Healer Build

Here is a cool ER video that shows a Nightblade healer in action.  Trying to decide for my healer toon whether I am going sorceror for magica or templar for survivability.  

Yeah I'm torn between Templar, Sorcerer, or Nightblade for healing. I pretty much always try and play a character in a non-traditional role (assuming they can actually perform that role if played properly) so Sorcerer and Nightblade are jockeying for number 1 choice as my healer.

I might save Templar for a front line support/tanky type character. I always enjoy the thought of a well armored character swinging a big weapon while having some form of self healing and maybe small amounts of group healing/buffing/shielding. The Justicar in RIFT fit that description perfectly. I think Templar in ESO does as well.

Sorcerer sustained healing is hard to beat since they have the absolute BEST class skill for mana recovery.  They spam through their mana healing, cast dark recovery and they're near full again.

Nightblades get a lot of siphoning abilities and passives that help with their mana regeneration if they mix in a few attacks.

Templars get the best heals, but suffer from a lack of mana management class abilities.

DK's get almost no ultility for group healing or mana regeneration.

Any tips for getting a healing class alive through the beginning tasks? Sounds like a dark elf sorcerer would be a good choice for healing.

thanks in advance,

Any class can heal effectively.  The first thing to remember is that you can use your class skills with a resto staff.
Second is to remember that you can skill up resto staff via slotting 1 skill.

A little guide on skills:

1.  The first skill is a ground target aoe.  You can morph it to restore mana, which if you are running a build that needs mana regen is an excellent option.  The skill will more than pay for itself in most situations where people aren't really spread out.

2.  Second you have regeneration.  You can either go with more health per second, or a longer time of healing.

3.  Third you have your penultimate save ability.  A health shield.  This is the single most important skill you have for tanks, as it gives them a huge direct bonus to health, although it is only on the lowest hp person... so can also be useful saving dps.  That does, however, mean that dps can stop you from saving the tank.

4.  Your direct heal.  This is a frontal cone, so your group should be in front of you.  It works wonders for mass aoe healing.

5.  Siphon.  You cast and any attack restores hp.  Can be morphed to instant or to restore mana too.

6.  PURGE!  This requires AvA.  You get a purge as the second ability for support.

Any class based advantages can vary your performance, as with armor and racials.  Argonians, I think, as well as Bretons have a natural bonus (Argonians do more heals? and Bretons have more max mana, more regen, and lower spell cost.)  Sorcs do have the lovely stamina to M/H convertion spell.  Other options can also be used, such as CC abilities to help support the group at times.

Sorc/Nightblade can certainly heal effectively, I'm not convinced DK's work as healers right now - maybe if they revisit damage shields the DK could become an interesting healer.

Templars are top of the heap when it comes to healing, no one can match their ability to pump out heals.  With great power comes great responsibility though, you need to actually pay attention to your group and only cast heals when people need them instead of just spamming or you'll be pouring all that Magicka into overheals.

Leveling up whichever class you choose you're going to play them like any other character but just throw some points into Restoration Staff and Restoring Light (for Templar).

Unlike Jairone I don't value the Steadfast Ward ability at all, I'm a hater when it comes to damage shields.  Maybe it's because I just have better tools as a Templar, but even talking to Sorc/NB healers I roll with they don't find it much use.

If you're not a Templar you'll really need to PvP enough to unlock Purge from the AvA Support Tree (I think it's to AvA Rank 8?).  Once you get it put it on your bar until it morphs to Efficient Purge which will reduce its monstrous Magicka cost by 50-65% (based on Rank).  If you're a Templar you get Cleansing Ritual which can remove debuffs but you might want to pick up Efficient Purge anyway just to have it.

Anyone who isn't using Steadfast Ward is doing it wrong... imho.  It gains more from max magicka than BoP, in addition to the bonuses as hp goes lower, and thus becomes the single most efficient tool for a healer who has no Templar.  This in addition to being the only large single target direct heal equivalent effect makes it invaluable.
That doesn't mean you can't heal without it, especially if people are good at moving out of stuff... just that it makes it far easier to keep people alive (especially tanks or people slow to move out of red.)