How does the Spell Compendium change the healer spell list?

Question

The healer class from the Miniature's Handbook has on its spell list the close wounds spell. The Spell Compendium doesn't list the close wounds spell as a healer spell. Should a healer that's in a campaign that uses the Spell Compendium use the older version of the close wounds spell from the MH or the newer SpC version? If the newer one, what spell level should the close wounds spell be for a healer?

I'm a little unclear on the question here. Are you planning to use the version of the close wounds spell from the MH or the SpC? If the former, you may be interested in this question about primary sources and this answer's list of books that include release dates. If you're just wondering why the MH would have the spell close wounds have a casting time of 1 swift action, I guess the site could try to answer that, but I'm kind of left wondering why such an answer would be needed. — Hey I Can Chan, Jan 03 '19 at 17:38
My player would like to play Healer from Miniatures Handbook and the spell from MH has casting time of 1 swing action and allows to be cast in off-turn (which conflicts with SRD about difference between immediate and swift action, as swift action cannot be cast in off-turn. — Bloodlex, Jan 03 '19 at 17:48
O, I get that, but I'm unsure of how you're managing source priority. According to the rules, typically a game element outside of the core rules that's printed later takes precedence over a game element printed earlier that possesses the same name (see the links in my previous comment). You've both the MH and the SpC, so most folks would default to the later-printed SpC. Could the question make clear why there's resistance to that? (Or is that me accidentally answering the question?) (Also, the site uses code format only for actual code; use > for quotations instead.) — Hey I Can Chan, Jan 03 '19 at 17:53
Thank you very much, the reason I neglect to to this is because the description for SpC doesn't mention Healer class (only Cleric) and the first paragraph differs from the original one. I'm not sure if I can use the same rules to Healer (class from MH2) as to Cleric - but the spell name remains the same, so what should I do? — Bloodlex, Jan 03 '19 at 17:56
Aha! Okay. That explains the confusion. Then the question is, essentially, Does the Spell Compendium remove from the healer's spell list the close wounds spell? Is that right? If that's the case, you may be interested in this question. — Hey I Can Chan, Jan 03 '19 at 17:58
Healer is not listed in SpC at all as it this class didn't exist, although there are spell lists for many spellcasting classes, so I don't know what to do right now :( Can i go with a version from SpC and use it for Healer from MH2 although it doesn't mention Healer at all? — Bloodlex, Jan 03 '19 at 18:01
I've just seen that the spell level is also different (MH-Cleric3, Healer3, Spc - Cleric2 — Bloodlex, Jan 03 '19 at 18:05
Really, click this link for information on dealing with classes the Spell Compendium doesn't directly address. I recommend updating this question to something like How does using the Spell Compendium change the healer's spell list? — Hey I Can Chan, Jan 03 '19 at 18:08
Thank you very much for this topic, I've read it and it is very helpful, maybe I should just go with the versions from SpC and trust that they are also valid for Healer class — Bloodlex, Jan 03 '19 at 18:12
I made a massive edit to this question to reflect this conversation. If the question's no longer asking what you want answered, please edit it further or roll it back. Thanks! — Hey I Can Chan, Jan 03 '19 at 18:26

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 16 '20 at 10:23

Spell Compendium deals exclusively with spells used by the classes and prestige classes introduced in the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide,

^{(Spell Compendium pg. 3)}

Since healer is from Miniatures Handbook, Spell Compendium ignores it and does not list it on any spells. Despite this, it continues to use all the spells Miniatures Handbook listed on its spell list, and Spell Compendium furthermore recommends that DMs augment the healer spell list, saying to

Add spells concerned with healing, providing protections, removing affliction, and providing for needs. In particular, add higher-level versions of spells the healer can already cast, such as mass restoration.

^{(Spell Compendium pg. 3)}

Furthermore, the Sources sidebar on page 4 says

If you have been playing with a spell we’ve picked up and revised for this book, you should strongly consider updating your character or campaign to the new version.

[...]

Most of the changes we made to previously published material we made to create an improved version of that material—to help out spells that were formerly suboptimal choices,

^{(Spell Compendium pg. 4)}

All of this means that the fact that healer is not listed in close wounds on page 48 should be ignored—healer isn’t listed anywhere in Spell Compendium, for any spell. Nonetheless, this is the same close wounds as in Miniatures Handbook, just updated, and so since close wounds is a healer spell (per Miniatures Handbook, which covers the healer while Spell Compendium doesn’t), the healer would use the updated Spell Compendium version. Even if Miniatures Handbook didn’t make close wounds a healer spell, the description on page 3 certainly says that it should be one anyway, just like mass restoration.

And since the Miniatures Handbook version of close wounds is a 3rd-level spell for both cleric and healer, the Spell Compendium version, a 2nd-level spell for the cleric, should also be so for the healer.

How does the Spell Compendium change the healer spell list?

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