The problem is that when Exalted Deeds and VD are available then the healer is going to be having a much different level of effect than if its not. To the point where its at least a tier 4, maybe 3 in effect. Its an on/off switch. It either has it or it doesn't.
I think you're VASTLY overstating the power of Sanctified Spells (and I think the likelyhood of an evil healer in a game with BoVD is extremely low). They're nice, but they're not THAT nice. But as a rule, I think ranking the Healer as though they have access to BoED and Sanctified spells all the time (which is what you're effectively assuming here) results in a rather unreliable placement of the class. Generally speaking, if you wanted to play a versitile healer, and knew the game well enough to know about BoED's spells, you're almost certainly playing a Cleric anyway. Now, there might be a few rare games where someone actually does play a healer and actually does use Sanctified spells, but it's extremely rare, and it still doesn't put the Healer up much higher as the versitility in Consecrated spells still isn't that great. Essentially, you're ranking the Healer based on an edge case that still doesn't do as much, I think, as you think it does. That's why I didn't do it.
I mean looking over the list of Sanctified Spells, there's not a single one in the same catagory as the really powerful Core spells. Armageddon, for example, is a far less versitile version of gate that makes you lose a level with every casting. There's a few blasty spells that are cute but nothing that would even impress a Warmage, a few utility spells that are worth considering (Celestial Aspect can get you a fly speed which is kind of nice). Channel Celestial is like Polymorph's younger retarded cousin, and would be useful on someone with better spells but is wasted on a Healer. But in the end, do you really think that any of it even brings you up to the level of Versitility that a Warmage who also works to get great spell access would have? Remember, equivalent optimization: if you're using Sanctified Spells to get greater spell access, what's the Warmage doing? Arcane Disciple for a few of the big power core spells? Sandshaper? Rainbow Servant? Are you even sure that a Healer who is expanding his spell list with Sanctified Spells can compete with a Warmage who does something similar, that this edge case even gets it up to the level of a T4 class? Certainly it's not up to the level of Beguilers and Dread Necromancers by a long shot. There's a reason I didn't do with the Healer what I did with the Binder (classed it in two places with different given sources).
Its largely an arbitrary number and its partly to make an even playing field on what sources get allowed.
Also its SRD+ Book + 2.
Well, that's a problem. You're trying to make the system fair but in doing so sacrificing the utility of the system. The point isn't to make it fair or to make it so each class gets an even shot at winning something. After all, if you go for fairness all you get is a system ranking roughly how well each class would do in a fair PvP fight or something. But how often is that relevant? I know when I made the system I did I made it to help promote intraparty balance because unbalanced parties is a serious problem in standard play much of the time. Good DMs can solve this problem, but it's a tool to help with that. The whole system is nothing more than a tool... it is NOT a ranking system for determining who wins.
As such, it has to apply to as many games as possible. How many games do you think have a Factotum with SRD + Online Article + Dungeonscape + OA (but not Races of Stone) playing with a Warblade who's got SRD + Tome of Battle + Complete Warrior + Complete Adventurer and a Bard with SRD + Races of the Dragon + Heroes of Horror, for example? Because that's the kind of thing you're ranking now, and I doubt that comes up very often. I'm sure the occasional DM might invoke the two books + rule, but it's rare, and as you say, arbitrary.
Persistent spell is in the srd, two a cleric that is just core is still tier 1.
Not really the point, is it?
Does assuming Healers don't have access to BoVD, BoED or a variety of other books really make much sense?
I didn't assume that. I assumed it's unlikely that Healers have access to BoED or a variety of other 3.0 books. You know why? Because it is. Some will have it, some won't, but it's best to assume that most Healers don't have it and a few do. Does that make sense? And thus, if a class requires rarer books to function in a campaign, that class is weaker than a class that can be quite strong with just core, because the class will more likely be less effective.
Certainly, assuming that BoED is only used in some campaigns makes a lot more sense than that every class gets access to exactly two books, any two books they want, beyond what's necessary to play the class.
Pretty much. The book limitation doesn't really matter, as long as classes don't get screwed on sources available. But I like it for the arbitrary line. Which works unless you have non-arbitrary reasons on what should or shouldn't be allowed.
It doesn't really work, that's the problem. Arbitrary assumptions are just that, arbitrary, and they serve to distance the system from the games it's supposed to help with. I understand that you want fairness and all that but I think fairness is not what the goal should be. It's applicability to real campaigns that matters, and real campaigns rarely have any one specific arbitrary rule. By choosing one such rule, you distance the system from its purpose, even if you think you're promoting fairness with your rule.
JaronK
