Ok so, I have a lvl 7 Life Oracle, am the party healbot, even managed to get that achievement feat for maximized healing.
Now, I am bored... if the party needs a heal, I have something to do, if not I twiddle my thumbs and wait.
I have decided one more level in Oracle then I am going to do something else.
Good stats are decent dex and cha.
What would be a good change of pace? I don't really want to be a caster, and was perhaps looking at barbarian/Rage Seer... anyone tried this? Is it viable? any other class suggestions?
Thanks!
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You could always take a level or two in bard, then take 10 levels of Dragon-Disciple. Focus on two-weapon fighting. You have the advantage of keeping most of your spell progression.
Or you could take 12 levels of Rogue. It won't take more than a level or two to bring your most important skills up to speed. Again, focus on two-weapon fighting / ranged since dex is higher than str.
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I think the ship has sailed on Barbarian. My suggestion would be to focus on ranged combat. An archer needs point blank shot, precise shot and eventually rapid shot. Eight levels of Oracle will give you a +6/+1 BAB, so you should be a decent archer since Dexterity is one of your good scores. You might be able to focus on archery while sticking to Oracle; otherwise, you can go fighter or ranger for the feats you need.
The first advice you should receive, and the absolute best for your situation is this: Talk to your DM about feeling unhappy.
Playing a healbot is a deeply unsatisfying role for many people. You spend all of your time being reactive instead of proactive, and occasionally entire rounds will go by without you needing to do anything. This is a dull life for a player.
If you don't want to be a caster anymore your best bet is to scrap the character and roll something else. If you're just unsatisfied with your current role in the party it could do you a lot of good to work with your DM and re-purpose your character into something other than a healbot while remaining within oracle? Perhaps change your focus from healing to debuffing, battlefield control, summoning minions, ect.
If you're looking to keep your current character and move beyond then here are a few suggestions:
Rage Profit - It'll take a few levels before you can qualify for this, but I've seen it used to success. It's a good hybrid class that doesn't succeed spectacularly anywhere. You'll also suffer for a poor strength and con score.
Horizon Walker - Easy to qualify for, and has all sorts of neat abilities tied to it.
Arcane Archer - Ok, you're not arcane, but that's only a problem if your DM isn't willing to work with you. Talk it over. The arcane archer is a fun class that would work well with your current abilities and attribute scores.
Fighter/Ranger/Rogue/Paladin - Can't go wrong with tacking on a base class! Consider pursuing a dexterity based build, like archery or melee finesse. The paladin is your strongest choice here, but obviously unavailable if your alignment is anything but "straight and narrow."
Holy Vindicator - You probably already qualify for this class. It wouldn't be ideal, but you could pursue it as a finesse build.
Just a few thoughts. Seriously though, talk to your DM.
Life Oracle with the ability to channel energy can qualify for Holy Vindicator easily. You'd lose a little spellcasting but gain full BAB progression, among other things.
Its hard to say what to do without knowing your current race, feats, skills, etc. However, an Oracle is mostly defined by his spells known, and you haven't quite gotten high enough level to be in a position where you're spells known will keep you locked into a role.
You get 4th lvl spells at your next level, and right off the bat Divine Power can make you into a decent combatant whether melee or ranged.
Or you could focus on spellcasting and pick up battlefield control and blasting type spells. Theres not a lot of those on the Oracle list, but you only get so many spells known anyways. Even just picking up Summon Monster IV next level will let you contribute in a whole bunch of different ways. The benefit of the Life Oracle here is that he is already getting all the necessary healing-type spells for free, so your spell choices at each level are pretty wide open.
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1: Talk to your DM about leting your do some changes to the character.
2: What is your Cha at level 7. If it is 18+ you can move to a casting oracle easy enough with out changing any thing.
3: What is your spell list like? This can realy affect Oracles just like Sorcerers. That list can make or brake the character.
This is why I try and get people to stick away from characters like this. Over all there not as effective as a casting or melee character of the same type.
I agree with what Sean FitzSimon said: talk to your DM and let him know your problem. It could be as simple as reworking some of your spells to be more active when you have nothing else to do. As a DM, I work with my characters constantly and ask them if they like their character. It could be it seems like your content in your current role, so the DM doesn't ask or notice. Here is what I suggest as well:
Talk to your DM: This usually fixes everything. Swap some spells or feats to go towards a more active role.
Mystic Theurge: Even though you may not want to caster dip, its not a bad idea. Four levels in Sorcerer maximizes your CHA, gives you more flexible spells to summon, battlefield control, etc. Mystic Theurge later lets you keep going with both sides of casting. Be a Sorc when your bored, Oracle when you need to heal, buff and debuff.
Magus: Another dip class. If your DM is cool, you might just dip in for three levels and pick up Broad Study so you can still fight cast your Oracle spells when you want to. Get Weapon Finesse for a weapon to get better results for your DEX. If you have to stay for a full six levels to get Broud Study, it might not be worth it unless you just dip in for one level for Spell Combat
Summon Monster Spells: Summon goons to fight. I haven't met a DM that doesn't let their PC just control them, make sure with yours. Lets you continue to be active (through a summon though) and still be a healer if you want to.
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My main advice to you would be do something that will keep advancing your spell progression. Oracles are full casters and that is a lot. Whatever you do that gets you away from oracle will make you a less effective character.
You can talk to your DM and redo some of your spell selection to duo as healer/debuffer/buffer. EDIT: The guy above me said it better than i ever would.
If you are absolutly set on multiclassing rage prophet as a class is very viable but i would advise you against it. You can enter the prestige with a two lvl dip in barbarian, thats pretty easy. The main problem is the build for it is tricky. You should have picked the lame curse to be imune to fadigue so you can multiplay your uses of rage powers and switch the "rage mode" on and off at will. The best scenario would have been to take the barbarian dip earlier so you could have choosen rage powers as feats as you lvled. Str is also more usefull for this build them Dex because your best bet for dmg is 2hander with power attack.
You can talk to your DM and see if he will let you trade curses. Pick up the weapon finesse feat and use a light weapon with shield. If you are an elf you will have elven curve blade as martial and thats the only two hander that can be used with weapon finesse. Otherwise it costs an exotic weapon proficience feat. Chances are it would be a very heavy feat and multiclass investment for you at this point to make a rage prophet that would not be really that good.
Since you have Dex going for you its probably best to go archer route. Just pick up the archer feats as you go, maybe do a one or two lvl dip in fighter for the bow proficiency and the extra feat, if you are an elf you already know how to use bows...
Thanks for all the suggestions,
I think I may dip in to fighter for weapon finesse and Martial Weapon, then try out Holy Vindicator.
I am not unhappy with my character, I fill a vital role in the party, I just want something to do, when the party doesn't need heals.
I have the Healer's Touch feat, which effectively gives me a 40 point heal next level, and Holy Vindicator does get some caster level.
I wish I thought about the lame curse for immune fatigue/barbarian, thats just awesome!
Once again thanks!
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Reaper Miniatures
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I play a Healbot Oracle of Life in a Carrion Crown campaign - and rather than twiddle my thumbs in combat, I use the Aid Another Action every round to grant our Paladin a +2 to hit. Usually I succeed. I use a longspear, so I do this from 10", instead of 5'/adjacent, to protect my self.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Aid-Another
Sit and wait for someone to need healing is not the only option.
I also cast Shield of Faith and various Bless/Guidance type spells as early and often as possible, typically not Aiding until round 4 or 5.
One of the guys that is also in our group, and the frequent target of my Aid, also GMs, and since learning that Aid another could be used for combat and not just skills, has begun making large groups of mooks like kobolds dangerous to level 7+PCs. 9 kobolds surround you. Your AC is 25. They attack at +1. DC to Aid = 10. 55% chance. This adds +2 for EACH Kobold that does it. He can usually buff it so that Main Kobold will always hit - and even once you kill him, another kobold becomes Mr. Main.
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Reaper Miniatures
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Oh - the other thing I do - I summon Monster III a Lantern Archon. He fits my theme and heartily smites (small S, not capital S) the baddies wantonly. I named him Rebacchiel, and he really wants to be promoted to a Hound Archon, so he's very enthusiastic about smiting those that need to be smitten.
This echoes the "get an imp" comment from above - controlling a summoned monster is another way to NOT twiddle thumbs.
You all have some great ideas,
I am going to try out Holy Vindicator, as it seems a good fit with my character - I am playing as if posessed by a Celestial being (ala Tongues) who is increasingly getting angrier and angrier by the evils of the world, so Holy Vindicator could be great, and would still be enough of a spell progression to not lag in heals.
Thanks for all your help
What about putting some points into UMD and using wands?
I'm currently playing an Oracle of Life, and here's some things I've done to give myself some versatility.
Lowering the Healing action economy.
- Lifelink, Ring of Friendshield, and/or Shield Other, plus lots of hitpoints (toughness, high Con, etc)
- Quick Channel (channel + cast a spell, or double channel), Extra Channel
- Phylactery of Positive Energy (+2d6 channel)
- Reach Spell, Sacred Bond, healing at range
- Energy Body for out of combat healing
Things to do now that Healing isn't taking all your actions or spellcasting.
- Crafting (magic items), Craft Reliquary Arms and Armor = moving focus for consecrate spell = be an undead killah!
Spells:
- Command/Murderous Command, with a decent DC or low Will Save target, gives a decent early "mess up the enemy"
- Hold Person, for obvious reasons, but remember that giants are humanoids now
- Spiritual Weapon/Ally, nice fire-and-forget(ish) spell. I talked to my DM and we allow Cha bonus instead of Wis for the Oracle, since the spell was made with it being Cleric-based and wasn't written when the Oracle was out.
- Spear of Purity/Searing Light, for when everyone needs to contribute damage. Spear of Purity is great if your target is evil, because it's a level lower and has the blind effect.
- Blessing of Fervor, great divine haste alternative. Even if your group already has haste, this effect can give some decent options (including spellcasting bonus for 2nd level spells or lower).
Some of those are gained at 8th level, so you won't have them yet. However, it will open up some options next level so you might find yourself doing more in the game.
Outside of combat, I focused on Diplomacy and Knowledge stuff, focusing on Religion and spreading a few points out into different knowledge skills to have a chance at some extra info. Survival and Handle Animal are also options, but our group had another character for animal/wilderness stuff.
Granted, once I've run out of spells I'm pretty much stuck just swinging a mediocre weapon ineffectively, however it takes a lot to get to that point, and it pays to run conservatively.
Focus on your channeling in combat once there's a lot of spread out hurt (which works well with your damage shunting abilities), and Energy Body for after combat healing (easier to apply the healing out of combat).
It's very rare that I've found I can't participate in the game beyond "just" healing. And this is without doing anything with physical combat (ranged or melee).
Here is a wacky rec. But could be fun. Gunslinger, but take the archetype that uses CHA not WIS-Mysterious Wanderer. Viable, sure, Good build? Probably not. Ridiculous Character possibilities? Absolutely.
"I'm tired of healing you fools! So I bought a gun!
love it!!
At level 8 take a level of fighter or paladin, pick up a two-handed sword or whatever weapon your deity uses. Start loading up on combat spells and whack stuff. Paladin synergizes well with Oracle since both are Charisma focused.
Get divine power, righteous might, and other melee buff spells. Start going to town whacking stuff rather than standing around board. You can heal yourself in combat if you took that "no AoOs while casting heal spells" revelation. Build an unstoppable oracle of life hammer.
You can even get Divine Vessel, whichi s an upgrade to righteous might if you go 4 paladin and 16 oracle of life. Still have a +16 BAB for 4 attacks, 5 with divine power. You can turn into elemental form to heal yourself as a move action and gain immunity to crits and stunning. You can build a pretty tough little fighter with your spell and paladin abilities.
Here is a wacky rec. But could be fun. Gunslinger, but take the archetype that uses CHA not WIS-Mysterious Wanderer. Viable, sure, Good build? Probably not. Ridiculous Character possibilities? Absolutely.
"I'm tired of healing you fools! So I bought a gun!
love it!!
It's always the quiet ones that go postal.