Witch Doctor Life Shaman Build

[Gummy Bear]

I'm trying to plan out the future for my PFS Life Shaman (Level 1) with the Witch Doctor archetype. My goal is to provide healing and buffs.

My current plan is to utilize cherry picking spells from the Cleric (Half-Elf FCB) and Wizard (Arcane Enlightenment via Wandering Hex) spell list to add to the healer chassis supplied by the Life Mystery and Witch Doctor.

Here is the current build:

Feats:

1 Fey Foundling
3 Selective Channel
5 Quick Channel
7 Extra Hex (Flight)
9 Bless Equipment
11 ?

Hexes (only get one at level 2 due to Witch Doctor)
2 Life Link

Ability Scores:

Str 8
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 16
Cha 14

Cherry Picked Spells:

Level 5 -> Shield Other
Level 6 -> Haste, Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility

Now for my questions:
Is this going to do what I want it to do?
The lower levels look a little weak, but is it functional?
Is the Protector Familiar too much risk since it loses improved evasion?
General thoughts/critiques?

[Silver Surfer]

You'll need to get your CHA up.... as it is you can only pinch 2 Wiz spells

[Heric Walker]

I had a similar build I was planning out for PFS before the Occult Adventures classes took up all my time. I was thinking possibly a level dip in Ecclesitheurge cleric for some additional buffs and Blessing of the Faithful (since you'll have so many channels). But that does require you to give up using armor, so it may not be worth it.

I was also trying to work in a level dip in Soul Warden for even more channeling, but kinda doubted if their "stack with levels in any class that grants channel energy for the purpose of determining the number of damage dice his channel energy ability deals to undead (if any)" would also count for Blessing of the Faithful and Bless Equipment. If it didn't, then another pool of 1d6 alone probably wouldn't be worth it.

For lower levels, could you work in the Flagbearer feat? I think the permanent buff is pretty handy, especially at lower levels.

[Castilonium]

Level 1 is painful for a shaman, but you can make a good contribution with your channel energy, Daze cantrip, and a crossbow. Wear a spiked gauntlet so you can help flank in a pinch.

Protector familiar is very good. It effectively increases your HP by ~50%. More, because it gets hit by your channels and has fast healing. Keep it in a Familiar Satchel (25 gp) to give it full cover if you're worried about AOE spells.

Get Ant's Haul from the cleric spell list at level 3. It'll let you walk around with full plate and a tower shield for +13 AC at the cost of 10 speed, and not being able to make attack rolls. You can still threaten and flank with your spiked gauntlet. Overland Flight will help even more once you hit level 9.

Worship Pharasma and get Fateful Channel. It's an amazing team-wide buff.

Get some Hallowed Chalices, fill em up at the start of the session, and hand em to your teammates so they can heal and buff themselves in an emergency.

Your build will do what you want it to do. Shamans are amazing at support =)

[Markov Spiked Chain]

I just hit 10 with a version of this build in PFS. It's been quite fun.

I'm a follower of Pharasma focused on using Fateful Channel to throw out a nice buff with that giant pool of channels, and other re-rolls. Healing is a lot more fun when you're actively contributing buffs. If you're picking up Fateful Channel, I'd probably dorp Fey Foundling. You're not going to be starved for self heals. ;)

I didn't have Life Link while leveling up, but picked it up after the errata (in place of the nerfed Spirit Talker.) In the handful (5?) of sessions I've played since then, it's a great tool. Make sure you memorize Virtue as a 0th level spell and spam it on yourself to cut down on healing out of combat.

You're likely to find yourself without much to do in combat without a buff like Fateful Channel. I'd try to squeeze in an Extra Hex for Misfortune, Slumber, Evil Eye so that you have a go-to in combat contribution. You might also consider either a Mauler Familiar or Alter Self on your familiar at lower levels to contribute some damage and give you somehing to roll.

Protector Familiar is a little risky in combat, but a Familiar Satchel covers most of your issues. And it dramatically decreases your out of combat healing starting at 5th. At 5th, with one Life Link running, your familiar is taking 3/5 of each Life LInk pulse for you (and Fast Healing it away,) Virtue is eating 1/5, and you're taking 1/5th, an 80% reduction. Unless you have another clear plan for your familiar (Mauler's always a good choice) I'd probably take it over a vanilla Familiar.

If you're not going Mauler, I'd pick a familiar that can speak. At 9th, you can cast Imbue Hex Life Link into your familiar. They Life Link you, you Life Link the party (and your familiar.) 5 HP keeps cycling between you, but your familiar Fast Heals 1, and Virtue eats 1, effectively giving you unlimited out of combat healing (at least until you're below 5 damage taken, you can mange that even more with a Protector, though.)

I took Fallback Strategy, Shield Other, Communal Protection from Energy, Invisibility Purge, and Blessings of Fervor for my FCB. Maybe one other. You might grab Bless as well, just to have somehting to do at low levels.

[Markov Spiked Chain]

Castilonium makes a good point. I doubt you'll need to pass around Hallowed Chalices, but it's worth buying a Bronze Gong and/or Meditation Crystal to top up any Paladins or Monks you party with.

[Gummy Bear]

Silver Surfer: I intend on increasing my Cha with Ioun Stones since it is likely that my headband slot will be taken up by a Phylactery of Positive Channeling. Frankly, idk how to work the point buy any better than that without compromising on something else :(

Heric Walker: For my first time with a Shaman, I think I'll be sticking to the same class. Flagbearer looks good, if I can work it into my feats, I will!

Castilonium: Thanks for answering all my questions! :) Fateful Channel looks pretty dope, I clearly need to revisit the channel feats if I missed that one! For Hallowed Chalices, is the requirement to be of the same faith waived in PFS? I'm pretty sold on the Protector familiar at this point <3

Markov Spiked Chain: Those are some pretty nifty items, I'll be sure to buy a couple when I can! That's a good point about Fey Foundling, I was just thinking it might make Shield Other less painful. With a Protector familiar though, I should be set. My familiar will be a Thrush for the speaking and the diplomacy bonus so no worries there :)

[Markov Spiked Chain]

If you went Human instead of Half Elf, and swapped the feat and skilled for a second stat, you could use my point buy:
Str 7
Dex 10
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 16+2
Cha 15+2

Bump Cha at 4th and Int at 8th (to set up for 5th level Wizard spells at 9th.)
Ioun stone for Cha, and either an Ioun Stone or Headband for Wis (I used a Wis headband.) Charisma 20 is a sweet spot for Quick Channel.

[Moospuh]

I am an Avid Shaman lover. Love the class, loves what it brings to the table, loves how it feels, but honestly I Would suggest instead the Spirit Guide Oracle, Either Life Mystery and Life Spirit, Life Mystery and Nature Spirit, or Lunar and Life. My favorite is Lunar and Life since you use Charisma for everything.

Now: For Stats for Lunar/Life I would go:

Str 7, unless you want to melee, then you can switch it out with Int and add the racial bonus to str.
Dex 7 You are gonna be in the Back most of the time if you worry about CMD.
Con 14 Mainly for HP+Saves.

Int 14 Since you get all knowledge'as class skills, a decent Int is required to fill a role of skills if needed. If you want a melee focused build, swap it out with Str and add the racial bonus to it.

Wis, 11. There's not much going for you here besides a few hexes and a better save.

Cha 18+2 your cream of the crop. The higher this number, the more stuff you can do.

Your 1st level feat should be Noble scion(War) so you can use Cha for init and level 3 should be extra revelation for an animal companion of the list.