so i just came across the vitalist

[zainale]

and i read what there was to offer. can someone explain how to use it. it looks cool as a healer class but its powers kinda boggle my brain. maybe i have to keep reading it till it makes sense.

[Psyren]

Google "vitalist handbook." Hopefully that helps.

[Philo Pharynx]

Vitalists look great, but they end up being disappointing in my view.

Here's my thoughts:

I'm frustrated that they are so focused on healing. Clerics have lots of things they can do besides healing. Unless you multiclass or buy lots of expanded knowledge, you're mostly healing.

They have few powers, but they can change them every day. This is unusual for psionic characters so it's easy to miss. But it's great when somebody needs exotic condition relief for something long-term.

They are poor healers at low levels and then become gods at 12th level. Their low-level healing powers are pretty bad. The ability to move healing around is really great when you are travelling with a channeler - you can have him channel and then redirect everybody's healing.

At 11th level they can get heal injuries, which is sort of like heal it does 110 hp for 11 pp. At 12th level, they can augment it to 2 people for 1 more pp. This means 220 hp of healing, which they can split among everybody. At 13th level this becomes 330 for 13 pp, etc.

Steal Health doesn't do much damage, but they can heal and cure at the same time. It's also untyped supernatural damage, which is really hard to stop. It bypasses damage resistance, energy resistance, and spell resistance. Plus it's free healing where the only limits are that your foe has to be living, they have at least half of your hit dice and you can't heal more hp than they have.

Steal Health works well if your allies can do nonlethal damage and they don't mind you draining the life out of unconscious foes.

[LazarX]

This does need to be in 3rd Party/Homebrew since the Vitalist is not Paizo material. Flagging for relocation.

[Quintain]

If you would be a bit more specific in your questions, I could potentially help you out.

[zainale]

Quintain wrote:

If you would be a bit more specific in your questions, I could potentially help you out.

i was thinking of cross classing the vitalist with the alchemist focusing on heal and stealthi was thinking that the skill to drink a health pot and have Gordan the beat stick receive the hit points

are all psionics 3rd party?

[zainale]

what is Knacks (Ps)

Vitalists of all forms learn to manipulate the energy of body and mind in minor ways. A vitalist gains two talents from the vitalist power list.

is it just the talents he knows or special talents that do not count as as talents known?

The following powers gain the Network descriptor when manifested by a vitalist: all powers of the [healing] subdiscipline, animal affinity, biofeedback, body of iron, endorphin surge, expansion, oak body, physical acceleration, sustenance, suspend life, timeless body, and vigor.

whats the network descriptor mean? are the listed powers shared with everyone? like i cast vigor and everyone in my hive mind suddenly gets the 5 hit points?

[Ben Williams]

Network means for an extra PP an extra target in collective is affected.

[Philo Pharynx]

zainale wrote:

Quintain wrote:

If you would be a bit more specific in your questions, I could potentially help you out.

i was thinking of cross classing the vitalist with the alchemist focusing on heal and stealthi was thinking that the skill to drink a health pot and have Gordan the beat stick receive the hit points

are all psionics 3rd party?

Remember that collective range is based on level, and the number of people is based on level or stat.

Consider multiclassing with a channeling class. Collective supercharges channel. Essentially it allows you to focus all of that healing into the people who need it. Don't forget to have familiars pop out of their satchels.

[Orthos]

zainale wrote:

LazarX wrote:

This does need to be in 3rd Party/Homebrew since the Vitalist is not Paizo material. Flagging for relocation.

from what i can tell its just an archetype. can you show where its 3rd party please?

All Psionics classes are done by Dreamscarred Press. (As opposed to Psychic Magic from the Occult Adventures books, which is first-party Paizo work.)

[zainale]

there's only one problem with that and that is you got to channel someone else's power and by someone else i mean a god's power. anyways lets just drop the subject of religion. me and it don't mix. i want to use my own "powers" to help those about me. with a alchemist(Chirurgeon) and heal bombs i don't have to get to close to the action to pop them some healing, it gives you the free healing infused skill so i can share those infusions about. if you can be a channeler with out having a god that would interest me but i would need in book proof and page locations.

[Orthos]

Read the flavor on the Oracle class. Their power is divine in nature but they don't have to worship any deity or power source to gain it.

[zainale]

really well darn that bites i will have to barrow the Occult Adventures book if we have them. anything like the vitalist in them books?

sure but that power is divine which means there has to be some god or demon backing up this oracle's power. what happens if that divine benefactor decides to turn off the power flow. your oracle powers just stop working thus that power was never really yours.

[Efreeti]

There's a witch archetype that accesses chanel (which you can increase with the "extra hex" feat) from an arcane source, if you're interested.

[Orthos]

zainale wrote:

sure but that power is divine which means there has to be some god or demon backing up this oracle's power. what happens if that divine benefactor decides to turn off the power flow. your oracle powers just stop working thus that power was never really yours.

By the rules as written, there is no source to turn it off.

The Oracle's power source is never named or explained, and they have no mechanic for "falling from grace" like a cleric or paladin does if they stray too far from their deity's teachings. There's literally zero way, outside DM Fiat, for an Oracle to lose their class abilities.

[Iammars]

Philo Pharynx wrote:

At 11th level they can get heal injuries, which is sort of like heal it does 110 hp for 11 pp. At 12th level, they can augment it to 2 people for 1 more pp. This means 220 hp of healing, which they can split among everybody. At 13th level this becomes 330 for 13 pp, etc.

They can do this at 11th level if they take Overchannel.

I play a vitalist through Rappan Athuk. Mend Body was fine enough for a large part of her career. The real trick is figuring out what else besides healing you are doing.

[Chris Lambertz]

Removed a post and response to it. That joke was not needed here, and frankly, kinda gross.

[Johnny_Devo]

Chris Lambertz wrote:

Removed a post and response to it. That joke was not needed here, and frankly, kinda gross.

My apologies :(

In my defense I think I was a bit sleep deprived at the time.

[zainale]

i don't think witch will work well for me since you still have to rely on a patron.

At 1st level, when a witch gains her familiar, she must also select a patron. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand.

and knowing my luck i may offend the patron some how or it will loss interest and send its power elsewhere.

i like the vitalist because it allows me to do less rolling when it comes to healing. i just have someone else drink the potion make the roll and i can distributed the needed healing as needed i was planning on mixing this class with the alchemist (Chirurgeon). you get fire bombs pick up heal bombs then another dmg type bomb and sink the other discoveries into survive ability. for vitalist i would go soulthief.

it is something i will have to ask my DM about. just wanted to work out all the kinks before asking him about the class.

[Orthos]

You're really paranoid about your character losing their power source. Does your GM regularly smack characters with loss of abilities like that?