So, my weekly gaming group is bending towards Pathfinder again. I love Pathfinder, especially the archetype system- so many options for unique characters!

Unfortunately, due to my busy schedule, I've been relegated 'last pick' for character type, which means... Surprise surprise... Healbot.*

I was the healbot last game. I played a Samsaran Time Oracle, and had fun with it, just because it felt like there was 'more' to the character- I played up the past lives, and made him seem sort-of 'Doctor Who'-ish in his views on other races and world-conflicts.

But this game we're all enforced as humans, and... Well, to be honest... I find healbots in general to be mind-numbingly boring. DPS and utility characters tend to have tons of options as to builds and 'how-do-you-do-what-you-do'. Healbots are 'how often can you cast cure spells today' no matter who they are.

I know how to make optimum healers, but I'm really, really looking for something different. I want to play something that can keep the party healed and going, but isn't just "My turn? I cast CLW. Again." Thing is, I don't know if there -is- anything out there like that.

At the very least, I'd like to be able to feel like I'm doing this with style. Not just 'cast the healing spell' every round. Thankless damn job, that.

Anyone have any suggestions?


* (Also doesn't help that I'd pitched a ranged damage dealer, but my pitch got somehow 'lost', and suddenly "Hey, look, our party doesn't have a healer. Ivan?")

While I'm not super familiar with Pathfinder, my first suggestion is look at buffs, not just healing. If you buff someone's AC, they don't get hit as much and don't need healing. If you buff their attacks, the bad guys go down faster and you need to heal less.

Remember, there's no reason you have to heal someone immediately after they get hurt. While you probably want to keep them above half HP, it's not like missing a few HP hurts them in any real way.

I'm not super familiar either. However, my understanding is that anyone can have/own a magic device that cures wounds. All that is wanting is someone to utilize it.

Create the character that you want. Just give him/her the skill to use that device.

Are you starting at first level?

If you're diving into the deeper end of the pool from the start you might have more options.

I played a d&d 3.5 game with a new group a few years ago and surprised them with a "templar" type cleric. He was as much warrior as he was healer, and it inspired two players to try their first cleric. He also contributed well as a fighter, taking down opponents faster. Look into ways where you can make the party responsible for their own healing. In my case, it was Craft Potions so everyone had a couple heals in their pouches. Another cleric I played charged for her heals, pushing the party into smarter tactics to save money. Carefully review spell lists to find unique uses for underused spells. Some spells are routinely skipped because they seem useless, until someone figures out how to use them. In the end, play a character that you want to play and the (smart) party will adapt.

Fourth to start with. Restrictions being that we're in a humans-only world in which 'evil has won', so open goodness is a bad idea.

Having done some cursory looking, one possible option is a multi-class oracle with the Life mystery and paladin. Use life link to transfer damage to yourself and heal with lay on hands when you feel like it, leaving you free to do other things the rest of the time.

Since you played an oracle last time, maybe a druid would be the way to go. You can still heal, but you have other tricks to keep you busy too.

I would suggest an Alchemist. Make a bunch of healing potions for the group and tell them good luck. A lack of planning on thier part does not constitute an emergency on yours.

In reply to LadyMer (msg # 7):

Druids are so so healers in Pathfinder compared to Good Clerics, but so are pretty much every other class.
This message was last edited by the user at 22:50, Thu 12 Nov 2015.

A bit hard to recommend anything too strongly without knowing the rest of your group's loadout.  Assuming you have a Big, Stupid Fighter, a Glass Cannon, and an Arcane Caster in the group already, then you're looking to fill the role of Divine Caster.  There's lots of space for creating interesting characters if you and your group are willing to cede the need for a traditional clerical "healbot."

So, you could roll as a Natural Spell caster with a Druid focused on his Wild Shape ability.  Nothing like a Bear Shaman charging across the battlefield, throwing out buffs, summoning up even MORE bears, and roaring at the BBEG in defiance.  Then there's the cleric-wanna-be-monk idea that gets floated around where you don't worship a god and have your own code instead, so what you do is pick two seemingly opposed Domains and rationalizes...erm...balances the opposed elements (think yin/yang) with a code of conduct that utilizes elements from both Domains.  Also, I would give the Warpriest class from the Advanced Class Guide a serious look.  I have one in a group, and she kicks all kinds of booty.

EDIT: Forgot to edit a naughty word.
This message was last edited by the user at 22:58, Thu 12 Nov 2015.

Cleric as - not a heal bot.

Pathfinder:

Step 1) Examine the alternative channeling options.  If you take ANY of the "hey this is a neato thing" options from your deity, you can channel energy for purposes other than healing.  This gives you something useful to do with your standard action.

Step 2) buffs.  This has been said, and it is obvious - but, it is actually BETTER than healing.  Healing is reactive.  Buffs are super proactive.  Giving the Fighter/DPSer +4 to STR is useful when they have to beat-up on that guy with more armor than brains.  Also, beating AC is easier than being SR and Saves.

Step 3) Summon Monster.  It's your friend.  Clerics have it.  Use it.  If you choose a deity with a useful alignment [from a mechanical standpoint] (LG/LE) - you have a ridiculous number of options for use with Sacred Summons. (it's actually a bad feat due to a design flaw in the alignment subtypes, but, good if you choose LG/LE).

Step 4) There has been much discussion regarding the reach cleric.  Reach Weapon + Combat Reflexes + Dex.  (yes, dump wisdom.  dump int.)  a 15 Wisdom is all you need.

Step 4 is if you want more than your fair-share of actions.

Step 5 Most Important) Play with a group that does things other than hack-n-slash.  If you're playing in a dungeon-grinder game - expect to be half-a-heal-bot at least.  If not, your powers actually do favor non-combat.

Wands-are-your-friend. Keep some potions on you, just couple, in case you're eliminated, and stock into scrolls of fun spells but ones that don't require save. 1st level spells can be afforded right off the adventurer's train-station to gravy (mostly the muddy kind). If you want to, say, have the ability to bless alot, prepare it, you can get heals with that. Otherwise? get a scroll. Most combats are decided in ten rounds and it's just damage control and going through the plan, or running away.

If you're higher level, even 3rd, stock in a cure light wand, seriously you'll be surprised at how well they help. They may seem a waste later, but out of combat it's always useful, your team will eat it and like it.

Prepare spells that are often useful for the campaign. If you have a lot of things that cast fear effects, get remove fear, sure, otherwise get divine favor (if you plan to fight as a hiccup rather than ready) or something that will be useful in a common vector. I haven't played much pathfinder, honestly, but I know it's got to be easier to heal and do other stuff as cleric.

My cleric in LG (Living greyhawk) casta heal in combat six times, period. Otherwise it was prayer, bless, shield of faith, and so on. I had wands in between rooms. Potions for when I fell that were specifically for me. I had a 16 strength from being a wood elf and 16 wisdom. I mostly fought though, would bull's strength and then wade into combat. could I tank? Sure, give me a shield of faith and I'll fight defensively under prayer or doom. Can I do damage? sure, just a divine favor, bull's strength and a little power attack. Am I fighter? no. Am I a mage? no. Do I heal? Of course, but that's not my job, that's coin in my purse. That's not what spells I prepare and use often.

If you're using cures to keep your allies alive you're making beds in burning house. You need to drop buffs and have scroll for "Oh great, it paralyzes. Oh well, that's why I have remove paralysis scrolls" pr "oh, it's poison. Dang. Well, here goes my delay poison scroll. If this lasts an hour I think I'll make back my money on the bet for longest battle". Don't prepare all healing spells, and yes, even "remove this crap debuff" spells. Use your preapred spells to supplement a reserve. Does it require a save? Does it need to be of your CL? If not, buy a scroll.

Cures should be wands though, not scrolls. Have a wand in your shield hand and choose wisely which strength it is. I had a wand disarmed in critical battle the dang death priest healed himself with it. You don't want to be grappled and have to draw a scroll, that's just doom right there.

Also, help be leader, call out tactics to your team ina shared language. If you're fighting dragon, make it something other than draconic. Talk it out, in game. "Hey Rogue, flank the ogre and fight defensively. I'll be on the Hulk's side making sure he doesn't stop putting the pressure on the ogre, and is the main threat. The wolverine can help you if you need it." that may take ten seconds of talking, so two rounds, but most likely you can start the process.

In my first play in Kingmaker I was fighter but was the tactician. Our cleric was like you said, but often times was targeted and so had to heal herself. WE smoked even the levels 6's (two of them) just by using tactics. That was an EL 8 at level 3, and we smoked it.

Bottom line, don;t play healer, play a cleric. A fighter has his choice weapon, can he use a bow with strength mod, sure, yeah, but should he, of course not. Healing is a fallback, prevention like AC and saves lasts over time. Feel free to wade into melee with your 14 strength, or fire pot shots with your crossbow, or just use spells like doom and command to make your foe just give up in humiliation. Have fun! You don't want to be healbot. Don't be. Let your allied fall, or get bad off and then drop a big scroll and take that chance you might roll a 1 to 3 for a spell beyond your normal level. If someone dies? Well, then you learn. Pool together your gold and see about reviving him, if not, you have about 130 years before the resurrection will be invalid. That's assuming someone doesn't just want to make new character.

Healing is not necessity. I play in an all cleric group (of D&D mind you) and none of us have healed, not even ourselves. Clerics galore, but no, we don't heal. We don't need to. And we're not twinked out here.

So consider it. Scrolls seem like trash loot, and they can be, but you'd be surprised at how much more fun it is to just drop a flame strike or greater command frivolously when people really want you to have the raise dead, just in case. Screw that! Get a scroll.

So, I do know Pathfinder.

In-combat healing in Pathfinder is a very tricky proposition.  There are only a small handful of builds that make it a good idea (oradin, some life oracle builds).  Some ability to toss a heal out for a random emergency is good, but for the most part, "healer" is a waste of a slot in a Pathfinder team.  Combat in Pathfinder is about making the other side dead as fast as possible and a dedicated healer doesn't bring much to the table there.

You're much better off dealing damage, buffing your allies to deal more damage, and debuffing your enemies to prevent damage than you are healing it after it's happened.

V_V says a lot of what I'd say if I were to go on.  In general, be very mindful of which spells are better in wands than on your prepared/known spells list.

To that, I'd add that you should make it clear to the team that they're responsible for looking after themselves a bit.  Instead of just buying bigger magic swords, they need to be toting around some healing potions and funding your wand supply.  Instead of every feat going to MOAR DAMAGE, they should make sure their AC is above 5, too.

Speaking as someone who only played D&D as far as second addition, it is funny seeing people talk about "buffs" and "healbot" when talking about D&D or Pathfinder as if they were playing WOW. Is that MMO speak falling into everyday vernacular or does Pathfinder and the 'advanced' forms of D&D use those terms?

Ever since the healing belt and Eternal wand of lesser vigor in DnD we stopped needing the heal bot. Sure its no massive healing and expensive for the big heal things you might need now and again but it lets everyone play what they want.

It's mostly just the common vernacular.  D&D 4e did make a foray into using some MMO terms (though, despite what a lot of critics claimed, it didn't actually mirror an MMO in play very much).  I'm not aware of official Pathfinder sources using "buff" or "healbot" for anything.  They're common among players because they're good terms for what they are, and form a common frame of reference.

I've been playing a Pathfinder Cleric for some time now and loving it.  The thing is my group doesn't really assign roles and we rarely have a dedicated healer.  In my case my cleric isn't a dedicated healer but the channel energy is pretty much good enough that you can build your cleric for just about anything and rely on channel energy and the occasional spontaneous cast to cover the 'healbot' part.

Mine is actually going down the Holy Vindicator prestige class as it made a lot of sense for the character.  The beautiful thing about Pathfinder is that there are a few classes that can do healing but still do other stuff well.  I'm not the greatest when it comes to dps but I've made a fair contribution to the fighting.

Craft potions is love as well since beyond the healing potions others mentioned there's also a lot of great buffs you can make.

In one of the campaigns I'm in, I'm the party's healbot.

I'm also a Flame Mystery Oracle who specializes in setting anything and everything on fire.  Including the party.

Because taking the Merciful Spell feat and applying it to all my damage spells when we're not fighting anything immune to nonlethal damage is absolutely the best thing.  I just heal my party members later!  Or, y'know, during the battle if they're nearly passing out, since non-lethal heals pretty easily.

We've taken more prisoners due to my "friendly fire" than any other reason.  Also, my party has taken a liking to fire resistance, so pretty soon I'll be able to fireball my feet on a regular basis and the entire party won't care.  Add on that the fact that among the features I can take are resistance to fire (which becomes flat out immunity at 17th level, if you ever get there), winged flight, and fire breathing, life is wonderful as a human oracle.  I chose the Tongues curse, but others can be fun, too.

Just because you're the party's designated healer doesn't mean you have to do nothing but heal.  In fact, if that's all you're doing, you're not contributing properly!

Don't forget to ALSO max out your ranks in all social skills (Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, Sense Motive) so you can convert everyone into your ally because they gave you a minute to talk to them and your charisma modifier is through the roof.

Making a heal bot is a waste of a cleric. Healing should never be done in combat as it is a losing proposition. Analysis by level would show that a CR appropriate encounter will do a lot more damage per turn then a fully kitted heal bot can counter and it is FAR better to focus on battlefield control and buff/debuffs rather then "waste" actions on healing.

Another way to think of it is the best defense is a good offense. d20 systems tend to become "rocket tag" systems in that it is better to go first and hit harder then worry about defense and healing. A dead opponent is an opponent not doing damage and damage not taken is the best heal.

I don't have the articles linked anymore but some nerdy math majors sat down and crunched the numbers and healing vs. opponent damage is something that falls off very quickly. Most likely by 4th level you're already past the point where you can heal in combat effectively. Even AC vs. attack bonuses falls off pretty face, low double digits where enemies have such ridiculous bonuses to hit that high AC stops being effective.

However battlefield control is ALWAYS something that is useful. An opponent that is held/stunned/blinded/cursed etc. is one that is not doing damage (or doing effective damage) and you can re-interpret the heal bot as a buffer or controller by making the arguement that if you help your party kill the enemies faster, that's just as good as healing the damage those enemies would have done...

Here is a guide that seems on topic:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras...t-natural-twenties-5
This message was last edited by the user at 21:55, Mon 30 Nov 2015.

Strictly speaking, this is not true.  Attempting to out-heal the damage of your opponents is generally a losing proposition, but there are a few builds that do it well enough that it's viable.  Also, spot-healing when someone is down is almost always worthwhile.  If your choice is to let the barbarian lay there in a heap while you attack or to spend one turn getting him back on his feet, you take the turn getting him on his feet.

Obviously exceptions to the rule but a better build would ensure that the barbarian is buffed or enemies debuffed to the point that the barbarian doesn't go down in the first place.

A dedicated caster has much better things to do to influence combat then a couple of d6's in healing. If the barbarian loses HP that fast he should keep some potions on him or the party rogue or another lower tier character can use some scrolls or wands for healing.

You're playing a top tier character, act like it :P