Favored Soul optimization

[Almaseti]

I'm playing a Favored Soul, and I just reached 6th level. I'm trying to figure out what I should pick for feat and spells. (I get 3 3rds, 1 2nd and a 0th)

Stats are: str 10 dex 12 con 14 int 10 wis 14 cha 16

Feats are: Improved Initiative, Silent Spell and Extend Spell

Spells known are:
0: Guidance, Light, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Create Water, Detect Poison, Mending
1: CLW, Summon Monster I, Entropic Shield, Sanctuary, Divine Favor
2: Sound Burst, Spiritual Weapon, Summon Monster II

I can't really take prestige classes because the DM wants us to rp meeting the requirements for them, and it's not like there are a lot of good favored soul prcs out there anyway. Any advice on what to do? I've been sort of lame lately, because the group doesn't really have a frontline fighter and I envisioned this guy as more of a support type. In a party that ended up consisting of a Bard, a (pacifist!) Cleric, and a Ranger. (Did I mention we're stuck in the Underdark? With ******* Drow constantly trying to kill us? Except for the weirdly helpful devil worshippers? We sort of want to be effective and not die and any advice you can give me towards that end would be really helpful.)

[ericgrau]

With a 40' radius that gets both friend and foe prayer can often give 7-8 +/-1s, which adds up to one of the biggest core buff/debuffs available. Plus it affects nearly all d20 rolls and damage too, not only attack rolls. The drawback is needing to give 8 reminders. People will ignore a +1 since it doesn't matter much, but 8 of them together really matter.

Holy storm (SpC) only deals 2d6 per round but it's untyped, no save, SR no and (usually) leaves out allies. So you can often get more foes without hitting allies than a fireball could. It can also protect an ally you center it on, or else deal repeated damage to the foe who continues to engage him.

In a party of 4, mass aid (SpC) gives out 40 temporary hitpoints and a couple +1s to hit. Cure serious wounds gives out 20 hp.

Inflict serious wounds isn't ideal with your strength, but you only have to make a touch attack and a concentration check. With divine insight (SpC, level 2) you can pass at least one concentration check. That and holy storm could be a way to bring in a little damage to the party if you guys need it badly. Otherwise 2 spells known to maybe hit once is a bit much (holy storm is still nice).

[Almaseti]

SR: no is especially useful, because as I said, we're up to our eyeballs in drow. Prayer and Holy Storm should be pretty useful. Heh. I bet suddenly making it rain underground would freak the drow out.

[Metahuman1]

I think Displacement is on the cleric list. I know haste is. Both are good.

For a feat, maybe force of personality, though honestly, I have to ask, why is your Wis so high on a favored soul?

[DR27]

ericgrau has really good suggestions. Also, at 6th you can swap out one of your current 1st or zero level spells for a new one. I'd swap out CLW for Lesser Vigor, and add Close Wounds as a 2nd level spell known. Lesser Vigor becomes your out of combat healing option, and Close Wounds your in-combat option since it's an immediate action. Resurgence is also a decent 1st level status remover, but not essential - might be worth picking up later. If you really want to heal as a standard action for d8's - that's why we have healing belts.

As an addition to ericgrau's 3rd level blast suggestions, Energy Vortex is an option for you since you have Energy Resistance as a class feature.

As for feats, it's hard to go wrong with Versatile Spellcaster for spontaneous casters.

[ericgrau]

SR: no is especially useful, because as I said, we're up to our eyeballs in drow. Prayer and Holy Storm should be pretty useful. Heh. I bet suddenly making it rain underground would freak the drow out.

Oh... Drow, of course. Then the automatic choice is daylight, to blind all the drow in the area for one round, no save, no SR. Since it lasts 10 min/level, a trick if you know drow are imminent is to cast it on an object and wrap loosely in cloth. Move near drow, drop as a free action, then use your standard on something else. Or hand it off to a tankier ally to do the same. Prayer is SR yes but you should still get half the drow and all your allies, so... maybe 6ish targets. If the drow are caster heavy then silence is likewise a likely choice for 2nd level. The drow get no save or SR if you target an ally's object or a point in space, then you use tactical movement to keep the casters in the area. Sometimes readied actions to follow if your group can't simply play interference. If they aren't caster heavy then forget about it, even if you saw a caster once or twice.

[Almaseti]

I may switch out some of my summon spells, the DM wants me to make know: planes checks to summon things.


I think Displacement is on the cleric list. I know haste is. Both are good.

For a feat, maybe force of personality, though honestly, I have to ask, why is your Wis so high on a favored soul?

Displacement and Haste only on the Bard and Wizard lists, sadly.

I have high Wis because the Favored Soul save DCs depend on Wis, not Cha. Oracles are the ones that have Cha-based save DCs, but I'm playing 3.5, not pathfinder.


ericgrau has really good suggestions. Also, at 6th you can swap out one of your current 1st or zero level spells for a new one. I'd swap out CLW for Lesser Vigor, and add Close Wounds as a 2nd level spell known. Lesser Vigor becomes your out of combat healing option, and Close Wounds your in-combat option since it's an immediate action. Resurgence is also a decent 1st level status remover, but not essential - might be worth picking up later. If you really want to heal as a standard action for d8's - that's why we have healing belts.

As an addition to ericgrau's 3rd level blast suggestions, Energy Vortex is an option for you since you have Energy Resistance as a class feature.

As for feats, it's hard to go wrong with Versatile Spellcaster for spontaneous casters.

My DM nerfed Lesser Vigor, it only heals as much as CLW would, but Versatile Spellcaster is a good suggestion. Energy Vortex is nice, but I picked Sonic as my resistance for reasons, and that's not an option for a damage type. Being able to pick which type of damage it does when you cast is very nice, though. Maybe at a higher level. Close Wounds is an interesting Maybe. There have been a few situations where that would have been really useful.


Oh... Drow, of course. Then the automatic choice is daylight, to blind all the drow in the area for one round, no save, no SR. Since it lasts 10 min/level, a trick if you know drow are imminent is to cast it on an object and wrap loosely in cloth. Move near drow, drop as a free action, then use your standard on something else. Or hand it off to a tankier ally to do the same. Prayer is SR yes but you should still get half the drow and all your allies, so... maybe 6ish targets. If the drow are caster heavy then silence is likewise a likely choice for 2nd level. The drow get no save or SR if you target an ally's object or a point in space, then you use tactical movement to keep the casters in the area. Sometimes readied actions to follow if your group can't simply play interference. If they aren't caster heavy then forget about it, even if you saw a caster once or twice.

Oooh. Those are both really good ideas.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Hmmm... If you haven't declared a deity, the Favored of Bahamut/Tiamat ACF in Dragon Magic makes you lose Weapon Focus/Specialization and lets you pick up a few sorceror spells (which could include wings of cover, displacement, blur, etc...)

[Almaseti]

Hmmm... If you haven't declared a deity, the Favored of Bahamut/Tiamat ACF in Dragon Magic makes you lose Weapon Focus/Specialization and lets you pick up a few sorceror spells (which could include wings of cover, displacement, blur, etc...)

I have a deity, it's the homebrew setting's trickster god. That's a cool option though.