How would you build a character whose main focus is helping people see the error of their ways, and change them accordingly?
Background:
I am planning on playing a character who is a pacifist oracle of the setting's equivalent of Shelyn. I'll be trying hard not to kill enemies, but to either talk them down from fighting, or get them to recant their ways.
But, I feel like taking captives is often a hard sell to the rest of the party, as they can add annoyance, uncertainty, and complication to the game. A convenient NPC that manages a rehabilitation clinic or asylum could be a helpful way to unload possibly-repentent enemies. If there is a clear pipeline to unload these people, the party might be more willing to take people alive, and without a long discussion each time.
During combat (if it comes to that) I'll focus on non-damaging save-or-suck spells like Greater Command, Hold Person, and Chains of Light, as well as healing.
After combat, I'll use the spell Early Judgment to give them a glimpse of their fate in the afterlife. I figure it will be harder for them to keep practicing evil after they've viewed their own damnation! My character will also act as a therapist, soothing them with massage and trying to get them to open up about what led them down the path they're on. When relevant, I may quote scripture about the saving power of love, etc.
So my question: does anyone have good ideas about what kind of character would be best at rehabilitating criminals, evildoers, and misguided souls? (It'll be a non-combat NPC, level 5-7, that could use a PC class.)
No build needed; that's pure roleplaying.
At most, you just need to max-out your Diplomacy.
I just feel like proof of competency on the therapist's part will make it easier for the other PCs to let potentially-dangerous opponents live.
Getting access to restoration would greatly aid in the rehabilitation of those sentenced to an asylum. It's a 4th level spell, so you'd have to be oracle 8 to get access to it, or cleric 7.
The character would also want to address the symptoms of insanity - anything to boost Will saves is gold, cures for fears, boosting Wisdom-based skill checks, dealing with the effects of confusion, etc. Boosting Charisma-based skill checks would be useful as well, but only on those who you're sure won't attempt to abuse their enhanced social abilities.
As far as the morally bankrupt go, Champions of Purity (I think) had a pretty good redemption system, and the character could counsel their patients to seek the light by that route - even boosting the redemption-seeker's Charisma if they seem sincere.
Priest or Inquisitor of Sarenrae is probably the best choice, given the portfolio of the god.
Diplomacy is important, as pointed out above, but sense motive is golden.
I don't think "see the light or taste scimitar" is the kind of environment that promotes sincere redemption.
Inner Sea Gods has revised Sarenrae in an effort to soften her presumed harshness. While the redeem-or-die types are still around, they are considered somewhat of a rogue faction within the church.
That being said, I'm totally on board with this character being a priest of Shelyn.
If you're looking for genuine redemption high Diplomacy Clerics and the like are probably your best bet, if you're looking for someone who's just extremely, perhaps suspiciously, good at getting people to change their behaviour you could look into an enchantment specialist. Hell there's a lvl 4 Bard spell that let's you modify a person's memories 5 minutes at a time, which doesn't sound like much but you change the right memories and you can get a remarkably different person with enough time.
Sounds like a character who is only a step or two away from calling themselves Mega-Mind and trying to invade Absalom.