This spell is a rank 3 druid spell that is pretty useless. It is very similar to the arcane spell Vampiric Touch. So I suggest maybe it should get the same bonuses with the same appropriate feats?
Vampiric touch has been changed as follows:
Vanilla casting deals only 1d5 damage per 2 levels
1d6 damage per 2 levels for SF: Necromancy (consistent with what it used to be)
1d7 damage per 2 levels for GSF: Necromancy
Remove Touch attack as well.
Add a poison effect and make it summon a giant eagle to protect you under its mighty wings.
Why does this spell need to be powerful again?
So disease, death and other evil-themed druids can be awsome as well?
I kinda like the idea of it dealing poison damage.
The fact it only does 1d6 + 1 per level damage for a rank 3 spell, that is very pathetic.
QuoteSo disease, death and other evil-themed druids can be awsome as well?
Maggots, Slay living etc. are all representative of this and in the hands of the right Druids they can be devastating.
I would like to see Healing Sting improved, though. It's a fairly redundant spell that could use some attention to make it viable.
Compared to vampiric touch, wich is the arcane version of the same spell, it deals less damage, doesn't allow you to gain temporary hit points and is avoided by a fortitude save (Making it worthless against most PCs).
I think if you make it just like the vampiric touch spell, it would be ok. Druids have greater AB so it would be stronger (less likely to be avoided), but druids are fighting classes that lack, say, fireball, so i don't think it would be bad.
No, let us -not- make it like Vampiric Touch.
I think have it functioning as a 1d4 per level, on hit con dmg poison (The latter resisted by a fortitude save) would be a very suitable and flavorful change to the spell.
Healing Sting and Quillfire and both pretty lame spells :( One way to maybe make them not super strong but still effective, however, is to fire aditional shots with levels ^^ Like maybe every 2 or 3 levels it fires an aditional sting. It still wouldn't be as strong as something like a fireball or other damage based spells, but then again it shouldn't be as strong because of the drain effect. One possible solution to be able to make both those underused spells more fun!
Healing sting could use a little alteration. And even what has been suggested doesn't make it an awesome spell, just makes it worth using.
Quillfire is good as is though.
Quilfire is basically poison from a range and with a diferent spell school.
Healing Sting is god awful currently.
I have a 1x/day item use of it and I dont even bother to place it in my quickslot.
If you want enough CON damage to wreck a PC with one spell, use Infestation of Maggots. If you want STR damage, use Quillfire or Poison. Poison would be redundant, there are already options for stat dmg. It could however be useful as a direct damage spell for caster druids.
Since Druids are already a lot better at surviving up close than mages, temp HP would be pretty strong but more damage would make it useful. I think the best comparison as a spell is Inflict Serious, a L3 spell with a Touch Attack and save for 1/2. Vamp Touch is no save. For example, 3d6+1 per 2 level and a Fort for half damage (rather than Fort save to avoid) would make it a bit weaker than Inflict Serious on damage but with the bonus that it heals you. Unlike Vamp Touch, you couldn't use it to prebuff off a summon or something.
Whilst I am aware that all spells need not be equal, this is on par level wise with call lightning. (Admittedly situational but about three million times better). The reason spells like this are better if altered is the fact that you might actually see someone use it, ever.
How about an ability drain propiety? Saps 1 STR or CON in adition to the damage.