Hi, I'm a returning player. Haven't played in about 3 years. We are starting a new online campaign, and I'm not sure what to play.
We have a melee, ranged, sneaky and arcane character. So I guess I should provide some healing.
Can anyone recommend a build? I've been looking at Storm Druid, but would like some more options.
You can heal with UMD and Wands of CLW, so I wouldn't go into this thinking you *need* to play a healing class, unless you really want to. That being said, Storm Druids pwn. I'd recommend getting Natural Spell at level 5 and Dreamed Secrets at level 13 so you can choose 2 additional Wiz/Sorc spells every day as spells known chosen from 1 level lower than you can cast, and you can switch these out daily. This opens the door for a lot of great options like Contingency, Limited Wish, Disintegrate, Spell Turning, Dimension Door, Teleport, etc.
Depends what you to do with the character overall.
Druids are cool, and Storm Druids aren't bad. I like the Wind Subdomain's Wind Blast or the Cloud Subdomain's Thundercloud, personally, but your mileage may vary. The wind stuff built into that archetype works well for races with flight... Strix or Treeborn Gathlain immedieately come to mind.
Even if healing is provided by wands and scrolls you still need to build the character to be able to utilize them. That could be simply making sure the right spells are on your spell list, or putting some points into UMD. Don’t forget that to use a scroll you have to decipher it first even if it is on your spell list. That means the “healer” needs to have access to read magic or make a spell craft roll if they are not using UMD. If you are using UMD, that means it requires an additional roll at +5 DC. Clearly a “healer” had better make sure he has the minimum abilities to use the items.
Healing is a lot more than just restoring HP. Condition removal is actually the most important part of healing. Any class using the cleric spell list has access to all the needed spells. Other divine classes usually have some gaps in what the get access to. Druid get access to a fair number of condition removal spells , but usually later than a cleric and there are somethings the do not get.
Also don’t forget that other character can also help in the healing. You mention that you have a melee, ranged, sneaky and an arcane caster, but gave no detail. Both Rangers and Paladins are able to cast spells and have access to some condition removal spells. Paladin’s in particular get access to a lot of condition removal spells. Bard’s also have some healing ability. Having another character able to heal gives you more freedom to choose what you want to play.
That being said Druids are actually a pretty good class. They have tons of options so can usually fill almost any role they put their mind to. They may not be the best at anything, but they are usually good at a lot of different things. Their combat spells fall somewhere between that of a Wizard and a cleric.
Thank you for all the suggestions. I am not intending to be a healbot. I know UMD exists. And I want to play a divine caster.
Still not sure if I want to be a pure caster or If I want to do some melee.
Only core races, so I'm probably going for dwarf.
I don't know what specific class the other players will be playing, other than what I have already said.
Your choice of cleric or druid will basically come down to the nature of your other party members and what level the game will go to.
If your "melee, ranged and sneaky" fellow PCs are providing overall capable combatants then another pure caster could be good, and here I would definitely go cleric - with the correct choice of race/archetype/deity, you can run a wizard very close and have more survivability.
However, if they could still do with a bit of help in-combat then I would def go for druid. From Lv 1-8/9 a well built druid with an animal companion can dish the damage very well and still have some spells in their pocket.
Some of the players are kinda fresh, so I'm leaning toward a Druid and animal companion and maybe retrain to domain after a while. Will have to talk to my DM.
Either one can be fun.
Cleric has Divine Font and can heal without using its normal slots. I have a Cleric of Gorum that hammers with a greatsword while providing healing. I've built him to use true strike with Channel Smite able to use heal or harm from Divine Font as needed.
I also ran a storm druid with an animal companion. That can be quite versatile and fun. You have lots of options with your actions. You can do good spell damage, some melee damage, and provide the occasional heal as needed.
You really can't go wrong either way.
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Honestly having someone capable of casting healing spells and debuff removal is very important especially early levels and later levels. Also can't count the times I've had player deaths due to "we don't need a healer" mentality.
This said, building entirely around healing is not particularly great, that said one of my favorite characters was a healer. Every dangerous combat I would delay turns until right after the big threat. This way I could always respond with support.
Big bad casts dominate on fighter? Cool I can deal with that before fighters turn.
Big bad crits and downs fighter? Cool, I can breath of life before his turn.
Etc etc.
There was a druid build I was working on a while ago that was a "DM flips the table" style of Druid, where you put your Stealth bonus up in the clouds and get Natural Spell, Reach Spell, and Hellcat Stealth, and by level 10-12ish you're making Stealth DC's in the 80-120 range, and you can perform Stealth checks even while actively viewed as a Move Action. Basically you wild shape into a diminutive-sized Hummingbird, fly to max range, and then rain hell upon the battlefield with Reach Spells. Each round, use your Standard to Cast a spell, use your Swift to Quicken a spell (if desired), and then use your Move Action to Restealth while actively viewed. If your enemies can't pass the 100 +/- 20ish Stealth DC, then they can't target you with spells, arrows, or anything. If your DM ever does cast the legendary spell DM is Sick of your Crap and cheats to hit you, you fly/stealth off and heal.
You interested in doing something like that?
Still not sure if I want to be a pure caster or If I want to do some melee.
Only core races, so I'm probably going for dwarf.
Your group sounds like a classic 5 man.
The choice between druid and cleric us a matter of preference. Druids more offensive and utility oriented. Which in that case id be looking at battlefield control and support with summons keeping those situational condition heals earmarked as summons. That way theyre on hand if you need them.
Cleric is more shpport oriented but can be leaned one direction or another based on domain and archetypd choices. Evangelist can go a long long way to helping your group if the sneaky isnt a bard. Hp healing will be covered spontaneously so you can use condition heals to swap out for those when called for.
In either case be prepared to slip into another role when required. Sometimes you need more damage on the field or stronger field control. Other times you need stronger than normal scouting. Even if you build but minimally to one of these youre just a spell or wild shape away from being conpetent in it.
There was a druid build I was working on a while ago that was a "DM flips the table" style of Druid, where you put your Stealth bonus up in the clouds and get Natural Spell, Reach Spell, and Hellcat Stealth, and by level 10-12ish you're making Stealth DC's in the 80-120 range, and you can perform Stealth checks even while actively viewed as a Move Action. Basically you wild shape into a diminutive-sized Hummingbird, fly to max range, and then rain hell upon the battlefield with Reach Spells. Each round, use your Standard to Cast a spell, use your Swift to Quicken a spell (if desired), and then use your Move Action to Restealth while actively viewed. If your enemies can't pass the 100 +/- 20ish Stealth DC, then they can't target you with spells, arrows, or anything. If your DM ever does cast the legendary spell DM is Sick of your Crap and cheats to hit you, you fly/stealth off and heal.
You interested in doing something like that?
That sounds hilarious but we have a fresh DM, so should probably not lol
That sounds hilarious but we have a fresh DM, so should probably notThere was a druid build I was working on a while ago that was a "DM flips the table" style of Druid, where you put your Stealth bonus up in the clouds and get Natural Spell, Reach Spell, and Hellcat Stealth, and by level 10-12ish you're making Stealth DC's in the 80-120 range, and you can perform Stealth checks even while actively viewed as a Move Action. Basically you wild shape into a diminutive-sized Hummingbird, fly to max range, and then rain hell upon the battlefield with Reach Spells. Each round, use your Standard to Cast a spell, use your Swift to Quicken a spell (if desired), and then use your Move Action to Restealth while actively viewed. If your enemies can't pass the 100 +/- 20ish Stealth DC, then they can't target you with spells, arrows, or anything. If your DM ever does cast the legendary spell DM is Sick of your Crap and cheats to hit you, you fly/stealth off and heal.
You interested in doing something like that?
Well, you don't need to go to the extremes of 100 DC stealth checks, but you could put it somewhere around 50-60 with minimal investment :P
Honestly having someone capable of casting healing spells and debuff removal is very important especially early levels and later levels. Also can't count the times I've had player deaths due to "we don't need a healer" mentality.
This said, building entirely around healing is not particularly great, that said one of my favorite characters was a healer. Every dangerous combat I would delay turns until right after the big threat. This way I could always respond with support.
Big bad casts dominate on fighter? Cool I can deal with that before fighters turn.
Big bad crits and downs fighter? Cool, I can breath of life before his turn.
Etc etc.
Good input, thanks
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Since you couldn't use Channel Smite, Erastil's Blessing is probably better than Guided Hand.