Battlefield Healer

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Details: Category: Classes; Published on Friday, 12 March 2010 05:00; Written by Tietar

Having enjoyed the Healer class from WotC's Miniature Handbook, I thought it time that a pathfinder-inspired substitute be introduced. The Battlefield Healer Easily fills the role once held by the Healer from previous editions, while still being attractive to play as a PC.

Where Holy Warriors, Priests, and the Faithful of good and reighteous gods wage peace, the Battlefield Healer is there to bolster and care for them.

Alignment: Any Good

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills

Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier

Level	Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will	Special Abilities
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Aura, Bonus Feat, Healing Hands, Orisons
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Lay on Hands, Mercy
3rd	+1	+3	+1	+3	Channel 2d8
4th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Field Healing, Mercy
5th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Channel 3d8
6th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Effortless Healing, Mercy
7th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Channel 4d8
8th	+4	+6	+2	+6	Mercy, Celestial Companion
9th	+4	+6	+3	+6	Channel 5d8
10th	+5	+7	+3	+7	Healer’s Blessing, Mercy
11th	+5	+7	+3	+7	Channel 6d8
12th	+6/+1	+8	+4	+8	Healing Kicker I, Mercy
13th	+6/+1	+8	+4	+8	Channel 7d8
14th	+7/+2	+9	+4	+9	Healing Kicker II, Mercy
15th	+7/+2	+9	+5	+9	Channel 8d8
16th	+8/+3	+10	+5	+10	Healing Kicker III, Mercy
17th	+8/+3	+10	+5	+10	Channel 9d8
18th	+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Healing Kicker IV, Mercy
19th	+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Channel 10d8
20th	+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Mercy, New Life

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Battlefield Healers are proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor. Additionally, a Battlefield Healer who uses metal armor or any kind of shield is severely hampered.

The armor of a Battlefield Healer is restricted by traditional oaths, not simply training. A Battlefield Healer knows how to wear light metal armor and could become proficient with medium or heavy armor, but wearing metal armor or bearing a shield would violate her oath and suppress her Battlefield Healer powers. Her ethos requires a certain vulnerability that allows her to more fully empathize with those in their care. A Battlefield Healer who uses prohibited armor is unable to cast Battlefield Healer spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class features while doing so and for 24 hours after the armor is taken off.

Aura (Ex): A Battlefield Healer has a particularly powerful aura of Good (see the detect evil spell for details).

Spells: A Battlefield Healer casts divine spells (the same type of spells available to clerics), which are drawn from the Battlefield Healer spell list given below. A Battlefield Healer must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below).

To prepare or cast a spell, a Battlefield Healer must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level (Wis 10 for 0-level spells, Wis 11 for 1stlevel spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Battlefield Healer’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the Battlefield Healer’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a Battlefield Healer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the Battlefield Healer Table. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table 1–3, page 17 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core book).

Battlefield Healers do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they meditate or pray for their spells, receiving them through their own strength of faith. Each Battlefield Healer must choose a time at which she must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain her daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a Battlefield Healer can prepare spells. A Battlefield Healer may prepare and cast any spell on the Battlefield Healer spell list (see below), provided she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Orisons: Battlefield Healers can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on the Battlefield Healer Table under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

	Spells Per Day
Level	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	4	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	5	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	5	4	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	5	5	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	5	5	4	4	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	6	5	5	4	3	-	-	-	-	-
8th	6	5	5	4	4	-	-	-	-	-
9th	6	6	5	5	4	3	-	-	-	-
10th	6	6	5	5	4	4	-	-	-	-
11th	6	6	6	5	5	4	3	-	-	-
12th	6	6	6	5	5	4	4	-	-	-
13th	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3	-	-
14th	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4	-	-
15th	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3	-
16th	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4	-
17th	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	3
18th	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4	4
19th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4
20th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	4

Battlefield Healer Spell List

0 Level
Create Water
Cure Minor Wounds
Deathwatch
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Light
Mending
Purify Food and Drink
Read Magic

1st Level
Bless Water
Cure Light Wounds
Goodberry
Protection from Evil
Remove Fear
Remove Paralysis
Sanctuary
Speak with Animals

2nd Level
Calm Emotions
Cure Moderate Wounds
Delay Poison
Gentle Repose
Remove Blindness/Deafness
Remove Disease
Lesser Restoration

3rd Level
Cure Fatal Wounds
Create Food and water
Cure Serious Wounds
Neutralize Poison
Remove Curse
Restoration
Status

4th Level
Cure Critical Wounds
Death Ward
Freedom of Movement
Mass Cure Light Wounds

5th Level
Atonement
Break Enchantment
Breath of Life
Mass Cure Moderate Wounds
Raise Dead
Stone to Flesh
True Seeing

6th Level
Greater Restoration
Heal
Heroes’ Feast
Mass Cure Serious Wounds
Regenerate

7th Level
Mass Cure Critical Wounds
Repulsion
Resurrection

8th Level
Discern Location
Holy Aura
Mass Heal

9th Level
Foresight
Gate
True Resurrection

Healing Hands (Ex): Whenever a Battlefield Healer casts a spell that cures hit point damage, she adds her Charisma modifier to the amount of damage healed. For instance, if a 5th-level Battlefield Healer with an 18 Charisma casts cure light wounds, she cures 1d8+5 points of damage normally, plus an additional 4 points of damage due to her Charisma bonus. This bonus applies only to spells of the healing subschool that she casts as a Battlefield Healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class.

Bonus Feat: A Battlefield Healer’s focused training grants her Skill Focus (Heal) as a bonus feat at 1st level. If she already has that feat, she may choose a different one.

Lay On Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Battlefield Healer can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 her Battlefield Healer level plus her Charisma modifier.

With one use of this ability, a Battlefield Healer can heal 1d8 hit points of damage for every two Battlefield Healer levels she possesses. Using this ability is a standard action, unless the Battlefield Healer targets herself, in which case it is a swift action.

Despite the name of this ability, a Battlefield Healer only needs one free hand to use this ability. Alternatively, a Battlefield Healer can use this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures, dealing 1d8 points of damage for every two levels the Battlefield Healer possesses. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage.

Mercy (Su): At 2nd level, and every even level thereafter, a Battlefield Healer can select one mercy. Each mercy adds an effect to the Battlefield Healer’s lay on hands ability. Whenever the Battlefield Healer uses lay on hands to heal damage to one target, the target also receives the additional effects from all of the mercies possessed by the Battlefield Healer. A mercy can remove a condition caused by a curse, disease, or poison without curing the affliction. Such conditions return after 1 hour unless the mercy actually removes the affliction that causes the condition.

At 2nd level, the Battlefield Healer can select from the following initial mercies.

Dazed: The target is no longer dazed.
Fatigued: The target is no longer fatigued.
Shaken: The target is no longer shaken.
Sickened: The target is no longer sickened.

At 6th level, a Battlefield Healer adds the following mercies to the list of those that can be selected.

Cursed: The Battlefield Healer’s lay on hands ability also acts as remove curse, using the Battlefield Healer’s level as the caster level.
Diseased: The Battlefield Healer’s lay on hands ability also acts as remove disease, using the Battlefield Healer’s level as the caster level.
Poisoned: The Battlefield Healer’s lay on hands ability also acts as neutralize poison, using the Battlefield Healer’s level as the caster level.
Staggered: The target is no longer staggered, unless the target is at exactly 0 hit points.

At 10th level, a Battlefield Healer adds the following mercies to the list of those that can be selected.

Blinded: The target is no longer blinded.
Deafened: The target is no longer deafened.
Exhausted: The target is no longer exhausted. The Battlefield Healer must have the fatigue mercy before selecting this mercy.
Frightened: The target is no longer frightened. The Battlefield Healer must have the shaken mercy before selecting this mercy.
Nauseated: The target is no longer nauseated. The Battlefield Healer must have the sickened mercy before selecting this mercy.
Paralyzed: The target is no longer paralyzed.

At 14th level, a Battlefield Healer adds the following mercies to the list of those that can be selected.

Ability Drained: The target is healed of ability damage and drain as per the spell greater restoration.
Level Drained: The target is healed of negative levels as per the spell greater restoration.
Stunned: The target is no longer stunned.
Petrified: The target is no longer petrified.
Lost Limb: The target regrows a lost or damaged body part, as per the spell regenerate.

These abilities are cumulative. For example, a 12th-level Battlefield Healer’s lay on hands ability heals 6d6 points of damage and might also cure fatigued and exhausted conditions as well as removing diseases and neutralizing poisons. Once a condition or spell effect is chosen, it can’t be changed.

Channel Positive Energy (Su): When a Battlefield Healer reaches 3rd level, she gains the supernatural ability to channel positive energy similar to a paladin or cleric. Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the Battlefield Healer. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 1d8 points of damage plus 1d8 points of damage for every two Battlefield Healer levels beyond first. Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Battlefield Healer’s level + the Battlefield Healer’s Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by channeled energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total – all excess healing is lost. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A Battlefield Healer can choose whether or not to include himself in this effect. A Battlefield Healer must be able to present his holy symbol to use this ability.

Using this ability consumes two uses of her lay on hands ability. A Battlefield Healer uses her level as her effective cleric level when channeling positive energy.

Field Healing (Ex): At 4th level, you become adept at administering first aid quickly and while under duress.

You can make a Heal check to provide first aid as a move action (rather than a standard action) and can take 10 on such checks even when stress or distraction would normally prevent you from doing so.

Effortless Healing (Ex): At 6th level, a Battlefield Healer has learned to cast spells of the healing subschool with minimal effort. She may cast such spells without provoking attacks of opportunity. This ability applies only to spells of the healing subschool that she casts as a Battlefield Healer, not to those that she may have by virtue of levels in another class.

Celestial Companion (Ex): When a Battlefield Healer attains 8th level, the deities recognize her devotion and grant her a celestial unicorn companion as her mount and aide. The unicorn, a symbol of healing and purity, serves the Battlefield Healer willingly and unswervingly.

Once per day, as a full-round action, a Battlefield Healer may magically call her mount to her side. The companion immediately appears adjacent to the Battlefield Healer and remains for 1 minute per Battlefield Healer level. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the Battlefield Healer’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the Battlefield Healer. A Battlefield Healer can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.

At 15th level, a Battlefield Healer’s mount gains spell resistance equal to the Battlefield Healer’s level + 11.

Should the Battlefield Healer’s mount die, the Battlefield Healer may not summon another mount for 30 days or until she gains a Battlefield Healer level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the Battlefield Healer takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls. It may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The companion is the same creature each time it is called, though the Battlefield Healer may release a particular companion from service to gain a companion of a different kind. Each time the companion is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The companion also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a companion is a conjuration (calling) effect.

A Battlefield Healer of 12th level or higher may select from alternative lists of companions (see the sidebar). Should she select a companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s Battlefield Healer level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s Battlefield Healer level and compare the result with the Battlefield Healer level entry on the table in the sidebar to determine the companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the Battlefield Healer’s effective level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that creature as a companion.) For example, a 12th-level Battlefield Healer could select a lammasu as a companion. The lammasu would have characteristics and special abilities as if the Battlefield Healer were 8th level (taking into account the –4 adjustment) instead of 12th level.

Should the Battlefield Healer’s companion die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The Battlefield Healer may not call another companion for 30 days or until she gains a Battlefield Healer level, whichever comes first, even if the companion is somehow returned from the dead. During this 30-day period, the Battlefield Healer is distraught and takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.

Healer’s Blessing (Su): At 10th level, all of your cure spells are treated as if they were empowered, increasing the amount of damage healed by half (+50%). This does not apply to damage dealt to undead with a cure spell. This does not stack with the Empower Spell metamagic feat.

Healing Kicker (Su): You hate to see your careful work ruined by an attack made right afterward.

Thus, you can choose to add a short-term protective effect to your healing spells, allowing a healed target to more easily survive the rigors of combat.

Whenever you cast a conjuration (healing) spell on an ally, you can choose to imbue the spell with a secondary effect as described below.

You can use this ability once per round, up to a total number of times per day equal to your 1/4 class level + your Wisdom modifier (minimum once per day).

In each case, the secondary effect lasts for 1 round unless otherwise noted.

Only one secondary effect can be imbued into any single spell.

You can’t apply this secondary benefit to yourself.

Healing Kicker I: you can imbue a healing spell with a sanctuary effect (as the spell).

The Will save DC to overcome this effect is equal to 15 + 1/2 Battlefield Healer class level + Wisdom modifier.

Healing Kicker II: you can grant the target of your healing spell a competence bonus on Reflex saves equal to 1/4 your class level.

Healing Kicker III: you can imbue a healing spell with a maximized aid effect (as the spell, but the quantity of temporary hit points granted is equal to 8 + your class level).

This effect lasts for 1 minute or until the temporary hit points are depleted, whichever comes first.

Healing Kicker IV: you can imbue a healing spell with any one mercy that you know. You may select the mercy anew each time you use each time you use this Healing Kicker.

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

Ex-Battlefield Healers

A Battlefield Healer who grossly violates her ethos (such as by refusing to heal an ally or a good-aligned creature) loses all spells and class features (except for proficiency with simple weapons and light armor). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a Battlefield Healer until she atones (see the atonement spell description, page 245 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core book).

Celestial Companion

The Battlefield Healer’s companion is different from a normal creature of its kind in many ways. The standard companion for a Battlefield Healer is a celestial unicorn. A Celestial companion’s abilities are determined by the Battlefield Healer’s level and its magical beast racial traits. Table 3–8 determines many of the base statistics of the Celestial companion.

Class Level: This is the character’s Battlefield Healer level. The Battlefield Healer’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to a Celestial companion for the purpose of determining the companion’s statistics.

HD: This is the total number of 10-sided (d10) Hit Dice the Celestial companion possesses.

BAB: This is the Celestial companion’s base attack bonus. A Celestial companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a Fighter of a level equal to the Celestial Companion’s HD. Celestial companions do not gain additional attacks using their natural weapons for a high base attack bonus.

Fort/Ref/Will: These are the Celestial companion’s base saving throw bonuses. (Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.)

Skills: This lists the Celestial companion’s total skill ranks. Celestial companions can assign skill ranks to any skill. If a Celestial companion increases its Intelligence to 10 or higher, it gains bonus skill ranks as normal.

Feats: This is the total number of feats possessed by a Celestial companion. Celestial companions should select their feats from those listed under Animal Feats. Celestial companions can select other feats, although they are unable to utilize some feats.

Natural Armor Bonus: The number noted here is an improvement to the Celestial companion’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str/Dex Bonus: Add this modifier to the Celestial companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

Bonus Tricks: The value given in this column is the total number of “bonus” tricks that the Celestial companion knows in addition to any that the Battlefield Healer might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill for more details on how to teach an animal tricks). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the Celestial companion. The Battlefield Healer selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

Special: This includes a number of abilities gained by Celestial companions as they increase in power, each is described below.

Link (Ex): A Battlefield Healer can handle her Celestial companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, with no ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The Battlefield Healer gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all Handle Animal checks made regarding her celestial companion.

Share Spells (Ex): The Battlefield Healer may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her Celestial companion (as a spell with a range of touch) instead of on herself. A Battlefield Healer may cast spells on her Celestial companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal). Spells cast in this way must come from a class that grants a Celestial companion. This ability does not allow the animal to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells.

Evasion (Ex): If a Celestial companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex save for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Ability Score Increase (Ex): The Celestial companion adds +1 to one of its ability scores.

Devotion (Ex): An Celestial companion gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

Multiattack: A Celestial companion gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the Celestial companion instead gains a second attack with one of its natural weapons, albeit at a –5 penalty.

Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a Celestial companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.

Spell Resistance (Su): A companion’s spell resistance is equal to its HD + 5. This increases to HD + 10 at 15th level, and HD + 15 at 20th level.

Class		Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will			Natural Armor	Str/Dex
Level	HD	Bonus	Save	Save	Save	Skills	Feats	Bonus	Bonus	Tricks	Special
8th	7	+7	+5	+5	+2	35	4	+4	+2	3	Ability Score Increase, Evasion, Resist Acid, Cold, Electricity 10, Devotion, Link, Share Spells
9th	8	+8	+6	+6	+2	40	4	+6	+3	4	Ability Score Increase, Multiattack
10th	9	+8	+6	+6	+3	45	5	+6	+3	4
11th	9	+9	+6	+6	+3	45	5	+6	+3	4
12th	10	+10	+7	+7	+3	50	5	+8	+4	5
13th	11	+11	+7	+7	+3	55	6	+8	+4	5	DR 10/Evil, Resist Acid, Cold, Electricity 15
14th	12	+12	+8	+8	+4	60	6	+8	+4	5	Ability Score Increase, Spell Resistance
15th	12	+12	+8	+8	+4	60	6	+10	+5	6	Improved Evasion
16th	13	+13	+8	+8	+4	65	7	+10	+5	6
17th	14	+14	+9	+9	+4	70	7	+10	+5	6
18th	15	+15	+9	+9	+5	75	8	+12	+6	7
19th	15	+15	+9	+9	+5	75	8	+12	+6	7
20th	16	+16	+10	+10	+5	80	8	+12	+6	7	Ability Score Increase, Spell Resistance

Animal Skills

Celestial companions can have ranks in any of the following skills: Acrobatics* (Dex), Climb* (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly* (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception* (Wis), Stealth* (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim* (Str). All of the skills marked with an (*) are class skills for Celestial companions.

Celestial companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can put ranks into any skill.

Animal Feats

Celestial companions can select from the following feats: Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, and heavy), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Ref lexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor (see the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary), Improved Natural Attack (see the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary), Improved Overrun, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Ref lexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, and Weapon Focus.

Celestial companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can select any feat they are physically capable of using. GMs might expand this list to include feats from other sources.

Alternative Celestial Companions

A Battlefield Healer of sufficiently high level can select her celestial companion from the following list. Apply the indicated adjustment to the Battlefield Healer’s level for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities. For example, if a 14th-level Battlefield Healer takes a gynosphinx as a companion, the gynosphinx’s special abilities are determined as if the Battlefield Healer were 10th level instead of 14th (due to the –4 adjustment). These companions are symbols of healing in various cultures.

12th Level or Higher (Level –4)
Lammasu
Gynosphinx
Water naga (available only in an aquatic environment)

16th Level or Higher (Level –8)
Androsphinx
Couatl

Additional Ratings
Balance:	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 3.93 (15 Votes)
Utility:	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.53 (15 Votes)
Clarity:	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.53 (15 Votes)