wounds you got for free? It's now got a range of 30ft also take Careful Spell: Need to drop an AoE with a Save? Ensure they automatically succeed (Great for things like Fairie Fire, etc...)!
Healing Word (Can take as Bard Spell or as a Divine Soul) - They drop ? No worries here you go buddy :)
Sorcerors get some cool AoE Spells - Use them when the team needs it.
College of Glamour - You want Mantle of Inspiration as it allows you to throw 5 or so temp HP but ALSO let them move into a better tactical position with their reactions and on your turn!
So now - if someone drops or is about to even, you can literally pick them up with Cure Wounds (if your within 30ft) and throw some Temp HP to top them off.
Great Support Spells:
Level 1:
Level 2
Anyway you will only have level 2 spells but your abilities and build will keep them alive , depending on how long you guys play i'd keep leveling the sorceror and look at spells like Sleet Storm and Errupting Earth.
I am trying to make a divine soul sorcerer of a death god that gets extra necromancy spells from the cleric spell list, and empowered healing just does not fit the theme. I was thinking of suggesting the death domain clerics 1st level abilty, but what do yalls think?
When the DM smiles, it is already to late.