The fundamental problem I see here is that the GM is telling the player what class to play and then further restricting the player's options on playing that character to the point that it has become effectively a player controlled GM's character. At best that is a cohort/follower. At worst it is a player controlled Non-PC.
Both of these are bad choices.
If the GM really wants that much control over how the cleric in his game is played and the ability scores/skills and feats of said cleric; then it is up to said GM to build and run the cleric. If he wants a player controlled cleric simply to provide healing to the party then the GM needs to either let the player have free choice on how the cleric is made; OR he needs to create the cleric himself and make it the party's follower.
In the first hard cover version of the world's oldest role playing game there was even an option to create followers for situations like this. Player creates and controls the follower through their own PC. follower gets half XP for adventures because it is making no decisions.
A DM who thinks that a party needs a healer and is prepared to force a player to play one should also consider nerfing his monsters' damage. Because being a healer isn't fun, it's a narrow role.
And an Oracle or Shaman of Life is far supperior to a Cleric when it comes to healing. But you don't seem to be allowed those classes.You can do some healing with Witch, pick the Healing Hex and never prepare cure light wounds, only Hex Vulnerability (a 1st level spell that lets you use your Healing Hex more times). Even better if you're allowed the Hex Channeler. This will also let you do other things than just healing.
A recent errata made it so that Hex Vulnerability only works with harmful hexes.
Normally this doesnt matter, but is everyone in this group of yours Christian? It seems that the DM has fallen into the crux that a lot of us do. Try to create a world that has our beliefs blended in. This doesn't work at all with groups consisting of non-Christian group members. It doesn't work well either way. It's a cool idea, but this isn't a format for it to work well.
As a Christian DM who plays with non believers, I try not to limit my players to much. There are some boundaries, but they are accepted.
Pathfinder can be used as a platform to spread the love of Christ. It just can't be done well in game.
My advice to you is play what you want. If the DM wants a cleric then let him do it himself.
There is also the Hospitaler Paladin, Arcane Healer Bard, Chirurgeon Alchemist, and Hedge Witch.
Also Witch Doctor.
But yeah, Hospitaler Paladin is the closest thing to a "non-healer healer" I have played. Sure, burn a feat on Selective Channel and either extra channel or extra LoH. But get a set of heavy armor, a heavy shield, and a nasty martial one handed weapon, and you're a solid tank, too.
I disagree somewhat with the "play what you want" there is something to be said for "taking one for the team". Mind you, it does come down to how much fun you are gonna have: Myself, knowing am taking on this niche for the "good of the team" makes pretty much anything fun. But if you're gonna be miserable, then no, talk to your DM or get another player to switch.
And no, you cant just make do with a Wand of CLW. Condition removal and Restoration spells are critical.
There is also the Hospitaler Paladin, Arcane Healer Bard, Chirurgeon Alchemist, and Hedge Witch.
Also Witch Doctor.
But yeah, Hospitaler Paladin is the closest thing to a "non-healer healer" I have played. Sure, burn a feat on Selective Channel and either extra channel or extra LoH. But get a set of heavy armor, a heavy shield, and a nasty martial one handed weapon, and you're a solid tank, too.
I disagree somewhat with the "play what you want" there is something to be said for "taking one for the team". Mind you, it does come down to how much fun you are gonna have: Myself, knowing am taking on this niche for the "good of the team" makes pretty much anything fun. But if you're gonna be miserable, then no, talk to your DM or get another player to switch.
And no, you cant just make do with a Wand of CLW. Condition removal and Restoration spells are critical.
Bear in mind that the GM is the sort of person who attacks a life oracle player for not taking the Turn Undead feat like a cleric should(???). The expected role is probably not going to be "someone who can handle condition removal and healing" but rather "walking bandaid", so it's understandable if there is substantial backlash. If the GM simply requested that the player picked something that can cover the party healing role then the response from posters wouldn't have been so overwhelmingly negative.
There is also the Hospitaler Paladin, Arcane Healer Bard, Chirurgeon Alchemist, and Hedge Witch.
Also Witch Doctor.
But yeah, Hospitaler Paladin is the closest thing to a "non-healer healer" I have played. Sure, burn a feat on Selective Channel and either extra channel or extra LoH. But get a set of heavy armor, a heavy shield, and a nasty martial one handed weapon, and you're a solid tank, too.
I disagree somewhat with the "play what you want" there is something to be said for "taking one for the team". Mind you, it does come down to how much fun you are gonna have: Myself, knowing am taking on this niche for the "good of the team" makes pretty much anything fun. But if you're gonna be miserable, then no, talk to your DM or get another player to switch.
And no, you cant just make do with a Wand of CLW. Condition removal and Restoration spells are critical.
The original post comments that the poster is the only player who will play a healer. This tells me he has already taken one for the team on many other occasions. This DM seems to need a lesson on dm'ing
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First of all, I cast another vote for Chirurgeon Alchemist. Especially if you play him as a creepy mad-science type. Dr. Herbert West, MD!
But more importantly:
WHO is this GM who's ASKING for a healbot in the party? As a GM I hate hate hate hate healbot characters. First, because unless they are played by the right person they are decidedly unsexy as a character choice. Second, because they negatively impact my ability to threaten the PCs. Who cares about a few hit points lost here or there when you have a roving beacon of positive energy ready to "top you off" if you ever feel like you're getting low? You will not find a wand of CLW in my games unless the PCs make it themselves.
GM is probably one of those ancient old-school, OSRIC AD+D type Dungeonmasters who never quite embraced Third Edition, let alone anything that came after it. Those days, the roles WERE that stratified.Bear in mind that the GM is the sort of person who attacks a life oracle player for not taking the Turn Undead feat like a cleric should(???). The expected role is probably not going to be "someone who can handle condition removal and healing" but rather "walking bandaid", so it's understandable if there is substantial backlash. If the GM simply requested that the player picked something that can cover the party healing role then the response from posters wouldn't have been so overwhelmingly negative.There is also the Hospitaler Paladin, Arcane Healer Bard, Chirurgeon Alchemist, and Hedge Witch.
Also Witch Doctor.
But yeah, Hospitaler Paladin is the closest thing to a "non-healer healer" I have played. Sure, burn a feat on Selective Channel and either extra channel or extra LoH. But get a set of heavy armor, a heavy shield, and a nasty martial one handed weapon, and you're a solid tank, too.
I disagree somewhat with the "play what you want" there is something to be said for "taking one for the team". Mind you, it does come down to how much fun you are gonna have: Myself, knowing am taking on this niche for the "good of the team" makes pretty much anything fun. But if you're gonna be miserable, then no, talk to your DM or get another player to switch.
And no, you cant just make do with a Wand of CLW. Condition removal and Restoration spells are critical.
That thought had occurred to me.
I mean, it's possible that the GM is just bad at the game, but stuck in the 80s would be the most likely explanation.
Take a single level as a cleric of Abadar (Travel, Protection) because your domain powers are quite good and have everyone pitch in for a wand and a bunch of condition removal scrolls and then do whatever you want. Everyone's happy!
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Tell your GM you will play a cleric if he gives you heavy armor proficiency, lets you use a greatsword, take weapon specialization, and gives you a wand of CSW. The he gets his healer and you get to have fun. You are doing him a favor, maybe he should make it worth your while?
The logic goes like this...Pathfinder is a game. We play games to have fun. If playing a healer is not fun for you, then its work. Work requires compensation. Hence your request :)
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The need for a party healer seems to be very dependent on the specific campaign and playstyle. Lower-combat games such as mysteries require less healing, as do parties with strong defense and good battlefield control. Incidence of some conditions like disease or curses can also be pretty variable. I know a lot of people don't like having a dedicated healer at all, but my group did have a pretty fun session in which a Merciful Healer Cleric kept the party fighter on his feet while he traded full attacks with a dragon.
GM is probably one of those ancient old-school, OSRIC AD+D type Dungeonmasters who never quite embraced Third Edition, let alone anything that came after it. Those days, the roles WERE that stratified.
Agreed. The assumption that a cleric would have taken Turn Undead strikes me as particularly outdated. It's not at all a staple at my table, as clerics have many other options for dealing with undead.
i think i may try the hedge witch with healing patron and see how that turns out.
there a Magic Trait call Precise Treatment where i can use my Intelligence modifier when making Heal checks instead of my Wisdom modifier. do you think this a good idea to pick up so i can do magic and mundane healing and does it let me me use my Intelligence modifier in Treat Deadly Wounds if i beat the dc by 5 for adding added healing?
any magic items or spells that be useful as well to pick up?
Neutralize Poison is good to have. The healing patron covers Lesser Restoration and Remove Disease, and Restoration at higher levels. Those are your key condition removal spells. Possibly also worth learning Remove Blindness/Deafness and Remove Curse - they're very circumstantial but if you need them, you need them.
You may be able to convince other party members to pick up a condition removal spell or two in order to split the healer role just a little bit - breaking down role assumptions for future games. Alchemists get Neutralize Poison and Remove Blindness/Deafness, and wizards get Remove Curse and Break Enchantment.
Useful spells apart from healing depend on what the rest of the party is doing. A witch healer can easily cover buffs (such as Heroism), debuffs (such as Bestow Curse) or battlefield control (such as Fog Cloud), but you'll probably have at least one other party member doing some of that already.
I often find a Lesser Rod of Extend (3000gp) useful for buffs. Lesser Rod of Reach (also 3000gp) could also be handy if you don't want to get too close to combat. I'm also a big fan of the Handy Haversack (2000gp), especially for low-strength characters like you probably will be.
Talk with the other players, also. Ask them not to play glass canons or if they do, to be mindful of some form of defense and not charge first thing. You're not there to be a battery.
If the DM is shoe-horning you, a reasonable request would be to ask for one of those channeling headbands for free or at least reduced--it raises your channels by 2d6. This way, you are channeling less often.
I'm not an archetype kind of guy, so this may seem a bit too vague in light of the well-researched and impassioned responses you've garnered so far, but here's a pair of copper pieces:
Best Pathfinder healbot? Greatsword paladin. Hands down. Heal yourself, pass every save, and demolish all foes -- it only gets better when you get to drop a smite evil. High Str, high Cha, work up to mithral breastplate, keep the best sword you can . . . . Solved.
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If everybody in the party is getting that much gold to start with, there is no reason each person can't purchase a Wand of CLW for 750 gp to be used on themselves. That's an average of 250 pts of healing per person. It just means they have to be smart in combat and come up with tactics better than..."Get 'em!"