I will probably be joining a new group. They have a campaign already in progress (about level 5). The group is heavily martially (melee and range) represented. They have sneaking covered. As I understand it, they do not currently have a primary caster, any significant healing, AoE, or battlefield control.
Option 1:
I could easily make a life oracle that has pretty much all the healing and condition removal spells with still enough left over to be a moderately effective primary caster. Problem is, that sounds virtually identical to my PC just retired with my prior group. If I work at it, I could probably make it different enough to cover those needs and still feel different.
Plus I must admit, I’m a bit leery of that. My prior group had a pretty strong tendency to not buy ‘unnecessary’ defensive and condition gear or even plan much of anything. Eh, don’t really need that, Bob can take care of it for us. They weren’t horrible about it, but it was still enough that I noticed it. I don’t really enjoy using up all my spells playing the walking first aid kit. Especially when it starts becoming even more needed because they are counting on it to take the place of planning, preparation, or tactics. I don’t know this group, but that does make me a bit nervous.
Option 2:
Build a sorcerer. Concentrate on battlefield control and imposing conditions on multiple targets. (I don’t think blasting is terribly useful with the amount of damage it sounds like they can dish out.) I could take what condition removals the sorc list allows. Then get my UMD sky high so I can pretty easily use any divine items they want to purchase. I was thinking razmiran priest, sage bloodline (I like skill points), skill focus UMD, and pragmatic activator (int to UMD).
That should take care of condition removals and everyone can purchase what they need in the way of hit point healing.
Option 3:
Build a witch. IIRC, witches have a fair number of the condition removal spells on their list. I am really not a fan of prepared and especially spellbook casters (even if the familiar is the spell book). But then again witches have the hexes for some always useful actions if I have prepped the wrong spells.
Option 4:
Mystic Theurge. Take empyreal sorc and cleric. Have some of the best of all worlds. Spamable spontaneous spells. The ‘ideal’ prepared spell. No spellbook to keep filling up. Single casting stat. Most spells are on one spell list or the other. Huge variety of possible actions. But obviously the cost is pain at the mid levels and lack of high level spells. And I like high level spells.
Looking for ideas, comments, or suggestions. I really haven’t made up my mind, except that I’m pretty sure I won’t go with option 1 (unless I learn more about the group from the GM that makes it seem more attractive). I guess if I had to chose today, it would probably be option 2. But that is mostly just because I am much more familiar with sorc so could build an effective one very quickly.
Too broad of range in options.
Figure out what you want to do and then tell us the areas you are prepared to backfill.
Another option would be a white eldritch font mage arcanist or unlettered arcanist, either would offer some healing while still leaving you free to do other things. You would also have the hybrid "spontaneous but changing" aspect going for you which seems more your speed.
If you want some blasting ability I would consider a single level in sorcerer with the crossblooded archetype. Grab orc as one blood line (for the damage boost) and then whichever you really want with the other and when you go arcanist put take the exploit that stacks with your sorcerer levels to run up the bloodline you actually wanted.
It does slow down your spell progression but you have the full on bloodline and the double arcana to help your spells.
Not sure what I want to do. That is most of my problem. ;)
I will admit I'm not too familiar with the arcanist possibilities yet. I just haven't needed to look at them since I wasn't building one and no one in my prior group was interested. I will give some more consideration (probably won't have much time until this weekend). But they still have that spellbook mechanic that I find to be such a hassle.
Not really interested in blasting at this time. The group has so much weapon capability, that I don't think even a focused blaster would contribute all that much unless it was huge area like fireball. Even then, I think it would be a minor contribution. Four melee martials an archer can even take down large groups pretty quick with raw damage.
For a little bit of everything, Arcanist with Occultist and Unlettered Archetypes. This is a bit like playing a witch that trades out his hexes and patron for a standard action summon SLA and exploits.
I will probably be joining a new group. They have a campaign already in progress (about level 5). The group is heavily martially (melee and range) represented. They have sneaking covered. As I understand it, they do not currently have a primary caster, any significant healing, AoE, or battlefield control.
Don't scale up an in-battle healer. Healing is MUCH more effective out-of-combat than in combat. You're much better off doing one of two things:
1) Large-scale buffs to the entire party. Stack a bunch of buffs up that everyone can use to increase everyone's capability. Bard or cleric are good for this. Cleric gives you some good out-of-combat healing abilities (channel energy is horrible in-combat without a TON of feats but great for healing everyone after the fact).
2) Concentrate on battlefield control. Wizard, sorcerer, or arcanist are best.
Condition removal spells are generally best left to scrolls.
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You're the 6th man in a party full of Melee's? To me, this just screams out for a bard. You're the man with the spells, the man with the skill, and the man with the INSPIRE COURAGE.
Hit everyone with Message in the morning, and play it like you're the squad info ops guy, giving out positional updates, direction and encouragement to the team. You can get a high UMD and wands for the status fixes. Max out the Knowledges, and let bruisers know what weapon to use.
Whatever you do, don't try to make a Heal Bot. That just...just...miserable.
I'm going to agree with this. Don't worry too much about AoE. The party is going to love Haste and Heroism and Inspire Courage.
Either this or an Evangelist Cleric (if you're worried about conditions and don't want to invest in scrolls/umd).
Druid.
I will have to check my email when I get home, but I believe one of the guys is some sort of bard. Even though he was described as a martial character. I would assume that means he tries to buff before the combat, throws out a song, then slams into melee with the rest of them.
So I'm not sure another bard type buff caster would gain them as much as a battlefield control caster. Don't know for sure, I will check with them.
I have zero intention of making an in-combat healbot. There are a small percentage of people that enjoy that role. I usually am not one of those people, though I have done it on occasion. Usually not for a whole campaign.
That said, I have little problem with providing the out of combat condition removals and letting everyone provide for their own wands of CLW or IH. As long as there is enough of the character left over for me to make something useful, fun, and interesting to do in combat.
Scrolls aren't always sufficient. My previous group's campaign, there were quite a few diseases, curses, poisons, and enchantments that required a minimum caster level or caster level check to overcome. I think one even required a minimum casting stat. But I don't know if that was GM modifications, written in some of the 3rd party material he added, part of the published AP, or standard for those spells/items. So I don't know how common that is. That is part of the reason I am still considering the builds that could actually cast the condition removals.
Not sure what a Samsaran would gain a witch.
I've tried druid a few of times. The only one I was happy with uses wild shape to be a melee machine (which this group doesn't need). But I did recently see someone playing a mid-high level caster druid. It did better than I expected. Especially with battlefield control spells. Maybe my prior attempts were poor builds or spell selections. So maybe I should give that another try.
I spent some time on a quick look at arcanist. The white mage arcanist, does get some hitpoint healing. But really, to me, that is the least important thing. PF has made HP healing so easy with cheap wands of CLW or IH, that should never be a problem. Conditions on the other hand are sometimes expensive and/or difficult to remove. To me that is the only really important part of a party healer. Since I can't see any ways to get those onto the spell list of the arcanist. It ends up being similar to option 2. Except not quite as good at it.
Flame Oracle is also a pretty good and simple to use all-rounder. You can cover aoe damage, healing and condition removal.
Ok, guys. Thanks for the suggestions and ideas bouncing around.
I think if the GM allows, I will go for option 2. A razmiran sage sorcerer. Since Razmir is Golarion specific and the campaign is not, this archtype might not be allowed.
My second choice will be option 4. A cleric/sorc mystic theurge.
I'll probably be back for help with building one or both of these in the near future.