Healing your group

[rettekram]

So I've never played a healer in EQ before but have moderate experience doing so with WoW. Are there any tricks of the trade (non-class specific) about healing with EQ? Macros, add-ons, key bindings, etc.

[Daldaen]

Healing during Classic - PoP is extremely easy.

The only 'tip' would be utilizing the Instant-cast, global cooldown remover trick. Which allows you to fire off CHs back to back or do a DL->Remedy back to back. Or for shaman/druid Superior Heals back to back.

But really, EQ doesn't need macros, add-ons or key binding to play effectively. Atleast not this server or any time-locked server.

Once you get 50 activateable AAs, 12 spell gems, clickies on every item, 5-6 instant emergency AAs, discs and clickies that stack... like EQLive currently has, then yea, we can discuss the usefulness of key binding and macros.

[Fiyero]

Only macros I use are "<Type of Heal> on %t" macro so people know when a heal (especially CH) is incoming.

Otherwise just target and hit the heal button. Pretty simple in classic.

[Estu]

You can use the function keys for quick targeting. F1 = target yourself, F1 twice = target your pet, F2 = target second party member, F2 twice = target second party member's pet, etc.

[Tuljin]

A big part of EQ healing is the fast heal - when you're higher level make sure you keep a weaker heal in your bar with faster cast time when you need it in clutch situations. Also generally speaking you don't have to complete heal casters - save it for when your tank is low on HP and maximize mana efficiency. You can heal a caster to around 80% HP and they'll be fine.

[Daywolf]

Yeah, there is a trick, but there is no real unconscious state here :(

Otherwise, yeah pretty straight forward. Maybe don't watch TV/vids while you heal? Seems too many people do that now... :/

[M.J.]

Know your tanks health, and how much your spells heal for. Over healing is wasted mana.

Shaman, cleric, and druid HP buffs heal for the amount that they increase HP by. Factor those refreshes into your healing.

Heals generate threat, make sure to top off tanks and pullers after they've generated plenty of threat or when they aren't fighting. Using a big heal on a warrior or monk when the only threat into the mob is miss aggro from a bow or shuriken is a good way to become a road bump.

Don't group with idiots. #1 Rule for not leveling in reverse.

[Kender]

A big part of EQ healing is the fast heal - when you're higher level make sure you keep a weaker heal in your bar with faster cast time when you need it in clutch situations. Also generally speaking you don't have to complete heal casters - save it for when your tank is low on HP and maximize mana efficiency. You can heal a caster to around 80% HP and they'll be fine.

dont leave your chanter with a charmed pet on 80%

[Daywolf]

Don't group with idiots. #1 Rule for not leveling in reverse.
#2 keep gate memorized at all times :P
...in case you realize #1 is broken and you need to evaq yourself out while looking at impending death galloping in from off the horizon.

man... and there are some really bad pugs here :p
"hey look, someone to high level AC buff our group, yes kick our cleric and invite him in for a moment!" :rolleyes:
And that only a few minutes after the enc saying he was about to log.
Then they wonder why they wiped pulling that big hoard of red cons right away they cant hit. Me, I can just laugh to myself about it, gate works well :D
Mem gate

I still miss the old unconscious trick though... good for conserving a sliver of mana on a cheal anyway, with good timing.

Still though, those rules only apply to groups. I don't know about the shamwow's (never capped one), but cleric and especially drui can level w/o unnecessary grouping. In fact it's just downright faster at times.

[thieros]

/assist healing is pretty handy. 1-60

basically use TAB or whatever key you use to cycle NPC's and have a hotkey set to /assist. this will assist the mob aka point you at the PC they are attacking for a rapid reaction heal, especially useful when you are healing more than just 1 group

hotkeys: 1) CE 2) DL 3) CH 4) assist

so what ill do keystroke wise is:

TAB
4
1-3 depending upon heals required (if needed to begin with)

Macro's 1- 60

announce your heals so other healers dont waste mana

e.g. CH Macro

/say Casting Complete Heal on %T
/cast 2
/pause 70,/say Complete Heal in 3 seconds %T
/pause 35,/sit

i like /pause to automate the sitting process for me to make sure i med after i cast. I use it on CE, DL & CH.

Group Heals 34+

dont use em. they generate crazy agro and will eat huge chunks out of your mana bar. if you need to heal your whole group, heroic bond is the route to go

DA & DB/Root 1-60

as a healer you are gonna be a bit of a agro magnet sometimes, especially with multiple mobs in camp. DA & DB are the bees knees. Puller pulls way too many, you heal someone with agro and boom 3 mobs on ya. aint no thang, just DA dawg.

DA - 18 seconds invulnerability
DB - 18 seconds invulnerability witha heal component

Also, root stuff. chanters & bards are nice, but not always available. same thing with shammies/druids/wizards with their roots. you got a root spell yo, handle that biz yourself if you dont have a CCer available.

Bored?*9-60

You are an undead wizard. at 60, you can be top DPS against undead giving wizards, rogues and monks a run for their money. Granted you are burst dps so dont expect to be a constant flow of dps, but its fun

/gems - you are a cleric, as such you should be afk almost all the time. plus you can always rez somebody if they die. you have important /gems business to attend to

Puller- You have calm or pacify or something. go calm a room and do the pulling yourself. root up adds and blind tank mobs if you feel so inclined.





* dont do anything in this section

[BlkCamel]

/assist healing is pretty handy. 1-60

basically use TAB or whatever key you use to cycle NPC's and have a hotkey set to /assist. this will assist the mob aka point you at the PC they are attacking for a rapid reaction heal, especially useful when you are healing more than just 1 group

This is good advice, I would add though making a couple assist/target hotkeys are a good idea, Tab targeting is slower then pushing a single button to activate a hotkey. Also I would not add sit to hotkey in-case of fizzle or interrupt.

Assist Hotkey #1

/Assist (Tank)
/assist
/cast (HEAL)

May need to add a /pause in there if you notice heal going off before switch.

Target Hotkey #1

/Target (Tank)
/Cast (Heal)

Target Hotkey #2

/Target (Healer)
/Cast (Heal)

Target Hotkey #3

/Target (Squishy class like chanter or maybe puller)
/cast (Heal)

Again may need to add /pause if you notice heal going off before target comes. There is also room to add /g HEAL INC messages too.

[rettekram]

Thanks everyone for all the great tips! I've already started making some macros and testing them out with random PUGs.