Healers

List of Healers:

Deva, CR 10, MM pg 16

Planetar, CR 16, MM pg 17

Solar, CR 21, MM pg 18

Drow Priestess of Lolth, CR 8, MM pg 129

Kuo-toa Archpriest, CR 6, MM pg 200

Guardian Naga, CR 10, MM pg 234

Sahuagin Priestess, CR 2, MM pg 264

Unicorn, CR 5, MM pg 294

Acolyte, CR 1/4, MM pg 342

Priest, CR 5, MM pg 348

Modus Operandi
On their own, healers are pathetically weak. Healers function best in large groups, about 6 or more, where a target is always present to heal or buff. While a typically healer is often weak in offence, they make up for it in utility to their allies. To be of maximum use to their team, a healer needs good survivability, as well as a good selection of healing and buffing spells.

While healing is in the name, a healers role lies not only in healing, but in applying buff and debuff spells, such as bless and bane. These spells are handy not only in buffing their allies but also themselves, so the healer is not taken down by a focused attempt by the party.

Designing Encounters
The biggest part of designing an encouter around a healer is deciding what allies to give the healer. Think about who will recieve the majority of the healers spells. Most often this is one or two powerful front line allies. Next decide how the healer will be protected. A few low level allies using readied grapples can hold off a frothing barbarian for a turn or so.

Terrain is useful for a team with healer(s) because it can supply places to hide or otherwise hinder player attempts to attack the healer. Height, like in a tree or flying can provide effective defence, as well as spells like web or other difficult terrain. Cover and low visibility provide nice hiding spots for healers to be safe while making their allies stronger.

For a truly obnoxious challenge, a group composed of healers can frustrate players to no end by simply healing whomever the party focuses.

Role Playing Considerations
All current healers are above animal intelligence, and are expected to have a basic grasp of tactics. However, the DM must think about the healers relationship with it's party, as well as its ideals about who lives and who dies. Think about whether healer will make a tactically optimal decistion by healing a powerful warrior or will make the moral choice to heal up a comrade from death. Also think about what the healer will do once it runs out of spell slots and is forced to use a weapon to continue fighting.

Keeping it Fun
A good healer encounter will leave the players with a choice of whether they want to break through the front line by brute force or go straight for the supportive caster. While the caster should be defended, making it an impossible task changes the fight to a battle of brute force. An element of high risk high reward should exist to make the encounter fun. Lastly, too many healers make the encounter drag on for far too long, making the fight fun for no one.