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So I'm about to start a LoF campaign, and I legitimately have no idea what to play. Our party currently consists of a summoner, a transmutation/polymorphing Protean bloodline sorcerer, a switch hitting ranger, and a fighter of some sort. My thought was that the most useful thing that this part would need to round it out was a buffing-support style cleric. The party suggested that the cleric--role could be replaced with a wand of Cure Light wounds - an argument against the support classes that I personally -loathe-.
Suffice to say, my DM didn't agree with my assessment that a support was needed and has suggested instead a skill-monkey. Personally, I disliked the skill-monkey role in 3.5, but have played it in Pathfinder with the form of a long line of (doomed) bards. I did poke around the message boards a bit, and they seemed to suggest that traps are not an issue. While I realize that skill-monkeys do other things than poke around traps, I'm not sure if that's more useful than a support. Ultimately, I'm interested in making a character that is -useful- ; I get the most fulfillment out of D&D when I'm playing something that is of use to the party.
Ideas? Thoughts?
Oh oh, Arcane Healer (Bard) from Faith's and Philosophies. You'll love it! Bardie, healie, monkyie, Bardie. Good times.
Ideas? Thoughts?
A cleric would be really useful for that party. Certainly hit points can be healed readily with a wand but what is the party going to do when someone gets blinded or takes CON damage? Also, since the party won't be needing you for hp healing you'll have a lot more freedom to throw out buffs or wade into combat on your own.
Another option would be a Healing Patron Witch - you can remove status ailments and you're a prepared INT-based caster with nice debuffing abilities and access to useful knowledges.
How about an inquisitor? You get access to many of the useful cleric spells and also have a lot of skill points per level. Play a human or half-orc with a 12 intelligence and you can have up to 9 skill points per level.
Another great option.
Also, with a human inquisitor you can use your favored class bonus (usually a hp or skill point) to add a spell to your list (at least one level below the highest level you currently know).
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Thank you for the advice!
I think I've ended up playing an Ancestor-Patron Scarred Witch Doctor. However, in the days leading up to the campaign, I may switch to that inquisitor, using the class bonus that you guys mentioned. I'm glad that I was correct in my assessment that we really needed a support/healer type. C:
I have to agree that most healing can be done with a wand of cure light wounds and some potions or scrolls. Use the wand to heal HP and scrolls for condition removal. But keep one thing in mind that for this to work you need a character who can use the wands and scrolls. While the ranger can use the wand he will have problems with using the scrolls as most of the condition removal spells are not on his list. Playing a supporting character is something useful, but to really do it right you don’t focus on healing, you focus on boosting your party. Use items for healing whenever possible and save your spells for helping the party overcome situations. Just make sure that the cost of the healing items comes out of the party budget not your personal share.
Traps are only a small portion of what a skill monkey should be taking care of. Anyone with a good perception roll can find traps. Disable device will allow you to deal with mundane traps, and dispel magic will often take care of magical traps. That leaves three basic things for the skill monkey to handle. Social skill, knowledge skills and recon skills are what you need to be able to do.
The inquisitor can handle all of these. Play a half orc and take improved monster lore as your first level feat. Put one point into each of the knowledge skills for identifying monster. Then put your favored class bonus into intimidate and identify. Take either the conversion, or heresy inquisition to get WIS for social skills. Max out intimidate,sense motive and perception. Distribute the rest of the skill fairly evenly. Also dump CHA to the floor as you don’t need it for anything.