Steenkin' Healers

[Whysprr_Wyrd]

<p><i>The tower seems a bit tasteless; black granite carved in shapes of nameless evil is all right, but the inscription over the door, which begins:  </i></p><p align="center"><i>Slow Dance</i></p><p align="center"><i>Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-roundOr listened to the rain slapping on the ground?</i></p><p><i>...seems more evil than even this tower can really pull off.  Compared with the rest of the poem, the screams of the victims coming from inside seem like the sounds of a pre-school playground.  Or maybe that's what they are; even necromancers consider the child-care arrangements when they're deciding which evil cult to join, after all.  </i></p><p><i>The musician knocking on the door <Boom!  Boom!> doesn't really seem to fit in.  She's carrying a battered mandolin, not a satchel full of organ music.  Her hair is a shade of red not found in nature, OK not-found-in-nature is practically the motto here, but that's usually found on some creature from the outer darkness taking a coffee break, not a short Ayr-dal.  </i></p><p><i>"Ye-es?" asks the door-creature.  It's surprisingly unintimidating, a wizened demon that looks like it should be pricing rooms at Assisted Undying Rest Homes, not answering the door at a big-time necromancer's operation.  Well, the dot-com bust was hard on a <b>lot</b> of retirement plans.  </i></p><p><i>"Um, I'm looking to speak with some necromancers." </i></p><p><i>The door-creature looks at her.  "Are you a virgin?" </i></p><p><i>"None of your business."  </i></p><p><i>"Look, bard, beat it.  We've got the evening sacrifice starting in fifteen minutes, and the virgin hasn't got his makeup on yet.  Grrthongor the Scourge from Beyond Time has filed a claim on Dark Necroqueen Natalie's soul, and her therapy group hasn't decided whether she should file a counter-claim in Gehenna, take him to binding arbitration or just assemble a guild raid and splatter him over the walls.  We don't have time for you, too."  </i></p><p><i>Dirges tend to spend a lot of their time in their younger years playing cheap bar-gigs.  The eye-watering kick she delivers to the old demon clearly was perfected defending the mandolin from a hundred mean drunks.  It doubles over, and she stomps into the tower.  "Right, enough stupid minions, I've got work to d-".  </i></p><p><i>The two demons that seize her by the arms and legs don't look anything like the door-creature.  They look like giant flaming Hell-beasts, which is what they are.  They drag the bard screaming into the courtyard, where the necromancers are clustered around a blood-stained altar. </i></p><p><i>"Oh, good," says Natalie. "Grrthongor <b>loves</b> redheads.  This ought to buy me another century."  </i></p><p>I hate coming to the Necromancer boards, because I figure it'll probably end up that way, or something similar.  But, journalism is a dangerous profession, and one just has to take the risks.  </p><p>I'm doing research for an article on the ‘ghetto' healers of Norrath; dirges, necromancers, and paladins.  I've got the dirge side covered, I'm fairly well-known as an authority on dirgeliness, though you could certainly get an argument on that if you wanted, and you wouldn't have to try that hard either.  But I'm not so hot on the paladins and necromancers.  None of my guild paladins will return my phone calls any more, maybe the acrylia rings and giant heart-shaped boxes of chocolate containing a set of my underwear (sensible cotton, of course, lace chafes like anything under chainmail) that I sent out last Erollisi Day was pushing it, I don't know.  They kind of edge away during raids, look, I'm just trying to buff you.  And on the necro side, my obnoxious sister Nyghtwynd is only level 23 and we're not speaking since the incident with the jum-jum.  </p><p>So I've come looking for information and, more importantly, your stories.  What healing and curing and raising abilities do you have?  How well do they work?  When do you employ them, and how do they fit into the overall scheme of your play within a group or raid?  </p><p>And, tell me, if you're willing, how you've used them.  What's your most memorable story of being a backup healer and saving the day, or in the case of the necromancers, causing your party's souls to be ripped out and sent into the wailing abysses of the demon dimensions, I assume either one's a satisfactory conclusion as far as you're concerned.  </p><p>I'll monitor this thread, if you'll promise not to have my heart ripped out.  I may contact some of you by PM if I need more help.  </p><p>Take those chains <i>away</i>.  No, I <i>won't</i> lie down on that stone slab.  Shoo!</p><p>Thank you most kindly, </p><p>Whysprr</p>

[WasFycksir]

<p>If that RP junk was one word longer I wouldn't have even bothered responding....please save that for the appropriate board(s) in the future IMO.</p><p>With the right AA spec, masters, and the correct pet(buffs) up, necro's can be somewhat helpful in keeping some extra HP on groups and themselves.</p><p>Even with a maxed out healing oriented AA spec I still would not go as far as calling a nec a true back up healer.  Cast times are an issue as are recast times.</p><p>On a PVP server, a healing spec is basically suicide unless you are always in a group/raid, but then it's not likely to be needed, kinda a catch 22 there.</p><p>With that said, I have solo-healed a well rounded group in Runnyeye, the Shakeys Farm area and a few other generic heroic areas, this without a full heal spec, as my necro is on a PVP server.  We had a couple wipes and many close calls, but we did OK considering.  It may have helped that my first and main toon for a very long time was a fury on PVE (retired at lev 70) so I know how to think like a healer.</p><p>I am sorry I don't know the healing spell(s) names because I just don't use them that often, especially with the Tainted Heals pet healing AA, the rest are kinda moot after you get that.</p>

[Yumena]

<p>I on the other hand loved the 'rp junk' - made me smile at work thanks.</p><p> Currently have a 39 Troll Necro - and last night I bought Transfer Life (I think that is what it is called ) Master 1.</p><p>You see since the days of Level 37 my bruiser friend and I have duo'd almost all of Nek Castle.</p><p>We have killed the sisters - The Juggernaut - Alexa - Ollix etc etc</p><p>Now on the normal run of things I do not need to heal at all - but on the overpulls, adds, miscommunications, nameds, etc etc etc I end up spamming the heal button.</p><p>Now if it gets to this point I tend to feel slight panic - like "oh no we are going to die" the refresh feels to long, the health cost to me to high. (I have killed myself in the past trying to squeeze out one extra heal). So as a healer I would say if you get to a point where you are relying on a necro you are already in trouble, but if like us your whole ambition is to push the envelope and take on bigger and bigger challenges then the heals might just save the day.</p><p>So far we have not managed Maltus - but that is the next target.</p><p>My bruiser friend has complemented me on saving the day with my heals at one point - which kinda surprised me cos like I said I was into panic mode.</p><p>Will check back in if the Master 1 makes much difference.</p>

[Philtronx]

<p>When my wife plays, she plays a fury. When I play with her, I play my zerker to group with her fury. Also, I usually bring along my necro, mentoring. Several times my wife has gone afk, or lagged badly, or accidentally hit the windows button. I love the look on her face when this happens and I don't even slow down on my pulls. Just start tossing heals with my necro. She complains that my necro gives her a complex. Lotta fun to toss out a couple heals and just lifetap the health straight back.</p>

[Kiel]

<p>In JW the past couple night trying to lv my Necro up, we had a Coercer 76, Zerker 80, and myself 76 Necro.  Org mobs and all.  Guess who got the heal responsability lol.  It was a blast!  If I remember correctly my heal is about 1700hp.</p><p>Necros in groups can save alot of time after a wipe.  Run out of aggro range from the respawn point FD, /tapfoot.  Stand up and rez the healer.</p><p>My Engrish aren't that gooder, so I doesn't RP.</p>

[Eviljoe2]

<p>In my experience, Necro heals shine most in duo/trio Vs. full group.</p><p>I used my heals all the time when I duoed with my Pallie friend.  If it was a long fight, he would use up heals and if he went into the red, I started healing, which saved him many times.  But, truth be told, ever since I got tainted heals, we usually just let my pet tank everything and he stands back and spot heals, does a bit-o-dps etc.....I can heal tank pet like mad and we have 0 down time between mobs, so it works out best that way.</p><p> So, all in all, to me, Necro heals are the result of poor planning, bad pull, very unusual group makeup, or before tank pet and Tainted heals.</p><p>Certainly would not see a call for 1 spot left in COA and an Inquisitor is turned down, cause a Necro is covering the heals. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p>

[Rael]

I see you've forgotten about the most ghetto of the ghetto healers, the one that nobody talks about, the ones that are shunned by the other members of their class because they would dare to reduce their DPS and forever give their rightful spot at the top of the parse for something as mundane and transitory as healing.<div></div><div>I speak of course as a heal specc'd Conjuror. One who has traveled down the wisdom line to get a 1K+ direct heal on a 45 second recast timer, has spent far too many AAs to replace the pet that contributes half of his DPS with a Warden that never attacks and has App I spells.</div><div></div><div>And who has also solo healed half of Unrest at 70 because his guild Fury decided it'd be fun to outparse him >_> <_<</div>

[Whysprr_Wyrd]

<cite>RDMgryphon wrote:</cite><blockquote>I see you've forgotten about the most ghetto of the ghetto healers, the one that nobody talks about, the ones that are shunned by the other members of their class because they would dare to reduce their DPS and forever give their rightful spot at the top of the parse for something as mundane and transitory as healing. <div></div><div>I speak of course as a heal specc'd Conjuror. One who has traveled down the wisdom line to get a 1K+ direct heal on a 45 second recast timer, has spent far too many AAs to replace the pet that contributes half of his DPS with a Warden that never attacks and has App I spells.</div><div></div><div>And who has also solo healed half of Unrest at 70 because his guild Fury decided it'd be fun to outparse him >_> <_<</div></blockquote><p>Sweet merciful Heavens, that's painful.  </p><p>Thanks to you all for the replies.  </p><p>Whysp</p>

[Leader_of_Hidden_Clan]

<p>I find that in groups or even raids, we are decent backup healers. When attempting to pull mobs as hard as the group/raid can handle, i find myself in the shadows, letting my Mage pet DPS for me while i heal other members while the main healer keeps the tank alive. Sometimes i keep my tank pet up so that i can pull aggro off the healer, keeping him/her alive. Our Transfer Life spell is great for healing, i can then just lifetap or AOE the mob (if the tank has AOE aggro) and regen my own life, again, leaving the Healer to the tank. </p><p> On another note, we can be very useful in saving a total wipe. using just 2 key spells, i can save my whole group/raid.</p><p>FD - which has a 100% success rate</p><p>Revivification - which ressurects a fallen comrade and spawns them on MY location, so its kind of like a RES + CoH</p><p>I have saved groups many times. </p><p> Also, what i feel is another underrated spell is Lifeburn, now i am not one who uses it alot, however, on major nameds and such, i will inform my party that once the named is down to about 30%-40% i am going to cast my LB and do NOT heal me. i only use it if i notice my tank and/or healer are starting to run low on power. it can be the key factor to life or death.</p><p>Feel free to contact me anytime in game</p><p>Hiddenagenda - lvl 56 Erudite Necro</p>

[Solarax]

while our heals are not a lot and do little to help in a raid i find in groups with only a single healer .on the initial pull when mobs do thier damage spike my throwing a heal in helps single healer groups keep tank up.i also do in battle ressing and healing while leaving the real healers to keep on the tanks and i throw heals at the healers too when they get to much agrothe diference i make is well known to any that have grouped with me compared to those that dont bother and spend time doing nothing but dpsthe other good thing about our heals is in an emergency when you fight a power draining mob and the healer is really low . our heals take life and we can drain our pets for more mana and use that to hit them with our life tap to keep our life up while at the same time using our life to help the healers out without using more power