Skull and Shackles Class Advice

[Snowhawk]

I've recently joined a group and we'll be playing S&S very soon. As I was the last one to join, of course I'm left filling the healing role. So I've had to forsake my want to play a monk and fit into the group.

Group comp is as follows:
Rogue
Alchemist (Goblin)
Bolt Ace
Sorcerer
And either a fighter or swashbuckler

So I'm in need to fill the healing as I've never seen an Alchemist ever want to attempt to dabble in it and I doubt that will change now.

I'm either wanting to play a Cleric of Besmara (possibly Herald Caller?) Or a Bard. I'd be more comfortable with a Skald, but this group would never benefit from raging song because everyone wants to build for DeX.

Any suggestions? Maybe an option I may have missed? I just dont want them dead. I dont need them happy (we're pirates after all) so I'll take all suggestions.

[Lelomenia]

Evangelist Cleric is probably going to be the standard answer for you.

I like shaman tho.

[Snowhawk]

My only issue with Evangelist is the loss of spontaneous cure spells. Reduced channel doesn't bother me so much.

And I dont think I understand Shaman very well. But I didn't ever fully grasp Witch, so that doesn't shock anyone I'm sure.

[Scott Wilhelm]

You want to play a Monk.
You have to be the Healer.
You could be a Sacred Fist Warpriest: conceptually, that seems like a reasonable compromise between what you want and what the party needs.

Even if that isn't optimal, Warpriest might be a good way for you to go.

I have a few builds I like a lot that I think would work for you and/or for a Skull and Shackles adventure, or at least for a waterfront adventure.

But tell me what is the thing you like most about being a Monk and your perceived needs as the party healer.

[Snowhawk]

I just really liked the concept of a lightly armored fighter on a ship. You see all those pirates in movies basically going into a fight with just pants and a belt on and wading into the thick of it. Having some utility to go with it (ki points) made it super attractive.

Healing... well I know you dont need a ton of in-fight healing, just good recovery. If this was purely about healing and condition removal I'd roll a Paladin. But this is S&S and you dont bring a Paladin to that table.

I'd happily roll a Skald (rage power utility can give DR and trickles of fast healing which is amazing) but like I'd said, most of the group would never benefit from raging song.

As I haven't seen a Warpriest played since its playtest, I'm certainly open to options. I feel like I know about it, but I'm sure someone who's played it knows much more.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Snowhawk wrote:

I just really liked the concept of a lightly armored fighter on a ship.

So say we all! Good point about light armor. So, make sure you have a high Dex, and wear armor that's appropriate for a high dex. I like the Mithril Agile Breastplate.

And how do you feel about using a Shield?

Snowhawk wrote:

Healing... well I know you don't need a ton of in-fight healing, just good recovery. If this was purely about healing and condition removal I'd roll a Paladin. But this is S&S and you dont bring a Paladin to that table.

How about Inquisitor? You get some healing anyway. You can get Fast Healing for yourself as a Judgement. Wield a 2 handed weapon like a Greatsword, and put Bane on it. Take a Feat that gives you lots of Attacks of Opportunity like a Greatsword. You even get a Domain: make it Healing if you want. With 3 levels in Inquisitor, you get a Bonus Teamwork Feat and Solo Tactics, and Teamwork Feats are awesome. A personal Favorite of mine is Broken Wing Gambit which gives you an Attack of Opportunity pretty much whenever you are attacked! When it comes to Attacks of Opportunity, the bigger the weapon the better. Maybe even the Butchering Axe.

This is a build I posted elseware, but I'm having trouble finding it atm.

Half Elf: Ancestral Arms: Split Blade Sword, Arcane Training

Half Elves get this stuff as Alternate Racial Traits. The Split Blade Sword is a 1 handed Weapon that does 2d6, so you can wave your sword while swinging from the ropes, or use a Shield, which will be nice since you don't want Heavy Armor on ship. Arcane Training will let you use any Sorcerer or Wizard Wand (Pick Arcanist), and you don't even need Use Magical Device. This has huge utility, and it would let you do cool things like let you cast Blink on yourself for that 50% Miss Chance

1 Fighter 1: Weapon Focus Split Blade Sword, Power Attack, BAB+1
2F1Ranger1: Freebooter Archetype, Freebooter's Bane, BAB+2

Now you can use Wands with Ranger Spells, including Cure Light Wounds and a personal Favorite of mine, Lead Blades, giving yourself a 1 spot Virtual Size increase so your sword now does 3d6.

3F1R1Inquisitor1: Spells, Cantrips, Domain, Cleave,
4F1R1I2: BAB+3
5F1R1I3: Broken Wing Gambit, Combat Reflexes, BAB+4
6F1R1I3Cavalier1: Tactician, Paired Opportunist, BAB+5

So, now you get an Attack of Opportunity as if you and all your allies have Broken Wing Gambit and Paired Opportunist. And you and all your allies will get Attacks of Opportunity almost whenever you are attacked!

7F1R1I4C1: Vital Strike, BAB+6

With Vital Strike + Lead Blades, your Attack will do 6d6 Base Damage, and you get all those Attacks of Opportunity, but you have to settle for 3d6 for those.

8F1R1I5C1: Bane

Bane, on the other hand, boosts every hit with that sword +2d6, so 8d6/5d6.

9F1R1I5C1Living Monolith1: Ka Stone, Iron Will

Enlarge Person as a Swift Action: 10d6(!)/6d6

10F2R1I5C1L1: Furious Focus, BAB+7
11F3R1I5C1L1: Armor Training, Dodge, Great Cleave, BAB+8
12F4R1I5C1L1: Devastating Strike (+6 Damage), BAB+9
13F4R1I5C2L1Monk1: Master of Many Styles, Unarmed 1d6, Monk Stuff, Panther Style, Martial Versatility, Weapon Focus
14F4R1I5C2M2: Ascetic Style, 9 Ring Broadsword, BAB+10
15F5R1I5C2M2: Martial Versatility, Ascetic Style, BAB+11
16F6R1I5C2M2: Panther Claw, BAB+12

Okay,
Panther Claw gives you a Free Action Unarmed Strike whenever you provoke an Attack of Opportunity by moving out of a Threatened Square.

Ascetic Style lets you apply Unarmed Strike Feats to any single weapon in the Monk Fighter Weapon Group you have Weapon Focus in. Nine Ring Broadsword is in the Monk Weapon Group.

Martial Versatility Weapon Focus grants you Weapon Focus for all the Weapons in the same weapon Group as the weapon you have Weapon Focus in. Split Blade Sword and 9 Ring Broadsword are both in the Heavy Blade Weapon Group.

Martial Versatility Ascetic Style lets you apply Ascetic Style to all the weapons in the same weapon group as 9 Ring Broadsword, so you can use Panther Style Feats with your Split Blade Sword, getting bonus Free Action Attacks up to your Wisdom Mod!

17F7R1I5C1M2: Improved Vital Strike, Armored Juggernaut, BAB+13
18F8R1I5C1M2: Devastating Strike, BAB+14
19F9R1I5C1M2: Panther Parry, BAB+15
20F10R1I5C1M2: Mobility

I think we've got lots of high-damage attacks, good AC without heavy armor, 3 good saves, and a good healing ability.

One thing going on here I think is really sexy: The Wand of Blink I mentioned gives you a 50% Miss Chance, you have a high AC, Armored Juggernaut gives you DR/-, and you can use your Inquisitor Judgement to give you Fast Healing! You have the Hat Trick of survivability!

[*Khan*]

Snowhawk wrote:

I'd happily roll a Skald (rage power utility can give DR and trickles of fast healing which is amazing) but like I'd said, most of the group would never benefit from raging song.

Check out the Urban Skald archtype (30 ft. dex ragesong) and Spell Warrior archtype. (60ft. Enchantment bonus weapon song)

[baggageboy]

Also you could do a wyrm Singer Skald. They give a moral bonus to hit and damage on melee attacks, much like the unchained barbarian rage.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I like Druidzilla Builds.

Take 4 levels in Druid, enough to get Wildshape.

Take Shaping Focus and Natural spell.

Then start taking levels in Warpriest, substituting Warpriest Sacred Weapon Damage for you Natural Weapon Damage.

Take Multiattack and Polymorph in to a Giant Octopus with 8 Tentacles, all with Grab and Constrict! Both as a Druid and as a Warpriest, you'll have enough Cure Spells to be the party healer, and in Melee, your opponents will dissolve in the squall of your many, many Attacks!

[JiaYou]

I designed a Sacred Attendant Cleric of Arshea or Shelyn. You can build it with pretty much just one level of uMonk and play it as a person who tried the monk thing but...just couldn't purge himself of the temptation of the flesh...

You can go with STR or Guided Hand and Crusader's Flurry to flurry with a glaive if you Choose Shelyn...

[Cevah]

Snowhawk wrote:

My only issue with Evangelist is the loss of spontaneous cure spells. Reduced channel doesn't bother me so much.

And I dont think I understand Shaman very well. But I didn't ever fully grasp Witch, so that doesn't shock anyone I'm sure.

I play a Cleric (Evangelist) in Shattered Star. The Inspiration is a big help in combat. As to no spontaneous spells, it has never been an issue for me. I leave slots open so I can get a 15 minute fix for any needed spell. Wands of CLW takes care of HP, and open slots take care of condition removal. You can also supliment things by hiring a cleric for the ship.

In Skull & Shackles, I played a Ninja 10/Witch 4. [Didn't quite finish the campaign before we stopped it.] The witch is not a melee class, unless you go White Haired Witch, which gives up Hexes. [I don't think WHW is all that good.] The Healing Hex is good for one CLW/CMW per person per day. More efficient that a channel. They also get condition removal, but delayed. Witches excel at single target debuffing, and a fair job at control. They are full casters, so are good at lots of stuff.

If you are only worried about HP healing, wands of CLW and ranks in UMD is all you really need. Or even make a 1 level dip as a Cleric.

What you do need is Profession (Sailor), and having good social skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Inimidate). Being a Monk is fine.

/cevah

[JiaYou]

Yeah, and the other key is that you keep all your monk abilities (certainly all the level 1 abilities) if you do something that would make you an ex-monk. I think you just can't go back to leveling as a monk (not that you would need to)