Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MJ the Prophet 04-27-05, 11:43 AM	I've attempted to play a healer before, and I'll admit that boy, was I a healing battery. I could bring people back from the dead with cure light wounds, it seemed. But I wanted to add a new flavor of healer to my new campaign world, (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=419885) so I've created this new core class, the Physician. I'm sure its not great just yet, as I've never built a core class before, just PrCs. But, I submit it for approval and improvement, or possibly use if you happen to like it. --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE PHYSICIAN Not all healing is done through magic, and the chirurgeons of the world are valued members of society, especially those that serve the military. Still, there are those who go beyond the simple skills involved in healing and herb lore, and yet do not look to the gods for curative power. There are older, more mysterious ways, dismissed by most as superstition or even paganism and heresy, but respected by those who have seen their effects. The practitioners of these arts are well trained, and only a few can truly call themselves physicians. They call upon the more mundane arts of healing: herbs, splints, bandages, and their unique instruments of surgery. At the same time, they look to omens, signs in the heavens and in everyday events; they study texts ancient and new, mundane and mystical. Their ways may be strange, but their skills are in high demand, for the best of them can save lives even when a priest may have to accept defeat. GAME RULE INFORMATION Physicians have the following game statistics. Abilities: Wisdom determines how many remedies a physician can perform each day, as well as how powerful a remedy he may use. Intelligence determines how effective his remedies are. A high Constitution is necessary for him to fight off diseases as well as keep his stomach when dealing with injury and death. Alignment: A physician learns to be calm and unbiased as part of his training, avoiding extremes of emotion, and thus must keep at least one axis of his alignment neutral at all times. Hit Die: d8 Class Skills The physician's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (any) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int mod) x 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int mod Class Features All the following are class features of the physician. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Physicians are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, sling, short sword, kukri, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Their skills are not always suited to the heat of combat, and their training is intellectual, not physical, but most have served with soldiers at one point or another, and picked up a few things. As well, they are familiar with blades in many forms and for several reasons. Remedies: A physician calls upon his training in ancient healing arts to perform remedies. Additionally, he gains some ability with divinations, as his skill at reading signs and omens improves. While their effects mimic those of many divine spells, remedies are not spells in the traditional sense, and are neither arcane nor divine. Any remedy he uses that has a material or focus component instead uses his physician's equipment (expensive material components may be replaced with specialized and equally expensive equipment), and in many cases the equipment is not consumed where a material component would be. His healing remedies are not divinely powered as are most healing spells, and do not channel positive energy. Thus, they have no effect on undead or other creatures harmed by positive energy, and are not blocked by any positive energy resistance. A physician is not truly a spellcaster, and thus cannot apply metamagic feats to his remedies, although he gains abilities that mimic some of them. He also cannot craft any magical items other than potions, and may only take the Brew Potion feat. An evil physician (odd though that may sound) may use the inflict variants of any cure remedy he knows. In all other ways, including saving throws, spell resistance, and magic immunities, his remedies act as the spells they mimic. To use a remedy, a physician must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the remedy's level (Wis 10 for 0th-level remedies, Wis 11 for 1st level, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a physician's remedy is 10 + the spell level + the physician's Wisdom modifier. Like other spellcasters, a physician can use only a certain number of remedies of each level per day. His base daily remedy allotment is given on Table: The Physician. In addition, he receives bonus remedies per day if he has a high Wisdom score (See Table 1-1, page 8 of the Player's Handbook). Physicians do learn their remedies from books and ancient texts, but this learning is a part of their basic training, and it simply takes time and experience to master the techniques. However, the channeling of the energies that separate a physician from any mundane healer is draining, which not only limits his number of exceptional remedies each day, but requires a period of rest. A physician must choose a time (relevant to the signs and omens of his life) at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet meditation and gathering of self to regain his daily allotment of remedies. Unlike clerics, healers, wizards, and some other spellcasters, a physician need not prepare his remedies in advance. He can use any remedy on the physician remedy list at any time, provided he has access to remedies of that level and has not yet used up his remedies per day of that level. Physician's Training (Ex): Whenever a physician uses a remedy that cures hit point damage, he adds his Intelligence modifier (to a maximum of his physician class level) to every die of damage healed. For instance, if a 1st level physician with an 18 Intelligence uses cure light wounds, he cures 1d8+1 points of damage normally, plus an additional 1 point of damage due to his Intelligence bonus limited by his level. If he later achieves 5th level, and uses cure moderate wounds, he cures 2d8+5 points of damage normally, plus an additional 8 points of damage due to his Intelligence bonus on each of the two dice. This bonus applies only to remedies of the healing subschool that he uses as a physician, not to spells that he may have by virtue of another class. Focused Healing (Ex): Once per day per class level, a physician may focus his intent upon a healing; calculating the good and bad omens of the day, making what amends he can for the bad omens, and possibly even praying to whatever god he might worship. When he does so, if he is using a remedy that cures hit point damage, his caster level is considered four higher, and the remedy is treated as though Empower Spell had been used on it. If the remedy does not cure hit point damage, but instead allows the subject another save against an effect, the subject gets two additional chances at the save, with a +4 bonus on each. Doing this is especially draining on a physician, and he may only use the ability once per hour. This ability may not be used on the physician's divination remedies. This bonus applies only to remedies of the healing subschool that he uses as a physician, not to spells that he may have by virtue of another class. Skill Focus (Heal): A physician's focused training grants him this bonus feat at 2nd level. If he already has that feat, he may choose a different one. Cleanse Disease (Ex): The physician eventually becomes so familiar with certain maladies that he may heal them without channeling the energies necessary for a remedy. At 4th level, he gains the ability to cleanse disease, as though using a remove disease remedy, a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. Anatomy (Ex): A physician's training makes him intimately familiar with the inner workings of the body, giving him precision in his surgeries as well as in the rare occasions he must harm another. His knowledge of anatomy increases as he goes up levels. I: At 5th level, the physician gains a +2 bonus on Heal checks to perform surgeries on subjects with humanoid anatomy (including giants and some monstrous humanoids). Surgery includes healing damage from slashing and piercing weapons, removing arrows, amputating limbs, etc. In addition, he may add his Intelligence bonus to his damage rolls with any slashing or piercing weapon. II: At 10th level, the physician understands the body well enough that his bonus on Heal checks rises to +4, and the restrictions to humanoid anatomy and surgery disappear; he now knows enough to work on any type of creature and with any kind of malady. In a relaxed situation where the physician can take his time, he may make a Heal check at DC 25 to double the effect of his physician's training ability, adding twice his Intelligence bonus to each die rolled. In addition, he may now reroll any ones that he rolls on damage dice with piercing or slashing weapons, including any dice of precision damage gained through other classes, but not dice gained from a magical effect (such as holy or shocking burst). He must keep the results of the reroll, even if they again come up as a one. III: At 15th level, the physician understands more of the mystical connection between the body and spirit. In a relaxed situation where a physician can take his time, if he makes the Heal check to double his physician's training bonus, he may also reroll any ones that he rolls on the dice to cure hit point damage. He must keep the results of the reroll, even if they again come up as a one. In addition, any time a physician successfully strikes an opponent with a piercing or slashing weapon, he inflicts one point of bleeding wound. IV: At 20th level, the physician is a master of his field, understanding the body and spirit as a single entity, and equally capable of working with both. He may now use Heal checks to cure magically induced mental illnesses, such as feeblemind or insanity (but not ability damage or drain), with a DC equal to 10 + the save DC of the spell (or what the save would have been, should the spell not normally allow a save). This use of the Heal skill takes one hour. He may also take 10 on a Heal check, even in tense situations such as combat, but only for mundane uses of the Heal skill (i.e. not the special Heal checks he uses for some of his class abilities). In addition, any time a physician successfully strikes an opponent with a piercing or slashing weapon, he inflicts one point of Strength and Constitution damage. Cleanse Poison (Ex): At 6th level, the physician gains the ability to cleanse poison, as though using a neutralize poison remedy, a number of times per day equal to 2 + his Intelligence modifier. Effortless Healing (Ex): At 8th level, a physician has achieved both a level of skill and an air of authority that he can walk through the battlefields with which he is so familiar without fear. He may use remedies of the healing subschool without provoking attacks of opportunity. This ability applies only to remedies of the healing subschool that he uses as a physician, not to spells that he may have by virtue of another class. Cleanse Blindness/Deafness (Ex): At 9th level, a physician gains the ability to cleanse blindness and deafness, as though using a remove blindness/deafness remedy, a number of times per day equal to 1 + his Intelligence modifier. Calming Aura (Su): At 10th level, a physician carries an aura of calm and authority with him wherever he goes. While most useful in keeping patients from panicking, his level-headed demeanor is useful in getting through a battlefield as well. He is surrounded by the effect of a calm emotions spell to a radius of 10 feet at all times. He may suppress or resume this emanation as a free action. Cleanse Paralysis (Sp): At 11th level, a physician begins to become familiar with more arcane forms of maladies. He gains the ability to cleanse paralysis, as though using a remove paralysis remedy, a number of times per day equal to his Intelligence modifier. Deeper Healing (Su): Three times per day, a physician with this ability can put more effort and skill into his remedies. He may use this ability when using a remedy that cures hit point damage, and using it is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, regardless of his effortless healing ability. The remedy is treated as though Maximize Spell had been used on it. Cleanse Spirit (Sp): At 13th level, a physician gains the ability to cleanse a subject's spirit, as though using a greater restoration remedy, three times per day. Cleanse Petrification (Sp): At 15th level, a physician gains the ability to cleanse petrification, as though using a stone to flesh remedy, once per day. True Healing (Su): At 18th level, a physician can pour all of his effort and skill into a single healing. He may use this ability when using a remedy that cures hit point damage, and using it is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, regardless of his effortless healing ability. The remedy is treated as though Intensify Spell had been used on it (Maximized, then doubled.) After using this ability, the physician is exhausted for the following round, then fatigued for one hour afterwards. TABLE: THE PHYSICIAN Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Physician's training, focused healing 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Skill Focus (Heal) 3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Cleanse disease 5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Anatomy I 6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Cleanse poison 7th +5 +5 +2 +5 8th +6 +6 +2 +6 Effortless healing 9th +6 +6 +3 +6 Cleanse blindness/deafness 10th +7 +7 +3 +7 Calming aura, anatomy II 11th +8 +7 +3 +7 Cleanse paralysis 12th +9 +8 +4 +8 Deeper healing 13th +9 +8 +4 +8 Cleanse spirit 14th +10 +9 +4 +9 15th +11 +9 +5 +9 Cleanse paralysis, anatomy III 16th +12 +10 +5 +10 17th +12 +10 +5 +10 18th +13 +11 +6 +11 True healing 19th +14 +11 +6 +11 20th +15 +12 +6 +12 Anatomy IV ———————— Remedies 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 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 — — — 12th 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 — — — 13th 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 — — 14th 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 — — 15th 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 — 16th 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 — 17th 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 18th 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 19th 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 20th 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 Physician Remedy List 0 Level: create water, cure minor wounds, deathwatch, detect magic, detect poison, know direction, mending, purify food and drink, resistance 1st Level: comprehend languages, cure light wounds, goodberry, remove fear, remove paralysis, sleep 2nd Level: augury, calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, gentle repose, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, lesser restoration, status 3rd Level: close wounds, create food and water, cure serious wounds, neutralize poison, remove curse, restoration, speak with dead, tongues 4th Level: contagion, cure critical wounds, death ward, detect scrying, divination, locate object, panacea 5th Level: break enchantment, contact other plane, locate creature, poison, raise dead, revivify, true seeing 6th Level: greater restoration, heal, Rary's telepathic bond, regenerate, scrying, stone to flesh 7th Level: find the path, Mordenkainen's private sanctum, resurrection, vision 8th Level: discern location, mind blank, moment of prescience 9th Level: foresight, soul bind, true resurrection -------------------------------------------------------------------- There it is, the physician. Obviously, strongly influenced by the healer. I'm not sure about the remedy list, especially in the higher levels. His healing seems to drop off, but I'm not going to give him the mass cure spells. It doesn't make sense, since he has to work on the patient, not just call on a god to heal people. Any suggestions would be helpful. Of course, he can always just sack higher level slots for lower level remedies, like any spontaneous caster. So, there you go. Edit 04/28/05: Modified the Anatomy ability slightly, since I was effectively giving him a bonus he already had, only worse. Hoping to get some feedback! Edit 05/02/05: Remembered that I needed to put in Ex, Su, and Sp on his abilities.
MJ the Prophet 04-28-05, 08:00 PM	Small edit, so :bump:.
MJ the Prophet 05-03-05, 07:31 PM	Another small edit, and still no responses. :bump: with hope!
TheDarkestOfAngels 05-03-05, 08:59 PM	While I don't own the miniatures handbook, a cursory glance over this version and my keen memory over the official one tells me that this one is definately better than the healer in the MiniHB. However, this doesn't really fix the problem. It wasn't the class features that was the problem with this class, it was the fact that healing was the only thing it could do at all with any proficiency and the cleric and druid could not only cover the "healer" position in the party at least as well as the healer, but the cleric and druid could also do a huge variety of other things with little to no effort to accomplish this. Even the one-trackness of the warmage (essentially the opposite of the healer) is better at fufilling its super-specialization over the sorcerer's and wizard's domain than the healer is for healing. My suggestion would be to simply make "healers" in your world specialized clerics (as in, they all have the healing domain and another domain, such as protection, that helps them do just that.) However, in commenting on the class itself, I'd suggest all simple weapon proficiency, light (and perhaps medium) armor proficiecy, and shield proficiency. The job of a healer appears to be similar to that of a modern-day field medic. They need to be capable of handling themselves on the battlefield to fend for themselves and their injured comrades. Perhaps you could steer the class away from simply being able to throw healing spells better as opposed to being able to handle injured comrades. Perhaps some special abilities that lend themselves to be able to choose a comrade and buff them with special buffing spells (such as shield other) and class abilities could revolve around special grapple checks that allow the healer to more easily move an unconcious or concious and willing ally away from danger. (such as being able to move quicker and perhaps the healer can still do things he normally wouldn't be able to do in a grapple, such as cast.) But also load the healer with a plathora defensive abilities that perhaps could also apply to a grappled, fallen comrade, etc. etc.
lovehater 05-03-05, 09:07 PM	not bad friend, fair fair, i will look over it again to see any "mistakes"
Witless Warrior 05-04-05, 12:45 AM	But definitely don't like realization. 1. Medic CAN'T heal in combat round. It's only possible via supernatural measures. 2. Medic know human body much better. Therefore, she must get some bonuses for doing critical damage. Like extending range and multiplier, making ability damage on critical, etc. 3. She must be highly proficient in making poweful buffs and posions, like potions, oils etc. They must be more effective than oils and potions made by any other class.
jaerad 05-04-05, 04:35 AM	This character really needs some items attached: Scalpel [Shamlessly stolen from Asheron's Call. See original here: http://www.thejackcat.com/AC/Hobbies/Quests/Scalpel.htm] A small, flimsy looking blade for precision slicing. A scalpel functions as a masterwork tool for the purposes of assisting a Physician in Heal checks. It also works as a weapon for dealing precision damage. It is treated as a light melee weapon for the benefits from Weapon Finese, etc. However, it must be used in one hand with the other hand free (which could be assisting, as it were). Multiple hands do not allow you to yield more scalpels, as they must be used with utter concentration. All attacks made with it suffer a -10 to hit penalty, on top of any other penalties taken that round. 1d3+10 damage. 18-20x2, slashing/piercing. <really expensive>, 10 range*, 1lb, *If thrown, a scalpel functions as a dagger for the purposes of damage, critical, and to hit (ie, if you throw it, it's just another dagger). Little Black Bag A little black bag is a specialty medical bag for use by Physicians. Basically just a Heward's Handy Haversack that looks like a doctor's little black bag. It's for flava purposes. :) *EDIT* Also, I must say that this class would be sweet with some Sneak Attack dice. Add in some Rogue levels and oooOOOoieeee!
MJ the Prophet 05-04-05, 09:02 AM	Good, some responses. Yay! Just so everyone knows my inspiration for this class, the idea comes from Guy Gavriel Kay's physicians that come out of the world he created for Lions of Al Rassan, and especially from Rustem the physician in Lord of Emperors, the sequel to Sailing to Sarantium (same world). Jaerad: Thanks for the suggestions. I like the scalpel idea, but I don't know if the stats are quite right. I mean, you're effectively giving anyone who can afford it the ability to power attack for 10 with a light weapon. But definitely part of the Physician's Kit I'm planning on coming up with (an advanced Healer's Kit), or one of his specialized pieces of equipment. The black bag is a great idea. Warrior: Point by point responses. 1.) I know it pushes the bounds of the medic to give them healing in such a way. But I didn't want to create a class that would take so much time. "So, what do you bring to the party?" "Well, I'm a healer." "Oh, you mean a cleric. So you can fight some?" "I'm not a cleric, I'm a doctor, and I'm not really that great at fighting, I mostly heal." "Well, we can always use someone who can bring us back up during a fight." "Oh, I can't do that either. You have to get really hurt first, and lose the fight, and then I can take a few weeks to get you healed up." "Call a cleric, guys!" Hence, their remedies aren't just sewing him up and using bandages and whatever. That's for the mundane, everyday chirurgeon. He knows special ancient secrets of healing that let him speed the process immensely without resorting to divine magic. 2.) See the Anatomy ability. I decided not to give them just bonuses on crits, but on any strike with piercing or slashing weapons. Its all in there. 3.) If you notice, I did give them the ability to take Brew Potion. They also get Craft as a class skill, and many probably have Craft(alchemy) or Craft(poisonmaking). Or Profession(herbalist) for that matter. But a lot of physicians don't make their own medicines, they buy them from skilled herbalists. They just know how to use them effectively. I would give the physician poison use, but I'm not sure if it would unbalance the class. TDoA: I've heard the argument before. I can assure you, a cleric can't quite heal the way a healer (or my physician) can; he gets the spells, but not as early, and even with the Healing domain and Augment Healing, he doesn't have that boost of an ability score modifier to each die. But yes, I did find it frustrating when I played my healer. "Its your initiative." "Is anyone hurt?" "No." "I hold." Hence, I've given the physician a couple other roles; some divining ability, and creative multiclassing (or gestalting, which will be in the campaign they are introduced in) can make them very deadly, a la jaerad's edit. As for the rest, I hesitate to give them different weapons and armor. Their training isn't military, so I gave them wizard weapons, with a couple additions since they usually spend their lives around soldiers, and they're good with bladed stuff already, being surgeons and all. My friends already expressed surprise at this. "Kukri! Why is a doctor proficient with a heavy chopping blade?!" At which point, I was defended by another friend; "You have to do amputations somehow." The decision to give them no armor or shields was again a reflection of them being academics, like wizards are. But if they want to spend some feats on proficiencies, or multiclass to get them, their abilities are not negatively affected by armor or weapons in any way. They just haven't trained in using such things yet; they went to "medical school." Those other abilities, though, like moving allies quickly or using remedies in a grapple with willing targets, are a great idea. I'll see if I can work those in.
jaerad 05-04-05, 04:22 PM	Ya, I know it's basically just PA - but I couldn't think of any other way to create a good scalpel. I wanted it to have a low range, but high damage - so it does 11-13. I figured it was more a weapon that critted a lot, rather than critted for a lot. I suppose it could go both ways - but 11-13x3 seemed a lil much. I thought maybe limiting it such that it's the only weapon you can use, and you can't use a shield - but you can still do somatic comps - would be a good way to gimp it some. It may still work out as PAing with a light weapon - but you gotta keep in mind that this is the only weapon they can do that with (it's not like it's a class ability or anything). No STR bonus, you don't have a choice to PA for less - or keep your whole attack bonus. The idea was to somehow get it so that you attacked infrequently, but were capable of dealing massive precision hits. Maybe make an attack with it count as a full round attack? So you only get one attack/turn. I dunno. I just remembered the Scalpel from AC and thought it might be convertable.
Witless Warrior 05-05-05, 02:17 AM	Point by point re-responses. 1.)"Oh, I can't do that either. You have to get really hurt first, and lose the fight, and then I can take a few weeks to get you healed up." "Call a cleric, guys!" No, not a weeks. But not in heat of fight either. "Call a cleric" for this. I think that such class is just poor man's cleric and recommend to give him some special, exclusive powers, unaccessible to cleric or any other class. 2.) See the Anatomy ability. I decided not to give them just bonuses on crits, but on any strike with piercing or slashing weapons. Its all in there. First, why only slashing and piercing? Blunt lucks precision, but do wonders to bones and organs if applied creatively:) And such bonus on such high level is too subtle. 3.) If you notice, I did give them the ability to take Brew Potion. They also get Craft as a class skill, and many probably have Craft(alchemy) or Craft(poisonmaking). Or Profession(herbalist) for that matter. Hey, is it exclusive? Anyone may do the same. What about making remedies a potions, but lasting for very little time, like day or some hours? Even now some drugs must be taken soon after preparation to be effective.
Soel Griffin 05-05-05, 03:48 AM	I do like this class, but it's specific path almost dictates that it would likely end up as an npc class in my campaign. I would suggest going a sort of real world route, and adding a sort of philosopher bent to the class, perhaps allowing for some limited arcane magic. Just a suggestion.