Maximize or Empower Healing

[CanuckWisdom]

I can't decide for my last feat, if I want to get maximize or empower healing.

Im a TWF Virtuoso, have the twf chain, and extend, and Im going to switch out SF: Perform for a meta to beef up my healing abilities.

Im currently leaning towards Maximize, with the pro's I feel being; most of all, it will do more healing in one shot, which is important in critical situations, which, as a back up healer, is probably my biggest demand. The Con's are that SP wise, its less efficient, and if I leave it running, it will also affect shout... which means more dmg, but also more spell point use.

I don't have them yet, but I will eventually have a GS SP conc-opp item and the Warchanter ToD set, which gives a -4 bonus to maximize cost.

Empower healing is cheaper SP wise, and I can leave it on all the time and not worry about mana use while spamming stuns etc.

So, go with maximize? Someone make me feel more confident about this as I don't have any characters with maximize to base the mana cost off yet.

[PNellesen]

I would personally go with Maximize, since it covers all healing (Edit: not Mass Heal, but Bards don't get that I don't believe) and damage spells. I think the SP cost is worth it, but I've never played a Bard, only Clerics, so take it for what it's worth.

[CanuckWisdom]

Wish I could remember my SP pool right now, around 850 or so right now I think, but thats without any SP items. So maximize will probably be okay, Ill have GS, and the WC necklace soon enough.

[tekkentroop]

take maximize for more bang and more flexibility (not that a bard would use greater shout much...).

Imho, the only reasons for taking empower healing are:

1. Youre a cleric, so you need it to get radiant servant. Youll get maximize, too.
2. Youre a fvs and want to use heal/mass heal more effectively. You already have maximize for blade barriers and mass cures.
3. Youre a specialized healing bard, already have maximize, and want even more healing.
4. Youre a flavor build jorasco dragonmark user...

If youre going for WC ToD set, that one has efficient maximize II, so maximize will be even better... my cleric would love to get the ring, too, he is already wearing the necklace.

[Crann]

Remember SF: Perform is required for Virt Pre.....if you drop it, you loose Virt unless you have the other option....Negotiator.

If you are going WarChanter, then you need to have Power attack, and Weapon Focus: Slashing, Impact or Piercing.

If you are going Spellsinger you need Empower Spell, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell, Mental Toughness, Spell Focus: Enchantment, Magical Training, or Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment.

Just keep in mind which prestige class you want, and take that into consideration.

Maximise would be my answer to your question as asked, because it qualifies you for Spellsinger, where Emp Healing does not.

[CanuckWisdom]

Alright thanks for the responses guys! Maximize it is, as I was already leaning that way.

I actually use G.shout a fair bit, even with lower DC's, between shout and hypnotism you can do some effective CC by targeting spell casters with Shout and Melee's with Hypno. Not really a necessary tactic, but its quite nice when it alleviates some damage.

^ no worries, I've got extra song 4, which qualifies for the 'choose one' aspect of Virt.

[unbongwah]

Remember SF: Perform is required for Virt Pre.....if you drop it, you loose Virt unless you have the other option....Negotiator.

You can take Extra Song IV instead once you hit bard lvl 10; since you need ES III anyway for Virt II, that only costs 4 extra APs and frees a feat slot. On my Virts, I usually take SF Perform by bard lvl 6, then swap it out once I get ES IV.

Anyway, I vote Maximize: more heal output and gives you the option of respeccing into Spellsinger if you decide to focus more on healing.

[TheDearLeader]

I like Maximize on my Spellsinger, and maybe will take it on my Warchanter when he gets a higher level?

Sure, more expensive, but it gets people healed up.

[Jaid314]

i guess i'm the odd man out.

i have maximise on my spellsinger, and routinely leave it turned off. perhaps i just heal too soon, and i certainly am not a primary healer in most cases, but i find maximise to be overkill and too expensive the way i heal. i'd rather have lots of smaller heals than fewer large ones. i wish now that i had chosen empower healing, because if/when i cast greater shout it's not because i'm hoping to deal damage...

edit: it is worth noting, i suppose, that my bard has neither concordant opposition nor a torc (or even a GH SP item or archmage item). i suppose if i did have all of those things, maximise might be more appealing.

[Dolphious]

If your goal is to raid heal (and if you're going to spend a feat on healing it really should be), then maximize is the way to go. If you don't have the crystal cove dagger with 1 min (20 sec x3) of free maximize make sure to get it when that event comes back.

Maximize (particularly with the CC dagger) is going to be much better for getting a good DPS group through a hard fight. At some point I suppose empower healing is going to be better for getting a bad DPS group through easy fights, but who wants to spec in order to optimize your performance in a bad group?

[CanuckWisdom]

So I chose maximize, and yes I do have the dagger, although I think its the lvl 16 version and doesnt have the maximize clickie... Ill have to check. if I ever get a shared bank I can send one of many I have on a character who had more dublooms than needed and bought all kinds of tier one stuff.

Its pretty expensive... I ran through my mana pretty quick on the two quests I did today. Not so quick that it endangered us though, and I still had heal songs and heal scrolls (plus there was a cleric). My cure serious wounds was hitting for around 190 I think, and cure moderate mass around 100.
(Maximize, song magic 4, superior potency 6, no healing amp... yet

**SPECIAL NOTE** I found it particularly annoying that when I respecced my feat at Fred, even though I already had extra song 4, when I clicked exchange, a message popped up saying I would have to redo my enhancements. I checked and I don't think I had anything else that required SF perform. So I clicked OK, it reset all of my enhancements, and though it didn't mention it, I think it charged me the ~45k plat too!!! I had extra song four!! GRR..

[Tuney]

I had empower healing, I found my self having no problems solo healing in but very few quests, And it wasn't because I found my healing 'lacking' but because of my wanting to not use Mnemonics or the 'personal porta shrine.'

I find Maximize is better for when you aren't able to watch HP bars so you want your masses to do as much as possable in one cast. Empower Heal, works just as well for me over Maximize as I do use Greater Shout as well as sound burst and I watch and gauge my healing for the build that may need healing. I also find Maximize is better for 'short burst healing,' while Empower heal lets you stay in the 'healing game longer.' But about the only thing I can say for sure... Anyone trying to heal will need the enchantments and items that boost healing and Maximize or Empower heal.

[Bilger]

IMO Max is way to go it covers everything and even those greater shouts I have seen 400+ easy and stunned mobs from them so it can dish it out.

Its great for healing and gives that extra boost ya need when second or even main healer in raids or epics. At least for me I have been sullu healer multiple times on my bard and it makes easy to heal and contribute in other ways.

[Jaid314]

perhaps it's a matter of perspective. my bard is never the primary healer in a raid. if i'm healing, it's usually as a third healer in raid situations, and/or covering those who are not in the main group (for example if someone is assigned to deal with trash in various raids).

my healing needs tend to be more casual, so i don't need those large value heals. i can do just fine with absolutely no healing feats at all. so for me, maximise feels wasted. perhaps i should invest in something else with that feat instead, if i ever redo my bard.

[Crann]

**SPECIAL NOTE** I found it particularly annoying that when I respecced my feat at Fred, even though I already had extra song 4, when I clicked exchange, a message popped up saying I would have to redo my enhancements. I checked and I don't think I had anything else that required SF perform. So I clicked OK, it reset all of my enhancements, and though it didn't mention it, I think it charged me the ~45k plat too!!! I had extra song four!! GRR..

Fred looks at what level you took feats/enhancements at, and decides if you qualified for them at the time, when you do a swap.

You probably had SF: perform when you took Virt 1 at level 6, since you could not have had extra song 4 then.

Getting rid of SF:Perform meant having to take Virt 1 at a later level, requiring the enhancement reset.

Also, grab a Superior Ardor clickie for another 25% over your Sup potency for 3 min a click.

[CanuckWisdom]

Yea, I think I knew that in the back of my mind, still annoyed me, but I understand.

Yes Ardor pots are a good idea, I was thinking I should pick some up. Where is the best place to get the 75% ones? I can only remember seeing 60% for sure right now.

[Crann]

Yea, I think I knew that in the back of my mind, still annoyed me, but I understand.

Yes Ardor pots are a good idea, I was thinking I should pick some up. Where is the best place to get the 75% ones? I can only remember seeing 60% for sure right now.

Go to the AH and get an actual weapon with superior ardor 4...or whatever the highest level cure you are throwing. It comes on many weapons, mostly daggers, clubs and maces.

They have 3 (3 min) charges each, I usually find 9 minutes between shrines enough, but I have had 2 on some toons.

The potions, I believe, are just greater ardor, but I could be wrong. I have found Liquid Charm in House K to be a good go to store for potions, or the Guild vendor(BtC) if you are not concerned with sharing potions or their effects.

[CanuckWisdom]

Cool thanks.

Yea I have ardor clickies on my pally and cleric, but I think it might be nice to have potions also/just curious.

yea the potions I've seen from vendors were all greater, not superior. AH is a good idea.

[Tuney]

I'm... 40% sure that superior are sold in House P's 'magic shop' that is just... 'north west' of the Auctioner.