Due needing a new character for PFS and seeing lots of melee, blasters and similar builds in my lodge, I'm starting thinking in making a pure support character.
Also I'll like to continue experimenting with different races, classes, fighting styles, etc. I'll try to not repit.
Right now I have those classes; Druid, Oracle, Cleric, Wizard,Swashbuckler, Investigator, Cavalier and Mesmerist. Some of those classes can be decent supports, but I'll prefer to not repeat (expecially with the cleric, who's a support build).
Races I have, from those available for PFS, are Human, Kitsune, Half-elf and Wayang, so there are plenty of options to pick one.
I was thinking in bard, also, I was toying with the idea of a prankster (bard) gnome, it can support and it can be funny to mock the enemies. But not sure how it will perform in combat; once he has inspired and cast a spell, what to do? (If the answers is not shot arrows, better then, because being an archer is not fun for me, and he can obtain a good DPS, thus not beaing really a support). Is and aid another build interesting and workable, even if that means being a halfling by birth or by adoption. Is there another options for support?
Thanks for reading my confused thoughs and for any help you can provide.
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Make them a halfling and take helpful, so your aide gives a +4 as well.
Bard with a bunch of wands can be a powerful asset
I just made an Ifrit support bars that is starting my first game. I'm going to focus on bareic performance and then debuffing enemies with Intimidate. You can get an awesome Race Trait called Fiery Glare that allows you to Take 10 on Intimidate checks in combat. Work on getting Dazzling Display and you can be super support. You can even look at it hand Flagbearer feat to keep pumping out more buffs as well.
With my bard after starting inspire courage I intimidate as noted above, and trip things with my whip.
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A Prankster Bard can work fine. They don't gain a lot, but they don't lose any of the really important Bard bits.
As a gnome, if you have a high Charisma you can be a pretty decent illusionist too (though of course - expect table variation on effectiveness) and the Prankster abilities already require a solid CHA to have good DCs. (unlike a more combat bard which can be fine with a 14 CHA)
To take advantage of Mock you should definitely take Lingering Performance. That way you can start combats with Inspire Courage, and if you switch to Mock the group doesn't lose the bonuses for a couple of rounds.
In addition, you'll also want to be pretty tanky. Maybe something like this -
STR: 8
DEX: 14
CON: 16
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 18
Also - take the Armor Expert trait so that you can wear a mithril breastplate without penalty - and make sure to grab a shield (maybe not a heavy shield so that you can cast and use Flagbearer).
With a buckler and chain shirt, at level 1 you'll have a respectable AC of 18.
Though really - Mock on its own isn't all that great. Even if they just eat the -2 Attack and never swing at you, it's rarely better than giving your buddies the bonuses from Inspire Courage, especially since it's a +2 attack/damage only a level after you can target more than one foe with Mock. But - at level 7 when you can change Performances with a Move Action, if you have Lingering Performance it's not a bad use of your time.
Actually you cannot do both at the same time, CLH. Lingering Performance states that if you start another performance, then the original one immediately ends. Intimidate is a much more reliable way to debuff as your enemy doesn't get a save to throw off the effect and you can maintain Inspire Courage while doing so. That's assuming you even want to go that route, which you may not.
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Oracle is great support. I like the Spirit Guide Archetype so you can pick spirits based on the adventure your going on and the party make up.
With That said Shaman is a really good Class as well for a support. Hexes, Full 9th level caster, Extra Abilities. They are a very fun class.
Witch can work for Support. I like the Herb Witch Archetype (Not PFS Legal sadly) to help remove status effects. Healing hex and A wand can go a long way to keep people alive.
An Alchemist or Investigator with Infusion Discovery can be a great help to a group. Tons of skills and Extracts you can pass around.
Bard, Investigator, Rogue/Ninja, Slayer, Cleric, Druid. With the exception of Slayer these are all not full BAB, not full Casters, who make up for it by being good at other things. Such as Skill monkeying, better support spells, etc (a Slayer is almost a better skill monkey than a rogue, he can take Disable Magical Device as well).
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Skald is a fun support class. There are several rage powers that can help the party. I have one with the spirit totem for extra damage, superstition, and the tor linn worm death curse. He summons to assist in combat. If anyone is knocked unconscious or killed, the attack must make a DC 20 will save or be permanently staggered and vulnerable to fire. Good times.
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Actually you cannot do both at the same time, CLH. Lingering Performance states that if you start another performance, then the original one immediately ends. Intimidate is a much more reliable way to debuff as your enemy doesn't get a save to throw off the effect and you can maintain Inspire Courage while doing so. That's assuming you even want to go that route, which you may not.
Never-mind then - I feel stupid.
Mock kinda sucks then.
Teamwork makes the dream work. Any 4 of the following:
Exemplar Brawler
Strategist Cavalier
Holy Tactician Paladin
Vanguard Slayer
Bard w/ Battle Song of the People's Revolt
Battle Scion Skald
Divine Commander Warpriest
Vanilla Inquisitor
Vanilla Hunter
More teamwork feats than you can shake a stick at. And plenty of room for one or two characters to use or specialize in Aid Another, especially given feats like Harrying Partners.
Why put the burden on 1 person to support? Now everyone can.
Read up on the God wizard guide. You can actually rebuild it as a Druid if you are clever enough, and choose a domain that patches the holes in you spell list.
First, thanks to all
Some of you had suggested classes I’m actually playing (oracle, cleric, cavalier), so I’m going to discard it in favor of new things, albeit I now they can work.
Fruian suggestion on shaman is interesting, the drawbacks I see is it requires a lot fo gamemastery to decide what’s better for each adventure, and I don’t have so much (also I have lots of things in my mind so it looks too complicated for me right now.
Fullmetal, fighting defensively every round don’t prevent me from using spells or do anything else, also that means a +2 for adjacent allies, similar to aid another without being helpful, but with much more feats used. It looks interesting for a fighting Halfling, but don’t offers a lot for a bard with high CHA.
666bender and Zenogu, Battle herald giving lots of teamwork is another class I want to try sooner or later, but the guides I read suggest having high strength and attacking a lot, with makes it similar to my battle oracle, or the ordain I’m thinking about.
Charon's,Faelyn and Neils, thanks for your insights about bards, just a couple of questions, what you do whenyou can’t demoralize a target. Also, have you ever uses all your bardic performances rounds? I ask it due having read gnome favored class is great, but between lingering performance and having more rounds per level it doesn’t seem a must.
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I don't actually think Shaman requires a lot of mastery, especially if you want to play full support. Your Hexes pretty much pick themselves: Fortune and Chant and then you pick-up the tasty support spells they get access to.
Life Shaman gets you Life Link, Dwarf for max HPs and you're immediately loved at any table.
You don't have to change your Wandering Hex each adventure, just pick one you like that adds flavour and give you some more spells you like the look of.
You are correct. If you have high system mastery you can break this class. But basic knowledge is enough to make you effect.
Like Conjoy says: Chant + Fortune is a Workhorse in the Support Department. They have many Support spells, some you are familiar with from playing other divine casters.
The wandering Hex is where the indepth part of the class comes in. But like Conjoy said. Find 1 or 2 you like and don't change often. You really don't need to swap much until you feel you got the hang of it.
Charon's,Faelyn and Neils, thanks for your insights about bards, just a couple of questions, what you do whenyou can’t demoralize a target. Also, have you ever uses all your bardic performances rounds? I ask it due having read gnome favored class is great, but between lingering performance and having more rounds per level it doesn’t seem a must.
I haven't run out of rounds, at low level cycling performance rounds to take advantage of lingering performance goes a long way. You easily could run out, even at higher levels, if you want to use it to boost skill checks with inspire competence a lot.
When you can't demoralize a target is when I like to trip with my whip, but this is also situational, if you have a lot of ranged players this can hurt them rather than help, so pick a target to "control" with the whip while they deal with someone else, or you can disarm people with the same whip. If you have a high enough dexterity you can tumble around the battle field providing flanking bonuses to the melee characters, this is especially nice if you pick up the spells blur or mirror image, since it makes you much safer. You can also use your spells to further help your allies, or hinder your enemies. Grease is nice for this, it's versatile enough that it's a great spell to have even at higher levels.
