Medic build

[onthetown]

Not the Team Fortress 2 Medic.

My (main) character runs an adventuring company in a solo campaign. There's about thirteen or fifteen members (since it's solo, the characters are split between the DM and myself), and I like to take four or five with me for each mission, maybe six if it's a little tougher.

For all fifteen members, there is only one cleric. There are no other characters capable of healing with spells, and most don't carry healing items. Just the cleric. There was a druid, but she turned out to be kind of psychotically evil, so she doesn't get to come along anymore. Damn NE characters, need to work so hard to housetrain them...

Well, I came up with an idea for a sort of healer, but I have no idea what to build her as or where she would even be from, since we're in the Realms and there seems to be a cleric for every citizen there. Here's what I've got figured out for her:

She would be from a country or citystate that has a very military-minded government, and doesn't focus a lot on healthcare. Treasury gold isn't spent to hire clerics in the smaller towns (or just in the citystate, if it were), or none of them really go there, or something. So, because of the militaristic thing and the distinct lack of healers for the common folk, this character ended up becoming a bit of an impromptu healer.

She doesn't have a gift for clerical magic, though other classes focusing on divine spells might be an option; I was thinking that because of the lack of clerics and her want to help people of her own "class" (as in middle class, lower class, etc), it would be a point of frustration for her that she doesn't have an affinity for a healing-focused job. She (and I) would have to work at it to make what spells she had count.

I was thinking bard, because of the frustration aspect for her; she can pick up healing spells, but not nearly as adeptly or quickly as a cleric can get them. I don't particularly like druids and I don't think it would suit this very well. She would have been working like a normal doctor (or medic, as I named the thread) in the worst conditions, where the government is working against her because they don't support the cause. (Think Doctors Without Borders on a smaller scale.)

Essentially, I'm looking for a non-healing-focused class to be turned into a healing-focused class from spell selection, feats, items, and skills.

Our campaign is currently level 6. I can hold off on bringing her in if I get some really good ideas for level 8 - 10; the cleric I have is good at accomplishing what I need her for, but it just seems foolish to have only one cleric in a company of what's going to potentially be over twenty characters. Fluff-wise, the poor thing will get burned out if I'm taking her on every little job I come across; metagaming, I don't like the idea of having to someday split the party and needing to decide who gets the healer (which has already happened, to split into smaller groups for a very large battle, and it was the warlock and the warlock/binder who got her because I had a blackguard to cover the wizard and the cavalier, bard, and duskblade all went together). There's a lot of spellcasters in this adventuring company, and they could use a little more divinity in their ranks...

[Zaq]

Are you talking in-combat healing, or general purpose healing? Because Bards are very, very good (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189716&highlight=natural+healing+microguide) at boosting natural healing, if they choose to be. You won't be as good at keeping people standing in a fight, but you'll be superb at getting them on their feet with just a little bit of rest. Ability damage, too.

Also, a dip in Dragon Shaman gives the famous fast-healing-up-to-half aura, which again, while not good for in-combat healing, definitely makes you good at cleaning up afterwards. You might be able to pick up this aura with a feat; the rules are a touch unclear.

[Redshirt Army]

Actually, I think psionics would be good for this, since it's possible to do psionic healing with some runaround.

The key powers if you're going this route are Empathic Transfer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/empathicTransfer.htm), Body Adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bodyAdjustment.htm), Share Pain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/sharePain.htm), and Vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm).

Although a Egoist gets all of those powers normally, you could go Ardent or Psychic Warrior with the mantled warrior ACF. The key thing to keep in mind is that temporary hit points from Vigor can reduce the damage you take on from Empathic Transfer. From a flavor perspective, this also works - you're literally taking on the patients wounds. I recommended Share Pain because it's thematic, and because it works very well with Vigor (although the Share Pain psicrystal trick won't work with Empathic Transfer), and I recommended Body Adjustment just in case.

In addition to the above powers, you'll also want items to boost healing output. Sadly, UMD is a cross-class skill for you (Though if you go Ardent, the Magic mantle will help you out), but Healing Belts are always useful, and nothing stops you from owning a bunch (from a flavor perspective, the fact the belts help with mundane heal checks works quite well.)

[Zonugal]

If you are looking for a more mundane/army-based medic a second level Ranger serves the position really well.

In addition to having the basic chassis for a soldier, and thus being able to contribute in a fight, the Ranger should be able to have a Heal score of something like 10 (5 ranks +2 wis +3 skill focus) which more than needed for most injuries. The real kicker is picking up the Healing Hands skill trick which allows one to heal someone 1d6 points of damage whenever you stabilize a dying character. You also have access to Craft (Alchemy) so you can craft Healing Salves and use wands for bigger wounds.

The benefit to this is it grants you a lot of use in a battlefield as you can be consistently running around healing those who are dying while still firing off a shortbow.

[Paul H]

Hi

There is a form of Divine Sorceror class in Complete Divine that uses Divine spells. (It's not a Cleric type). Usually use as some form of Divine melee type.

Your campaign is far too low for the Beguiler 6/Rainbow Servant 10 or Warmage 6/Rainbow Servant 10 combos.

If Pathfinder is allowed, there's the Witch or Oracle.

Thanks
Paul H

[onthetown]

Your campaign is far too low for the Beguiler 6/Rainbow Servant 10 or Warmage 6/Rainbow Servant 10 combos.

Keeping in mind that we're going up to 20th level, it won't be too low for very long. So I'll look at those.

And I'll definitely look at dipping Ranger, that Divine Sorcerer, and others.

Thanks!

[Chilingsworth]

If you chose a class with divine spells at all, consider the Iniate of Ilmater feat (player's guide to Faerun.) It's great for any healer type character. Also, from your description, Ilmater would probably be a good patron diety for the character.

[Psyren]

The proper name for the "divine sorcerer" being referred to is Favored Soul. However, a Favored Soul of Ilmater would be extremely gifted at healing, so much so that other clerics might even resent her for it, which is nearly the opposite of the fluff your player seems to want.

Based on that, I think Redshirt's suggestion of a psionic healer is a great idea. A Wilder or Egoist who wants to help people but is frustrated at the lack of support from the regency or lack of response from the divine might unlock that section of her mind and take matters into her own hands. And since healing isn't one of psionics' strong points, you would fulfill the desire to not be as gifted at healing as clerics are (though capable of unique tricks like Psionic Last Breath.)

If you do go with psionic healing, consider also being an Ardent, Erudite or even Wilder with the Life Mantle, and take a look at the Sangehirn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c) PrC. (You only need 3 levels for the most important benefit, but can take all 10 if you wish.)


Alternatively, have her be a Druid or Spirit Shaman - They're also not as good at healing, but functional, and would have the required disdain for society mentioned in her backstory.

[Prime32]

You could try using some Eberron material - they've got a world-spanning organisation of non-clerical healers with their own feats, PrCs and magic items, so there's probably something in there that works.

[onthetown]

I'm trying to stay away from psions, since I don't do very well with them and I found it rather boring to play one the last time I did. We already have a psion, anyway...

Initiate of Ilmater sounds fun, especially since I like that guy.

And what is the name of the organization from Eberron? I might just have to make her be from there, if it works.

[Redshirt Army]

I suspect Prime was referring to House Jorasco, the dragonmarked house with the Mark of Healing.

[Analytica]

You could use Arcane Disciple: Healing Domain on a fixed-list caster. Beguiler, warmage or even dread necromancer. :smallbiggrin:

[elvengunner69]

Evil Druids can't heal?