Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts

As I approach the final stretch of work on Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts I’m going through our playtest documents and putting finishing touches on the alternate magic-user classes held within. One class that was particularly enjoyed by the players, much to my surprise, was the Healer. Lacking the versatility of the cleric, I expected the Healer wouldn’t see much love (especially with the much higher XP requirements to level when compared to the cleric or even the traditional magic user).

The Healer first made an appearance in my own campaign after it appeared in one of the two first Best of the Dragon compilations (the second I believe, the same place where the Anti-Paladin makes his re-appearance). It was then fiddled with repeatedly through the various New Kingdoms campaigns before settling into the format given here.

So without further ado, here’s the Labyrinth Lord version of the Healer.

Welcomed in all communities by all races, yet shrugged aside by most spell-casters as hedge wizards and hearth witches, healers specialize in those magics most needed by the people of the lands – the magics of healing and detection.

Healers typically learn their art from each other, but some few are self-trained, learning to heal through empathy and need.

Healers, by necessity, are hardy creatures, able to continue their work when suffering great wounds or other hardships. Their prime requisites are Constitution and Wisdom. A healer with a Constitution of 11 and a Wisdom of 13 gains a +5% bonus to earned experience. A healer with a Constitution of 13 and a Wisdom of 16 gains a +10% bonus.

Healers must be Lawful or Neutral. Chaotic healers cannot exist, and a healer who becomes chaotic becomes a simple fighter.

Healers can wear leather armour and can use any one-handed weapon or staff, but no bows, crossbows or shields.

Like clerics, healers do not need a spellbook, instead choosing their spells to prepare from their full spell list. At first these spells focus on very minor healings and detection spells (thus the prejudice that healers suffer from the other spellcasting classes), but soon they learn powerful healing and curative spells.

When a healer reaches level 3, he gains the ability to add a bonus to the number of hit points healed by all curative spells. To determine the bonus, look up the healer’s Charisma score but using the Wisdom ability score bonus chart. The bonus (if positive) is added to the damage healed by any spell that the healer casts that heals hit points of damage.

Healer Spell Lists

Level 1 Spells
Cure Minor Wounds
Detect Evil
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Protection from Evil
Purify Food and Drink

Level 2 Spells
Bless
Cure Disease
Cure Light Wounds
Lesser Restoration
Resist Cold
Sleep

Level 3 Spells
Continual Light
ESP
Locate Object
Protection from Evil 10′ radius
Remove Curse
Resist Fire

Level 4 Spells
Create Food & Water
Cure Paralysis
Cure Serious Wounds
Dispel Magic
Raise Dead
Water Breathing

Level 5 Spells
Charm Monster
Cure Critical Wounds
Cure Insanity
Stone to Flesh
Tongues

Level 6 Spells
Heal
Mass Cure Minor Wounds
Quest
Regenerate
Restoration

Level 7 Spells
Control Weather
Mass Charm
Mass Cure Light Wounds
Resurrection

New Spells

Cure Insanity
Level: Healer 5
Duration: Permanent
Range: Touch

The target of this spell is cured of any insanity – caused by magic, trauma or other sources.

Cure Minor Wounds
Level: Healer 1, Enchanter 3, Fleshcrafter 1
Duration: Permanent
Range: Touch

When cast, the healer touches one character or creature (or himself) and heals it of 1d4 hit points of damage. This spell cannot grant more hit points than the being’s normal maximum.

Cure Paralysis
Level: Healer 4
Duration: Permanent
Range: 60′

All targets within range (of the caster’s choice) are immediately freed from all paralysis and slow spell type effects whether caused by magic, undead or poisons.

Detect Poison
Level: Healer 1, Unseen 1
Duration: 6 turns
Range: 60′

For the duration of this spell, the caster can see a magicalglow on any item or creature within 60′ that is poisoned, poisonous, or that contains poison. It  also detects green slime and other hostile molds and fungi.

Lesser Restoration
Level: Healer 2
Duration: Permanent
Range: Touch

Lesser restoration dispels any magical effects that reduce a character’s ability scores. It eliminates fatigue and hunger. If cast within 1 round of losing a level to an undead or energy drain spell, then one of those levels lost is immediately restored.

Mass Cure Light Wounds
Level: Healer 7
Duration: Permanent
Range: 180′

All targets of the caster’s choice within range are healed for 1d6+1 points of damage.

Mass Cure Minor Wounds
Level: Healer 6
Duration: Permanent
Range: 120′

All targets of the caster’s choice within range are healed for 1d4 points of damage.

Tongues
Level: Healer 5, Enchanter 4, Unseen 4
Duration: 1 turn / level
Range: Touch

This spell grants the creature touched the ability to speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or a regional dialect. The subject can speak only one language at a time, although it may be able to understand several languages. Tongues does not enable the subject to speak with creatures who don’t speak.