3.5 - Favored Soul to the Goddess of Fireflies

[shimmercat]

Starting a new game, with a Fairy Tale-themed world! We're a pretty low-op, high-RP group.

I have a LOT of experience playing clerics, so when he realized that the healer position was going to fall to me, the DM suggested Favored Soul. The backstory he suggested is that I'm the child of a human and a very minor god. He let me invent my god.

I decided on the Goddess of Fireflies.

So I'm playing a heavily re-fluffed Halfling, Favored Soul and daughter of the Goddess of Fireflies. We're starting at level 9. Race, class, and god have been decided and cannot be changed. (I know that their are insectoid races out there, but the DM doesn't want me going that alien and I agree with him.)

The goddess:
Svetryla, the goddess of fireflies
(Portfolio: fireflies, night insects, the night, the stars, secrets, illicit lovers)

The DM has said that I can trade the elemental resistances for a domain that would be in addition to my spells known. He made this one:
1. Nimbus of Light
2. Master Air
3. Flashburst
4. Persistent Image
5. Rejuvinating cocoon
6. Fires of Purity
7. Creeping Doom
8. Prying Eyes, Greater
9. Effulgent Eppuration

I'm looking for suggestions on a couple of things.

Any fun cleric spells that fit in a "firefly" theme? I'm thinking insects, light and dark, flight... Most of these spells are Druid or Sorc/Wiz, but there have to be some for clerics.
Ideas on how to effectively play a Favored Soul? PrCs? Ways to get around the Wisdom dependency? (other than, well, not casting spells that need a save.)


Thanks guys, I appreciate any help you can give me!

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Consider checking out animal or plant domains for spells. I know SpC has some low level moonbeam spells on the druid list and I want to say some are also cleric spells.

It's from Dragonlance, but there is a feat to swap your casting stat to CHA. Prestige classes are a little harder as most divine ones either require wildshape or turn undead. The few that don't, like Sacred Excorist require knowledge religion, so you'd need the acf/expanded class features from the dead level articles.

[Namfuak]

Firefly-themed? What about Malconvoker?

In seriousness, you should probably grab light, daylight, and searing light.

[Toliudar]

Faerie Fire is a 1st level druid spell, but since your DM seems flexible, I'd suggest it as both thematically appropriate, and having a number of uses.

[shimmercat]

*GROAN* @ Namfuak :smalltongue:

I'll ask about Faerie Fire, as I noticed it too and the DM has been fairly flexible (although I may have already used up all my DM-flexibility points -- and most of the changes have been his idea in the first place -- so we'll see.)

Definitely taking Daylight, Light, Dancing Lights (DM said I could), and a Darkness spell or two, plus Giant Vermin. :smallbiggrin: Going to skip Searing Light, as it's pretty underpowered by 9th level unless you're fighting undead, and I'd say we have about a 0.5% chance of running into any undead (this group is coming off an 10-month undead game, and the DM said if he has to stat one more vampire he's gonna scream).

I've also got some more typical useful cleric spells in there, like Recitation, Protection from Energy, Calm Emotions, Cures, etc.

Anyone know what that feat from Dragonlance is? I tried googling it but came up with nothing.

[Palanan]

Firefly theme? I suggest the Serenity feat.

:smallbiggrin:



More seriously, or at least more thematically, I would suggest Handfire, which is a first-level divine spell, both cleric and druid. Your hand is surrounding by shimmering, sparkling points of light. It's in Magic of Faerûn, p. 98.

Also updated in Player's Guide to Faerûn, p. 103.
.
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[Kuulvheysoon]

@shimmercat: the feat is Cobbed Dynamic Priest, and it changes the bonus spells and max spell level to Charisma; note that it does NOT change the stat for DCs.

@OP: Is there any specific Book that's been banned?


Firefly-themed? What about Malconvoker?

In seriousness, you should probably grab light, daylight, and searing light.

With all the spells from various lists, maybe your DM will give you a lenient reading of Extra Spell? If not, it's a Wash.

I should probably be shot for these.

[Palanan]

If the DM won't cooperate...well, cry me a River.

:smalltongue:

[HunterOfJello]

Hexer
Knight of the Raven
Sacred Exorcist
Sand Shaper (requires arcane SLA caster level)
Moonspeaker



The Moonspeaker is probably the strongest PrC out of that bunch. I wish there was a 3.5 book dedicated to the fey or fey lands.

~

Also, don't waste your spell slots of healing spells. A Wand of Lesser Vigor and an occasional belt of healing is better than anything else. The Heal spell can definitely be worth having in a pinch, but others really aren't necessary.


As far as other spells that fit thematically, the Light of Venya spell is half decent. Dispel Magic is a necessity.

Your best bet is to look up some lists of the best cleric spells available and choose from those. Just make sure you don't make your character into a half-pathetic heal bot when he doesn't need to be at all to heal well and be useful in a party.

[Palanan]

Also...

Light of Lunia: you become a firefly, as far as personally glowing and all. Very ethereal-starlight. Planar Handbook, p. 100.
Nimbus of Light: oddly similar, although more of a sunlight effect, which might make your DM twitchy. Complete Divine, p. 170.
Stars of Arvandor: tiny stars orbiting your head. The RP would be priceless. Book of Exalted Deeds, p. 108.

These are all cleric spells, although they show up on other lists as well.

[shimmercat]

Oh god the puns. XD I didn't think this out very well, did I...

I've looked up the Dynamic Priest feat and yeah, it seems to change everything EXCEPT spell DCs. Thanks for nothing, Dragonlance-module-that-I've-never-heard-of. :smallannoyed:

No books are EXPLICITLY verboten, but in general we're allowed anything from Core, the Complete books, SpC, the setting books (Stormwrack etc, although I don't think those are helping me much here), LM and Ghostwalk (ditto), and Eberron. Anything else I'll have to ask, and my mileage may vary. Dragon Mag is probably right out.

I actually enjoy playing heal-bots (as long as I have something to do when not healing). I'm weird that way... I like that moment when I have to figure out a way to heal two party members on opposite ends of the map, and EITHER ONE COULD DIE IN THE NEXT ROUND AND IT'S ALL UP TO ME. I like being indispensable.

Also I often play party face so I get to do a lot out of combat.

The wand of lesser vigor is a good idea but it works better if you play D&D with encounters the way the game is designed. This DM is the sort where we are more likely to fight one really difficult, dangerous battle, rather than a bunch of little ones, and I think vigor is going to feel inadequate in boss-battle fights.

I will definitely check out those spells!

[ThiagoMartell]

There is an Eberron feat called Mastery of Day and Night that maximizes all your cure and inflict spells, might be worth it.

[HunterOfJello]

The wand of lesser vigor is a good idea but it works better if you play D&D with encounters the way the game is designed. This DM is the sort where we are more likely to fight one really difficult, dangerous battle, rather than a bunch of little ones, and I think vigor is going to feel inadequate in boss-battle fights.

I will definitely check out those spells!

The wand of lesser vigor method isn't designed for being used in combat. It's designed for healing your allies OUTSIDE of combat so that you don't go around wasting spells when there isn't an emergency for going out and healing them.

Healing can be very useful in combat, but it comes down to necessary circumstances. If everyone is at 1/4th hp or higher, then attacking the enemies and killing them is often a better choice than keeping a party member alive.

If you're interested in healing in combat, the Heal spell is the one you want to go for. Since it heals a massive solid amount, it can take a PC who is almost dead all the way back up to full health. That's a spell worth taking. The cure spells.... not so much.

It is worth noting that there are several nice magical items that are worth having if you are going to be healing the Amulet of Retributive Healing from the MiC allows you to cast a healing spell and heal yourself for the full amount of the spell AND another person for that full amount. It can be used 3 times/day and I think it only costs a swift action. Another item that is awesome is the Armband of Maximized Healing. It also works 3 times/day and uses only a swift action. Use that item then cast a healing spell of 6th level or lower and it'll be maximized.

Healing with one or both of those items on can be amazingly useful in battle and allow you to be useful to the group other than just healing. Remember, ending a fight is almost always better than prolonging it.

[PrismCat21]

I was going to suggest the Light of Lunia and above spells, but was to late :) What I really wanted to say was that you stole my other call sign lol (i got a thing for cats lol)

[Palanan]

Also, I assume this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4) will be your battle hymn.

:smalltongue:

[shimmercat]

@ HunterofJello:

I thought that using wands for curing outside of battle was a given! I understand that ending a battle is better than prolonging it... But when you're fighting a single enemy who can kill your tank in two hits, and it will take four times around the table for the party to kill HIM, healing is kinda a necessity. XP That's what I meant by "this DM gives us boss fights."

Some of those items are very intriguing. I will definitely look at those.

@Prismcat:

Haha, sorry I stole your preferred handle! I've been going by "shimmercat" online for probably 10 years. :P

Does anyone have feat suggestions? Should I just take typical caster feats or is there a better tree for Favored Soul/spontaneous casters? (I'm guessing I'm not getting rid of that MAD...)

[ThiagoMartell]

Does anyone have feat suggestions? Should I just take typical caster feats or is there a better tree for Favored Soul/spontaneous casters? (I'm guessing I'm not getting rid of that MAD...)
As I mentioned before, Mastery of Day and Night seems fine.

[shimmercat]

@ThiagoMartell: Oops, sorry, I saw your post but I forgot to reply to it. Yes, that feat seems to be the right sort of thing. I will keep it in mind!

I've also seen a guide somewhere for a basic Favored Soul 1-20 build so I'll check that out.

[Talionis]

What about a refluffed Verminmancer? It may be Drow of Undark, it's been a while since I read it. I will also second the moon domain.

[Giegue]

Tip on favored soul. You'll want to focus on wisdom more then charisma. Spirit Shamans have it better then you in one big way, Dynamic Priest(the feat that changes your casting stat that was already mentioned.) makes them cha-SAD, while it dose nothing to you. The reason is that Dynamic Priest changes your casting stat to cha for everything BUT spell DCs, and it is spell DCs that you seek to switch, not everything else. There is a sollution, however. Since your DM seems open to homebrew, perhaps ask him if you could make a feat that switches your DCs to cha. The reason for this is because unless you do this, your going to be a poor offensive caster, with poor spell DCs without something like Lesser Aasmir racial bonuses to boost both wisdom and charisma. MOST favored souls are thus melee casters, who focus all on buffs, heals and no-save spells, but since it seems your intent on eshweing that for actual offensive casting for theme's sake(which is not a bad thing and a sign of a good RPer.) you really will need that kind of homebrew/houserule to make you all effective when it comes to offensive casting.

[Alcyius]

Also, I assume this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4) will be your battle hymn.

:smalltongue:

Then you'd need to take Ghost Sound, or make your holy symbol with a touch-activated Ghost Sound enchantment that plays that song. It would be nice thematically. Might wanna add cricket sounds or something.

[ThiagoMartell]

It's a good thing she is not basing her build off Grave of Fireflies. That would be depressing.