Healer (Final Fantasy IX)

Healer is a support ability in Final Fantasy IX for mages and Amarant that restores HP to the target of the character's Attack and Throw for the cost of 2 Magic Stones, allowing for MP-free healing.
==Obtained==
Healer is learned from the Healing Rod, Anklet, and Garnet for variable amounts of AP; Vivi and Eiko learn it the fastest at 20 AP, while Quina learns it the slowest at 60 AP. 
Healing Rod for Dagger is first found at the Iifa Tree and is later available in shops.
Anklet for Dagger, Eiko, and Amarant is available for synthesis and in the Treno Auction House after the party returns from the Outer Continent. A free one is also found in Desert Palace. During this time, the party also receives a free Garnet gem as part of the story; more can be synthesized in Daguerreo and obtained from some late game enemies. 
==Mechanics==
When Healer is active, physical attacks and Throw heal targets. Throw can only be used against enemies. If the target is weak to the user's killer ability or weapon element, or the user has MP Attack, they are healed more. Man Eater does not improve healing against one's own party, as player characters are considered "typeless". Against undead enemies or Zombiefied party members, Attack and Throw still deal damage even with Healer, and there is no change in damage. As Healer simply converts damage to healing, all same parameters that affect Attack also affect the amount healed, such as the power of the user's weapon, the target's armor, Protect, and the attacker being in Trance.
==Use==
Healer can be used to provide the party with MP-free healing. Throw becoming a healing ability with it is useless, as there is no point to ever healing enemies unless to deal damage to the undead with White Magic and items, but there is no boon to equipping Healer against undead enemies. Throw becoming a healing ability may be so that Amarant cannot simply use Attack onto allies and Throw onto enemies and do it all.
Healer can be good for Amarant in Oeilvert where magic-use is disabled, and so there is little point in bringing the party's white mages along. However, he already has a healing skill that is not disabled in Oeilvert: Chakra. Healer can be good on characters who never use their Attack against enemies, like Vivi whose Attack is weak and who can use Black Magic for damage. He can then be in the back row, as this does not affect damage when "attacking" allies.
The downside of Healer for Amarant is that his Throw becomes useless and he cannot equip Counter or Add Status. Amarant is one of the strong attackers, and so making him a healer is a niche. The mage characters are typically better suited for the healer role, but their Attack may be so weak the healing is not worth the turn used up if they could have healed with an item or magic. The player also needs to be wary of getting confused or berserked and inadvertently healing enemies. The default target for Attack is the enemy party, and so the player will have to manually re-target every time they want to use Attack with Healer equipped. Quina's Attack deals random damage and so the amount healed with them is also unpredictable.
When the party gains Auto-Regen, they often do not need any other healing most of the time. Healer can be used to safely awake sleeping party members or to sober up confused allies with a physical hit.
Category:Support abilities in Final Fantasy IX