Wife wants to play a healer

[TheSideKick]

if i recall correctly you get 1 channel + cha in uses per day. so you would have 5d6 aoe, at level 6, versus +4 on CLW (not much improvement)
or 9 rounds of what accounts to the average of 4d6 on a single target.

it seems like the better choice would be the AOE healing at 5d6, assuming your first feat is selective channel.

** although if you take option 3 you get 3d6 channel on top of the energy body.

if you want the best healing per action, then option 1. but in retrospec option 3 has more actual healing potential per day.

[Jiggy]

Well, Selective Channeling wouldn't have to be the first feat. First couple of levels you're probably still using your channels for after-combat group hugs, so the first feat could be something like Toughness or Combat Casting.

[Andrew R]

My experience as a healer cleric in Council of Thieves AP was to pick a buddy and Shield Other, all the time. Cleric has plenty of HP but often not good enough to bother on the front line but splitting the damage with a front liner helps. Or use it on the low HP casters just in case. If you are absorbing those hits a bit your channel heal will effectively double up and you do not need to worry about getting to the other guy to heal as much.

[Fergie]

I would say just picking the healing domain and having a 14 or better CHA would make you an exceptional healer. Selective Channel would be great, but you don't need it right away.

Then check out something like fire domain. Fireball! and other cool spells. Or travel. Be a fast moving, flying, d-doorin', teleportin' fool.

I would tend to avoid the melee cleric, unless you don't mind stacking a few buffs before entering combat.

Another option is the summoning cleric, but that is a lot to keep track of!

[calagnar]

Let me point out the idea of the oracle is to use channel as your main healing. Leaving you the option to use your blackened curse spells and other cleric spells in combat. With burring hands, and scorching ray for damage. This makes you a very good healer that dose not need to use spells for healing.

The choice of AZT-Blooded (Musetouched) was done to get glitterdust 1/day, and the Dex bonus. Any of the Variant Aasimar Heritages with a Cha bonus can work. Peri-Blooded (Emberkin) is my second choice.

Curse
Blackened
Player Companion: Blood of Angels
Effect
You take a –4 penalty on weapon attack rolls, but you add burning hands to your list of spells known.
At 5th level, add scorching ray and flaming sphere to your list of spells known.
At 10th level, add wall of fire to your list of spells known and your penalty on weapon attack rolls is reduced to –2.

[davidvs]

My current character is a giant rat that rides a dinosaur.

He is also the party's healer, buffer, trapfinder, scout, and secondary tank (we also have a Paladin).

But really...a giant rat that rides a dinosaur! Woo hoo!

So I'll suggest an Animal Domain Cleric or Nature Oracle. I've never met a newbie (especially a female newbie) that did not enjoy having a pet.

[Mathmuse]

Jiggy wrote:

Wife wants to play a healer.

She wants to play an aasimar. I do have Blood of Angels available.
She wants to be "cool".
She's mentioned the possibility of hitting people with a staff, or possibly being a "don't get my hands dirty, just use magic" type person, or maybe jump around like a ninja.
I can tell you all right now she won't be playing that creepy witch class. Or the alchemist.
I'm not sure she would enjoy keeping track of lots of buffs (she already struggles with this with her archer)

calagnar wrote:

Azata-Blooded (Musetouched)

Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Diplomacy, Perform
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Musetouched gain glitterdust as a spell-like ability.

Heh, that's the one she's looking at. Has a lot to do with the picture. ;)

Now if I could just figure out what she really wants out of the rest of the character...

That last sentence is the important one. My impression is that Jiggy's wife is interested in roleplaying an angel of mercy rather than roleplaying a combat-ready medic. Ask her what is the first thing her character would do upon arriving in a new town. I suspect the answer would be, "Find the local hospice and heal the sick."

Under a GM who likes roleplaying, that would earn her a +2 circumstance bonus for Diplomacy checks in that town. Combined with her pluses to Charisma and Diplomacy, she could easily serve as the party liaison. She does not have to be the party spokeman; instead, she could be the person who persuades the town leaders to listen to the spokesman.

A prepared spellcaster is not more confusing to play that a spontaneous spellcaster. My routine for a prepared caster is to design three possible spell lists to prepare each morning: one for combat, one for travel, and one for in town. With Jiggy's help, his wife can make those lists.

davidvs wrote:

But really...a giant rat that rides a dinosaur! Woo hoo!

So I'll suggest an Animal Domain Cleric or Nature Oracle. I've never met a newbie (especially a female newbie) that did not enjoy having a pet.

I agree. A healer who does not want to end a life personally could work through an animal companion.

[VRMH]

Quick note: the Divine Scion PrC lets you create a Symbol of Healing for free; once a day, every day. You'll need 3 levels of it though, and 5 of another class. But the idea of leaving such marks wherever the party has been might be appealing.

[Fergie]

Mathmuse wrote:

A healer who does not want to end a life personally could work through an animal companion.

"Well, Helga The Merciful has taken a strict vow of non-violence, however, Killer, my dire wolverine companion has an altogether different philosophical outlook..."