Hospitaler Paladin healer build

[Umbranus]

CRB and APG only

I was asked if I want to join a game. They lost their cleric and want someone who can keep the party going. But I don't want to play a pure healing guy.
So I thought I'd play a hospitaler. (haven't got feedback on alignment it could change. But for the moment that's the plan.)

Most PCs I build I just take a look at the SRD and get going. But this time I'm restricted to CRB and APG only so a lot of nice feats like ranged lay on hands are out.

It is a point buy game but I don't know how many points so at first I'll build for 15. Starting level for me is 12.

What I got::

Half-Elf
Maybe ancestral arms for EWP Bastard sword
Hospitaler paladin 11/ Nature oracle 1

Str: 18 (+3 level)
Dex: 8
Con: 14
Int: 13
Wis: 8
Cha: 16 (+2 racial)

Should I switch strength and cha?

Revelation: Sidestep secret
Curse: Tongues or wasting

Feats:
Selective channeling
Power attack

In combat I plan to use shield other on at least one party member and heal myself with swift actions per LOH. Most healing should be done out of combat if possible. If necessary I can channel in combat or use LOH on others.

Any advice?

[FangDragon]

Hmm CRB and APG only. That cuts out a lot of the standard advice (no Fey Foundling, No Bracers of the Merciful Knight).

You probably want to go half elf for the FCB (it boosts LOH). Generally channeling in combat isn't worth it, especially since you can't get quick channel or a quick runner's shirt.

You should be able to pull off an oradin build (mostly paladin but with a few oracle levels for life link). Normally I don't like not going full paladin but given the restrictions you are under, its worth considering.

[Umbranus]

In fact I wanted to go nature oracle 1 for sidestep secret.
About the FCB I'm not sure. With shield other running I might need the HP pool from getting hitpoints as FCB. Sure, if I use LOH more than twice I'm even hp wise but the pool size might matter.

If I get more than 15 BP I could see not dumping dex and taking life oracle instead of nature.

[Eltacolibre]

Not sure how limited you are by gold in this upcoming game but might want to consider getting, assuming medium wealth by level:

-Phylactery of Positive Channeling (headband slot) and a rod of splendor for the +4 charisma might be worth considering. The Phylactry will add +2d6 to your channeling, which should counter the -3 levels of channeling you get for being a hospitaler.

[BretI]

Sidestep Secret is Lore, not Nature.

Sidestep Secret, CRB pg. 50:

Sidestep Secret (Su): Your innate understanding of the universe has granted you preternatural reflexes and the uncanny ability to step out of danger at the very last second. Add your Charisma modifier (instead of your Dexterity modifier) to your Armor Class and all Reflex saving throws. Your armor’s maximum Dexterity bonus applies to your Charisma instead of your Dexterity.

You may have meant Nature's Whispers.

Nature's Whispers, CRB pg. 51:

Nature’s Whispers (Ex): You have become so attuned to the whispers of the natural world, from the croaking of frogs to the groaning of great boulders, that your surroundings constantly keep you preternaturally aware of danger. You may add your Charisma modifier, instead of your Dexterity modifier, to your Armor Class and CMD. Any condition that would cause you to lose your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class instead causes you to lose your Charisma modifier to your Armor Class.

I can see that you are using this to dump Dex, but I'm not certain the level hit is worth it.

Personally, if you want healing I would have gone with Life Oracle for the Life Link and maybe (via extra revelation) a second channeling pool. Those two powers give you a lot more healing capability without taking away actions in combat.

[spoiler="Life Link, CRB pg. 49"]Life Link (Su): As a standard action, you may create a bond between yourself and another creature. Each round at the start of your turn, if the bonded creature is wounded for 5 or more hit points below its maximum hit points, it heals 5 hit points and you take 5 hit points of damage. You may have one bond active per oracle level. This bond continues until the bonded creature dies, you die, the distance between you and the other creature exceeds medium range, or you end it as an immediate action (if you have multiple bonds active, you may end as many as you want as part of the same immediate action).

Why the increased Int? I assume it is skill points, but wanted to ask.

I like my Paladins to have a higher Cha than Str, but I know that opinions on that vary. The combination of better saving throws, better smite and better healing makes Charisma very effective for a Paladin.

[Umbranus]

I mixed the revelations up. But because of the brilliant FAQ about secondary sources only the nature one makes any sense.

You are right about int. I do not like having only 2sp per level.
I am not sure yet about the stats. Might switch cha and strength. With a belt its still 18 str, which should be enough.

[Hmm]

Umbranus wrote:

In fact I wanted to go nature oracle 1 for sidestep secret.

About the FCB I'm not sure. With shield other running I might need the HP pool from getting hitpoints as FCB. Sure, if I use LOH more than twice I'm even hp wise but the pool size might matter.

If I get more than 15 BP I could see not dumping dex and taking life oracle instead of nature.

I honestly think that not dumping dex and going life oracle is your better route. You could survive a slightly lower starting strength of 17 + 3 level ups. What life oracle would give you is a way of doing in combat healing without spending actions.

You could do the minimal investment of a couple levels, or go 4 the same BAB loss and have lesser restoration spell, 2 dice channeling and 4 life links. (If you go half-elf you could come out of your four levels of oracle with 3 dice of channeling and 5 life links.)

You can always drop life links if they become too dangerous for you, but the life links are great for action economy.

Hmm

[Umbranus]

The str 18 is already with the +3 from level included. The same the 16 cha is with the +2 racial included. And I think I'll follow BretI's suggestion to go with strength 16 and cha 18 so I can have str 18 with a +2 stat booster.

About the dip: I want to dip just 1 level. With that I just have a single life link. And life link alone will seldomely keep an ally well at higher levels.
With more levels in life oracle I get more channeling dice for the oracle but less from the main class, the paladin.

@Eltacolibre: I'll take a look at the phylactery when I get to do the equipment.

[axatillian]

If im playing heal bot on a pally I never go for the hospitaler the - lvls on the channel energy is a deal breaker for me and I would rather take extra lay on hands feat a few times. Shield other is a must dont forget to lay on hands as a swift action on yourself if you cast it. Also as a pally your main stat should be CHR instead of STR I even usually go with more CON than STR for xtra HPs for sheild other.

With a high CHR you can still do massive amounts of damage against evil things after all you should be looking for ways around combat vs. everyone but evil things.

[BretI]

Hospitaler, especially at level 11 where you would have the Aura of Healing, is going to do a lot more healing than a regular Paladin. The thing to remember about the Channel is that it is now a completely separate pool from the Lay On Hands. Yes, it is two less dice but the total healing is much higher.

[Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan]

How about an Oradin? Not having Fey Fou doing available will hurt, but it's still a good build for your intent.

At 12th level, you'd be 4 levels of Oracle and 8 levels of Hospitaller Paladin.

Have 4 life links, 2nd level oracle spells, channel pool separate from each class.

Take extra LOH a couple times, Greater Mercy, Ultimate Mercy, Selective Channel.

Get a channeling phylactery, since it will pump both flavors of channel.