# Healing Hymn Alt Bard Class Feature (Clarification)



## Mistwell (Apr 21, 2008)

I have some questions about the Healing Hymn alternate class feature from Complete Champion:



> Level:1st
> Replaces: Fascinate (which means it also replaces Suggestion)
> Benefit: If you have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill, you can use your music or poetics to create an area conducive to healing.  To be affected, an ally must be able to see and hear you perform.  The effect lasts as long as you continue performing and for 5 rounds thereafter.  An affected ally who casts any conjuration (healing) spell gains a +1 sacred (if you're good or neutral) or profane (if you're evil) bonus on the roll for each rank you have in the Perform skill.  This ability has no effect on spells cast from wands, scrolls, or other magic items.
> In addition if you use this ability for 1 full minute before you and your allies retire for the night, everyone in the group heals naturally as if he had completed 24 hours of bed rest (thus recovering twice his character level in hit points).  If the music is interrupted, the magic of the song is lost.
> Either use of healing hymn counts as one daily use of your bardic music ability.  This is a spell-like ability.




For these questions assume the bard is level 10, with 13 ranks in perform:

Q1: If a 10th level character casts Cure Light Wounds while under the influence of this ability, the spell cures 1d8+5+13?

Q2: If a 10th level character casts Lesser Restoration while under the influence of this ability, the spell heals 1d4+13 of temporary ability damage?


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## Maleketh (Apr 21, 2008)

Correct on both counts, as far as I can tell.  I doubt #2 was part of the ability's intent, but as written, that's how I'd interpret it.


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## eamon (Apr 21, 2008)

Maleketh said:
			
		

> Correct on both counts, as far as I can tell.  I doubt #2 was part of the ability's intent, but as written, that's how I'd interpret it.




Yeah, #2 looks a little unfortunate, but not game-breaking.

It's probably also nice in combination with mass cure light wounds.  Hmm, add a ring of mystic healing, a medium rod of empower, and in a battle vs. undead you can be pretty nasty, simultaneously dealing damage and healing damage (though the empowering effect would not apply to the feat's bonus...)!


That would be (1d8 + 14)*1.5 + 4d6 + 13 damage to up to 14 creatures if a 13th level cleric were to cast under the healing hymn of a 13th level bard - on average, that's 54.75 damage healed to all your allies and dealt as damage to all the undead... (to a maximum of 14 creatures, total). Nice for a fifth level spell ;-)...


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## Mistwell (Apr 21, 2008)

I know a lot of folks who play bards speak very highly of fascinate and suggestion (the bardic music abilities).  But, I was not likely to use them in a dungeon much anyway.  This substitution ability looks very handy. For one bardic music use and a cure light wounds spell, I cure 1d8+5+13=22.5 per Cure Light Wounds, which is about the equivalent of what that 10th level character would get out of a Cure Serious Wounds.  Which makes the bard just about as effective at healing as the Cleric (something our party is lacking).

And if I can get a level of Crusader or Warblade and take Song of the White Raven as a feat, I could use the bardic music as a swift action and the Cure Light Wounds in the same round as a standard action.

Hmmm, anyone know of a way to get Lesser Restoration as a bard spell?


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## Allachmenadjuchiim (Mar 21, 2012)

You don't lose Suggestion, you just have to figure out another way to fascinate a creature, such as through the Hypnotism spell.

Alternatively, you can just get the Bard's Fascinate ability back, while keeping Healing Hymn, by dropping a level into the Virtuoso PrC in Complete Adventurer.


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