Cleric support build

[Traivar]

Looking for advice on building a support only cleric with 25point buy,
any suggestions

[Magda Luckbender]

You want to look in the Guide to the Class Guides at the cleric guides. All three of the active Cleric guides (Axe's guide seems gone) have a section on the Support Cleric build.

[666bender]

support is a big word.
you want to melee > caster ? caster> melee ?

a few options:
read the reach cleric guide. take decent str or guided hand.
focus on AOO, buffing and summoning.

another way to go, is be a caster, evangelist. buff, summon, save or suck spells and use items .

it all depends on your other team-mates.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Look at the archetype evangelist cleric.

Avoid ever channel feat as they are traps and one of the weakest ways to build a support cleric.

Remember support does not equal heal bot. It never has ever.

Support is about buffing your group to make them quickly overcome the fight without wasting much resources or taking much damage.

Lets take the example for a foe who you know does fire damage.
Answer 1: cast resist energy and resist a majority of the damage. (Proactive support)
Answer 2: Let the group take damage and spend multiple rounds healing people to keep them alive. (Reactive)

Pathfinder favors proactive strategy over reactive. You also waste 1 resource over many resources. So another reason to be proactive is resource management.

If it is a humaniod heavy campaign I recommend evangelist focused on enchantment. If it is a campaign with lots of mindless creatures I recommend summon specialist.

Evanglist general feats feats: Lingering performance, divine interferance.

Enchantment specialist: spell focus and greater spell focus, persistent spell, spell penetration
summon specilist: spell focus conjuration, augmented summoning, sacred summons, superior summons

[666bender]

And summon good monsters...
I mostly prefer summoner as it can deal with many things...

[Renegadeshepherd]

The others have said much of what I would so i would only add that 25 points opens a lot of choices. Now the MAD cleric can have 3 strong attributes or 4 good ones. So now you can not only support but fight, channel, be smart, and so on as well. In other words puck multiple things you want to do as its very easy now.

[boring7]

Traivar wrote:

Looking for advice on building a support only cleric with 25point buy,

any suggestions

If you're rolling pacifist for the cheevo feat, you're gonna have to come out and say it.

[Devilkiller]

I agree that an Evangelist who summons stuff would be great. If you take the Animal domain and Boon Companion you can also get a nice melee pet who is always around. Eldritch Heritage (Arcane) could get you a valet familiar who helps you craft stuff and is good at delivering touch spells (like Cure Moderate Wounds, Heal, etc)

If you don't want pets or summons then it might be worth exploring what "support only" means to you. Would you be against using ranged weapons? How about offensive spells?

[Traivar]

hmm interesting, comments, the idea i have is keep the players alive and well, no combat unless i really realy have to,

So im looking to heal primarily and to buff characters,

[Renegadeshepherd]

Traivar wrote:

hmm interesting, comments, the idea i have is keep the players alive and well, no combat unless i really realy have to,

So im looking to heal primarily and to buff characters,

Life oracle with bodyguard and in harms way feats and a benelovant weapon.

[Magda Luckbender]

Buffing and healing are both good ways to deliver support. The Life Oracle does this with an emphasis on healing, while the evangelist has an emphasis on buffing. Both can be effective. Whatever works for you.

It sounds like you want to mostly avoid melee combat. Do you want to completely dump your martial abilities into the latrine trench, or do you wish to retain a vestige of martial competence? Basic martial competence will cost about 5 build points (for STR 14) and possibly one feat (Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, or something), which is about about 20% of your build resources. In actual game play there's a considerable difference between the two. E.g. With just STR 14 and Power Attack, on a 3/4 BaB divine caster, you can actually pump out considerable damage when needed. With STR 10 and no martial feats you can't.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Well if you want to play reactivity then go life oracle. They heal better than straight cleric. Or you can try oradin.

But because I hate dedicated healers in Pathfinder thats the last bit ill give.

[The Human Diversion]

At low levels, the luck domain ability can be awfully nice - you touch an ally and from that point until the beginning of your next turn, any time they roll a D20 they get to roll twice and pick the higher result.

[Mystic Madness]

Try a Cleric of Sarenrae with Heroism and Restoration Subdomains.

Heroism is a powerful buff and can be activated as a swift action at 8th level (+2 to saves, skills, attack rolls). All cure spells are empowered (+50% cured) at sixth. You can also be (or assist) the party face with the Glory domain 1st level ability (+1/level to CHA skill). Finally, you can help the barbarian rage-cycle with the restoration ability (cure fatigue and other conditions w/ touch).

The spells are decent as well.

You may wish to take the feats to acquire a familiar (preferably a Lyraken Azata w/ the improved familiar feat), as the prompt delivery of touch spells to allies can make a big difference.