Help deciding character direction

[Edward Sobel]

I am currently playing in the Serpent's skull adventure path (just starting actually) anyway our party currently consistes of the following:

half-elf ranger (archer)
elf rogue (dagger thrower)
halfling fighter (thinks he is a dwarf-uses a battleaxe and like to drink)
gnome wizard - shadow caster illusionist (me)

as you can see there is no real healing or divine casting (except the ranger but we are only level one right now)

so the question comes up if I should (as the wizard) multi class into a divne caster (cleric or oracle) to provide necessary healing or should I stay wizard

My thoughts were as follows:
1) become a cleric of the gnome god of illusions (don't recall the name right now) (trickery and magic doamins)&(get bladed scarf prof. for free also)

2) Oracle of the heavens gain some cool boosts to my illusion(pattern) spells and go with the haunted curse

3) skip all of this and stay wizard and hope for the best until our ranger can cast spells

also our fighter has also volunteered to multi into cleric but I don't want to hinder out only real damage dealer right now.

the ranger and rogue players are relatively new to Pathfinder and it may be to much for them to multiclass until they are more comfortable with the game.

[Thorkull]

1. The Ranger can use a wand of cure light at level 1.

2. A cleric's ability to self-buff means that mutilclassing a fighter into cleric is not a nerf to the fighter's damage output.

3. Multiclassing wizard/anything is definitely a nerf to the wizard.

[Stealth_Master12055]

Also could buy potions. We carry ten or so in our packs as a habit, as it's easier to take one than move to our healer during combat.

[Edward Sobel]

just a reminder that we are in the first module of serpent's skull

no buying anything and as far as wands go depends on what we find as treasure.

we are (afterall) shipwrecked on Smuggler's Shiv

[Thorkull]

Oh yeah, that sucks. Still, you'd be better off with a fighter/cleric than a wizard/cleric. The wizard is going to need that full casting progression, but a fighter can get a good boost from the cleric levels.

Wizard/cleric can turn into mystic theurge, but that's kind of a trap at mid levels. If you're going theurge you're better off going sorcerer/oracle, IMHO.

[Edward Sobel]

thanks for the input

what about the wizard/oracle and go with the heavens mystery I belive the revelation increases the efficiency of my illusion (pattern) spells

Awesome Display (Su): Your phantasmagoric displays
accurately model the mysteries of the night sky,
dumbfounding all who behold them. Each creature
affected by your illusion (pattern) spells is treated as if its
total number of Hit Dice were equal to its number of Hit
Dice minus your Charisma modifier (if positive).

nice thing is it does not specify spells cast as oracle.

[blahpers]

Yep, that would work. Got a high Charisma?

[KestlerGunner]

Be a Cleric of Besmara with Water and War domains. Pour salt water over the heads of your team members in order to give them healing. Spit watery grog in the face of a cleric of any other religion (other than Besmara and perhaps Cayden Cailean) Get paranoid when you've been on the land for more than a week. Get the elf and half elf to dunk you in the sea off the figurehead when you cast divinations. Take one level of Gunslinger to make sure you can switch to a pistol when the enemy isn't in range. Carry poisoned vittles with your rations to feed to orc privateers. Have a driftwood quarterstaff ready as a back-up weapon. Use Throw Anything to use coconuts as weapons. Fire yourself out of a cannon at least once. Light your beard or hair on fire using sunrods during battles so your enemies know who the real threat is. Drink lots of grog. Profit.

http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Besmara

[Edward Sobel]

blahpers wrote:

Yep, that would work. Got a high Charisma?

average -- got a 14 CHA

[sanwah68]

Or look at a witch...you still use the Int bonus and can look at the Healing Hex.

Full disclosure...we have just started Serpents Skull, and I am playing a witch with...you guessed it...the Healing Hex.

The Deception or Shadow Patrons will give you some illusionist spells.

[tortiekat]

Witch + Cauldron Hex would also allow you to brew potions if you wanted. Also, IIRC your levels would stack if you had a familiar for your arcane bond, so there's that.

Though I'm inclined to agree that if you only want a dip, then Oracle makes more sense. Cha 14 will give you the bonus spell, you don't even have to take a healing spell so you can chose some more useful cleric spells, and you can probably find a curse that won't be horrible. (Tongues is a decent non-curse curse.) Multiclassing between full casting classes is generally not so awesome, so if you're going to take a dip, get the most bang for your buck. Taking one level of Oracle just makes you a sorcerer with less restrictions and a more useful stat, painful as it is for this lover of sorcerers to admit ;-)

[Edward Sobel]

I am going to discuss with the group fighter he may go a level or two of cleric

[Hassan Ahmed]

I dare say, you seems like a nice guy... But, the healing burden shouldn't fall on your shoulders.

Everyone else seems to be playing "concepts", not roles.

I'd asuggest someting I've seen mentioned in a few places here... a "controller" Wizard, with high INIT. Get the jump, cast strategically... and set the tone.

Plucky-Ducky, Pointy-Throwy and Mighty-Mouse can follow suit.

Might-Mouse concerns me most. I'd ask him to take a high "crit threat range" (18-20) weapon. To make up for Strength & Weapon Size. Keen weapon or a feat to double that range, ASAP.

Assuming you'll find potions, then be able to buy them. Ranger/Cleric works well, too with Wisdom synergies.

And, don't worry about "nerfing" the Wizard, think survivability and well roundedness (if you end up multi-classing) and if you plan on it... Magical Knack Trait could help.

All the best.