You regain hit points as if you had spent a healing surge.
When it comes to healing, are there any sweeter-sounding words in the game? Everyone likes being able to heal, especially in 4e, where we’re all pretty decent at recovery now. That said, the holy grail of healing in 4e is surge-free healing.
While there are a smattering of spells, prayers and other powers and abilities that invoke such precious and rare healing, there’s also a handful of mighty surge cost-free magic items that adventurers would be both proud and lucky to own – especially when they need it most.
Get these – or the ‘surge cost-free healing’ descriptor or tag – on your quick wish lists today. Remember, there’s never enough backup options, especially backup healing!
Armor: Dwarven and Tombforged. What I love about dwarven armor is… everything! First, it looks cool: ‘Crafted by the finest dwarf armorsmiths of old, this armor is decorated with the faces of dwarven ancestors.’ Second, endurance bonuses are always good, especially in campaigns where weather, the elements, and natural hazards have a significant presence. Oh, and yeah, channeling its magic for free healing once a day is exactly what we’re looking for! When it comes to armor, those dwarves know how to make ’em. A highly useful set of stylish armor and backup healing option for your medium and heavy armor-wearing heroes.
Tombforged armor is similar to dwarven armor when it comes to a kick-butt property: necrotic resistance anyone? Actually, that probably beats the endurance bonus, though to make up for this creepy armor’s stout protection against the infinite tides of evil and darkness, the surge cost-free healing isn’t exactly free. It’s one of those sacrificial or martyr-style items, where you take the hit (i.e. spend the surge) to heal a nearby ally at no surge cost to him or her. As a daily immediate interrupt though, your tombforged armor’s magic can be a dramatic lifesaver. A medium armor-wearing character option.
Symbol of Perseverance. Talk about dramatic turnarounds from death’s door. Sure, they’ve got to be dying, but this holy symbol’s magic will get a fallen ally quickly out of that rather unpleasant dying state and right back into the fray – not only for free, but free with a dash of bonus healing on top of it! Free healing and free healing? Yes, please.
Amulet of Vigor. This amulet gives the popular second wind-based cloak of the walking wounded a run for its money. The amulet of vigor makes you vigorous indeed: a stronger healing surge value and cloak of the walking wounded-esque daily magic that gives you two surges’ worth of healing all at once, for half the cost.
Rings: Heroic Health, Risen and Bloodshard. Both the ring of heroic health and ring of the risen motivate you to keep adventuring, rewarding you with free healing magic for achieving milestones. They also both have minor magic that gives free additional healing on top of that.
What sets the bloodshard ring apart is that its free healing doesn’t require a milestone. In fact, it gets better: a milestones will restore a spent healing surge. Insane! That explains why its minor magical properties are a mixed blessing: free bonus healing but also a small penalty to your maximum hit points. The question becomes: is the 5 hit point penalty to your maximum hit points worth it? While I would have rather its design not include the penalty and instead reduce or remove the bonus hit points, it’s probably still worth slipping onto your greedy little fingers, especially for tougher characters.
Stern Mountain Totem. Similar to the symbol of perseverance, this totem will have more limited clientel. That said, it’s ripe for primal characters and charging druids in particular. Free action cost and free healing, and evocative flavor to boot: ‘The strength of the mountain beneath the ram’s hooves flows into your attacks.’
Healing Weapon. What makes a healing weapon unique is that it’s limited to ranged weapons. Let me have its excellent flavor description paint a clearer picture for you: ‘This bow is strung with what looks like healer’s stitch thread, and the wielder can send a arrow of glowing white energy at an ally to heal him or her.’ Now that’s pretty cool! Especially when you consider the massive range on this daily surge cost-free healing magic – 100′ feet or 20 whopping squares.
Suddenly, I envision an entire party armed with backup healing bows, crossbows and slings. Backup ranged weapons and emergency healing, all in one! Outstanding.
Are there other surge cost-free healing magic items missing from this list? Or similar items you swear by? Share these unearthed magic treasures of yours below.
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