Guide - How boosts to healing stack

[sirgog]

I see this question asked a LOT. Here's how healing enhancements stack, with an example:

1) Your best item and best enhancement stack additively. Example: Life Magic 4 (40%) and Greater Devotion 6 (40%) add to an 80% boost. Convert this to a multiplier (so +80% is x1.8) - this is your enhancement factor. Note that clickies such as Superior Efficacy 8 or Superior Ardor 6 count as your item even if you've used the clicky then equipped something else.

2) Your metamagic feats stack additively. Example: Empower Spell, Maximize Spell and Empower Healing give 50%, 100% and 50% respectively - total of a 200% boost. (For Heal and Mass Heal, only Empower Healing works, and I know very few Clr's or FvS's that have both Empower Spell and Empower Healing).
Again, convert this to a multiplier (+200% = x3.0) - this is your metamagic factor.

3) The enhancement and metamagic factors stack multiplicatively. So in this case, 1.8x3.0 = 5.4 times the healing output. Call this the combined factor.

4) The combined factor stacks multiplicatively with every source of Healing Amplification the target has, except the item named Finger Necklace (this stacks in strange ways, probably due to a bug). If the target is a Warforged with Healers Friend 2 (x0.7), and a 10% and a 20% boost to Healing Amp on their DT docent (x1.1 and x1.2), then this factor is 0.7x1.1x1.2=0.924, multiplied by 5.4 (from part 4) for a grand total of 5.4x1.1x1.2x0.7=4.9896.

5) Finally, this stacks multiplicatively with any critical heal that may be rolled up. If you have a total of 225% crit heal intensity (base 150%, +50% Prayer of Incredible Life 2, +25% Greater Healing Lore), then your non-crit heals hit for 4.9896 times their base value, and your crit heals hit for 2.25x4.9896 = 11.2266 times base.

[Anthem]

I see this question asked a LOT.

..and answered incorrectly almost as often.

Great explanation. Where the borders are between the additive and multiplicative is something even vets sometimes get wrong. Not any more. +1.

[Shade]

(For Heal and Mass Heal, only Empower Spell works, and I know very few FvS's have Empower and Empower Healing).
Again, convert this to a multiplier (+200% = x3.0) - this is your metamagic factor.

Actually thats empower healing that only works on heal, mass heal. As empower and maximize are coded per pnp to only effect spells with a random result - while heal provides a predictable results (ignoring crits)

And whats with the FvS comment? You put this on on the cleric forum after all. And my fvs has almost exlusively meta feats: max, emp, emp heal, extend, heighten, quicken =)

[sirgog]

Actually thats empower healing that only works on heal, mass heal. As empower and maximize are coded per pnp to only effect spells with a random result - while heal provides a predictable results (ignoring crits)

And whats with the FvS comment? You put this on on the cleric forum after all. And my fvs has almost exlusively meta feats: max, emp, emp heal, extend, heighten, quicken =)

Stupid typos. Fixed now.

You having the three +healing metamagic feats on your FvS is an unconventional choice (although it's one I think is a wise one).

[Chewysc]

Two questions here Sirgog...

1) Regarding best item. If I dual weild a Superior Pot 6 sceptre in one hand and a Greater Dev 7 sceptre in the the other, would I effectively get +50% up to level 6 heal/cures and still get the +40% for level 7 mass cure only?

2) Your title "How boosts to healing stack" seems a little off. Intuitively, I know what you mean but should it not read "How to boost healing stack" or "How boosts affect healing stack"?

[Arlathen]

@Sirgog - Great post, tidied up the maths for me wonderfully. I'm one of those Vets thats sometimes can still get it muddled up occasionally.

+1 Rep for you

Two questions here Sirgog...

1) Regarding best item. If I dual weild a Superior Pot 6 sceptre in one hand and a Greater Dev 7 sceptre in the the other, would I effectively get +50% up to level 6 heal/cures and still get the +40% for level 7 mass cure only?

2) Your title "How boosts to healing stack" seems a little off. Intuitively, I know what you mean but should it not read "How to boost healing stack" or "How boosts affect healing stack"?

1) Exactly right. +50% on dice based (damage and healing) spells upto and including level 6, and +40% on level 7 Healing Spells only.

2) Its just Semantics. When I read the thread title, I got the immediate meaning of what the post would be about.

[JollySwagMan]

Superior Ardor items provide a 75% boost to heals, as opposed to a Superior Devotion item providing 50%. Superior Ardor items are also usually available at lower levels than an equivalent Devotion item.

Superior Ardor 1-5 potions are available in House J and P, though if you can find an item for it that will be a better investment. Using potions instead of clickies is a little quicker/flexible than having to swap even more gear around, but can be quite costly for a new character.

[sirgog]

Two questions here Sirgog...

1) Regarding best item. If I dual weild a Superior Pot 6 sceptre in one hand and a Greater Dev 7 sceptre in the the other, would I effectively get +50% up to level 6 heal/cures and still get the +40% for level 7 mass cure only?

Yep. So your Enhancement Factor (assuming Cleric Life Magic 4) would be x1.9 for level 6 and under, and x1.8 for level 7 spells (and x1.4 for level 8 and 9).

Superior Ardor 8 clickies, as mentioned above, grant a 75% item bonus. You might want to consider shooting for one or both of them.

[bbqzor]

Edited for clarity, currently they are working as additive in accordance with OP.

[sirgog]

Last I checked the life magic enhancements and the 'potency' item mod multiplied not added. It adds for virtually all other spell things, but for divine healing it multiplies. For example, a 15th+ level Heal spell lands for 150 x 1.4 (enhancement) x 1.5 (sup pot 6) = 315 hp base. Where as Reconstruct for a wizard does 150 x 1.9 (enhancement + sup pot 6) = 285 base. Feel free to test, perhaps it changed since I cleric'd, but Im pretty confident that for healing it multiplies.

It's definitely additive.

My Clr18/Ftr2 casts Heal for 285 with Sup Pot 6 and 322 with Sup Ardor 8. (427/484 with Empower Healing on)

150 base
x1.9 or x2.15 Enhancement factor (40% enhancements, 50/75% item)
x1 or x1.5 metamagic factor
x1 Healing Amp factor (cast on myself, got to get 20% HA on an item)

=285/322.5/427.5/483.75, as observed in game.

[bbqzor]

I went and dug out my old notes and booted my cleric, and it appears you are correct. Editing out the conflicting information. My old notes about healing amp from when the shroud was new still have 315 in the testing, and I cant work backwards as to why that would be there otherwise (besides human error obviously, but something like that would be very unusual for me. I dont wonder if turbine changed that at some point). Thanks for the double check, and the classy way of posting it. Cheers.

[Stormwine]

Thanks from a new DDO Cleric. I have played a Healbot in just about every MMO and ever game has its quirks when it comes to heal boosting each game id different this is a huge help to me.

[clkpacker]

Great post.

I've been wondering this for a while--do buffs to wisdom affect the strength of cure/heal spells?

[sirgog]

Great post.

I've been wondering this for a while--do buffs to wisdom affect the strength of cure/heal spells?

FvS - not at all
Clr - no, except that you can cast a couple more (+2 Wisdom grants you +29 SP at level 20).

However, when using Heal spells offensively (to damage Undead), Wisdom does decrease the likeliehood that your foe takes half damage.

[Chewysc]

Yep. So your Enhancement Factor (assuming Cleric Life Magic 4) would be x1.9 for level 6 and under, and x1.8 for level 7 spells (and x1.4 for level 8 and 9).

Superior Ardor 8 clickies, as mentioned above, grant a 75% item bonus. You might want to consider shooting for one or both of them.

Yup, I aim to get at least one of the Superior Ardor 8 clickies. I've got access to them but I just haven't run the quests as I've been busying trying to finish my first GS goggles to tier 3.

I want to thank you SG for a great post as this type of info is invaluable to me as premium, limited time player with only one high level toon who is a cleric.

I guess I chose correctly while dual wielding my sceptres for the first time the other night with Harry and friends... now if only I turned on Maximize... not so many people would have died... j/k but live and learn.

[Solmage]

Nice post. Sadly I need to spread rep around a bit more.

[sirgog]

Yup, I aim to get at least one of the Superior Ardor 8 clickies. I've got access to them but I just haven't run the quests as I've been busying trying to finish my first GS goggles to tier 3.

I want to thank you SG for a great post as this type of info is invaluable to me as premium, limited time player with only one high level toon who is a cleric.

I guess I chose correctly while dual wielding my sceptres for the first time the other night with Harry and friends... now if only I turned on Maximize... not so many people would have died... j/k but live and learn.

The Superior Ardor 8 clickies are incredible, as they give 75% not 50%, and last 9 minutes per shrine, and also both of the ones in game currently have the extra bonus of being Wizardry 7 items.

[sirgog]

I should clarify one more thing with this guide:

It's not only how healing spells work. Damage spells work the same way - just replace Healing Amplification with any immunity/absorption/weakness to an element a foe might have (e.g. for a Frostmarrow Skeleton in a Firewall, x2 for double damage from fire, x2 for double damage to undead = x4, possibly x1.1 for a total of 4.4 if a Dark monk has cursed them). Also factor in half damage for a successful save (if applicable) here.

Then reduce total damage taken by any resistances or Protection effects the target may have.


Kinda makes me think - have the Devs ever considered giving us or giving foes a debuff that's basically 'Protection from Energy: Positive' or 'Resist Energy: Positive'? It would function differently to a Mummy's x0.5 healing amp curse, by negating small heals (or medium size ones in the case of a full Protection) while leaving big heals only slightly affected.

[Rumbaar]

Ah, thx for this. I see you've created a thread on it's own, with a better title. Wasn't able to find one when I searched and created my thread. It can be confusing at times.

They are trying to dumb down with the removal of dice rolls in descriptions, but can't have basic info like that available in game.

The Superior Ardor 8 clickies are incredible, as they give 75% not 50%, and last 9 minutes per shrine, and also both of the ones in game currently have the extra bonus of being Wizardry 7 items.

Does this translate to all Superior Ardor clickies or just a special one? As others still display 50% at VII and below.

[MeliCat]

so is a WF normally like 0.4 and HF 2 brings it to 0.7?

what is the WF number with no amp?