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Originally posted by Snowblood

Phaerimm have a Heal Self Spell, 6th level & The Simbul had a spell that converted spell levels into hp....so its possible....

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Originally posted by Gavinfoxx

(3.5e...)

Here's a question: Why can't Disrupt Undead, and it's non cantrip / actual spell version, Greater Disrupt Undead, heal people? Isn't that just a wizard flinging positive energy at something?

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Originally posted by Quale

probably something about the arcane magic being the magic of the Prime, where negative and positive energy cancel each other, while the divine magic caster channels the energy of from the divine realms, not of the Prime.

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Originally posted by Thauramarth

Well... I do not think there's a specific official lore reason. The reason for the separation, of course, was game balance and the way D&D was conceived in the early 70s. The distinction was maintained at least through to 3.5E.

So, if the question is - what is the official "lore" reason for the separation? There is none, I think - it's just how D&D was set up. It's one of the things we accept when we play D&D - the four basic classes, and never shall there be overlap between them .

If you are looking for a particular possible explanation: I've had to answer the question to my always inquisitive and rules bending players, as to "why". My answer was that pure healing magic (a bit more about the "pure" later) is so intricately linked to the fundamentals of life (the "spark of life", if you want) and creation that only the divine can have and grant access to it. There are some healing spells under arcane magic (the aforementioned Symbul's Synostodweomer, for one, and vampiric touch, as well as some others over the course of the years). However, all of those require some form of sacrifice or the other (spells, for the synostodweomer, some one else' hit points for vampiric touch), whereas clerical/divine healing magic does not require such sacrifice. I've further emphasised the difference by stating that only the divine can trule create and repair life, and that divine magic is different from arcane magic in that a divine spellcaster does not power or carry his or her own spells - he's just a vessel for divine magic obtained from his or her patron power. That's the distinction I've always tried to maintain.

Nevertheless - I'm sure that Big Ed's players have come up with questions like these, and if they have not, I'm sure he's thought it through.

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Originally posted by Arik

FR6 Dreams of the Red Wizards does have The Simbul's Synostodweomer along with arcane (necromancer) versions of Regenerate and Restoration. Plus a large number of Protection spells and a number of wizardized divine spells which provide all sorts of minor buffs, resistances, and defenses; particularly as they relate to weather, fire, blasting, and undead. Many of these spell descriptions simply say "same as the nth level cleric/druid spell in PHB".

I'll note that this allows Red Wizards (only Red Wizards) to overlap the functions of many low-level divine magics; it's reasonable to assume that if they've duplicated these divine spells then they can duplicate almost any other divine spells of similar power. Reds can overlap the functions of low-level priests, they might even make the priest classes entirely redundant (and that makes sense, given their arrogant Thayan outlook considers wizards supreme). But they can not heal - or when they can, they most certainly cannot heal as efficiently as even a lowly 1st level clerical acolyte.

If you want to blast you play a wizard, if you want to heal you play a priest, if you want to do both you can play a multi and do neither of these things as well as you could by following a "traditional" class. Some D&D homebrews don't even make the distinction; their logic being that wizards and priests are as little different from each other as myrmidons and gladiators, they have different backgrounds which can greatly influence their abilities but are otherwise interchangeable. I personally like keeping them separate and don't much care for attempts to hybridize them without penalty.

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