[PF] Looking for Oradin stories/feedback

[grarrrg]

Hi, I'm grarrrg McClure.
You may remember me from such threads as:
The Oradin Mini-Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=257365)
Dipping for Fun and Profit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230500)
And Here Comes the Metric System (blatant lies)

I'm looking for feedback anyone has on actually playing an Oradin.
What works? What doesn't?
Anything from any of the more recent books that I may have overlooked?

Any fun stories anyone has?

Thank you for your time.

[joca4christ]

Haven't played on yet, but thinking of building one. Currently running an oracle as a DMPC for my group, and have considered swinging into the oradin build.

Question: Does Pathfinder have multi-class restrictions for paladins like 3.5 does? The one where once you take another class besides paladin, you can't go back to paladin?

[Snowbluff]

I tried to start one, but we had a few Fighters so I switched to summoner. :smalltongue:

Natural Attack Tiefling will tear through things, though.

[grarrrg]

Question: Does Pathfinder have multi-class restrictions for paladins like 3.5 does? The one where once you take another class besides paladin, you can't go back to paladin?

Nope, you are free to multiclass as Paladin (provided the whole "stay Lawful Good thing" anyway).

[Korahir]

I tried to start one, but we had a few Fighters so I switched to summoner. :smalltongue:

Natural Attack Tiefling will tear through things, though.

Every time i read about a tiefling paladin/oradin i expect the story to be based on Drizz't. ;)

[Deathkeeper]

I played one in a very short, low-OP game during winter break. Did fine. I never had to turn off Life Link due to low health, and even though my attacks and few spells didn't do much damage or provide that much assistance in all it was still fun to be able to do that.

[Razanir]

I haven't used it yet, but I want to play as the Orcadin sometime. A half-orc wolfscarred, deaf, redeemer, warrior of the holy light, Oradin.

[Snowbluff]

Every time i read about a tiefling paladin/oradin i expect the story to be based on Drizz't. ;)

Well, that's makes sense until you remember that Tieflings don't have a society of their own. They really can't rebel against their society's norms if no one cares. :smalltongue:

My Tielfings are usually picked on and become thugs until a paladin is nice to them. Then they join an order and proceed to do the loner knight errant deal before picking up a party.

[Blyte]

I played a life oracle a long while back, trying to prove to some friends that they can be just as good party healers as a cleric with healing domain, and I started dipping toward paladin to go holy vindicator and their free empowered or maximized heals or whatever they get. my main complaints weren't with the oradin portion of my character, and more with the PrC. altho I think a blind oracle whose stigmata bleeds from bandaged eyes is pretty neato thematically.

I have yet to purely test out a oradin, since the guide you published, only because my games have been starting at level 1 for a while now, and I would like to play one starting at level 6+ when they really start to get fleshed out. I kind of doubt their sole party healer role abilities in the fledgling levels of the game, but I haven't given them a fair chance.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Yeah, that's my only real comment on oradins: that they take a while to really 'come online.' You need several levels of paladin and oracle under your belt before you can really start doing the oradin schtick, which is painful for Pathfinder Society or most low-level starting games.

[Snowbluff]

Yeah, that's my only real comment on oradins: that they take a while to really 'come online.' You need several levels of paladin and oracle under your belt before you can really start doing the oradin schtick, which is painful for Pathfinder Society or most low-level starting games.

You only need 2 levels of Paladin and 1 of Oracle for it work. Just pick a guy who will be taking more damage, and heal him.

After that you can add a level of oracle for another member. A third will give Channel. More paladin levels give more LoH Dice (And more healing from Favered Class and Fey foundling).

[RagnaroksChosen]

I am playing one in a low OP "beer & pretzels"(much to my shugrin) type of game. I may post my build later.. Like i said its a low op casual game. But I can see the utility in this build.

I'd have to find my sheet but I think I am a half orc 2 paladin / 4 oracle right now. We started at 4 so I was 2/2. I can tell you this, in a more OP game. I would not want to play levels 3 & 4.. It was difficult to keep every one healed. We do have a largish group and a druid with a high hp companion... some sort of moose/deer thing.

Either way this build has only gotten better.. The elemental heal thing is awesome sauce. It has saved my but a lot of times.

[Dysjong]

Currently planing to make myself a oradin after i read about it.

We start of at lvl 8 and of noble birth. The idea is to get 4 lvls oracle and 4 paladins, with focus on the paladin.

What i had in mind, was either a lockdown build or a protector of a sort. We will be playing in a matter of weeks.

[PsyBomb]

I made one to support an Akashic party, actually. Sobek, with a few supporting feats, made this guy VERY hard to take down even when running on maximum Life Link.

[VexingFool]

I was playing a modified Oradin build in a recent game. The planned build was an Aasimar(Idyllkin) Paladin(Sacred Shield)-4/Oracle(Life/Dual Cursed)-6/Hell Knight Enforcer-10.

He died in a near TPK due to 3/5 party members including himself being hit with Confusion and failing their saves. Between the damage the boss was doing and being unable to shut off the lifelinks because I could not roll act normally it was enough to kill me. One of the people not hit by the confusion managed to run away, everyone else died.

The downside of the lifelinks is it will not shut off on its own until you or the bonded creatures are dead. Dead not dying...:smallannoyed:

[Valdras]

Played as one in a campaign we called Gnomaker, (Gnome only Kingmaker), he basically is the reason we survived for most of it.

It was also a ton of fun to play.

[the_archduke]

I am an oradin in my first Pathfinder campaign ever, and I have saved the parties' bacon multiple times. We started at level three, so I was Pal2/Ora1. I leveled up oracle to 4 and am going to go paladin the rest of the way.

We are a melee heavy party, and I am preventing at least one party member death every session. The life link only transfers 5 hp a round, and I am noticing at higher levels (we are level 7 now) that the healing is starting to slow. I was keeping everyone topped off, and now I am just keeping them alive. A couple more levels and the life link healing may not be enough.

Ironskin is a great low level buff though. Between full plate, iron skin, smite evil and moderate WBL investment, I am a freaking tank.

[Azoth]

I have been meaning to ask this for a bit after reading the guides, but aside Cha to saves and a second channel pool is there much benefit to using paladin? I have found a Life Oracle with the Merciful Curse can pull the same tricks from the get go. Merciful gives you paladin lay on hands using Oracle lvl as Paladin lvl and several mercies as you level up.

Now I am not knocking Cha to saves or an extra channel pool. They are very useful, but it seemed odd to give up 9ths for that alone.

[Hamste]

Merciful is poorly written third party I believe which may be why no one uses it.

[Second Arrow]

I have been meaning to ask this for a bit after reading the guides, but aside Cha to saves and a second channel pool is there much benefit to using paladin? I have found a Life Oracle with the Merciful Curse can pull the same tricks from the get go. Merciful gives you paladin lay on hands using Oracle lvl as Paladin lvl and several mercies as you level up.

Now I am not knocking Cha to saves or an extra channel pool. They are very useful, but it seemed odd to give up 9ths for that alone.

You know, I've been wondering about the same thing - a single classed Spirit Guide Life Oracle with the Merciful curse (if 3pp is okayed), specifically, can pull off Life Link + LoH from L1. Especially considering how Divine Protection gives you Cha to saves at L5, and that you can get a second channel pool at full progression thanks to the Life Spirit ability! (kicks in at L7) Really, it seems like it makes an Oracle that can do everything the Paladin can save for smiting and lower BAB/HD, but a hell of a lot more casting. It also makes it easier with favored class bonuses.

[grarrrg]

The life link only transfers 5 hp a round, and I am noticing at higher levels (we are level 7 now) that the healing is starting to slow. I was keeping everyone topped off, and now I am just keeping them alive. A couple more levels and the life link healing may not be enough.

Shield Other is your friend at higher levels.
Just don't have too many active at once though.


...is there much benefit to using paladin? I have found a Life Oracle with the Merciful Curse

As others have said the Merciful Curse is 3rd Party, which is a HUGE point against it.
And you don't strictly need Paladin, it is just the easiest way to non-standard action heal someone (in this case it only heals yourself, but that's what the Life Link is for).

The main point of an Oradin build is the fact that you don't need to waste your "good" actions chasing people around the battlefield and healing them (search for any general post for "in combat healing is bad" will give you a breakdown).
So any build that can manage to heal the party while NOT using Standard actions is functionally an Oradin.


but it seemed odd to give up 9ths for that alone.

The typical Oradin functions best in the mid levels. At really low levels it can't "do it's thing" and doesn't want to due to lack of HP.
At higher levels it does lose out on capstones, and most high level abilities.