Paladin Devotion and Human Improved Recovery: take both?

[ILovePinecones]

Greetings fellow Paladins!

I'm a Human Paladin focused mainly on solo play. I would like my healing spells to heal me for as many HP as possible. If I take Paladin Devotion + Human Improved Recovery, will I heal myself for more HP than if I were to only take Human Improved Recovery?

The main reason I am asking this is because I was looking at various Human Paladin builds and it looked like most Human Paladins took Human Improved Recovery, but did not take Paladin Devotion. I am trying to understand why this is the case. (Perhaps my understanding of Paladin Devotion and its effects on healing spells is completely wrong!)

Thanks in advance for all of your help! I look forward to understanding my enhancements more deeply.

Good luck in your travels. Keep fighting the good fight!

-ILovePinecones

[lanthan]

Devotion increases how much you can heal your self or others for. Improved recovery increases how much you are healed for from all sources, but has no effect on how much you can heal others for. Most paladins only take improved recovery because they are healed far more often then they heal others.

[ILovePinecones]

Holy smokes, thanks for the prompt response!

Because I plan to rely on self-healing rather than the healing from healers, I am going to take Paladin Devotion and Human Improved Recovery. Self-sufficiency for the win!

Thanks again for the help!

[WillStone]

They will stack, if you are using a self cast healing spell. Human improved recovery with a paladins lay on hands is valuable....check it out...

[honkuimushi]

Paladin Devotion only works on healing spells that you cast. Those are Cure Light Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds, and Cure Serious Wounds. Those spells will heal more whomever you target.

But those spells are not usually how most Paladins heal. One of the reasons is that you don't get that many spell points and you get your spells so much later that Clerics. For instance, you won't get Cure Light Wounds until level 4 and you'll have maybe enough spell points for 1 spell per shrine. You finally get Cure Moderate Wounds at level 11 and Serious at level 14. You will get more SP in time, but you also have to have a slot for those spells and they can conflict with class staples like Divine Favor and Zeal.

Clerics on the other hand have Cure Light and Cure Moderate at level 4. And at level 5 they get Cure Serious. That goes with 300 - 400 spell points.

For that reason, Paladins usually use Lay on Hands and wands for healing and spell points for buffing. Improved Recovery applies to all of that-- wands, potions, LoH, self cast heals, cleric cast heals, etc. Most Paladins don't find that spending APs to increase the healing of a few spells that they seldom cast to be cost effective-- especially since Paladins are AP starved to begin with. This is especially true of the 3rd and 4th tiers where you have to spend 3 or 4 APs for an extra 10%.


However Improved Recover does stack with Devotion enhancements so they aren't a total waste. If you choose to go with the healing spells, be sure to get a Improved or Superior Devotion(or Potency) item. I will work until level 11 or so, then you want to try and find a IV. That will ad a 40 or 50% bonus that stacks with your enhancements and Improved Recovery.

[Murderface]

human recovery is also good for healing yourself with lay on hands
purchase one if you can fit it in its worth it
also check out some healing amp items they will improve your loh and other healing u receive to a substantial benefit