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We are playing Serpent's Skull and just made it to 4th level (and the second book).
A new player is joining us and agreed/asked to play the Cleric (as we do not have any Cleric/Oracle). I offered to help him create his PC but I am stuck with a big unknown.
I feel that we do not really need a walking band-aid, nor someone focused on buffs, but rather someone who can remove conditions, debuffs and really anything that prevents the other PCs from doing their part.
I realized this after a well-placed Confusion wrecked our usually highly successful combat tactics.
But I am not sure which way to go for this kind of abilities. Cleric may be the answer, but Paladins actually remove harmful conditions with their mercies and I do not know that much about, say, a witch's abilities.
Our party consists of :
- 2 Half-orcs Fighter/Barb with Amplified Rage : awesome destruction in melee (that is when not Confused)
- 1 Half-Elf Bard (Savage Skald) who will do the buffing as well as ranged attacks
- 1 Half-Elf Inquisitor/Rogue who is the point woman of the group
- 1 Halfling Sorcerer who does the battle control and save-or-suck things
I will be grateful for any suggestion you can provide.
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New and improved cleric! Now with Mercies!
Thank you, Jezai. It is an interesting possibility of which I was not aware.
However, I realize that it also hits on the nail what I now feel is the greatest pitfall of the Cleric class, as most exemplified by the band-aid syndrome.
It is not so much that your fellow PCs call on you when they need your help.
It is the fact that, as long as they are not wounded, they do not need the help of the band-aid.
In other words, the band-aid Cleric is only reactive and not proactive.
And I feel that the Merciful Healer is even worse there, as he loses the "hurting undead" function of his Channel ability as well as any possibility of Versatile Channelling. The restriction to the Healing domain seems to further curtail his ability to play a more proactive role.
In other words, I must rephrase my original point :
I need an anti-debuff character who can still play a very proactive part in a fight.
Maybe the answer is still the Merciful Healer archetype, but maybe some other build would be a better fit.
Any additional suggestions out there ?
Scribe Scroll.
With a big stack of scrolls of things like: Protection from Evil, Liberating Command, Delay Poison, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Lesser Restoration, etc. You're pretty much good to go on the anti-debuff front.
Also, check out the Liberation domain. It's 8th level ability sounds like exactly what you're looking for. And it's a pretty sweet domain.
With Scribe Scroll and the Liberation Domain, I think you'll be plenty effective at "anti-debuffing" so you can still be a melee battle cleric, a ranged archer cleric, or a debuffer in your own right as a caster/bad touch cleric.
A cleric with the scribe scroll feat, with at least one scroll of every status removal spell available (that they can cast). Depending on your level, maybe give the cleric dispel magic and/or break enchantment as preferred spells, so that a prepared spell can be dropped in favour of the preferred spell.
Essentially, you are asking for a walking band-aid sort of cleric if you want to focus to be on removing debuffs. It's not the classic band-aid cleric who heals, but it's still a type of band-aid.
Preventing rebuffs from hitting is different than removing them after they hit.
If you know what's coming, you can use Spell Immunity, Death Ward, Remove Fear, or similar spells ahead of time. If you don't have clear intel, your best bet is to boost AC and saving throws ahead of time. Clerics don't have a lot of stuff that provides miss chances. But study your abjuration spells carefully.
Upon further research, check out the Freedom Subdomain. You've got all the status removal you need in a single domain.
Freedom Subdomain
Associated Domain: Liberation.
Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the liberation power of the Liberation domain.
Liberty's Blessing (Sp): You touch a willing creature as a standard action, granting it a boon. A creature with this boon can, as a swift action, make a saving throw against a single spell or effect it is suffering from that grants a save. The DC of the saving throw is equal to the original DC of the spell or effect. If the saving throw is successful, the effect ends. This boon lasts for 1 minute or until successfully used to remove a spell or effect, whichever duration is shorter. You can use this ability for a number of times equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Domain Spells: 1st—sanctuary, 5th—plane shift.
And just in case people don't feel like looking it up, the Liberation domain:
Liberation Domain
Granted Powers: You are a spirit of freedom and a staunch foe against all who would enslave and oppress.
Liberation (Su): You have the ability to ignore impediments to your mobility. For a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level, you can move normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement, as if you were affected by freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Freedom's Call (Su): At 8th level, you can emit a 30-foot aura of freedom for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. Allies within this aura are not affected by the confused, grappled, frightened, panicked, paralyzed, pinned, or shaken conditions. This aura only suppresses these effects, and they return once a creature leaves the aura or when the aura ends, if applicable. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Domain Spells: 1st—remove fear, 2nd—remove paralysis, 3rd—remove curse, 4th—freedom of movement, 5th—break enchantment, 6th—greater dispel magic, 7th—refuge, 8th—mind blank, 9th—freedom.
The great thing about this all being just one domain, is that you don't have to be a bandaid!
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EDIT: As pointed out by Fionnabhair below, Cayden Cailean doesn't actually get the Freedom domain! That'll show me for looking things up online instead of in the books. Anyways, you can probably ignore the below builds since in fact they don't work! ;) I think the point still stands though...
Archer:
Elven Cleric of Cayden Cailean 4:
Domains: Travel (or something else), Freedom
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Melee:
Human Cleric of Cayden Cailean 4:
Domains: Ferocity, Freedom
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Bad Touch/Caster:
Human Cleric of Cayden Cailean 4:
Domains: Protean, Freedom
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Improved Initiative, Bouncing Spell
Cayden Cailean doesn't get the Freedom subdomain (and according to the core rulebook and APG I'm looking at, he doesn't get the Liberation domain, either). If you want that domain, you'll want to follow either Desna or Milani, as those are the only two that get either Liberation or the Freedom subdomain (to my knowledge).