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Which classes/archetypes would allow for your character to actively be doing very little, but still contribute in a meaningful way to combat? Things loaded with passive buffs like auras etc.
For example: The Promethean Alchemist.
The archetype trades away most of the alchemist abilities for a Homunculus companion that scales similar to an animal companion, except the homunculus can prepare and use all of your extracts without you. You have to be within 1,500 feet of it for it to prepare extracts, but other than that you don't even really need to show up. The archetype stacks with Preservationist so your homunculus can even bring along some summons to help it out.
Are there any other classes/archetypes that would let a character help a party without having to do much more than exist?
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Well you could play a stay-at-home wizard, it doesn't get much lazier than that, although you do need to actively cast spells in that case.
A summoner who mostly buffs their eidolon? With the right spells you'd do that out of combat.
On the stay-at-home wizard, a little while back I saw another idea, using the object possession spells to be a 'mech pilot'. A spirit binder wizard with a full BAB familiar could share spells on that familiar to have it possess the mech. It puts another cutout between you and the enemies.
There is the Bloatmage, a prestige class that literally causes you to balloon to enormous proportions and become functionally immobile in the process, leaving you reliant on magic just to move yourself. It is pretty terrible though, having more downsides than actual class features, but it earns points for being extremely memorable.
On a more serious note, a Psychic might work very well. Psychic magic lacks verbal and somatic components, meaning you can stand perfectly still while casting.
I suppose to a lesser extent any Alchemist or Investigator can get Infusion and give out all their extracts for other people to use. They've just got to prepare them each day. They still have a whole pile of other active abilities getting in the way though.
Be a Life Oracle that does nothing but heal or buff. (And work towards the Healer's Touch feat)
I saw that the Brewkeeper can turn any touch spells of any level they have into temporary potions, so any caster can get in on the "give away all my spells and relax until tomorrow" fun the Alchemists/Investigators can get up to.
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Somebody must make an overweight orange Catfolk character who does as many of these things as possible . . . .
If you use 3rd party material, Dreamscarred Press's Vitalist has virtually no direct offense capabilities, but can buff, heal and become a force multiplier par excellence.
I notice the Star Watcher Investigator can hand out their Horoscopes (extracts, basically) right from level one, and stargazing seems like less work than brewing extracts, but they've still got all those other active features Investigators have.
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I love the vitalist. At low levels you still have to cast spells, but at higher levels when your network expands to "planar" you could do this the best.
Step 1) Leadership feat or RP your way into some kind of organizations with access to lots of channel energy (the higher level the better).
Step 2) Gather as many people as you can into a room with you and have as many as possible in your network. They all must be able to channel energy.
Step 3) Whenever healing is needed, command as many lackey's as needed to channel. Then funnel all that channeled energy healing into the party. You have officially used zero actions that round and potentially healed the party to full HP. If you get some higher level lackeys in the room you can conceivably bring your party from nearly dead to full EVERY SINGLE ROUND without spending so much as an immediate action.
Step 4) Hide as your GM stalks you with an entire library of heavy books to chuck at your head.
I love the vitalist. At low levels you still have to cast spells, but at higher levels when your network expands to "planar" you could do this the best.
Step 1) Leadership feat or RP your way into some kind of organizations with access to lots of channel energy (the higher level the better).
Step 2) Gather as many people as you can into a room with you and have as many as possible in your network. They all must be able to channel energy.
Step 3) Whenever healing is needed, command as many lackey's as needed to channel. Then funnel all that channeled energy healing into the party. You have officially used zero actions that round and potentially healed the party to full HP. If you get some higher level lackeys in the room you can conceivably bring your party from nearly dead to full EVERY SINGLE ROUND without spending so much as an immediate action.
Step 4) Hide as your GM stalks you with an entire library of heavy books to chuck at your head.
And this is why I say PF becomes unplayable at high levels. :)
Summoner or Master Summoner, your creatures do everything for you, if you feel like it throw a buff.
Bewildering Koan Monk or Ninja, instead of fighting you ask your oponents dumb riddles.
Of course, how could I forget to mention this thread(*) and this thread(**)? Thread Necromancy welcome.
(*)As originally specified, this was Hedge Witch Doctor stacked with pre-Errata Scarred Witch Doctor, and pre-Errata Verminous Hunter. Both of these options have been nerfed to death (although more conventional Half-Orc Scarred Witch Doctors have been made insanely powerful, for this build you end up being too MAD unless you have high point buy), so some alternatives are needed.
(**)Partially dependent upon the previous thread. But features a whole lazy party!
Bringing this back because I found the Duettist bard, whose familiar can do all the performances for them starting at level 4. It also gains any bonuses from Versatile Performance.
Also the War Painter Skald, who can give out all their Raging Song rounds in advance to be used later in the form of war paint, activated by the wearer, not the Skald.
A witch just sits in the corner and rolls her eyes at everything. I am not even sure if people are aware that evil eye is affecting them.
I KNOW people are unaware that they are affected by the glares of a mesmerist. Heck- I have once tried to build a mesmerist that pretended he was just "a normal aristocrat class NPC".
A witch just sits in the corner and rolls her eyes at everything. I am not even sure if people are aware that evil eye is affecting them.
I KNOW people are unaware that they are affected by the glares of a mesmerist. Heck- I have once tried to build a mesmerist that pretended he was just "a normal aristocrat class NPC".
My favorite is a Fox Shape kitsune Vizier Mesmersist that uses Power Behind the Throne to pretend to be a Familiar.
I'm surprised there hasn't been any mention of the Geisha Bard, I thought that one was pretty famous. Due to an unfortunate choice of wording your party members aren't actually required to attend your tea ceremony to get the benefits of it... So as long as you have some way to communicate when your party needs the buffs you can dole out inspire courage from the comfort of your home while sipping tea.
Sensei/Drunken Master/Quiggong Monk: tell everybody how to shoot lasers out of their eyes, while having a drink yourself.
My favorite is a Fox Shape kitsune Vizier Mesmersist that uses Power Behind the Throne to pretend to be a Familiar.
This has now made me obsessed with a new character idea.....
Be a Life Oracle that does nothing but heal or buff. (And work towards the Healer's Touch feat)
Take that a step further and be an involutionist spiritualist with the life spirit. You just hang out and soak up the damage that your spirit soaks up and let your spirit cast all your spells while you both just tick the party's health pool back up. And of course, buy your spirit a backpack so it can carry you around. It's a shame there isn't a way to turn your spirit into a horse or something.
Bacchanal/wyrmsinger skald is also a good way to go, take the spirit totem rage powers as well. Drink all day long providing your allies with some hefty bonuses and a whirl of spirits attacking anything that comes near them.
let your spirit cast all your spells
Just had to bring this back to ask if this is actually possible. Is there something in that archetype I'm missing that lets the phantom cast your spells for you?
Or is this a weird way of describing Deliver Touch Spells?
let your spirit cast all your spellsJust had to bring this back to ask if this is actually possible. Is there something in that archetype I'm missing that lets the phantom cast your spells for you?
Or is this a weird way of describing Deliver Touch Spells?
I was mostly referring to delivering touch spells, but the spirit also has the shaman hexes to use so he's moving around the life link and casting shell of succor. And of course ticking his natural healing up every turn. At 4th level you give it the ritual hex feat and let your spirit gamble on more potent hex options. There's probably a better choice, but our lazy bastard wants a chicken hut ASAP.
But you're right, I'm overstating their complete replacement of your spell casting. They only touch, share spells, and use hexes. Sorry to get your hopes up.
Be a Life Oracle that does nothing but heal or buff. (And work towards the Healer's Touch feat)
I once had a Life Oracle whose general battle plan was to set up as many Life Links as possible and then do nothing but hide during combats and heal herself.
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(I know this is a thread necro but since it hasn't been brought up yet, I do love throwing my two cents in)
Alchemist with the infusion discovery and invests in Ring Gates is my personal vote for laziest character. Can even take the Oenopion Researcher archetype to hand out mutagen.
It's basically the stay at home wizard but rather than actively having to cast spells, the alchemist simply hands out infusions as needed and can even chuck bombs if they so choose.
Infusions have to be prepared like wizard spells do, but once prepared the drinker simply needs to drink it. Nothing on the alchemist's part is needed.
The mutagen (with the oenopion researcher achetype) can be prepared beforehand as well.
Any number of bombs can be made by the alchemist beforehand, so on any given adventuring day the alchemist doesn't have to actually make any; if they're at home they can just use some overstock.
Of third party/3.5 is allowed in your game. A Force Missle Mage wizard. Last one I saw when combining sacred geometry and spell perfection was putting out between 70 & 100 damage with Magic Missile. Laziest most deadly build I’ve seen.
Later one he ended up multi classing monk to get more options in melee incase MM wouldn’t work.
Of third party/3.5 is allowed in your game. A Force Missle Mage wizard. Last one I saw when combining sacred geometry and spell perfection was putting out between 70 & 100 damage with Magic Missile. Laziest most deadly build I’ve seen.
Later one he ended up multi classing monk to get more options in melee incase MM wouldn’t work.
If we're including 3rd party content it literally does not get lazier than a character with the Battlefield Tactics feat from Spheres of Power. You can just trade away all of your actions every turn.