I plan on Dming for a new group of people soon, but from what they told me, their class choices would be Barbarian, Wizard, Rogue, and Rogue/Wizard. Now just changing one of them to some healer would be fine, but it probably won't be happening. I can see them investing in a lot of potions and wands, but then that would only leave the initial stages of the game to handle so they don't die after 3-4 encounterrs if the dice rolls don't go their way.
Would anyone have any Ap to suggest running for such a group that is not Kingmaker?
|
I plan on Dming for a new group of people soon, but from what they told me, their class choices would be Barbarian, Wizard, Rogue, and Rogue/Wizard. Now just changing one of them to some healer would be fine, but it probably won't be happening. I can see them investing in a lot of potions and wands, but then that would only leave the initial stages of the game to handle so they don't die after 3-4 encounterrs if the dice rolls don't go their way.
Would anyone have any Ap to suggest running for such a group that is not Kingmaker?
Don't worry about healers to much. The party will figure out how to adapt or they will die and someone will roll up a healer :)
ROTRL gives them access to a healer NPC in the early stages and is generally considered either the best or one of the best AP's.
Access in the early stages, and then they can substitute and dump gold in healing items?
Maybe suggest to your players that one of the Rogues has a look at Alchemist?
Alchemist has the Rogues skills, but not sneak attack, and can do some healing.
I played a Alchemist in Serpents skull with a party that had no Rogue and managed all the traps and sneaking quite easily.
DBH
|
|
Running without healers isn't that difficult really. You can easily eschew the Use Magic Device rules and give the party access to a wand of cure light wounds. This gives the party healing but they sacrifice action economy for it so it balances out quite well. Until they get enough gp to each have one tucked in their belt they will should keep a close eye on who is carrying it at any given time.
I plan on Dming for a new group of people soon, but from what they told me, their class choices would be Barbarian, Wizard, Rogue, and Rogue/Wizard. Now just changing one of them to some healer would be fine, but it probably won't be happening. I can see them investing in a lot of potions and wands, but then that would only leave the initial stages of the game to handle so they don't die after 3-4 encounterrs if the dice rolls don't go their way.
Would anyone have any Ap to suggest running for such a group that is not Kingmaker?
Skull and Shackles. Lots of single battle days.
what about carrion crown
They can use a wand of infernal healing to heal between encounters. They will need to play smarter.
In my home game I have the same situation and I created a spell all spellcasters can use "Cure Minor Wounds". It's level 0 and cures 1 hp per round and the caster must concentrate. It only heals until the target is at 50% of his maximum hp. It keeps the game going while still providing a lot of danger if they continue.
Personally, I don't think you should pick the AP based on whether you have healing or not, you should pick the AP based on what the players and GM want to play.
Jade Regent has an NPC cleric ally who stays around (though not usually going into dungeons with the PCs).
You're going to want to avoid any path that doesn't give them any sort of access to healing at the beginning. Serpent's Skull, for instance, starts them off in a situation where they're on their own and can't buy anything from anybody, although there is also 1 NPC cleric on the scene who can provide a little help if they can get back to him.
Would one of your wizards be willing to consider a witch instead? Then you could use the healing hex.
Curse of the Crimson Throne has an (evil) NPC clerics (Laori and Sial)that can join the party in book #3, re-join in parts of book #4 and all of book #5, and you could conceivably even finish the AP with them.
Worst AP that I own for healing would be "Legacy of Fire" since it offers no gear or healing magic items until book #2.
If you're really worried that much, you could always make an NPC healer. Personally, I think it's a lot more interesting without. And without healers in general.
I won't be giving them any freebies, if they want to play hard mode, they will have to survive until they get a wand and some potions. Plenty of possibilities, especially if the wizard becomes a summoner so they can get some other meat shields.
Kingmaker is fine, but I'm already running it and i have no intention of running it again with another group while my first group isn't done. I have the ROTL book coming in tomorrow so I will probably be running that. Discussion with them is still ongoing, so if it's only the issue of wanting to not be a healbot and still do damage, I could point one of them to being an inquisitor or even a paladin.
Council of Thieves gives you 11 NPCs (one for each class) and a support cleric (Arael) in the first book. Since most of the AP takes place in the city, getting healed between fights is pretty easy, with a couple notable exceptions.
I do not recommend Carrion Crown. Even with the presence of a church less than a mile from the adventuring sight, your party will die like flies without positive energy. The danger gets worse in book 2 as half the monsters inflict ability damage/drain, disease, poison, curses, and everything else you need a Cleric/Oracle for. If they really want to play on Hard mode, try that.
Oh, and Jade Regent also gives the party a powerful magic item towards the end of the first book that can cast healing & status removal spells on the PCs.
Skulls and Shackles has an NPC cleric ally potential very early on and has a lot of one day encounters. Much of it is not time sensitive.
Skulls and shackles could work, as you have two NPCs that can cast healing spells (a cleric and a bard) and there is a wand for sale in the first location with an utterly useless spell that I swapped out for a CLW wand.
Just to repeat some of the above:
Kingmaker is excellent at giving natural healing time and is full of 1 encounter a day/week
Jade Regent, Serpents Skull and Skulls & Shackles both have NPCs from the beginning.
Take your choice.
If you don't have a healer....
Consider one of your Sorcerers taking the Celestial bloodline. The Heavenly Fire special ability heals Good characters, harms evil ones, even if only 1/day per target. It's your once-a-day CLW spell at 30 ft range. Heal is a class skill for them, giving them a +3. Having them max Use Magic Device at every level for wands of CLW is a given.
Another character with the Self-Sufficent feat makes Heal a class skill.
At low levels, Healer's Kits (50 gp) plus Bloodblock (25 gp) (APG).
If you can't find/afford a wand of CLW, Bandages of Rapid Recovery (APG) are 200 gp each.
See if your rogue/wizard has any interest in a bard. Has high skills and can cast some arcane spells along with cure and restore spells. Easier for the bard to wear armor and cast spells too.
@OP
As a GM its our responsibility to make sure the players have fun. If they don't want to have a healer, don't let that restrict your party. Just half all the costs of any healing items (which means 1/4 on crafted healing items), its your world tweak it as needed. Either that or run a healer for them.
Have fun!
Edit: Kingmaker probably needs healers the least, no long strings of encounters. Skull-n-shackles book 1 needs a healer definitely. RotRL book 1 while it has some free healing early in, it's not consistent especially when you get into the end of book 1 and all of book 2.
Well personally i suggest Carrion Crown
Discussion with them is still ongoing, so if it's only the issue of wanting to not be a healbot and still do damage, I could point one of them to being an inquisitor or even a paladin.
Oracle of Metal. You get (with the right revelations) access to full plate armor and greatswords. Plus you can heal and deal damage as a spontaneous divine spellcaster.
Carrion crown will not help you at all if you lack a healer. I think that's one to avoid.
Not just a healer, but you will want a Positive Energy Channeller.
|
Carrion crown will not help you at all if you lack a healer. I think that's one to avoid.Not just a healer, but you will want a Positive Energy Channeller.
I managed to survive with out one ok. We got pretty far but we did switch to Skulls and Shackles maybe 2 books from the end.
|
Carrion crown will not help you at all if you lack a healer. I think that's one to avoid.Not just a healer, but you will want a Positive Energy Channeller.I managed to survive with out one ok. We got pretty far but we did switch to Skulls and Shackles maybe 2 books from the end.
** spoiler omitted **
Yeah you want that or a gravewalker witch, necromancer, or a paladin. Trust me without a character who can handle undead the game is just going to push the characters around and bend them over. Especially the 1st book.
Yes but doing a Horror campaign really captures the feel of horror without a primary healer:)
Any AP is fine just go old school and let them hire a henchman or hireling cleric. Maybe provide an NPC healer for a level or two and then when they have some cash they can hire one. By the time leadership comes around this issue goes away as you can just have a cleric cohort.