Advice on a Cleric Dip for a Zen Archer

[Apocalypso]

Hey all ya great sages out there.

Starting off on a Jade Regent campaign with a couple of samurai, a kensai, a ninja, a wizard, and me- a zen archer. Looking around, I don't see a healer, and I'm afraid it'll come to me to dip into cleric because I've got the wisdom.

Now, this really wasn't my original plan. I was thinking Empyreal Sorcerer to pick up Gravity Bow, and thinking about arcane archer down the road. Cleric wasn't in my plans.

But are there Deities and Domains that could be worth my while?

(Oh and the GM has his own alignment system, so I wouldn't have to worry about it being one step from my alignment. I wouldn't want to go with a deity that was hideously evil tho.)

BTW I'm playing a garuda aasimar. S 14, D 16, Cn 13, I 10, W 18, Ch 12. All the classic first level feat tastiness. reactionary and toxophilite traits (+2 to confirm crits)

Anybody got thoughts on how a cleric dip could be awesome? Anybody? Bueller?

[Rycaut]

A few domains that come to mind as likely be worthwhile:

Liberation - if you only dip one or two levels you would only get this one or two rounds a day but one or two rounds of automatically escaping a grapple, or black tentacles, or something else the impedes your movement is likely enough

Growth, subdomain of Plant Domain - you normally can't be the target of Enlarge Person (as a Native Outsider) but many DM's would probably allow you to be enlarged by this domain ability. The Enlarge Person as a 1st level domain bonus spell likely won't be something you cast on yourself (since you can't be a target of it unless you took the Aasimar feat to be treated as human as well as outsider) If you go three levels Barskin as your 2nd level domain spell is a pretty good spell as well.

Travel - one of the better "dip" domains. Get 10' bonus to your base speed (I think this stacks with your monk bonuses) and get a FREE ACTION to ignore difficult terrain for a round 3+WIS mod times a day. Plus Longstrider as your domain spell. A zen archer's mobility is already pretty great - a travel domain/zen archer will be very fast indeed

Void - a straight +2 insight bonus against all mind-affecting effects, feather fall as your 1st level domain spell (not great but not bad) Perhaps less useful if you get flight from being a Garuda.

There are a bunch of other good domains to consider - and look at the Nature domains (which clerics or druids can take) which have some really interesting options to consider (some of which give you a familiar).

War (Tactics) subdomain has a nice 1st level ability that will remain useful for many levels - 3+WIS times a day when you roll for initiative you can grant one ally the ability to roll twice and take whichever result. Nice since it doesn't have any cost to you to granting this.

[Apocalypso]

Thanks for the ideas, Ry. Some intriguing suggestions.

[Nebraskaslim]

If you can convince your gm to take a druid animal domain Eagle has some great abilities for archers and a familiar to boot.

[nate lange]

forget cleric levels- let your party diplomat dip oracle if you need some healing (when they protest just show them the Sidestep Secret revelation for Lore oracles). or if you've decided you want to do the healing, you could always switch your Str and Cha and dip some bard variant- that way you get heal spells but also still qualify for arcane archer (you could also accomplish that, arguably better, by switching to Str 12 Int 14 Cha 10 and dipping witch).

[Adamantine Dragon]

Have you considered just focusing skill ranks on UMD and using wands or scrolls for healing?

[The black raven]

You should not feel forced to dip. There are many ways around not having a CLW-caster. One is to hire a healer NPC.

Otherwise, check TarkXT's guide to Clerics (in the Guide to Guides thread). One of his builds is an Archer Cleric, so I guess the domains should fit.

[Rycaut]

I play a zen archer / menhir savant eagle domain Druid. He's actually less of a dip Druid and more of a full multiclass character. This is for PFS play. Zen archers are amazing but after 4 levels or so they don't gain a ton from further monk levels (improved precise shot, perhaps nifty ki powers). A multiclass character won't be as optimized as many but flexibility is also a lot of fun and with the right feats at level 9 (4-5 monk, 4-5 Druid) his many shape ability will be that of an 8-9 level Druid so very effective option).

Eagle domain is great but note that ultimate equipment has the amazing bracers of falcons aim (may have the name wrong) that grant always on Aspect of the Falcon. Which means your eagle domain 1st level slot is basically wasted once you buy them. I'd actually suggest other domains instead of Eagle now that item exists.