Levelling Healer

Hi everyone,

So, I am starting to level my CNJ (lv25 at the moment) and has some questions. Whilst WHM will not be my main class, I still want to be good at it! I don't really need levelling tips as they are in abundance already.

While I FATE grind, hunt log etc I will obviously queue for dungeons (being BLM main I already love the short wait times :D)

I guess my question is around expectations of me in dungeons. I've read lot's of threads were some parties expect a healer to also DPS, and some don't. If it is expected, at what level is it usually expected, or is it more of a skill that you learn as you go on? I would assume that healing would always take priority though.. Is it more of a 'if you feel you can do it' thing?

Any tips for dungeons would be great :) Thank you!

EDIT:
All good. found this thread with some good tips :)

I recommend making a macro for swift cast+raise, with a party tell to let them know who your raiseing, that away if there's 2 healers in group you both don't waste mp reviving same player

When you get it, Regen is your most efficient heal. However, never have it on a tank during the pull, always apply after the tank has agro. DPS when the tank is above 70%, switching out of cleric stance after he falls below this point *(Unless he is taking excessive damage, and you have no time to DPS)*. For the WHM, I find a macro for raise is nice:

/ac "Swiftcast" <me><wait.1>
/ac "Raise" <t>
/p Raising <t>!

Another good one is for shroud:

/ac "Shroud of Saints" <me>
/echo Shroud off of cooldown in 120s. <wait.60>
/echo Shroud off of cooldown in 60s. <wait.30>
/echo Shroud off of cooldown in 30s. <wait.30>
/echo Shroud off cooldown, USE IT. <se.1><se.9><se.1><se.9>

Other than that, so long as you're keeping people alive, you're fine.

Fantastic! Thanks heaps for the tips :-) Will be putting these to use for sure.

Good to know about the Regen/aggro too.

Do the Roulette once a day for the large XP bonus. When you get a low level dungeon it's a good place to practice Healing and DPSing. Depending on the tank you get you might not have to hit cure but once or twice on trash? IN those cases I will stay in Cleric stance till the boss.

No worries. The things most healers don't realize is that any healing that brings a target over 100% generates threat equal to twice the amount of overhealing. There's not really an easy way to estimate the amount of threat that this does on any given occasion, but the easiest thing to note is that there is an available agro meter while healing, and you've probably seen it. The green circle, upward yellow triangle, downward orange triangle, and red square. Just be aware that you shouldn't surpass the upward yellow triangle while healing, or you risk ripping agro of the tank.

As far as WHMs go, your general go-to should be Cure I, and sparing use of Cure II when and if it's needed. If you've got a Freecure proc, use it before it expires, as it is free healing. Here's a guide I wrote for a friend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by UOdhn

No worries. The things most healers don't realize is that any healing that brings a target over 100% generates threat equal to twice the amount of overhealing....

---

There are many testings concluded that over-healing generates same threat as the healing number.
With that said for example healing 1hp = 0.5 threat, healing 1000hp = 500threat fixed regardless the target is full hp or not.
Did I get you wrong? ^^;

Each has their own playstyle :) I for one do not use Cleric Stance in groups. Not on my Whitemage and not on my Scholar. Sure I throw out my dot's and some ruins as Scholar, and Aero and some Stones as Whitemage given the chance. But I prefer to have my full healing potential available at all times. It does depend on the group of course. Some level dungeons I can pretty much DPS as Scholar 90% of the time while Eos heals the lot. As Conjurer/Whitemage I tend to open up with Aero on the tank's target after he pulled. Then between heals I throw out a Stone. Aero enemy nr 2 if tank targets it etc. Some groups the tank has a tendency to take a truckload of damage, well that means I won't be DPSing outside the occasional Aero and I'm fulltime healing.

This works for me, and I never had any complaints about it. :)

Well, I can't say there aren't some parties out there that will attempt to vote-kick healers for not DPSing, as a general rule of thumb, you never have to DPS as a healer. Bottom line, your job is to heal and keep everyone alive, not to help do damage. That isn't to say that you shouldn't help DPS, but only once you become comfortable quickly switching between both, and become comfortable with stance-dancing.

You'll likely find yourself doing it just because "straight up healing" can be rather boring, and find that DPSing between tank damage gives you something else to do and is a fun dynamic that makes Healers have little-to-no downtime in a battle.

Your primary goal in a dungeon is to keep the party healthy, unimpeded, and just going ham on the mobs.

With that being said, there will always be opportunities to DPS in any dungeon. It just comes down to a matter of two things:
(1) How comfortable and familiar you, as the healer, are with the mechanics of the dungeon
(2) How competent the rest of your party is. If you're constantly mending people due to not dodging AoEs, not using cool downs, etc.; you're going to have very little opportunities to DPS on the side.

DPSing as a healer is a skill acquired as a healer gains more experience and comfort and should be flexed whenever possible as long as it doesn't impede the party's progress by allowing party members to die.