Meddik
05-17-04, 08:56 AM
First of all, to clear up some misconceptions: Defender and Healer are NOT synonymous terms. A lot of people think of Defenders as EQ Clerics, and that is simply not true at all. In fact, Empath Controllers have the potential to be better Healers than most non-empath Defenders. (Generally, Any Controller will only heal 75% as much as a similar level Controller When using the same power, all other things being equal)
The following Power Sets have Healing abilities, and are available to Both Defenders and Controllers
Empathy: This is the most diverse Healing Set, It has 2 Single Target Heals, and one Point Blank AOE Heal. Most Defenders/Controllers which Want to focus solely on Healing will take this power set.
Heal Other - Main Single Target Heal for most cases, Requires Line of sight
Healing Aura - An AOE Heal - It generally isn't a Huge heal, and is Endurance Costly, but it is the only power the empath has that heals himself as well. Usually great for Topping off 3 or more people's health.
Absorb Pain -Huge heal, Low Endurance cost, but takes 15-20% of the User's Health. Used best with Tanks, can generally heal over 50% of their health for a same level tank. This also prevents them from being healed by themselves, and other characters can only ehal them with siome targetted heals. I know A 2nd empath can heal them with Heal Other, but I'm not sure if all targetted heals will work. Low HPs prevent them from being able to use this power without dieing, and essentially cuts their healing power in half.
Tactics Empaths prefer to use when Healing: Ideally, Keep Most damage on a Tanker or Scrapper, and use single targetted heals. For all others (Defenders/Blasters/Controllers) Keep close to the Empath. They will typically use their AOE to keep them up in health. If you have multiple Empaths in the Group, I commonly see one stay up with the Melee pack to use the AOE heal with them too, while the second stays with the non-melee group.
Remember, Even if you are 5 feet away from an empath healer, Line of Sight problems can block their targeted heals. Remember this if you are fighting in enclosed quarters with a lot of obstacles.
Empath Heals generate no aggro, So they can commonly stand in the middle of a rough fight and heal away, assuming no villains are using AOEs. (This may not apply as much to those filling 2 roles, such as a Controller who is doing heals and Crowd control simultaneously.)
Dark Miasma: Their only available Heal is Twilight Grasp. It requires an enemy to target. The power causes an ACC and DMG debuff on the target, and Causes an AOE Heal focused on the Hero using this power. Tis power may also miss, as it requires a to-hit roll.
Line of Sight restrictions between the Caster and person being healed do not matter for this type of heal, but Range is still a limiting factor. Whenever possible, you will need to stay very near the Hero casting for their heals to affect you.
Kinetics: Their only Heal is Transfusion. This also requires a roll to hit, Drains Enemy Endurance and triggers an AOE heal around the enemy targetted. Thus, it is similar to Dark Miasma, Except that you will need to stay near the enemy targetted rather than the hero in order to be healed.
Radiation Emission: They have the power Radiant Aura. It is an AOE heal, focused on the Hero casting it. Thus, very similar to Dark Miasma, except that there is no to-hit roll, so their power may be a little bit more reliable as a healing ability. Also generates no aggro.
Storm Summoning: They recieve the power 02 Boost, which is a targetted heal. It suffers the same LOS restrictions as an Empath's targetted heals do, but has significantly mroe range than any of the AOE heals. Also generates no aggro.
Force Field: Defenders/Controllers with this power do not have any Heals.
Unless you are with an Empath, Do not be 100% certain your Defender/Controller is a Healer. Ask them, before you expect them to heal in your group. Quite a few With non-empathy power sets may skip their heal power entirely, or with force fields may never even have a chance to get one at all.
And in a group with Multiple Healers, it is very important to sort out who is responsible for what. But the various permutations of that are a bit too complicated to deal with here. In short, You kind of have to figure out who can do what to heal, and then build on that. If you have an Storm summoner and a Radiation Emissions person, you could let one be responsible for keeping the group topped off, while one focuses only on the most damaged person, such as a tanker or scrapper.
Most importantly, Make sure you are where you need to be to be healed. Ask the Healer if need be, they are probably more familiar with the limitations on their powers than those they group with. Plus, just showing that you know to adjust your tactics/positioning to help the healer out some makes it more likely they will think kindly of you when they have enough endurance for only one more heal in a rough fight.
The following Power Sets have Healing abilities, and are available to Both Defenders and Controllers
Empathy: This is the most diverse Healing Set, It has 2 Single Target Heals, and one Point Blank AOE Heal. Most Defenders/Controllers which Want to focus solely on Healing will take this power set.
Heal Other - Main Single Target Heal for most cases, Requires Line of sight
Healing Aura - An AOE Heal - It generally isn't a Huge heal, and is Endurance Costly, but it is the only power the empath has that heals himself as well. Usually great for Topping off 3 or more people's health.
Absorb Pain -Huge heal, Low Endurance cost, but takes 15-20% of the User's Health. Used best with Tanks, can generally heal over 50% of their health for a same level tank. This also prevents them from being healed by themselves, and other characters can only ehal them with siome targetted heals. I know A 2nd empath can heal them with Heal Other, but I'm not sure if all targetted heals will work. Low HPs prevent them from being able to use this power without dieing, and essentially cuts their healing power in half.
Tactics Empaths prefer to use when Healing: Ideally, Keep Most damage on a Tanker or Scrapper, and use single targetted heals. For all others (Defenders/Blasters/Controllers) Keep close to the Empath. They will typically use their AOE to keep them up in health. If you have multiple Empaths in the Group, I commonly see one stay up with the Melee pack to use the AOE heal with them too, while the second stays with the non-melee group.
Remember, Even if you are 5 feet away from an empath healer, Line of Sight problems can block their targeted heals. Remember this if you are fighting in enclosed quarters with a lot of obstacles.
Empath Heals generate no aggro, So they can commonly stand in the middle of a rough fight and heal away, assuming no villains are using AOEs. (This may not apply as much to those filling 2 roles, such as a Controller who is doing heals and Crowd control simultaneously.)
Dark Miasma: Their only available Heal is Twilight Grasp. It requires an enemy to target. The power causes an ACC and DMG debuff on the target, and Causes an AOE Heal focused on the Hero using this power. Tis power may also miss, as it requires a to-hit roll.
Line of Sight restrictions between the Caster and person being healed do not matter for this type of heal, but Range is still a limiting factor. Whenever possible, you will need to stay very near the Hero casting for their heals to affect you.
Kinetics: Their only Heal is Transfusion. This also requires a roll to hit, Drains Enemy Endurance and triggers an AOE heal around the enemy targetted. Thus, it is similar to Dark Miasma, Except that you will need to stay near the enemy targetted rather than the hero in order to be healed.
Radiation Emission: They have the power Radiant Aura. It is an AOE heal, focused on the Hero casting it. Thus, very similar to Dark Miasma, except that there is no to-hit roll, so their power may be a little bit more reliable as a healing ability. Also generates no aggro.
Storm Summoning: They recieve the power 02 Boost, which is a targetted heal. It suffers the same LOS restrictions as an Empath's targetted heals do, but has significantly mroe range than any of the AOE heals. Also generates no aggro.
Force Field: Defenders/Controllers with this power do not have any Heals.
Unless you are with an Empath, Do not be 100% certain your Defender/Controller is a Healer. Ask them, before you expect them to heal in your group. Quite a few With non-empathy power sets may skip their heal power entirely, or with force fields may never even have a chance to get one at all.
And in a group with Multiple Healers, it is very important to sort out who is responsible for what. But the various permutations of that are a bit too complicated to deal with here. In short, You kind of have to figure out who can do what to heal, and then build on that. If you have an Storm summoner and a Radiation Emissions person, you could let one be responsible for keeping the group topped off, while one focuses only on the most damaged person, such as a tanker or scrapper.
Most importantly, Make sure you are where you need to be to be healed. Ask the Healer if need be, they are probably more familiar with the limitations on their powers than those they group with. Plus, just showing that you know to adjust your tactics/positioning to help the healer out some makes it more likely they will think kindly of you when they have enough endurance for only one more heal in a rough fight.