hit points are the cheapest thing to restore that a healer can do.
It's all the other stuff (raise/dead, condition removal/restoration, etc) that is pricey.
Logically, a master healer should want to be able to do the stuff that saves the party the most money.
{. . .,
Point noted, but that also depends upon the quantity of each type of healing needed. Needs more study, but the impression I get from following PbPs is that hit point healing is needed a LOT more, at least in the low to middle levels.
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I'm putting in my vote for a Life-Spirit Witch Doctor Shaman. Two pools of Channel energy, damage mitigation from Life Link, stronger Cure spells from Enhanced Cures, and early access to Mass Heal (if you take Fluid Magic from the Waves Spirit you can prepare it in any slot 6th-level and up). In addition, you get spontaneous Dispel Magic and can get a bonus on the CL check with a higher slot, which is really nice for removing debuffs from allies or getting rid of pesky crowd control effects. I personally like Fateful Channel since the reroll can be used on anything. Also, if you're a Human / Half-Elf / Half-Orc, you can steal spells from the Cleric list to increase your versatility (and make sure to grab Shield Other at Level 5 - the fact that the Life Shaman and Witch Doctor don't get access is a criminal offense). You won't be as effective right away, but you'll have way more channel energy uses and more variable skill set.
If you are able and really wanna go hardcore into healing, take the Cleric VMC. You'll gain Spontaneous Cure spells and a third Channel Energy pool which eventually becomes almost full progression. For the domain I'd take Healing for the ability you gain at 15th level (free Empower on all cure spells). Make sure to get Fey Foundling if you wanna heal the most, since you'll end up being the subject of a LOT of channel energy dice and you want to keep yourself healthy so Life Link and Shield Other don't kill you.
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I think Lunius wins.
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I think I hate my phone's auto correct, as well. I read and typed your name correctly, I swear.
You should see what this a$~**%~ has done to my auto correct, I'll never be the f&@*ing same again!
Dont get me wrong.... the Shaman is without question a farcically OP class that should have never been born..... but in terms of a healer or buffer or summoner... I would take a cleric everytime..... everything else an Oracle or Shaman would be better.
You should see what this a#$$+#! has done to my auto correct, I'll never be the f~!*ing same again!
But you've already been BANNED from posting from your phone (c.f. the ask Tacticslion thread). Maybe TGTG's phone needs to be BANNED too....
I am far above your petty banning attempts, weakling Dragon.
I'm putting in my vote for a Life-Spirit Witch Doctor Shaman. Two pools of Channel energy, damage mitigation from Life Link, stronger Cure spells from Enhanced Cures, and early access to Mass Heal (if you take Fluid Magic from the Waves Spirit you can prepare it in any slot 6th-level and up). In addition, you get spontaneous Dispel Magic and can get a bonus on the CL check with a higher slot, which is really nice for removing debuffs from allies or getting rid of pesky crowd control effects. I personally like Fateful Channel since the reroll can be used on anything. Also, if you're a Human / Half-Elf / Half-Orc, you can steal spells from the Cleric list to increase your versatility (and make sure to grab Shield Other at Level 5 - the fact that the Life Shaman and Witch Doctor don't get access is a criminal offense). You won't be as effective right away, but you'll have way more channel energy uses and more variable skill set.
If you are able and really wanna go hardcore into healing, take the Cleric VMC. You'll gain Spontaneous Cure spells and a third Channel Energy pool which eventually becomes almost full progression. For the domain I'd take Healing for the ability you gain at 15th level (free Empower on all cure spells). Make sure to get Fey Foundling if you wanna heal the most, since you'll end up being the subject of a LOT of channel energy dice and you want to keep yourself healthy so Life Link and Shield Other don't kill you.
Suddenly I've got this vision of an army of mostly Orcs with several of these characters sprinkled through it, synergizing with Orc Ferocity to ensure that the Orcs both stay in the fight AND don't die. Of course, I feel like this picture isn't complete unless these Shamans are at least Half-Minotaur, but that could be due to a certain urge to mix up things with a certain other universe . . . .
Except Witch Doctor Shamans have to be non-evil, and supporting an army of orcs...look, you may get a good orc or two, maybe even a handful of neutral, but an army? Yeah, an army of orcs is evil. Nothing can unite that many orcs but murder, rape, and pillaging.
I'm putting in my vote for a Life-Spirit Witch Doctor Shaman. Two pools of Channel energy, damage mitigation from Life Link, stronger Cure spells from Enhanced Cures, and early access to Mass Heal (if you take Fluid Magic from the Waves Spirit you can prepare it in any slot 6th-level and up). In addition, you get spontaneous Dispel Magic and can get a bonus on the CL check with a higher slot, which is really nice for removing debuffs from allies or getting rid of pesky crowd control effects. I personally like Fateful Channel since the reroll can be used on anything. Also, if you're a Human / Half-Elf / Half-Orc, you can steal spells from the Cleric list to increase your versatility (and make sure to grab Shield Other at Level 5 - the fact that the Life Shaman and Witch Doctor don't get access is a criminal offense). You won't be as effective right away, but you'll have way more channel energy uses and more variable skill set.
If you are able and really wanna go hardcore into healing, take the Cleric VMC. You'll gain Spontaneous Cure spells and a third Channel Energy pool which eventually becomes almost full progression. For the domain I'd take Healing for the ability you gain at 15th level (free Empower on all cure spells). Make sure to get Fey Foundling if you wanna heal the most, since you'll end up being the subject of a LOT of channel energy dice and you want to keep yourself healthy so Life Link and Shield Other don't kill you.
I want to point out that the next time I do play Pathfinder, I want to play this character. I want to white mage so hardcore, and get the attitude of Dende in DBZ Abridged. Why? Because I'm the white mage, and you do not f*** with the white mage.
(Also, before this thread got necro'd, I took advice and made a Spirit Guide Oracle and had a LOT of fun being a healer, diplomancer, and non-violent caster...until the GM started giving extra exp for whoever the party voted MVP, and every other player kept winning except for me, even though I completely turned entire fights around with remove fear, remove paralysis, and heals like you wouldn't believe. Nope, it always went to the wizard or fighter or monk...even the rogue...so I said fine, switched to a selfish Dragon disciple, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the party fall apart without a healer. But I did enjoy actually being the support character, and wall of stone, admonishing ray, murderous command, and other fun toys gave me something to do when it was not an option.)
How do you get Mass Heal in a 6th level slot? Is it not 8th?
How do you get Mass Heal in a 6th level slot? Is it not 8th?
Oops, I must've been looking at Heal...
*singing* I'm Lunias and I was wrong, I'm singing the Lunias Wrong Song...
How do you get Mass Heal in a 6th level slot? Is it not 8th?Oops, I must've been looking at Heal...
*singing* I'm Lunias and I was wrong, I'm singing the Lunias Wrong Song...
NP. Heal as a 6th is still awesome. Just wanted to make sure I had not missed anything.
I'm envisioning a character with FOUR channel pools. Pick Witch Doctor Shaman if you like your spells prepared, or Spirit Guide Oracle for those of you on the spontaneous side. Throw in VMC Cleric as you desire. Then, pick up Adept Channel. If you pick Oracle, you need to pick up a familiar via use of your Cleric domain* or a feat/feat chain.
Take 4 levels of Envoy of Balance to pick up Spiritual Equilibrium and Twinned Channeling. This will let you stack Envoy levels with effective cleric levels for channeling, and let you Harm/Heal at the same time when you burst heal.
*Other nature-themed classes with access to domains may select an animal or terrain domain in place of a regular domain.
For quick reference, that's the Crocodile, Eagle, or Monkey Domains.
Feats that grant Familiars are:
Skill Focus + Eldritch Heritage (Arcane)
Iron Will + Familiar Bond
Wasp Familiar (Chaotic Neutral alignment, worship specific deity)
You could pick another VMC that grants a familiar but that removes one pool of channel energy. For reference, those classes are:
Wizard (3rd level)
Witch (3rd level)
Sorcerer (3rd level, Arcane Bloodline)
Magus (7th level, Familiar Magus Arcana)
Since I happen to prefer Spontaneous Casting, I tend to favor the Oracle. The Charisma based casting works well for our purpose of focusing on Channel Energy. I would build this character based off of the worship of Gozreh, blending all the elements of nature, life, and death into one package.
Race: Tiefling
Alignment: Neutral
Gender: Doesn't matter
Ancestry: Div-Spawn (+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Int)
Preferred Trait: Healed by Positive and Negative Energy
Oracle: Life Mystery, channel revelation. Choose to spontaneously cast inflict spells. Curse: Blackened
VMC Cleric: Domain Crocodile, choose to spontaneously cast cure spells, channel positive energy.
If allowed, I might use Words of Power to reflect the RAW nature of the magic they wield. Focus would be on getting Selective Channeling (1st) and Versatile Channeling (5th) first, then pick up Adept Channel at 9th level. If choosing to pick up Wasp Familiar (and worshiping Calistra), you'd take that at 9th level and Adept Channel at 11th. That frees up your Cleric domain for some nifty abilities.
I'm envisioning a character with FOUR channel pools. Pick Witch Doctor Shaman if you like your spells prepared, or Spirit Guide Oracle for those of you on the spontaneous side. Throw in VMC Cleric as you desire. Then, pick up Adept Channel. If you pick Oracle, you need to pick up a familiar via use of your Cleric domain* or a feat/feat chain.
Take 4 levels of Envoy of Balance to pick up Spiritual Equilibrium and Twinned Channeling. This will let you stack Envoy levels with effective cleric levels for channeling, and let you Harm/Heal at the same time when you burst heal.
** spoiler omitted **
Since I happen to prefer Spontaneous Casting, I tend to favor the Oracle. The Charisma based casting works well for our purpose of focusing on Channel Energy. I would build this character based off of the worship of Gozreh, blending all the elements of nature, life, and death into one package.
Race: Tiefling
Alignment: Neutral
Gender: Doesn't matter
Ancestry: Div-Spawn (+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Int)
Preferred Trait: Healed by Positive and Negative Energy
Oracle: Life Mystery, channel...
While either of those would indeed give you 4 channels, you technically lose channel progression on two of your channel pools since the PrC only counts as cleric levels. I'd houserule that though - if someone wants to be the channel master I'd want them to have fun with it. It's certainly not broken or anything.