Healers

The main purpose of this area, is to cover some healing terminology, channel information, and aspects of healing on Freelance raids.

Healing is a demanding role, not only in the raid scene, but in general grouping as well.  There are three main priest type classes that makeup alot of the healing on our raids.  These classes are: Clerics, Druids and Shaman.  However, several other classes have spot heals that are often used and extremely helpful.  Additionally, the Paladin class fills a vital group healing role, which lessens the burden on the other priests classes.

Healing is an art form, as well as a balancing act.  Being responsible for keeping people alive, while managing your manapool, all while trying to avoid a visit to your bind point!

terminology & abbreviations

Below are some basic terms that you will often see on our raids.  These terms are common knowledge for the most part, at least to those of the main priest classes.  However, a newcomer to raid healing may benefit from knowing some of this information.

Heal & Cure Related:

Direct Heal - This covers all spell line forms of direct heals, or instant heals.  These are heals that have no delay after they land.

Heal over time (HoT) - A healing spell, that acts like a buff, which provides healing over a short duration (usually around 45 seconds to 1 min depending on gear focus).

Patch - A term which usually refers to using a direct heal on someone.

Radiant Cure (RC) - An alternate ability line that provides group cures.  All 3 priest classes have access to this AA line.

Group HoT AA (Grp HoT) - This covers all forms of the group HoT AA.  These are group heals over time.  Since all priest classes have some form of this aa, it's better to use a general term here then list each specific AA line.

Heal/Cure Wards - An alternate ability, that summons a ward, which provides small heals or cures for several minutes.   These wards stack with other wards.

Buff & Target Related:

Mass Group Buff (MGB) - An AA, that  allows group buffs to be cast in a large radius.

/targetgroupbuff (/tgb) - A means of casting a group buff on another group, by targeting a player of that group.

/rtarget (/rt) - Targets the last person who sent you a tell, if they are within range.

/target (/tar) - A command used to target another player or NPC.

/assist - When you target a player or NPC, and use this command, your target becomes whatever the player/NPC's target is.

Cleric Specific:

Divine Intervention (DI) - A Cleric spell, that is cast on a player to give them a second chance at life when their hitpoints reach zero.

Complete Heal (CH) - A level 39 spell, which is normally reserved on raids for use in complete heal chains.

Complete Heal Chain (CCH) - This is when multiple clerics cast their CH, with timing between each cleric's cast.  This way, there is a steady flow of healing on the target.

Divine Aura / Divine Barrier (DA/DB) - A spell that grants the cleric invulnerability when cast for a short duration.

Bestow Divine Aura (BDA) - An alternate ability that grants the target invulnerability for a short durtion.

Purify Soul (PS) - An AA instant cast, targetable cure.

Divine Resurrection (DR) - An alternate ability, that summons a player to their corpse and grants them 100% experience restoration.  There are no detrimental resurrection effects associated with this ability.

Silent Casting (SC) - An alternate ability that reduces the amount of hate you generate when casting for a short duration.

Touch of the Divine (TotD) - An alternate ability that grants invulnerability for a short duration.  This AA only has a chance to go off when your hitpoints reach zero. 

Reverse Damage Shields - A spell line that is cast on a target and deals damage each time the target strikes a player.  There are two forms of these spell lines available to clerics.  Both do damage, but one heals the player each time they strike the target.  Both lines are stackable together, and the healing line has the added bonus of removing a target's Damage Shield.

Divine Arbitration (DvA) - An alternate ability that balances the health of your group such that all group members end up with the same amount of damage taken.  This ability is also available on the Cleric Epic 1.5 and beyond.

Healer Channel

Freelance uses a healer channel, so that we can communicate event specific instructions, and answer related questions.  In addition, the channel is used extensively during events, to communicate crucial information.  On the buff side of things, we co-ordinate our MGB's within this channel, to prevent overlap.

We request all Clerics, Druids, Shaman and Necros to be in this channel at all times during our raids.

FLHeals
Password: heals
Classes: Cleric, Druid, Shaman, Necro
Channel Authority: Frostfox, Furro

Note: Necros are included in this channel, not for mana dumping, but to keep them in the loop for CR purposes.

raid healing

Healing on a raid is just not the same as the group scene.  Having said that, I'm not going to discuss the differences between the two.  The important thing to recognise is there are differences and as a result, we have to adjust some of our healing techniques in order to be effective.

This is by no means a guide to raid healing.  Nor is it meant to be a dictation on how you should heal on raids.  This is an area which will cover aspects of healing on Freelance raids. 

Assist Healing

For various reasons, a raid mob can change targets often.  In order to keep pace healing the current target, having an /assist hotkey is essential.

To make an assist hotkey, simply type: /hot Assist

This will make a hotkey with the label Assist.  Now drop that hotkey onto an available spot in your hotbar.

Right click on the hotkey to edit it.  Type in: /assist

Now click "Accept"

You can now target a player/NPC, and left click on this hotkey to get their target (if they have any).

Target Hotkeys

Utilizing the /target command, I make as many of these hotkeys as I require. I use them to target players outside my current group within the raid.

The command usage is: /target <name>  where name is the person, object or NPC you wish to target.

I use these to target people assigned to key positions on the raid.  Be it the MT, RT, MA, OT etc.   During the thick of things, these keys are extremely valuable.  I use them constantly and in conjunction with the /assist hotkey above.

Function Key Targeting

Years ago in EQ, when you were blinded by a mob, it would make your screen go completely black.  You could still cast spells, but you'd have to know how to cast blind basically.  This is where I picked up on using the function keys to target yourself or members of your group.   Even though blind doesn't blacken out your screen entirely now, this form of targeting is still very useful as a time saving tactic.

On your keyboard, to the right of your escape key (Esc), are keys: F1, F2, F3 etc.  Within a group, each key represents a member of the group.  It works top down, so by pressing F1, you'll target yourself.  Pressing F2 will be the next person in your group and so on.

Healing Macros

Any spell you have memorized can be cast via the command line.  This is done by using the /cast command.  The format for this command is: /cast 1 - 10, where 1 represents your first spell gem from the top, and flows down, so 2 is the 2nd spell gem etc.  The reason there is a command available for casting spells in this fashion is for use in hotkeys (aka macros).

Make a hotkey, edit it and include the following lines:

/cast 1
/cast 1
/say Heal on %t

The above two cast lines are in case you fizzle the first cast.  When you use two /cast lines, you'll notice a message: You can't use that command while casting.  Just ignore the message, it's because you can't use commands while one is being executed, so it spits out a little warning message.  It's harmless.

Note: If you have Mastery of the Past AA, and you're using a spell below the fizzle threshold, then just omit the 2nd /cast line.

The /say line can be changed to /groupsay, or whatever you like.

%t will display the name of your current target at the time.

Layering Heals

I'm big on layering my heals, and pre-HoT'ing.   I do this alot just before expected adds, or to help even out damage spikes on hard hitting mobs.  I toss in PR often as well (delayed CH, fires after 18 seconds).

Layering in this fashion, helps keep my agro down,  since I'm patch healing less.  Additionally, it allows for tanks to build agro on adds etc, and even a few seconds in these situations can help.

Group Heals

Although I keep one group heal memmed, I try and avoid using them as much as possible.  The reason is, they generate huge agro.  Unless you're trying to counter some massive AE spell damage or AE rampage etc, I'd recommend using them sparenly.  It's situational of course, and at times when mobs are locked down, or damage intake is greater then what a group HoT can cover, I'll resort to group heals.

important info - please read!

Heal Spam:

On our raids, all heal messages are done either in /say, or within your own group.  Never put your spam heal messages in the FLHeals channel.  For some events, we ask that all heal message be taken out of /say.  This is because some NPC's that we are interacting with during the event, may respond to someones hotkey /say message and possibly mess up the event.  Additionally, healing spam in /say, for people dealing with these NPCs can be distracting.

Corpse Calls & Resurrection:

When you do rez/calls on a corpse, please try and hail the corpse first.  This helps prevent duplicate casts on the same corpse.  It's not perfect, but it's a quick way to make people aware that a rez is inc, and that it's being handled.