Build Advice: Shaman

[ekibus]

Hey all, I keep looking at the shaman feeling it has potential just want to get everyone's interpretation. Looking at a 20 point buy core races only. I'm planning to do a healer type but if there is something better I might look into it

[Praetorae]

I’d definitely consider a Shaman as one of the more powerful hybrid classes. They get a lot of cool abilities; have a decent spell list and access to some interesting hexes (often re-flavoured Oracle revelations). You can most certainly build a fun and effective healing character from the chassis.

Let me just interject here quickly though and say that building a character simply for healing is often considered ‘wrong bad fun’ in Pathfinder. Don’t let me stop you (my own Shaman character in RotRL is actually quite optimised for healing), but your often better to have a different goal for stuff to do in combat.

Buffs/debuffs/summoning/save or suck spells etc. are all good goals to optimise for, with the idea that you are able to be adaptable and pull off some healing in a clutch moment.

That said, the Life spirit has some lovely abilities for a healer, Life-link is glorious and enhanced cures is surprisingly useful (YMMV). Channel energy as a spirit ability can be good action economy when used well (and as long as you don’t dump Charisma). Let’s agree to ignore Healers Touch. The True spirit ability handily breaks the action economy for healing, if your campaign gets that far.

As for standard hexes, there is the healing hex, although I’ve never been convinced with this one, given that you can only use it once per day per creature makes it really limiting. I’d be more tempted to look at hexes such as Fortune (passing a save is always better than having to react to the consequences of failing) or Fury (melee characters love this). Evil Eye, Misfortune and Chant (eg Cackle) are other mainstays.

Technically, any lower level witch hex is also available to you, which opens up the possibility of taking slumber. Not a fan of this personally, but it is a powerful option.

For my own character I took the Life spirit for access to the wonderful life hexes, but actually specialise in summoning spells (I take the nature spirit as my wandering spirit every-day so I can cast Summon natures ally as a spontaneous spell with the ‘Friend to Animals’ hex). I’m also working towards being pretty good (read; Spell perfection) at casting Flesh to Stone.

So in combat I can be pretty versatile and choose to debuff an enemy via a hex or spell, buff an ally via hex or spell, summon a nature ally or try a ‘save or suck’ spell + other options. If I really must I can cast a decent cure spell or even a ‘breathe of life’ as a spontaneous cast ‘Spirit Magic spell’.

Anyway, hope that gives you some ideas. If you’re interested I can post the build for my Shaman when I’m next near to my character sheets. I’d better mention however that she’s not totally core (She’s an Oread for starters).

Praetorae

[Carla the Profane]

Also take a look at this spell and this feat; the first gives you something to attack with while you heal, and the second greatly boosts your spiritual weapons' damage output.

[ekibus]

My idea right now is a human 10 str, 13 dex, 14 con, 10 int 16 wis and 15 cha. Life as the main spirit. At level 1 I would take selective channeling and x. Level 2 retrain X for extra hex and was gonna do slumber and healing (hex vulnerability for repeat casting)At 3 evil eye (thinking about witch doctor so no level 4 hex) not sure which spirit for wandering. At level 5 Fateful channel (allies get to reroll a attack within 2 rounds) After that I would get chant in there (maybe misfotrune) Channeled revival and divine interference at later levels. I'm just worried he is lacking in combat

[Chess Pwn]

my biggest advice is that healing in combat isn't as useful as preventing damage. If someone attacks for 2d6+24, and you're healing 2d8+10 you're losing the healing. Now if everyone gets hit for 2d6+24, a channel is a bit better as you're getting a lot out of the multi-target. But if you disable(stun, daze, fear, drop weapon, etc.) then you prevented 2d6+24 and effectively healed 2d6+24. and then you don't need to use feats for channeling. and having that much channel energy I don't feel will be needed. How much healing does a party need in a day?

[ekibus]

As I level the channels will do more. Allowing the party to roll 2x once AND get healed at level 5 isnt bad. The emergency resurrection when someone is killed or heck giving up a spell to make a enemy reroll? Although by that point I can be throwing the misfortune around every turn (chant as a move) and make every enemy reroll 2x and take the lower roll. Or heck put the biggest brute to sleep for a couple rounds? evil eye to debuff if I need. Selective channel is so I dont hit the enemies with the bonus of rolling twice. Granted maybe I did go too much heals but he will (at some point) be doing a lot more than just heals.

If not heals what would you recommend Chess? That is why I'm asking for advice, what would you do to increase his contributions?

[Chess Pwn]

Using debuff hexes, using buff spells, you can take Lore as your spirit to gain access to some wizard spells. Combat maneuvers can help if you change your stats some. the human bonus can get you cleric spells. The spiritual weapon idea was a good one, you can just get a ton of weapons swinging with that. your fortune lets them all reroll a round and can last the whole fight too, if you're chanting.

so take lore as main spirit, healing as wandering for the channel if you still want it. But really I feel the healing hex, plus hex vulnerability a lv1 spell, will be a lot of the out of combat healing you really need.

I feel that mainly you pick how much you want to play like a witch, with hexes, or as an oracle, which can be a battle oracle.