Dear Healers who don't DPS

[C-croft]

It's simpler and more effective if the healer can be bothered to hit something.

Massive pulls are useful only if the tank and healer are up to it and if the DPS are putting out respectable AoE damage; some parties are weak enough on DPS and/or survivability that pulling more mobs actually slows things down.

People often forget that. If you pull one or two packs, I'm tossing out AoE DPS. Pull so many packs that spam healing is required? 0 DPS. If the DPS classes can't do good enough AoE to make up the gap, it's a net loss and making things both slower AND more difficult.

Devil's advocate: With that said, why as a healer should I be responsible for providing the missing DPS that the DPS can't put out. If they can't figure out the simple AoE rotations, how can I trust them to use their toolkits to do single target damage. Survivability should not be an issue since the least DPS can do is follow mechanics right? I have yet to see terrible DPS be kicked from expert for poor rotations, but a healer should be kicked for not doing DPS? Tanks should be using cooldowns to help me heal them also. Plus most tanks don't like going down to 30%-50% hp. As long as DPS and tank are doing their jobs properly, there shouldn't be any issue with AoE dmg.


I don't believe the above totally myself, because I can pump out between 15% and 20% dmg in a dungeon. However, some of the attitudes in this post alone only make the above excu... statements prevalent. All of the above are true, to an extent, but you really don't see multiple threads about it in the tank or dps forums. Also, it still stands that unless you are parsing, you won't notice the DPS failing as much. One thing of note, there is a DPS role thread right now on why DPS don't bother to AoE in the first place. DPS is a group effort and the tanks and DPS need to do their part before coming in here and complaining. I have run into more than a fair share of terribads as a healer. If I am hitting 20% or more, I know I am not the problem.

Trying to come into the healer forums and pressuring healers into dpsing isn't really solving anything and is just setting up for the next healer dps thread to come out. Just a huge back and forth. Rather than taking a tone, wouldn't it be more helpful to make a thread to help new healers to get accustomed to dpsing in dungeons? Like a nice FAQ and walkthrough? A lot of good ways have been posted in here, but then come in people who want to complain and rag on healers not dpsing. Some of you guys are real pieces of work too. Deny it all you want because, you know who you are, but elitists you are not. If you don't like running into these healers, get out of derp finder.

To my fellow healers, you really should be trying to do what you can. If I am running tank, I don't expect you to ABC or even dps at all. My commendation will go elsewhere though. But as a dpsing healer, it is way more entertaining to dps. Once you get used to dpsing, you won't be able to go back. I find myself falling asleep literally if I just stand there and heal. It makes being a healer more fun once you get used to the stress of juggling. Added bonus for those of you new to healing in SB, no more stance dance with cleric stance. Even if you just start out with a simple Swiftcast+Holy or Gravity, or a miasma II, you can build up from there. Get to know your limits and grow from there.

This is probably not how to do it, but as a SCH, I pre aldo the tank and let them charge through mobs, use a Swiftcast+aldo once their hp starts dropping as we go to the final destination. Give it a little time, because the slightest sliver is just overheal. Once there, I will usually drop a Miasma II and aldo once more. I will also drop Shadowflare once the pull has 'gathered' . Once Swiftcast is up, I usually Swiftcast Miasma+Bio and Bane, followed by a Miasma II. Then maintain dots or broil. If the DPS have been AoEing, I will also drop a couple extra Miasma II's. Throughout this, I also drop Energy Drains and an Aetherflow. You can use your faerie to heal the tank using your Aetherflow stacks to give you a little more leeway. You can start the faerie link before you finish building stacks since you will also be adding stacks during this whole time. Between Lucid, Aetherflow and energy drain, you shouldn't be anywhere close to OOM. Another note, if you find that you have too much MP, dropping a Miasma II isn't a bad thing, even if the dot is still up or the mob is close to dying.

The best part, even if what I said is all wrong, no one can complain becuase something is better than nothing right? :P