How do I build the Paladin tank / healer my party needs without multi-classing in Pathfinder?


Advice


I'm currently building an Aasimar Paladin for an upcoming campaign my friend is starting.

We are assuming we will go up to 20th level.
Currently at level 1 my stats are
Str:16, Dex:12, Con:14, Int:10, Wis:8, and Cha:16 on a 15 point buy.
I'm planning to play a full Tank/dedicated party healer for our party
I don't want to multiclass
Question: how do I, as a Paladin, best heal my party in and out of combat without sacrificing too much of my ability to do damage, or to sponge damage for the party.


Honestly buy a wand of cure light wounds and you're set for healing


Warrior of the Holy Light is fun, but only if you're okay with losing spellcasting.


So a couple of important questions

1: What is your level 1 feat?
2a: Are you willing to take archetypes?
2b: If yes, are you willing to give up smite evil?
3: What style of weapon do you plan on using?

Now before I know the answers to those questions I cannot help you a whole bunch, but let me give you a suggestion:

The Sacred Shield Archetype is amazing for being a tank, you lose your offensive capabilities in exchange for giving your allies within 10ft literally DR/HALF and bonuses to their AC. The only target that still takes full damage is you, so the enemy is incentived into targeting you. Plus it doesn't touch Lay on Hands, so whatever damage slips through can be fixed up through LoH.


Hospitaller also boosts healing considerably by providing an extra channel pool. Sounds like it might be the right fit for you in this case.


The Steel Refrain wrote:
Hospitaller also boosts healing considerably by providing an extra channel pool. Sounds like it might be the right fit for you in this case.

I also approve of the Martyr archetype, which is not as healy but provides Inspire Courage and the ability to take on any effect that your companions are suffering in order to heal them from it. Rather nice.

Alternatively you could go for the Aasimar archetype, which I like a lot but isn't terribly effective.


ViConstantine wrote:

Currently at level 1 my stats are

Str:16, Dex:12, Con:14, Int:10, Wis:8, and Cha:16 on a 15 point buy.

Just double check your stats. AASIMAR racial traits should give you +2 WIS & CHA.

That means before racial modifiers your stats should be: Str:16, Dex:12, Con:14, Int:10, Wis:6, and Cha:14.

If we show how many POINTS that is we get: Str:16 (10), Dex:12 (2), Con:14 (5), Int:10 (0), Wis:6 (-6), and Cha:14 (5).

(It's technically impossible to have a 6 in a stat with a standard point buy, but continuing the pattern would give it a value of -6).

10+2+5+0+(-6)+5=16 - You've used an extra point. This is fine if the GM said your Wis was worth -7, but it's worth checking.

ViConstantine wrote:
Question: how do I, as a Paladin, best heal my party in and out of combat without sacrificing too much of my ability to do damage, or to sponge damage for the party.

Honestly I agree with Dox of the ParaDox twins here: If you have access to wands you're pretty well covered.

Gerenrally it's probably a good idea to read through a few ARCHETYPES. The ones mentioned are pretty good.

I'll add OATH OF CHARITY into the mix. Your self-healing is worse, but your healing of others is better (this is a downgrade as LoH is much better used on yourself) but the real advantage here is the status removal from Charitable Mercy.

Other than that FEY FOUNDLING and GREATER MERCY are going to be your best friends. For extra healy-goodness get yourself some BRACERS OF THE MERCIFUL KNIGHT

Lay On Hnads: A normal 10th level paladin will heal 5d6 hp (~17.5hp). Oath of Charity will reduce that to ~8.75hp (terrible). If you take Fey Foundling & Greater Mercy & get some Bracers a normal Paladin would be at 8d6+16 (~44hp) which will put you at ~22hp. You can skip Greater Mercy if you're too feat-starved & still be ahead of a normal Paladin with the other stuff going. Alternatively you can take all that stuff & be a normal paladin and be basically un-killable.


If you can use Variant Multiclass (VMC), the Paladin is probably the only class I would recommend to VMC with Oracle (life) to get life link. But you give up half your feats. Might not be worth it.

Grand Lodge

You're not likely to be a "full healer" as a singe classed Paladin. Your party is going to want Poison/Disease/Curse removal that going to be difficult to provide.

Depending on how important Paladin specifically is, you might take a look at the new Pei Zin Oracle from Healer's Handbook. With the Life Mystery this would leave you with Life Link to transfer damage, Lay on Hands as a paladin, plus tons of heals/buffs/status removal from Oracle. But you wouldn't have the Paladin smite-y-ness or melee effectiveness.

With that out of the way, to answer your question about a single classed Paladin healer:
- grab Fey Foundling feat at first level, and the Hospitaler archetype, and Magical Knack(Paladin).
- pick up Watchful Eye and Heroic Defiance spells at 4th level
- take Shield Other at 7th
- Grab a Lesser Reach Metamagic rod or two.

Your goal in combat is to blunt the incoming damage by taking half of it, then use Lay on Hands (plus 2 HP/die from Fey Foundling) to deal with it as a swift action. By level 10 or so, hopefully you have a giant pile of hit points and can keep Shield Other up on the most vulnerable members of the party all day. If someone else is about to get torn up, you can Watchful Eye in combat to help them out. If multiple people are hurt, Channel becomes very efficient (+2HP/die on yourself!)

Sacred Shield is also an option, but doesn't stack with Hospitaler. It probably depends on how big a group you have, and how likely you think they are to stick in a 10' bubble of protection. It's the "tankier" option, while Hospitaler is "healier."

EDIT: Oh, if you're not set on Aasimar, the Tiefling Favored Class Bonus is quite good and could be a cool race thematically as well.

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