Pathfinder Babysiter build

[OracleofSilence]

So, I am going to be starting a new game soon after players dropped out of several old ones. New DM, new player, and me. I am looking towards some Buffs, debuffs, little to no damage. Essentially, I am trying t keep the new guy alive. That is about it. As for character build, Cleric would obviously be best, but I want to avoid Teir 1 for now.

We will be running Kingmaker (1-20lv), and the player is going for a Switch Hitter Ranger at my suggestion.

3.5 is allowed, so between those, what are some good base classes and PrC's?

[CactusAir]

Ask to use 3.5 materiel over pathfinder.

Pathfinder Hates Friends.

(Seriously. Almost every buff in 3.5 has been nerfed or removed outright in PF)

Also I'm convinced that the PF designers failed their "Read English" check when looking at the 3.5 Bard, which is the only reason I can think of for why the PF bard has that utterly lame mechanic for how much they can use bardic music.

[Chilingsworth]

I'd suggest a bard/crusader build. For the bard side, take the Song of the heart feat (Ebberon Campaign Setting), the Inspirational Boost spell, and the Haste spell. On the crusader side, focus on White Raven and Devoted Spirit abilities. Of course, take Song of the White Raven so your Crusader and Bard levels stack for improving your inspire courage.

With this build, You'll have lots of buffing available, will be able to give your friend extra turns (assuming you take White Raven Tactics), and when you do have to go into combat, you'll be able to use your manuvers (and the martial spirit stance, if you take it) to heal your buddy or yourself.

[charcoalninja]

You could go with a Life based Oracle. Not tier 1, gets channel energy as cleric which is awesome, and the buff tastic cleric spell list.

Otherwise yeah Bard is sick, Alchemist is another option as well. You can take a discovery at level 2 that lets you use your infusions on others so you become a buff caster that doesn't have to spend his own actions to do so.

Don't listen to the haters, PF buffs are more than sufficient. Sure some buffs were nerfed, because they were probably too strong in the first place. Divine Power, I'm looking at you...

[CactusAir]

You could go with a Life based Oracle. Not tier 1, gets channel energy as cleric which is awesome, and the buff tastic cleric spell list.

Otherwise yeah Bard is sick, Alchemist is another option as well. You can take a discovery at level 2 that lets you use your infusions on others so you become a buff caster that doesn't have to spend his own actions to do so.

Don't listen to the haters, PF buffs are more than sufficient. Sure some buffs were nerfed, because they were probably too strong in the first place. Divine Power, I'm looking at you...

Divine Power can't be shared anyway, and is thus utterly irrelevant to what I'm saying.

Also, Pathfinder Bard is a passable mezzer, but can't buff worth a damn compared to the 3.5 bard.

Pathfinder bard: only 1 music active at a time, and can't even cast while singing.

3.5 Bard. Throws out a new buffing song every round, two a round with an item of harmonize. Bonuses persist 5 rounds after you stop singing, 10 with a single additional feat, so there's no need to maintain concentration on a Inspire effect ever.

[Acanous]

Mm. 3.5 Bards got pretty dang sick. You could spend music like a Cleric spends AoE buff spells- all at once, or over the course of a day. I remember playing a 3.5 bard who took Poignant Pause (I think that's the name of the feat) so he could maintain a song AND cast. I had different coloured D10's for the different things I was increasing,(ToHit, Damage, each save, movement speed [in squares], skills, hit points [in dice]...) and at least 2 of them moved up every round.

[Curious]

Pathfinder bard: only 1 music active at a time, and can't even cast while singing.


Uh, no. It does not state anywhere that a PF Bard cannot cast spells while performing.

[Larpus]

I'll agree that the PF Bard is quite lame, I suggested it to a friend in a game, thinking on how they were quite awesome in 3.5 and how they should be super awesome in PF since everyone got buffed and then....yeah, he ended up playing an Inquisitor instead.

Anyway, I don't think that PF classes need that much babysitting, with some strategy and decent builds, most classes are sturdy enough to last by themselves, so major buffage would be a bit too much I think.

For the options, Life Oracle is one, Cleric and Druids are also options, sure, you can deal damage, but just because you can, doesn't mean you have to, you can totally either ignore that you can or leave it as an ohshi- button.

Alchemist is also an option, who is also tier3, with the level 2 discovery you can pass buffs around and there are many discoveries that transform your bombs into deubff/control, mimicking the effect of spells, tossing them more times per day (and easier to throw more times/round) at the expense of not being quite as versatile and not targeting as much targets (still, it's rare to have the enemies clumped together as to effect more than 2 [and no ally] with any given AoE debuff).

[CactusAir]

Uh, no. It does not state anywhere that a PF Bard cannot cast spells while performing.

maintaining concentration is a standard action, So you can arguably cast swift action spells... yay? :smallconfused:

PF DM's who don't hate their players use the 3.5 rules for how BM works.

[Frosty]

maintaining concentration is a standard action, So you can arguably cast swift action spells... yay? :smallconfused:

PF DM's who don't hate their players use the 3.5 rules for how BM works.
you don't need to maintain concentration for most bard songs AFAIK.

[Curious]

maintaining concentration is a standard action, So you can arguably cast swift action spells... yay? :smallconfused:

PF DM's who don't hate their players use the 3.5 rules for how BM works.

'Fraid not. You don't need to maintain concentration either. You should read the SRD.

[Curious]

maintaining concentration is a standard action, So you can arguably cast swift action spells... yay? :smallconfused:

PF DM's who don't hate their players use the 3.5 rules for how BM works.

Actually, no. You don't need to maintain concentration to sustain a bardic performance. You should read the SRD.

[CactusAir]

'Fraid not. You don't need to maintain concentration either. You should read the SRD.

Yes you do. I just missed the part where's it's been made a free action. And even with free action concentration, it's still concentration and can technically be disrupted.

Still, limiting bards to only 1 BM at a time is a huge nerf to their ability to buff.

So not as Bad as I thought, but still a gutshot to bards.

And since looking at the entry reminded me, the proliferation of death effects in PF is a massive FU to every class that relies on inflicting hitpoint damage. Pathfinder hates friends.

[Reverent-One]

Yes you do. I just missed the part where's it's been made a free action. And even with free action concentration, it's still concentration and can technically be disrupted.


A bardic performance cannot be disrupted,


Still, limiting bards to only 1 BM at a time is a huge nerf to their ability to buff.

And the ability to cast spells while performing is a buff.