[Pathfinder] Oracle's Energy body?

[Arillius]

I'm looking to make an Oracle who takes the life mystery and basically just make him the party healer. The party does have one but its an NPC whose neither sturdy nor courageous enough to heal on the front lines.

The Character will start at level 4 and one fo the revelations I'm looking at is energy body. When I first read it a while back I thought the 1d6+1 per oracle level was like the cure spells, where the +1 got higher per level. My friend pointed out to me though that the cure spells specifically say that while this literally says 1d6+1 per oracle level. That's leading us to think that its going to heal at 4d6+4 at 4th level. I just wanted to see if anyone knew this to be true or not and had a good example.

[Kilbourne]

Once per round, if you pass through a living allied creature’s square or the ally passes through your square, it heals 1d6 hit points + 1 per oracle level. You may use this ability to heal yourself as a move action.

The only thing modified by level is the +1 on the end. At 4th level, you would be healing at 1d6+4, or doing that same as damage to undead.

[grarrrg]

The Energy Body ability is MUCH more useful for a melee Oracle, we'll find out why later.

I agree that 1d6+level is weak. But the reason is that it is essentially "free". It doesn't cost spell slots, and it doesn't require much in the way of actions.
You spend a Standard action to enter Energy body, and it stays in effect until you stop it as a Free Action, or you hit the duration limit.

There are 3 effects it can have once active. (4 effects if you count the light source, but the chances of that being useful given the duration are pretty slim)

Harm undead: You don't have to spend any actions (after the activation), all you need to do is stand next to some undead and let them hit you. I admit that TRYING to get hit is usually stupid, but if you're going to melee fight undead anyway, might as well.

Heal others: All you/they have to do is take a move action and they get healed. Combat is chaotic and as long as your allies move more than 5ft. they can probably swing through your square for a quick pick-me-up. On the other side of things, you can spend your move action making passes across/through the front line and heal multiple allies without spending spell slots, AND you still have your Standard action for attacks/spells.

Heal yourself: You can heal yourself as a Move Action (every round), again, without spending spell slots and leaving your Standard action free for attack/spells/movement.


Energy Body is most useful for a Melee-Oracle: Hurting Undead and Healing allies both require you to be on the front lines, and Healing yourself implies that you have taken damage, which is more likely to occur on the front lines.
It's usefulness lies in the fact that it heals for free without spending precious spell slots.
If nothing else, use it out-of-combat to heal everyone to full. Say you're level 5 with 30ft. movement speed. Energy Body will heal 6-11hp (avg. 8.5). Round 1 you activate Energy Body and use your move action to heal 5 people, ending in an empty square. The next four rounds you can make either a double move, or a run to heal at least twice that, OR move and spend an action to heal yourself. Assuming you only have 5 friends, after the 5 rounds are up they will each have been healed for 30-55hp (avg. 42.5), and you could have healed yourself for 24-44hp (avg. 34hp). Unless you have a lucky Barbarian with a high CON, everyone should now be at full hp.

[Arillius]

That is a lot more useful then I've been thinking. And as a frontline you could always spend a move action to heal yourself, and for me I get a minimum of 5 a round. Not fast healing but pretty good.

Thanks for the input. I'm thinking about waiting on it. The main reasons is that my character is a halfling, so 20 movement speed kinda cuts down on its usefulness a little. Hes also got no melee skills at all. Rolled stats, got 10 str after racial penalty. I'm thinking of grabbing extra channel instead to up my guys ranged healing a bit, or fleet so my guy isn't getting left behind as much.

Thanks again.

[grarrrg]

my character is a halfling, so 20 movement speed kinda cuts down on its usefulness a little. Hes also got no melee skills at all. Rolled stats, got 10 str after racial penalty. I'm thinking of grabbing extra channel instead to up my guys ranged healing a bit, or fleet so my guy isn't getting left behind as much.

In your case I would definately take something else at the lower levels.
Channel, Safe Curing, Spirit Boost are good for low levels.

Enhanced Cures seems good, until you realize that it really only helps Cure Light and Cure Moderate. Cure Serious only benefits Oracle 16+, and all the rest already have maxes of 20 or more. It's main purpose is to extend the usefulness of your low-level healing spells. I'd skip it though.

Depending on YOUR hit points Life Link could be awesome (and provides another use for Energy Body). It takes a Standard action to activate per person, but just activate it for everyone at the start of the day and don't wander off (range limit yes, duration limit no). It essentially allows you to 'heal from a distance' (stupid touch range cure spells).

The other mysteries aren't particularly good or bad, take them if you want.

You haven't mentioned which Curse you had, it might make a difference (probably not though).
A different option is to switch Halfling for Gnome (+con/hp), this allows you to take better advantage of Life Link, add Energy Body and abuse the self heals (as needed).

[LostKobold]

This is a pretty old thread, but I felt obligated to correct a mistake in grarrrg post for futur reader...

The "pass through" healing effect of Energy Body can only be triggered ONCE per round.


Energy Body (Su): As a standard action, you can transform
your body into pure life energy, resembling a golden-white
fire elemental. In this form, you gain the elemental subtype
and give off a warm, welcoming light that increases the
light level within 10 feet by one step, up to normal light. Any
undead creature striking you with its body or a handheld
weapon deals normal damage, but at the same time the
attacker takes 1d6 points of positive energy damage + 1
point per oracle level. Creatures wielding melee weapons
with reach are not subject to this damage if they attack you.
If you grapple or attack an undead creature using unarmed
strikes or natural weapons, you may deal this damage in
place of the normal damage for the attack. Once per round,
if you pass through a living allied creature’s square or the
ally passes through your square, it heals 1d6 hit points + 1
per oracle level. You may use this ability to heal yourself as
a move action. You choose whether or not to heal a creature
when it passes through your space. You may return to your
normal form as a free action. You may remain in energy
body form for a number of rounds per day equal to your
oracle level.

So you cannot line up your friends, and walk thru them to heal them all in one round.