Evil campain buff/healer

[Skevvix]

So I just joined up with a group that is running an evil campaign. I am fairly new to D&D so when I started with them they just had me playing one of the minions to get accustomed to the play. Now I feel it's time to create my own person and join the team. I noticed in my play of the minion that they are relying on the rogue and his clickstick for heals, so I decided some type of healer/buffer would be my goal.

The DM has us limited to 3 prestige classes, and I am to come in as a lvl 20 character. I poured over the books for a couple weeks and finally settled on Favored Soul for my core class. In my noobish fumbling through the books I came up with FS 10/ Contemplative 7/ Combat Med 3(constructive criticism welcome) . I plan to take Hierophant as my final prestige eventually for the reach spell.

Now, one of my main goals was to not lose any caster levels and getting as many immunities as I could (DM likes to through diseases and poisons all the time). So, being a 20th level caster I have been having a heck of a time selecting my Spells Known. I would like to be able to buff as much as I can before breaking camp each day via extend and persist MM. The party is a 20 Ranger, 20 Fighter, 22 Warlock, 21 Rogue, 21 Warmage and a 21 Psion. Our mages are already disgusting DDs so I'm not too worried about buffing their DMG capabilities, but our melee is sorta week. If you helpful folks have any suggestions for spells, or even a different build, please help me out.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

It is a rare buff spell that will aid in magical direct damage in so far as spells go. That being said, I have just the link for you. It is a lot to read, but it's very, very useful. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5881.0) And that makes three times in one day I've linked this handbook.

[Jack_Simth]

So I just joined up with a group that is running an evil campaign. I am fairly new to D&D so when I started with them they just had me playing one of the minions to get accustomed to the play. Now I feel it's time to create my own person and join the team. I noticed in my play of the minion that they are relying on the rogue and his clickstick for heals, so I decided some type of healer/buffer would be my goal.

The DM has us limited to 3 prestige classes, and I am to come in as a lvl 20 character. I poured over the books for a couple weeks and finally settled on Favored Soul for my core class. In my noobish fumbling through the books I came up with FS 10/ Contemplative 7/ Combat Med 3(constructive criticism welcome) . I plan to take Hierophant as my final prestige eventually for the reach spell.

Now, one of my main goals was to not lose any caster levels and getting as many immunities as I could (DM likes to through diseases and poisons all the time). So, being a 20th level caster I have been having a heck of a time selecting my Spells Known. I would like to be able to buff as much as I can before breaking camp each day via extend and persist MM. The party is a 20 Ranger, 20 Fighter, 22 Warlock, 21 Rogue, 21 Warmage and a 21 Psion. Our mages are already disgusting DDs so I'm not too worried about buffing their DMG capabilities, but our melee is sorta week. If you helpful folks have any suggestions for spells, or even a different build, please help me out.
A couple of things...
1) Favored Soul doesn't get Knowledge(Religion) as a class skill by default, so without a (quite sensible) house rule to correct it (or you find a feat to get Knowledge(Religion) in-class), that build doesn't work due to the Knowledge(Religion) requirement of Contemplative.
2) Combat Medic requires "Any Nonevil". You're in an Evil campaign. This might pose a problem.
3) In general, healing is a losing game in D&D - wounds accrue faster than does the ability to get rid of them.

That said, there's nothing at all wrong with the goal of the build. There are, however, more effective ways to go about it - which, I suspect, is what you're asking.

The most direct method would be, of all things, Cleric-20. Go the Divine Metamagic(Persistent Spell) route, and scour sourcebooks for useful spells that are party-level buffs: Vigorous Circle (Spell Compendium: Everyone gets fast healing 3), Unholy Aura (Core - lots of sweetness), Recitation (Spell Compendium: +2 or +3 Luck to saves, AC, and attack rolls), Elation (Book of Exalted Deeds: +2 Morale to Strength and Dex, +5 foot Move: Not an Exalted Spell, though, so you can still cast it), and Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (Spell Compendium: +3 Morale to Attack and damage rolls, +1 attack as per Haste). Of course, don't neglect casting Heroes' Feast, as well.

If you want to raise the bar a bit, also take Reach Spell and Chain spell, as these let you take touch-range spells and turn them into party-level buffs, suitable for Persisting. Turns out there's a rather lot of Cleric Touch-range spells that give you absolute immunity to one effect or another.

How do you get enough turn attempts to Persist them all? CrackNightsticks (Libris Mortis). Lots of them.

The Ranger, Fighter, and Rogue will go to town if you play this build.

Edit:
Oh yes, and make sure to prepare three copies of everything you use, as well as keep enough CrackNightsticks (Libris Mortis) so that you can Persist all three sets. This is for the inevitable Disjunctions.

[Skevvix]

A couple of things...
1) Favored Soul doesn't get Knowledge(Religion) as a class skill by default, so without a (quite sensible) house rule to correct it (or you find a feat to get Knowledge(Religion) in-class), that build doesn't work due to the Knowledge(Religion) requirement of Contemplative.

That is why the combat medic is in the build, it has that knowledge.



2) Combat Medic requires "Any Nonevil". You're in an Evil campaign. This might pose a problem.

I'm Chaotic Neutral and Lloth is my deity.



3) In general, healing is a losing game in D&D - wounds accrue faster than does the ability to get rid of them.

Healing isn't my main focus, just a secondary role, maybe even third as I have been thinking I can buff myself up with about +20 str and go smash face a bit. Persistent Emanation with Pulse of Hate. :smallamused:


That said, there's nothing at all wrong with the goal of the build. There are, however, more effective ways to go about it - which, I suspect, is what you're asking.

The most direct method would be, of all things, Cleric-20. Go the Divine Metamagic(Persistent Spell) route, and scour sourcebooks for useful spells that are party-level buffs: Vigorous Circle (Spell Compendium: Everyone gets fast healing 3), Unholy Aura (Core - lots of sweetness), Recitation (Spell Compendium: +2 or +3 Luck to saves, AC, and attack rolls), Elation (Book of Exalted Deeds: +2 Morale to Strength and Dex, +5 foot Move: Not an Exalted Spell, though, so you can still cast it), and Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (Spell Compendium: +3 Morale to Attack and damage rolls, +1 attack as per Haste). Of course, don't neglect casting Heroes' Feast, as well.

If you want to raise the bar a bit, also take Reach Spell and Chain spell, as these let you take touch-range spells and turn them into party-level buffs, suitable for Persisting. Turns out there's a rather lot of Cleric Touch-range spells that give you absolute immunity to one effect or another.

How do you get enough turn attempts to Persist them all? CrackNightsticks (Libris Mortis). Lots of them.

The Ranger, Fighter, and Rogue will go to town if you play this build.

Edit:
Oh yes, and make sure to prepare three copies of everything you use, as well as keep enough CrackNightsticks (Libris Mortis) so that you can Persist all three sets. This is for the inevitable Disjunctions.

I looked at a strait cleric build, but I don't really like the having to select different spells every day aspect of it. I know they have the ability to cast a wider variety of spells, but they don't have the zing I am looking for.

[Skevvix]

Anyone else has any helpful suggestions for spell selection or builds?

I read almost all of the WW thread, but our group has no divine casters so I am still leaning to the FS style build, but I'll read more about it from the books this weekend. Thanks Thrice Dead Cat for that link. =)