Healer build for Serpent's Skull

[Christopher Tomas]

My group is staring up the campaign next week and I am curious what people would suggest as far as an optimal healer for the party. I am okay playing a pretty much total supporting role with buffing and healing.

My preference would be to play a Holy Oracle. If I decided to do that can folks give me some advice on what stats are the most important, spells to learn, feats to take, and whatever other suggestions people might have.

[Blave]

A Life Oracle is probably your best choice. Get high charisma (18+ at level 1) the extra channel feat and you are set.

There are few feats that increase healing power, so after extra channel, I'd say focus on feats that help your own defense (heavy armor, shield focus and so on) as you can't heal effectively when you are dead.

Other than that, the revelations should be all you need.

[Alexander Kilcoyne]

For feats that increase your healing power see Extra Revelation.

[Muser]

Get a rearch weapon, use power attack for decent damage and stay behind the meleers, bringing channeling to bear from the safety of their backs. Not that supernatural effects cause an AAO, but there's very little need to put points into dexterity or worry about a high AC score when the other characters are your armor.

[scthomas]

Muser wrote:

Get a rearch weapon, use power attack for decent damage and stay behind the meleers, bringing channeling to bear from the safety of their backs. Not that supernatural effects cause an AAO, but there's very little need to put points into dexterity or worry about a high AC score when the other characters are your armor.

Coming from a CRPG background in group raiding there is an old theory called 'Hybrid theory'. It basically states that whatever your buffs added to damage should be counted as yours. Same with all other effects.

Now I am on a rather big Witch kick at the moment and the reason is the above theory. Life Oracle and Healing Cleric will pump out more RAW HP healing but look at the debuffs from the Witch.

Apply Evil Eye. -2 up to 8th level then it is -4.
You reduce their Attack Roll by that.

Misfortune.
They roll two d20s on the attack rolls, pick the lowest.

Ward
Increase the saves and AC of your tank.

These are all included with having cure spells prepared for when the hits do come and the Healing hexes as well.

You take all of this together and I believe a witch can have a potentially greater net effect in damage prevention that the cleric and life Oracle can do in HP cleanup. This isn't all that the witch brings but a few of the big ones. Slumber acts as a big combat control, Retribution at 10 is a big party damage boost, ect.

-=-=-=-

OK, so thinking non-witch what I would also do is look at picking up levels in Crusader from ToB at a few strategic levels to pick up the Devoted Spirit healing strikes. With the stances and strikes you can pump out some healing without spending spells.

Also to optimize, look at having a on-use continuous wondrous item of Spectral Handmade so you don't have to worry about getting splated in melee.

[Barnabus]

I agree with the witch, in KM our half-orc paladin seems to be going through Kressel with ease, since she has a -2 to hit and a -2 to AC (due to evil eye) on top of paladin's smite evil!

[Jeremiziah]

I can only tell you that, as an oracle in Alexander's Serpent Skull PbP game, I have felt fairly inadequate as a healer. And that's as a Life Oracle with the Channeling revelation.

If I had it to do over again, I'd run a Cleric.

That's at low levels, though - my opinion may change once I hit higher levels.

[Banpai]

While I agree that debuffing can be an effective option, I have to warn everyone using a witch as a primary healer.

The witch doesn´t get some of the important healing spells like restoration (at a decent level and even then they can only get the really expensive one). You access to healing spells will be limitet and you will have to fill your spellslots with healing spells.

Since serpents skull takes place in an enviroment where ability damage, diseases and similar things can be expected, you should make certain that your party has access to the right spells.

[Alexander Kilcoyne]

Jeremiziah wrote:

I can only tell you that, as an oracle in Alexander's Serpent Skull PbP game, I have felt fairly inadequate as a healer. And that's as a Life Oracle with the Channeling revelation.

If I had it to do over again, I'd run a Cleric.

That's at low levels, though - my opinion may change once I hit higher levels.

I must say, mechanically Life Oracle is THE best healer in the game. You'll start to feel it at third level I hope.

And I run quite a brutal game... ;)

[Jeremiziah]

Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:

I must say, mechanically Life Oracle is THE best healer in the game. You'll start to feel it at second level I hope.

I am second level. :-p

Maybe third, then. lol

[Alexander Kilcoyne]

Bah see I often don't type exactly as I think, you have to give me 5 minutes to see my mistakes and edit them :P.