SWTOR Jedi Sage Healer Ability and Comparison Guide

SWTOR Jedi Sage Healer Ability and Comparison Guide by Fyresygn

Disclaimer: I wanted some concrete information on differences in healing abilities and playstyles, so I compiled this list for myself and decided to post it in case others found it useful.

Resource Mechanic
Force – operates like a traditional mana bar and regenerates slowly over time.

Primary Stats
Jedi Sages should focus on Willpower (and secondarily on Endurance) as their primary stat, until later levels when a 3rd stat begins to appear on gear, such as Alacrity (haste) or Surge (bonus to crits).

Healing Abilities
Benevolence (Trained, level 10)
1.5 sec cast
Heals target for X amount
No cooldown
50 Force

Deliverance (Trained, level 12)
3 sec cast
Heals target for X amount
No cooldown
55 Force
Note: Cast time reduced to 2.5 seconds base when talented.

Rejuvenate (Talent, level 20)
Instant
Immediately heals a target for X and an additional X over 9 seconds
6 sec cooldown
30 Force
Note: HoT duration increased to 15 seconds when talented.

Healing Trance (Talent, level 30)
Channeled 3 sec
Immediately heals target for X and an additional X over 3 seconds
9 sec cooldown
40 Force

Salvation (Talent, level 40)
2 sec cast
Immediately heals X to allies within 8 meters of the targeted area, and an additional X over 10 seconds to allies who remain in the area
15 sec cooldown
100 Force

Shield/Damage Prevention
Force Armor (Trained, level 14)
Instant
Shields target and prevents X damage. Target cannot be re-shielded for 20 sec
30 sec cooldown
65 Force
Note: Cost reduced by 30 Force and cooldown by 3 seconds when talented.

Force Regeneration
Noble Sacrifice (Trained, level 20)
Instant
Sacrifices 15% of your max health to restore 8% of your max Force. Each time this ability is used, your Force regeneration rate is decreased by 25%. Stacks up to 4 times
No cooldown
15% of health

Dispels
Restoration (Trained, level 24)
Instant
Dispels 2 Mental or Force debuffs on target
4.5 sec cooldown
30 Force
Note: Cost reduced by 15 Force, also removes Physical debuffs, and heals target for a small amount when talented.

Utility/Threat
Cloud Mind (Trained, level 30)
Instant
Reduces your threat to all enemies
45 sec CD
No cost

Rescue (Trained, level 42)
Instant
Reduces target’s threat and pulls target to your location
1 minute cooldown
30 Force

Revival (Trained, level 50)
1.5 sec cast
Revives an ally. Useable in combat.
5 minute cooldown
30 Force

Ability/Talent Interaction Effects

1. When talented, your Rejuvenate goes from a 9 sec HoT to a 15 sec HoT, causes the target to take 10% less damage while active, and when activated causes other healing abilities to be buffed until used:
   • Benevolence: Force cost reduced by 50% (cheaper fast heal)
   • Deliverance: Cast time reduced by 1 sec (1.5 sec big heal)
   • Salvation: Force cost reduced by 30% (cheaper AoE heal)
   • Healing Trance: critical effect increased by 25% (see below)
2. Healing Trance Criticals: when talented, causes your Noble Sacrifice to cost zero health, and to not reduce your Force regeneration rate. This makes Healing Trance criticals key for Force regeneration. As noted above, Rejuvenate buffs your Healing Trance criticals by 25%.

Commentary
This tree provides an impressive toolkit for healing, namely an instant cast HoT, a channeled heal, and an AoE heal/HoT. These are in addition to the quick, inefficient heal at 1.5 seconds, and the possibility of a quick big heal (also at 1.5 seconds), making this healer both relatively mobile and formidable in a PvP environment. Add to that the ability to reliably shield, CC, slow, AoE knockback, and stun targets and you have a winning combination for either PvE or PvP. If you like playing a traditional mana-based healer, this is the class for you.

Resource Mechanic
Energy – limited pool that rapidly and continuously regenerates over a short period of time.

Note: The Energy regeneration formula (similar to Trooper Ammo) also seems to be variable, higher when you have more Energy and lower when you have less.

Upper Hand – When using Blaster Whip, Shoot First, and some healing abilities through talents in the Sawbones Tree (Underworld Medicine, Slow-release Medpac, and Emergency Medpac) you gain a charge of Upper Hand. This effect can stack up to two times. Upper Hand is a resource for activating various healing abilities (see below) as well as Exploits (special non-healing abilities).

Primary Stats
Swabones will focus on Cunning (and secondarily on Endurance) as their primary stat, until later levels when a 3rd stat begins to appear on gear, such as Alacrity (haste) or Surge (bonus to crits).

Healing Abilities
Underworld Medicine (Trained, level 10)
2.5 sec cast
Heals target for X amount
No cooldown
25 Energy
Note: Cast time reduced by 0.5 seconds and gives Underworld Medicine a 100% chance to grant a charge of Upper Hand when talented.

Diagnostic Scan(Trained, level 12)
Instant
Heals target for small amount over 3 seconds
No cost
Note: Although it only heals for a small amount, this ability allows you to keep healing while waiting for your Energy to regenerate because it has no cost.
Note: Talents increase the critical chance of Diagnostic Scan by 24% and it restores 2 Energy on critical hits.

Kolto Pack (Trained, level 14)
1.5 sec cast
Consumes your Upper Hand buff to heal the target for X.
No cooldown
20 Energy; Requires and consumes Upper Hand
Note: This ability heals for more than Emergency Medpac, but costs Energy in addition to consuming a charge of Upper Hand.

Slow-release Medpac (Talent, level 20)
Instant
Heals target for X amount over 18 seconds. Stacks up to two times
No cooldown
15 Energy
Note: When talented, Slow-release Medpac HoT ticks have a 30% chance per tick to grant a charge of Upper Hand.

Emergency Medpac (Talent, level 30)
Instant
Consumes your Upper Hand buff to heal the target for X
No cooldown
Requires and consumes Upper Hand buff
Note: Talents increase the healing by 15% and if used on targets at 30% health or lower this will grant another charge of Upper Hand (so you can immediately use it again to stabilize someone who needs healing).

Kolto Cloud (Talent, level 40)
Instant
Heals up to 4 allies within 10 meters of target over 15 seconds
12 sec cooldown
30 Energy

Shield/Damage Prevention
Defense Screen (Trained, level 32)
Instant
Shields you and prevents X damage for 15 seconds
45 sec cooldown
No Cost

Energy Regeneration
Pugnacity (Trained, level 12)
Instant
Consumes your Upper Hand buff to recover 3 Energy every 3 seconds for 45 seconds
Requires and consumes Upper Hand buff

Cool Head (Trained, level 14)
Instant
Recovers 50 Energy over 3 seconds
2 minute cooldown
No cost
Note: Immediately restores 16 Energy instantly as well when talented.

Dispels
Triage (Trained, level 24)
Instant
Dispels 2 Tech or Physical debuffs on target
10 Energy
Note: Can be talented to also remove Mental debuffs and heal target for a small amount

Utility/Threat
Surrender (Trained, level 30)
Instant
Reduces your threat to all enemies
45 sec CD
No cost

Heartrigger Patch (Trained, level 50)
1.5 sec cast
Revives an incapacitated ally. Useable in combat.
5 minute cooldown
No cost

Commentary
Sawbones should be a very versatile, mobile healing class given their ability to stealth, take cover, various CC abilities and their many instant-cast HoTs. People who enjoy a HoT-based healer and mobility will likely gravitate towards this as the primary PvP healer, although a Sawbones ability to multi-HoT targets will ensure them a place in PvE raids as well. Add to that the in-combat resurrection, the novelty of being an Energy-based healer, and the flavor of the class (back-alley surgeon!), and I imagine that this will be a player favorite.

Resource Mechanic
Ammo (Trooper) – limited pool (12 Ammo) that regenerates every few seconds at a variable rate (see note below).

Heat (Bounty Hunter) – Heat builds over time as you use abilities and must be vented in order to use them again. Heat and Ammo are the same mechanic, just in reverse.

Note: Combat Medics and Mercenaries have variable resource regeneration rate. Combat Medic will have max regen at 8-12 ammo, but below that threshold it will drop significantly. At 5-7 the regeneration is equal to 3.6 ammo per 9 seconds so it’s very important to keep your ammo above 7 at all times. Unless you need a quick burst of course, but that’s where ammo regenerating cooldowns come in [Thanks to Selethor for the information!]

Primary Stats
Combat Medics will focus on Aim (and secondarily on Endurance/Cunning) as their primary stat, until later levels when a 3rd stat begins to appear on gear, such as Alacrity (haste) or Surge (bonus to crits).

Healing Abilities
Medical Probe (Trained, level 10)
2.5 sec cast
No cooldown
Heals target for X amount
3 Ammo
Note: Cast time reduced by 0.5 seconds when talented. Also builds 6 charges of Combat Support Cell when talented.

Advanced Medical Probe (Trained, level 14)
1.5 sec cast
Heals target for X amount
12 sec cooldown
2 Ammo
Note: Cooldown reduced by 3 seconds and it has a 100% chance to decrease the cost of your next Medical Probe by 2 Ammo when talented.
Note: When talented, Advanced Medical Probe also leaves a 9 second HoT on the target and increases armor by 10% while the HoT is active.

Combat Support Cell (Trained, level 14)
1.5 sec cast
While this buff is active, your Hammer Shot charges your powercell with each shot. Every 10 charges increases your healing critical chance by 1% (up to 3%, or 30 charges total). In addition, your Hammer Shot now heals allies (not yourself though) when you shoot them
No cooldown
No cost
Note: This isn’t a healing ability per se, but your “healing stance” that alters other abilities into healing, so I include it here.

Supercharge Cells (Talent, level 15)
Instant
Converts 30 charges of Combat Support Cell to supercharge your blaster, restoring 2 energy cells/Ammo and increasing damage and healing by 10% for 10 seconds. Also enhances other abilities while active:

• Charged Bolts (damage): cost reduced by 2 Ammo
• Full Auto (damage): cost reduced by 1 Ammo
• Advanced Medical Probe (healing): cooldown reduced by 100%
• Kolto Bomb (aoe heal): places a shield on all targets reducing damage by 10% for 15 seconds

1.5 sec cooldown
30 charges of Combat Support Cell

Kolto Bomb (Talent, level 20)
Instant
Tosses a bomb at the targeted area exploding on impact and healing 3 allies within 8 meters of the targeted area for X
6 sec cooldown
2 Ammo
Note: When talented, this leaves a buff on allies increasing healing they receive by 5% for 15 seconds.

Trauma Probe (Talent, level 30)
Instant
Deploys a probe that lasts for 10 charges or 5 minutes. When probe is damaged, it heals the target for X. Only 1 probe can be active at a time
No cooldown
No cost

Bacta Infusion (Talent, level 40)
Instant
Heals a target for X (large amount)
21 sec cooldown
No cost

Shield/Damage Prevention
Reactive Shield (Trained, level 14)
Instant
Shields you and prevents 25% damage for 12 seconds
2 minute cooldown
No cost

Cell/Ammo Regeneration
Recharge Cells (Trained, level 1)
Instant
Recharges 6 cells over 3 seconds
2 minute cooldown
Note: When talented, also restores 2 cells immediately

Dispels
Field Aid (Trained, level 24)
Instant
Dispels 2 Tech or Physical debuffs on target
2 Ammo
Note: When talented, cost is reduced by 1 Ammo and also removes Mental debuffs.

Utility/Threat
Diversion (Trained, level 30)
Instant
Reduces your threat to all enemies
45 sec cooldown
No cost

Ability/Talent Interaction Effects

1. Through a talent, critical heals increase your Alacrity by 5% for 6 seconds.
2. Once you buff yourself with Combat Support Cell, your Hammer Shot will heal allies (not yourself though) in addition to damaging enemies. Hammer Shot builds cells when used. You then convert 30 built cells to Supercharge your weapon to enhance other abilities. For healing, this enhances Advanced Medical Probe and Kolto Bomb.
3. Using Advanced Medical Probe is key, as it leaves a HoT that heals and increases armor, but also because it reduces the cost of your next Medical Probe to 1 Ammo. This class revolves around resource management, so cost reduction is very important.

Commentary
A Combat Medic is an interesting and unique playstyle for healers. Ammo/Heat operates similar to Energy in many ways, but feels very different. Combat Medics will need to micro-manage their resources and abilities very carefully, at least until higher levels when things like Bacta Infusion and Trauma Probe (no cost!) are available. Although a medic has some useful instant heals, their dependence on casting Advanced Medical Probe and Medical Probe makes them more stationary than other healers. Because they wear heavy armor and retain a variety of damaging/knockback abilities as well, these will be tough healers able to take some punishment while dishing out the heals. You want to play a front-line medic who doesn’t mind getting some scratches and scars? This is the class for you.