I'm looking at making an DMNPC because of low numbers, but I want to make him a healer and a buffer I'm thinking an oracle just so I don't have to do a lot of work changing the spells. Please give me suggestions starting at 1st level but will be ran through an entire AP.
Thanks in advance
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If you are looking for Oracles. If this is not for Society I suggest
an Aasimar Spirit Guide Oracle of Life. Worship Milani.
This allows you to take Beacon of Hope for a great buff every time you channel. The spirit guide archtype basically allows you to get a second channel pool. If you play an aasimar (or sylph, or Half-Elf or Elf) you can take the FCB to increase your oracles channel pool by 1.5 normal. This is worth it. I have an Oracle who is going to hit his 10d6 at level 13, for a 12d6 total with the phylactery. He is going to have 18 channels a day 2 x (1 + 8 cha) 9 with 12d6, the other 9 with like 9d6.
Not to mention you have access to blessing of Fervor, breath of life, and many other fantastic buffs.
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Aasimar Life Oracle, hands down. Use favored class point for channeling revelation (more healing) and have selective channeling. Dual curse with the primary curse being blackened and secondary curse (non-advancing) being legalistic. Blackened will give some fire-based offense while dual curse will allow the forcing of re-rolls as a swift action.
Without wishing to hijack the thread, I am planning a dedicated healer character. The concept is that of a sheltered pacifist priestess who decided (for whatever reason) to join an adventuring party. Hopefully any discussion will also help the OP as it is a concept looking for 'the best healer'.
Leaving aside the mechanical weakness in running a non-combat pacifist for RPing reasons, I have settled on the Merciful Healer Cleric archetype, probably conjoined with the Cloistered Cleric archetype if my GM agrees that the required domain specialisation is close enough between the two archetypes to allow it. I will also have to persuade the GM to allow two starting traits from the same group (Faith), but my GM is laid-back enough to allow such bending of the RAW.
I looked at the Hedge Witch, Life Oracle and some other ideas, but the Merciful Healer seems hands-down the best healing option.
For 1st level I've planned:
Drawbacks: Naive, -2 AC/CMD versus Improvised Weapons or Dirty Tricks.
Trait 1: Blessed Touch [Faith], +1 point when channelling or casting cure spells.
Trait 2: Devoted Healer [Faith], Take 20 on Heal skill and cure an additional 1d4 points.
Trait 3: Battlefield Surgeon [Religion], One additional use/day of Heal on deadly wounds.
Feat 1: War Blessing (2/day, use War Priest blessing) Healing & Glory
Feat 2: Brew Potion
I'd be interested to know why nobody else has suggested the Merciful Healer, am I missing a critical disadvantage within the build that means the Life Oracle is better? I appreciate that not everyone wants a lightly-armoured, poorly armed character (who's not an arcane spell-flinger), but as a party healer I don't see a better option.
Alchemist, infusions, healing touch.
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The merciful healer is a nice archetype since it has the ability to reroll 1s or choose to remove conditions. People prefer the Life oracle due to see its ability to use Life Link (basically free healing per round) and to have a higher channel per some races' FCB. This and more crucial spells per day helps out ( though the versatility of the cleric spell slots can be crucial at times, especially if you have open slots)
The hedge witch has the most dice in terms of sheer number of dice that can be used via Extra Hex and Hex Vulnerability/Healing Hex combo.
For the oracle, remember that it is similar to the cleric in terms of weapons/armor proficiency. Moreover, the oracle can channel positive energy to harm undead while a merciful healer can not. This can be sometimes critical to the party survival.
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Without wishing to hijack the thread, I am planning a dedicated healer character. The concept is that of a sheltered pacifist priestess who decided (for whatever reason) to join an adventuring party. Hopefully any discussion will also help the OP as it is a concept looking for 'the best healer'.
Leaving aside the mechanical weakness in running a non-combat pacifist for RPing reasons, I have settled on the Merciful Healer Cleric archetype, probably conjoined with the Cloistered Cleric archetype if my GM agrees that the required domain specialisation is close enough between the two archetypes to allow it. I will also have to persuade the GM to allow two starting traits from the same group (Faith), but my GM is laid-back enough to allow such bending of the RAW.
I looked at the Hedge Witch, Life Oracle and some other ideas, but the Merciful Healer seems hands-down the best healing option.
For 1st level I've planned:
Drawbacks: Naive, -2 AC/CMD versus Improvised Weapons or Dirty Tricks.Trait 1: Blessed Touch [Faith], +1 point when channelling or casting cure spells.
Trait 2: Devoted Healer [Faith], Take 20 on Heal skill and cure an additional 1d4 points.
Trait 3: Battlefield Surgeon [Religion], One additional use/day of Heal on deadly wounds.Feat 1: War Blessing (2/day, use War Priest blessing) Healing & Glory
Feat 2: Brew PotionI'd be interested to know why nobody else has suggested the Merciful Healer, am I missing a critical disadvantage within the build that means the Life Oracle is better? I appreciate that not everyone wants a lightly-armoured, poorly armed character (who's not an arcane spell-flinger), but as a party healer I don't see a better option.
If the campaign deals with fighting the undead as mentioned before the merciful healer will not be able to harm them with Channel.
Also as I remember the rules on Traits, one cannot have a trait from the same category so one of the Faith Traits would need to be swapped out. (but considering how good both are, not sure which one I'd trade out) Although Naive is a great weakness, it compliments Courageous [Combat] trait well as I have those with no knowledge of what things are able to do or how bad the world can be seem to be fear resistant (this traits grants a +2 against all Fear Effects)
Also if your going to make magical items for added healing at 5th level Craft Wands is a great choice :-)
If you want to deal with Undead and be a Merciful Healer, at 3rd level the Metamagic Reach Spell will turn Cure Light Wounds into a Ranged Touch Attack Ray and can be used to harm the undead
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Best arm is the evangelist cleric. Its full casting of a cleric with bardic performance.
Best band aid healer that needs the least amount of thought or skill is the Life oracle. Tho I,m not a fan of healers. Its a bad role to have and bad strategy. Healing is good but if every fight requires massive healing to get through the fight then the entire group is planning and playing badly.
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Best arm is the evangelist cleric. Its full casting of a cleric with bardic performance.
Best band aid healer that needs the least amount of thought or skill is the Life oracle. Tho I,m not a fan of healers. Its a bad role to have and bad strategy. Healing is good but if every fight requires massive healing to get through the fight then the entire group is planning and playing badly.
I have found playing the Arcane Healer Archetype for bards pretty useful for healing and buffing the party really.
Also the GM let's me convert using the conversion book from 3.5 to Pathfinder as long as they see it first.
Augment Healing is a very useful feat allowing every cure spell to heal an extra 2 HP per Spell Level of the Cure Spell.
Pathfinder Conversion requires one to have at least 1 Rank in the heal skill to take it.
So at level one my Cure Light Wounds Cures 1d8+3 (at level 5, 1d8+7)
The Arcane healer can't channel positive energy as often as a Cleric, but at 5th level they can convert 2rounds of bardic performance into a Cure Light Wounds Spell (but only once per 24 hours on the same target)
If the campaign deals with fighting the undead as mentioned before the merciful healer will not be able to harm them with Channel.
I'm fine with that. The concept is 'Healer', and the fact that the Cleric is the best class to hang the concept on is purely coincidental (as in, I'm not actually looking to play a Cleric who can heal, I'm looking to play a Healer).
Also as I remember the rules on Traits, one cannot have a trait from the same category so one of the Faith Traits would need to be swapped out.
As mentioned, I'm aware of that but I doubt that my GM will mind me sneaking it in.
The merciful healer is a nice archetype since it has the ability to reroll 1s or choose to remove conditions. People prefer the Life oracle due to see its ability to use Life Link (basically free healing per round) and to have a higher channel per some races' FCB. This and more crucial spells per day helps out ( though the versatility of the cleric spell slots can be crucial at times, especially if you have open slots)
I see the spell advantage (which is even more extreme because the Cloistered Cleric actually loses a spell slot per level per day!) but I see the Life Link as a dangerous game. Not sure I like the idea of taking the damage as opposed to healing it!
If I were looking to be an undead fighting Cleric then yes, the lack of anti-undead channelling would be problematic. Luckily, however, it is a non-issue for my concept.
Thanks for pointing out why others prefer the Oracle. Sometimes you wonder if you are missing something huge and obvious that everyone else is aware of.
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Take rich parents trait and buy a wand of cure light wounds. Best healer level 1. Then play a fun class or role that offers more than a crutch and band aid.
Healing never exceeds incoming damage. Pathfinder rewards offense, good tactics, and preventing incoming damage as opposed to healing through fights like World of Warcraft or other popular MMO. I usually player healer or support in those games myself.
Also even when playing an oracle there are other spells besides cure that can prevent damage that should take your in combat standard action. Channeling is a sub par ability in pathfinder and can be done out of combat to touch up the whole group and conserve real spell slots or wand charges.
For a NPC tag along this is ok but your kind of forcing the rest of the group to rely on a band aid and that means some bad in combat decisions.
Oradin
Channeling is a sub par ability in pathfinder
Aasimar FCB changes that whole paradigm.
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Aasimar FCB changes that whole paradigm.
It only makes it slightly better. Channel is a back up ability at best. Sub-par when you think of what full levels of divine casting can get you. Sure its a beefed up channel. But its still a channel at the end of the day. Only Channel builds I will give a nod to is the Hangover cleric build that dazes with the channels. And even then its not used as a healing or damage source but as a control source.
Example of how an Arm a.k.a Support should function:
Your fighter just moved to the BBEG and gets 1 swing in. (not called big stupid fighter for nothing). Now its Your turn as the divine caster before the BBEG does a full attack on your fighter. You have a few choices. You can:
A: Buff The fighter and hope he lives the full attack.
B: Cast Cure X, Hold charge, Move to fighter, and Hold heal for after the full attack.
C: Cast command on the BBEG and have him Drop provoking an attack of Opportunity from your fighter and putting the BBEG into a prone condition. This usually forces the BBEG to Stand up provoking ANOTHER attack from the fighter of the group. (that attack prolly near killed BBEG) but if it didn't kill the BBEG he spent a move action to stand so he doesn't get a full attack on your fighter but allows the FIghter to get the first Full attack option.
Choice C is the Optimal strategy as it prevents attacks and provides outgoing damage and control. Since Damage is ALWAYS outweighs healing you put your team mates at higher risk by playing reactively instead of Proactively. It wastes Your teams and personnel resources to play reactively and also eventually ends up in someone death somewhere along the lines. And a death is a lot of Gold that can be better put in other places.
I highly suggest reading:
The Forge of Combat
And
Tark's Big Holy Book
You know they do call it Save or Suck for a reason right?
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If the campaign deals with fighting the undead as mentioned before the merciful healer will not be able to harm them with Channel.I'm fine with that. The concept is 'Healer', and the fact that the Cleric is the best class to hang the concept on is purely coincidental (as in, I'm not actually looking to play a Cleric who can heal, I'm looking to play a Healer).
Also as I remember the rules on Traits, one cannot have a trait from the same category so one of the Faith Traits would need to be swapped out.As mentioned, I'm aware of that but I doubt that my GM will mind me sneaking it in.
In that case, if your GM is alright with 3.5 conversion you might consider a feat that makes Healing really potent.
(Converted to Pathfinder from Dungeons & Dragons 3.5)
Augment Healing
Prerequisite: Heal 1 Rank
Benefit: add +2 points per spell level to the amount of damage healed
by any Conjuration [healing] spell you cast.
I've not run into many GM's that disapprove of the feat in standard game play.
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You know they do call it Save or Suck for a reason right?
I know what it is nicknamed. Either they save and it does little/nothing or they fail their saves and suck so bad they wish they were dead.
The statement Save or Suck adds nothing to this discussion.
***disclaimer*****
I have very blunt opinions and vocabulary. My hate for Band-aids and Rogues is a known thing. This is not a personal attack on any player of this game. It is a opinion that is backed on Game mastery, Mathematics, and Efficiency. Again my opinions are at the class and its features and not at anyone playing said classes. Many of rogue fans get their panties in a bunch when the words Rogue and Suck appear near each other. I am trying to avoid a De-rail into off topic things with this disclaimer. If you don't like freedom of speech or are offended easily by things that have nothing to do with you then please stop reading!
*****disclaimer end*****
What I've said has been stated on these forums for years now. Healing is sub-par in Pathfinder and Support is more than just being a Crutch and a Band-aid. Sure it is not as common a thread of why rogues are the most terrible base class in pathfinder game, or the ever popular, "help me I'm Lawful stupid, Did I or the player fall," threads. But if you do plenty of digging with your Web-fu you will find all the information, mathematics, and theorycraft of the why the game is like that.
It's no single players fault of why this is...and sure some players can squeak by on sub-par. Or enjoy the challenge of trying to make something Crappy into something good. But the facts have laid out and the truth has been discovered. I'm not the type of person who likes to see people struggle or waste their time. So try and give them good solid information to perform on a efficient level.
By all means you can disregard and try whatever you want. But If you want the team to progress and enjoy the grand story of the adventure you're going to need to stay alive and so is your party. I'm trying to provide you with information to make that happen. That way you become a legend and part of the story more than the guy who licks the fighters wounds.
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In one situation with my playgroup, we encountered a drove of huge spiders. Our save/suck sorcerer was forced to resort to using scorching rays, effectively doing significant damage against these fire-vulnerable spiders. Our two tanks (each able to do 70+ damage on a full attack) were being flailed by AoOs via 15 ft reach and being struck pretty often (both had mid 30s AC at level 8) with a "ninja" (our party believes that they don't exist) able to take some down via flank/invis sneak attack. We also had a caravan to worry about with NPCs from Level 1/2 to 6.
The attrition war was long (took about 15 rounds, to take out all 8) and the damage overall to the party was about 300, enough to wipe the party twice over (We did lose a few horses). Our saving grace was a devoted healer who focused on channel, as well as using Channel Ray to support long distance targets.
You can say that channel is a backup to what supposed to be more offense, but is situations like these, they can prevent a TPK and an end to an Adventure Path.
wait are we trying to help OP or help the person who hijacked the thread but said they are not trying to hijack the thread
because if I read blunt opinions person in regards to the OP then those post offerings are pretty bad but if I read them for the sorry-not-sorry hijacker then they are pretty good
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In one situation with my playgroup, we encountered a drove of huge spiders. Our save/suck sorcerer was forced to resort to using scorching rays, effectively doing significant damage against these fire-vulnerable spiders. Our two tanks were being flailed by AoOs via 15 ft reach and being struck pretty often (both had mid 30s AC at level 8) with a "ninja" (our party believes that they don't exist) able to take some down via flank/invis sneak attack. We also had a caravan to worry about with NPCs from Level 1/2 to 6.
The attrition war was long (took about 15 rounds, to take out all 8) and the damage overall to the party was about 300, enough to wipe the party twice over (We did lose a few horses). Our saving grace was a devoted healer who focused on channel, as well as using Channel Ray to support long distance targets.
You can say that channel is a backup to what supposed to be more offense, but is situations like these, they can prevent a TPK and an end to an Adventure Path.
Read the forge of Combat I linked earlier. It seems your party is filled up with Hammers and a Arm. This is a typical scenario of what happens with a party that does not have a anvil. Longer than average fights and heavy usage of Resources.
The guide is very good and insightful...and it also tells you the dangers of unbalanced groups like the one you mentioned.
wait are we trying to help OP or help the person who hijacked the thread but said they are not trying to hijack the thread
because if I read blunt opinions person in regards to the OP then those post offerings are pretty bad but if I read them for the sorry-not-sorry hijacker then they are pretty good
I first answered for the OP then for the Hijacker.
Now I'm posting for the benefit of both of them and anyone else who has yet to discover these things for themselves. Knowledge is power in this game. And this Knowledge can power up a group as a whole.
Dear OP
What AP is this
How many actual players are in the group
What classes/archetypes are they playing
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I'm fine with that. The concept is 'Healer', and the fact that the Cleric is the best class to hang the concept on is purely coincidental (as in, I'm not actually looking to play a Cleric who can heal, I'm looking to play a Healer).
This sort of pacifist healer PC can work well. I've played several. Make sure, though, that she always has a useful combat action when healing is not needed. A competent party ought to be able to get through most fights without needing healing. That means she should not need to heal for most rounds of most combats. Have several plans for that situation.
What sort of Pacifism do you envision? Options include Self-Defense Pacifism (e.g. typical martial arts master), Can not kill Pacifism (e.g. Batman), technical pacifism (e.g. lets others do the dirty work), and total pacifism (usually incompatible even with Paladins, but can be made to work). What's her attitude towards irredeemably vile and awful foes who wish to do her harm? E.g. Undead, demons, rapacious brigands, slavers, etc.
What's your character's take on damage mitigation? Damage mitigation means preventing incoming damage from reaching your allies, so less healing is required. Is that part of the 'healer' role, in your mind? Will she proactively attempt to prevent incoming damage to her allies, or will she passively wait until damage arrives then try to heal it? The former is drastically more efficient, but a naive, tactically ignorant PC may not understand this.
Some damage mitigation techniques:
* Communal Resist Energy prevents incoming energy damage
* Sanctuary on herself. She can use this very brazenly. E.g. she can run around the battlefield, provoking wasted AoOs, to open the way for her allies. Each attack blocked by Sanctuary is an attack not suffered by an ally.
* Summoned Monsters are extremely potent. She'll be quite good at summoning, and every summoned monster is pre-healing equal to its HP, but this approach might conflict with her pacifism. How does she feel about this option?
* Buffs on allies. E.g. Bless, Bull's Strength, Aid (more prehealing), Prayer, etc. If your allies do more damage they kill stuff quicker, so they take less damage.
* Summon Monster III gets a Lantern Archon, which can pre-buff the entire team with Aid for lots of temporary HP.
* Throw a tanglefoot bag or a net. This directly reduces incoming damage.
* Cast a spell to mess with foes. E.g. Command etc.
* Wield a Mancatcher. This defensive reach weapon is used to capture foes by grappling or tripping them. It's an exotic weapon, so -4 non-proficiency penalty applies, but it always targets touch AC.
Summary: So long as she has good combat options when healing is not needed she'll do well.
P.s. The presence of a healbot sometimes causes groups to actually fight worse. Don't allow this to happen. To avoid this she should encourage her allies to avoid getting injured. Sometimes, the presence of an eager healbot causes players to adopt exceptionally stupid tactics that maximize the damage they take. The best way for her to discourage this outcome is to think of herself as a support caster, rather than just a healer. After all, a healer only gets work when the group screws up and takes a lot of damage. Have a plan for when things are going well.
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Magda always has a nicer way of saying things than I do. We typically are always on the same page when it comes to a cleric. Thanks for expanding on the idea of Mitigation techniques. Not many newer players see past the cure spell on a divine caster's list. And have not come up with alternative uses of the spells given.
Sometimes people only see a horse for the mount spell. They don't see a method of Cover against ranged attacks, Trap fodder, Explosive runes carrier, or paired with the Pit spells can deliver vicious falling damage when summoned max range above the pit to be dropped on the heads of the people in the pit. 30+30= 60feet+ of falling damage. I can abuse a wand of mount. As where a new player may never prepare, learn or buy the spell cause they think all they get out of it is a horse. I call it Newbie tunnel vision.
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When my party encountered the spiders, our anvil (sorcerer) was forced to play hammer/arm (Scorching Ray/Haste). We did basically stop other encounters with the often used DC 24 Oppressive Boredom. Grease and many other (both oracle and NPC Cleric had ways to blind creatures) battlefield control were quite ineffective due to the spders' reach and tremorsense. Due to the size of our caravan carrying important people, ditch-and-run tactics with invisibility was out. Being up in the north, we were treading through snow if going out of the trail (both out hammers had means to get by). We entered into their home field advantage and it was tough.
Cleric with healing domain. You get everything other than the mass spells as healing spells (except for mass heal). You get the full selection of cleric spells rather than being potentially forced to take spells that don't level well, and you get the buffs/summons/transport magic/etc that make clerics valuable. Channel is nice when you need to heal a lot of characters quickly and don't have access to mass cure wounds as of yet, or you need to heal since your buffs were eliminated or prove less impressive then you first thought (foes with dispel magic become more common the higher level you go, even if you only eliminate one buff per spell). Also, all healing spells are increased by 50% at 6th level. E
Add in protection domain and then you have your cure spells and buff spells as domain support, plus some nice domain powers like the 30 ft bonus to saves and energy resistance powers of the protection domain.
http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Qi_Zhong Here is a Pathfinder deity that grants both.
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Just as a word of advice, as a gm running a fifth man as a healer you might want to play something like a Druid, they can heal, they can buff, they can support but at the same time they arnt so insanely focused or optimized for those roles that they will ruin the challange of the encounters.
Life oracles are a little too good at healing ect...
As with clerics.
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A Hospitaler Paladin with the Oath of Charity can also be an option. Full BAB, channels, lay on hands x1.5 on allies as well (x0.5 on self, though). If you have enough Lay on Hands, you can attempt to get Ultimate Mercy. It is 10 uses of Lay on Hands to cast Raise Dead. You have the option of using material components or take a temporary Negative Level for 24 hours (which is quite the money saver)
With the new Hex Vulnerability, I must say that the Scarred Witch Doctor is one of the best support/ healer, all that while being a pretty good tank. I mean: you can do Fortune and Healing Hex more then one time on your allies with Hex Vulnerability, giving you quite the support capacity.
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@OP Joey Virtue: Seriously consider whether your players really need a DMPC healbot. If you truly think it will enhance your game, go ahead. Beware your players relying on the presence of a healbot, as this can lead to assorted bad practices. Real people will go to considerable lengths to avoid taking grievous bodily harm, but the presence of an always-on healbot (and the fact we don't feel our PCs pain ...) can remove the desire to avoid getting hurt.
I could rant on for a long time at the idiotic tactical behavior I've seen enabled by healbots, but will spare y'all :-)
Do your PCs have someone able to use a CLW or Infernal Healing wand? UMD counts. If so, out of combat (OOC) healing is covered. That leaves only In Combat healing. A competent group should not routinely need in combat healing. In combat healing should be the emergency backup plan when things go terribly wrong. In that context it's wonderful to have, and the more the better. Usually, though, the PCs ought to be able to configure the battlefield, then exercise competent tactics, such that they avoid taking massive damage. If the PCs are not exercising competent tactics, and thus routinely take massive damage, consider that better tactics and group composition might proactively 'heal' far more effectively than would a GMPC healbot. I've seen situations where the presence of a DMPC healbot enabled stupid dysfunctional behavior and thereby reduced fun for a majority of the table. Do they really need a healbot, or have they just not yet learned to live without one? Consider that a tactical coach who can also heal a bit might be a more effective 'healer' with your group than a healing-optimized 'healer'. E.g. Elderly Cleric of Iomedae with Tactics domain who was once mighty with longspear and sword, but is now physically feeble and has an unknown expiration date? If the tactical lessons sink in, then by the time the coach dies the PCs will no longer need a dedicated healbot.
You know your players and group. It's something to think about.
In that case, if your GM is alright with 3.5 conversion you might consider a feat that makes Healing really potent.
(Converted to Pathfinder from Dungeons & Dragons 3.5)
Augment Healing
Prerequisite: Heal 1 Rank
Benefit: add +2 points per spell level to the amount of damage healed
by any Conjuration [healing] spell you cast.I've not run into many GM's that disapprove of the feat in standard game play.
I may try that, thanks. However, it appears that some people are getting upset about my involvement here so I shall make a dignified withdrawal.
So long story short this I don't know about when I'm going to run the AP I was just some what theory crafting for the next time I can get a group together and run an AP. It's hard to find a group of players that have kids and wives so my wife isn't alone watching the kids while I game. But that is a different thread. I didn't want a strait in combat healing character I know how bad that is buts it's nice just in case it's needed. This character would be a forth wheel not a fifth wheel, with at least one inexperienced player at the table. So I wanted someone who could buff the pcs up and when needed fix them up.
Thanks for so much interest in this thread
Oh yeah derailer stay in this thread you seem to be getting more use for a current game then me any how.
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Here are some good ways to represent a healing-focused pacifist character:
* Merciful Healer archetype Cleric
* Life Oracle
* Regular Cleric with Healing domain
Despite my grumbling, I'd be delighted to have any of those join my team.
One of my long-ago pacifist healers practiced a grappling-based martial art and tied foes up with rope. Kinky.
My 2 cp are:
I wanted a dedicated healer as character and picked after some mathematical analysis in Excel the oracle. Since being a primary healer is often pretty unsatisfying, you have to have some kind of second role (as Magda pointed out).
I picked buffer/debuffer (with an eye on counterspelling), since our group has three melee types and benefits most from that (and they can always use a flanking buddy, too). Oracle is the best for my purpose, since I can spontaneously use metamagicked spells.
I was looking at an oradin, which has a lot to recommend it, but I didn't want to get at the spells two levels later. Still, it is something to consider besides cleric, oracle and shaman, when you look for a primary healer. The other classes with healing are somewhat weaker and I wouldn't pick them, unless somebody else on the team can heal a little.
Another interesting option, if the DM allows it, is the Vitalist from the psionic handbook. He starts out weaker than other healers, but catches up fast, once his ability to shuffle heals around gets going.
One of the nice things about the Life oracle is the spirit boost ability.
It helps turn reactive healing into proactive buffing, and if you go "over the top" (so to speak) on hit points it isn't wasted any more like it is for other characters.
It is not perfect though: It doesn't work with channel energy so until you have the cure mass line it will be one at a time in all likelihood and it's only for rounds per level so it isn't an all day buff like say false life could be (if it wasn't personal, et al).
For a different spin on this:
It's a wisdom focused build that at level 12 can use wholeness of body on his entire party at one time. He has the bardic inspire courage (wisdom based) and an easy way to regain the Ki he'll need (drinking). The attack rolls and CMB is wisdom based (but not the damage so it makes sense to focus in something like grappling), which also builds his Ki pool, AC, CMD... et al.
I would drop slow fall for barkskin or true strike (depending on party composition) high jump for either the other or feather step (a great buff spell for ground based combatants), and abundant step for restoration (2 ki points to use restoration on the whole party as a standard action is amazing).
This will not outshine any primary caster, but it's fairly ganzo and can still be effective at what it does. Heal skill should be able to take care of any poisons or what not you need covered.
The biggest issue is the amount of time it takes to really blossom. It only really reaches its zenith at 12th level.
So the Oradin can I have a quick overview of one? that sounds fun but maybe a little to much for a GMNPC but i want to hear about it
Oradins can be simplified to Life Oracle X/Paladin Y
X is usually equal to the number of other party members, so you get 1 life link for each one. Y is all the rest of your levels.
The party take damage. The damage gets transferred partially to the Oradin who uses Swift action Lay on Hands to self heal. They then have the rest of their turn to move around, buff or hit things.
You can make it a lot more complex and optimised, but that's the gist of it. Several archetypes and feats can tweak the general chassis - Fey Foundling to increase the amount you self heal, for example.
*Edit: They're a bit less of a support buffer-healer than you're after. And a bit more of a Beatstick who coincidentally tops up the party HP pool *
The oradin is a combination of oracle and paladin, the number of levels in each class depend on your purpose. The caster version would be paladin 2/oracle 18 and benefit from the improved saves and combat ability at low levels (and having heavy armor and martial weapons).
The idea is to make as much use of lay-on-hands and channel energy as possible. With the Life mystery the oradin uses Life Link and uses LoH to keep himself going, using channel as needed. In the meantime he can serve as a regular combatant in heavy armor. If going for as many caster levels as possible, you will probably want reach or ranged weapons to supplement your frontliners from behind, while having the option to cast unimpeded by enemy AoO.
If needs be you can throw out Smite Evil and beat a hard mob to pulp, regardless of his DR.
The disadvantage of the concept is that you get your 2nd level spells only at level 6...and you are always behind in the progression. It works best together with another semi-healer, say a bard, so you have enough resources to win a hard fight. But you can cover 2 caster levels (for the checks) with one of the traits in the Core Rules.
It is important to have as many LoH as possible. In the 2/18 type you rely on your high CHA to give you some, as the levels won't. Then you would need to go at least to paladin 4 if you want the channel energy feature from her (in addition to life oracle).
So it depends somewhat on your group how you build the oradin. The more fragile they are, the sooner you need better healing spells. The more secondary sources of healing are around, the more fighter you can be.
Primary stat is CHA, followed by CON (there is Life Link) and STR. After that it is WIS, DEX and INT. Feats depend mostly on what you like to do most...you can build a vital striker, something with step up, a major caster with metamagic. You will likely buy extra LoH though :)
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[PF] Oradin Mini-Guide. Or, How to be a Healbot, minus the 'bot'
A few levels of Paladin, bare minimum of 2 and usually recommended 4 levels or more.. This gives you 2 levels of Paladin gets you +1d6 Lay on Hands useable CHA + 1/2 your Paladin Level per day. You also will have Smite evil and +CHA to saves.
Going up to 4 levels of Paladin gives you a Mercy, the option to use Lay on Hands to Channel Energy, various Immunities, and also begins your Paladin spellcasting (although Channel Energy is not gained until level 4, it still uses your Full Paladin level to determine how powerful it is).
A few good paladin Archetypes are Warrior of the Holy Light and Hospitaler.
Your also going to need Oracle levels. Minimum of 1 but 3+ is nice. You want the Life Link ability from the Oracle of Life tree. it is a key ability. The reason you want 3+ is the Ability to put Life Link on 3 other people and get channel energy up to 2d6.
You want a Nice reach weapon to get in AoO when you can. You're going to wand Boots of the earth to get free fast healing/1 and can use it to top everyone off out of combat.
In combat you're taking damage for your allies with Shield other and Life Link. Using Swift actions for LoH you can heal yourself. Using Cure spells you can cure a single target. Using your channels you can heal your group. But you will have several different sizes of channels to choose from.
So a Dwarf for this set up would be very sub par to say the least right?
I like the Oradin and would be useful at low levels
How would you go about the 2 level paladin oradin? Dwarf
Oradins tend to be a more mid-level thing, as they take at least a couple of levels of both Paladin and Oracle before they really have all their key abilities. At levels 1-4 or so they're rather unfinished. Level 4 Oracle gets a decent number of links, 2 revelations + 2nd level casting, making it a logical breakpoint.
I'd probably start off as just an Oracle until I had the requisite number of life links and then just switch over, playing as a second-line buffer/melee until the switch. I'd generally say you want more Paladin levels than Oracle eventually, as lay on hands self-heals are the key to your action economy and it scales with Paladin level. If you're only taking a couple of Paladin levels for saves and proficiencies then you're an Oracle who dips, not an Oradin.
And a going Dwarf kind of puts a cramp on the entire Charisma thing, a rather key stat. Less channels, fewer lay on hands, lower saves, other badness.