Velmont
First Post
Yup. That's the balance factor for getting 30 or 40 extra points of healing per encounter out of a single feat. And, it's hardly game breaking that the Cleric focuses on non-bloodied enemies or does Astra Seal on a bloodied one. That's not THAT limiting.
If you compare feat for feat, sure, Pacifist Healer is powerful, but a Pacifist Healer is more than feat, it is a whole way to build and play a character. I have used Sacred Flames 3 times in this whole campaign, and I would haven't used that much if it was from that latest errata.
Personally, if would have stun a Pacifist if he deals damage, either the enemy is bloodied or not. You are either a Pacifist or not, I can't see a Half-Pacifist... River is slowly moving toward a non-Pacifist because of all the kick in the groin from WotC, but I haven't made my mind yet.
So for me, Pacifist healer, how I play it, I gained an extra 52 extra hp, but I reduce my damage to 0 and I raise the damage output from the enemy as they died more slowly. Also, some healing go to waste as you cannot heals over your maximum hp, which happen a lot more often to Pacifist Healers as they heal a lot. So the math should not be seen as a simple 52 hp, but as: (Extra healing (52) - Extra damage from enemies as they live more rounds - Wasted healing). If we do the math, I think it would be much more less than 52.
For example, in the last fight in Moonwatch, this proposal would have changed nothing to the end stats. I would have heal 10 more hp in combat for rumbum, but he would have spent anyway 4 HS at the end to be full. And he got both Healing Word. There have been a lot of healing wasted too with the last Healing Word.
If I compare it to, let's say the Strengthen Spirit of the Shaman, who gives extra Wis THP to any ally standing next to his spirit while he use his Spirit Healing feature, that could be easily a 16 or 20 extra THP, which might end as 20 HP not taken in damage, but doesn't affect anyhow his damage output or the enemy length of life.