We're trying to add some ability to heal status effects and in-combat healing to the group - we can do a decent, though not a ton of, out of combat healing but nothing that works well in the middle of a fight.
We're playing a few different games, and we already have a Hospitaler in one and a Life Oracle in another, and I was trying to look at something a bit different. I know Life Oracle is the most powerful, but I figure a few other options might work well.
I'm looking at the following, but don't mind advice on going a completely different route:
1. Merciful Healer - can cover the status effects and healing. Loses a domain and is locked in on the one they get, but being able to remove up to 4 statuses (3 presently, cohort is going to be 9th as we're 11th) without using spells, is pretty good.
2. Angelfire Apostle - don't have to prep certain spells, and in two levels one of those includes Breath of Life. Not a huge fan of losing one spell slot per level though, especially considering how hard it is to get really high casting stats on cohorts.
3. Witchdoctor (Shaman) - Figure if I go Life Spirit, I get quite a few channels plus the Shaman spell list. No built in way to remove negative effects though; have to rely on having the right spell for that.
4. Sacred Servant (Paladin) - Boosting channel energy by as much as +2d6 with their divine focus. Getting a domain is also nice.
5. Arcane Healer (Bard) - works thematically with the group (but I can make any of them ultimately do so). Also can buff.
I built up an Arcane Healer Bard specifically to be a cohort... stacked it with Geisha, Sound Striker, and VMC Monk. Geisha and VMC Monk share similar armor restrictions, so it doesn't really hurt anything.
Using the Tea of Transference alchemical item and the Ki Channel feat, she has near infinite Bardic Performance, Channel Energy, Ki, and spells of 4th level and lower... which she is constantly scribing into scrolls. Tea parties, in general, are kinda her "thing".
I made her a Resourceful Halfling, and she uses Shikigami Manipulation with her metamagic rods... if she must, she uses her "Monk's" delayed/small Unarmed Strikes... her unarmed strikes are augmented with Bodywraps, Monk's Robes, and a Necklace of Ki Serenity... which, when worn together, provide her with additional full set benefits. However, she generally avoids melee like the plague.
I wouldn't say she is the best healer, but she is very Helpful. Your own personal little Bard-Monk... how adorable.
That is... crazy elaborate. :) It definitely sounds fun.
Definitely liking the idea of the Arcane Healer... don't have the money to build up the gear like that.
The Ki Channel \ Tea of Transference sounds almost broken. I'm really liking a lot, what you built.
Are you basically saying you threw metamagic rods at people? :)
I prefer life spirit shaman without the witch doctor. If you want more channels, you can just take the feat for more channels. Witch doctor is better if life isn’t your main spirit.
If life spirit, take the protector archetype for your familiar and it can fast heal and take half your damage.
Skrayper wrote: That is... crazy elaborate. :) It definitely sounds fun.
Definitely liking the idea of the Arcane Healer... don't have the money to build up the gear like that.
The Ki Channel \ Tea of Transference sounds almost broken. I'm really liking a lot, what you built.
Are you basically saying you threw metamagic rods at people? :)
Nah, she just carried metamagic rods to use with her magics... and with Shikigami Manipulation, she can use them as magical improvised weapons of Huge proportions. Lol.
Her Unarmed Strike damage is only 2 levels behind a full Monk of her size, and her gear increases her virtual level beyond her actual level despite that... so it's a nonissue, although small Unarmed Strike damage is not impressive.
She still has Inspire Courage, though, which allows her to do alright if cornered. However, Wordstrike/Wierd Words is probably her most frequent go-to for damages... whenever she is actually on the offensive, which is quite rare, indeed.
I was thinking about the character idea, and I really liked the idea of the character being a kind of warrior nun. At first I was leaning towards Merciful Healer because that would work, but then realized that the Geisha/Arcane Healer concept works (hymns for inspire, communion for the tea ceremony, etc). Take an Extra Channel feat to boost that, focus on the healing and buff spells of Bards, etc.
Might still go with the Sound Striker as well, just to make them a bit more effective in combat; that said, I'm also looking at making them decent with something like a longspear so that I can get them a Banner of the Ancient Kings. Might toss in the Flagbearer feat as well (though morale bonuses are not as uncommon as competency bonuses).
That could work just as well... Combat Reflexes @1, Bodyguard @5, Flagbearer @ 9, Ki Channel @ 13... your Unarmed Strikes keep you covered inside your reach.
VoodistMonk wrote: That could work just as well... Combat Reflexes @1, Bodyguard @5, Flagbearer @ 9, Ki Channel @ 13... your Unarmed Strikes keep you covered inside your reach. That's an interesting idea. I do like the Ki Channel recycle method, but they're coming in at 9th; it'll be a while before I can make that feasible. We use keystone level advancement, so hard to say how long it will actually take to get to that.
I'm actually thinking of going human, then using the extra feat for Extra Channel (doubling my channels), which could be retrained once I get Ki Channel. I can also use the racial class bonus to boost my known spells, maybe trade a few for Masterpieces - like Dance of 23 steps, potentially. I might also use the bonus feat for Lingering Performance, though the Geisha tea ceremony does make that less critical.
Arcane Healer Bard Archetype sounds like it'd be good
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