Leader for Lair Assault

[Epinephrine]

I will be playing for the first time in quite a while (I've been the DM), and the DM is running a Lair Assault module for us. We've been informed that for this there are no short rests, and we make level 6 characters. The name of the adventure is Attack of the Tyrantclaw, and we get to have one magic item of at most level 7, one magic item of at most level 6, one magic item of at most level 5, and an amount of money to spend equal to a level 5 item. We can only have one rare, and only 2 consumables.

I've been assigned the role of the leader, and my goal is to provide the most protection I can for a group with no short rests. This makes encounter-long buffs very nice, and changes the value of daily powers, since a daily is equivalent to an encounter power when you have no short rests.

This is what I've come up with, but I was wondering if I've missed anything major:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Artin, level 6
Svirfneblin, Druid (Sentinel)/Shaman
Season: Druid of Summer
Companion Spirit (Hybrid) Option: Protector Spirit (Hybrid)
Hybrid Shaman Option: Hybrid Shaman Will
Vilhon Wilds (Vilhon Wilds Benefit)
Theme: Sarifal Feywarden

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 13, CON 20, DEX 10, INT 10, WIS 18, CHA 8

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 13, CON 17, DEX 10, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 8


AC: 22 Fort: 20 Ref: 14 Will: 19
HP: 57 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 14

TRAINED SKILLS
Athletics +10, Endurance +12, Heal +12

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +2, Arcana +3, Bluff +2, Diplomacy +2, Dungeoneering +9, History +3, Insight +7, Intimidate +2, Nature +9, Perception +9, Religion +3, Stealth +2, Streetwise +2, Thievery +2

POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Sarifal Feywarden Utility: Sarifal's Blessing
Svirfneblin Utility: Stone Camouflage
Cleric Utility: Healing Word
Shaman Feature: Call Spirit Companion
Shaman Feature: Healing Spirit
Shaman Feature: Speak with Spirits
Druid Attack: Combined Attack
Druid Attack 1: Tending Strike
Shaman Attack 1: Watcher's Strike
Shaman Attack 1: Certain Threat
Druid Attack 1: Summon Giant Toad
Shaman Attack 1: Massive Companion
Shaman Utility 2: Protective Roots
Endurance Utility 2: Inspiring Fortitude
Sarifal Feywarden Utility 6: Light of Sarifal

FEATS
Level 1: Staff Expertise
Level 2: Armor Proficiency: Chainmail
Level 4: World Serpent's Grasp
Level 6: Skill Power

ITEMS
Magic Chainmail +2 x1
Preservation Shield Light Shield x1
Summoner's Staff +2 x1
Amulet of Protection +1 x1
Spirit Fetch
Companion's Defender (heroic tier)
====== End ======

I chose a Shaman mostly for Protective Roots, since it's an encounter-long resist all 5 for me and all allies with no need for a sustain. The Spirit companion is a nice extra, and Massive Companion can provide a nice buff to adjacent allies (cover against ranged, area, and close attacks) that will stack with pretty much any other defensive bonus. The Sentinel Druid has similar stats, and gives a way to use healing surges, and a damage sink, as well as a way to protect the PCs (I chose a bear, with a +2 to defenses aura). Since we have limited ability to spend our surges without a short rest, the animal companion should be able to act as a decent damage soaker, as I can spend surges into it for a minor action whenever it falls.

The Sarifal theme offers a power at level 6 that lets me set up an Aura 3 that will reduce damage to my allies in the aura by my highest modifier (Con, +5); as a result, I should be knocking a solid 10 damage off between the resist 5 on everyone and the -5 to damage rolls.

My druid at will generates THPs, as do my shield's Daily (12 THP for me and all allies if I use it before I spend any surges) and the Inspiring Fortitude skill power (15 THP to my allies). Not sure about what Shaman at-will to choose. The Druid summon is another attacker and damage soaker, and will keep enemies away from me (I can hit over its head thanks to staff expertise). The staff also adds some THP whenever an enemy misses a creature I've summoned. The World Serpent's Grasp is to synergise with a slowing character, allowing me to help put things prone when possible, but may be worth re-thinking.

Does it look ok? Am I forgetting anything really good? For the Shaman at-will, should I go for something to grant saves, to slide my allies about, or maybe a ranged attack? Or is the vanilla +1 to hit from the current choice a good one?

[ghost_warlock]

I remember that Lair Assault! I'll try not to give any spoilers. :smalltongue:

I'm a fan of Last Legion Officer for leader types, though admittedly it's less useful when you're limited on how often you can grant surges as in Lair Assaults.

World's Serpent's Grasp is a great pick for that Lair Assault. Don't forget to remind your DM about falling damage. :smallwink:

You may want to consider going hybrid cleric for a few tricks. For one, you save a feat and can get scale proficiency and a free shield bonus to AC without having to carry a shield (take Battle Cleric's Lore instead of Healer's Lore). It would also enable you to grab Recovery Strike, which grants at-will surgeless healing for the next ally to hit the target.

Failing that, you might want to consider Spirit's Shield as your shaman at-will since it provides the shammy's version of at-will surgeless healing. Also serves as a decent opportunity attack. Heck, cleric|shammy could provide continual surgeless healing if you have an ally to bump enemies away from your spirit companion to trigger Spirit's Shield. In that case you'd want to get the Healer's Brooch to inch up the surgeless healing (sadly, that's pretty much the only way for you to do it).

Edit: Forgot that Recovery Strike is Str-based. Still, cleric would be a good choice for Brand of the Sun to provide free saving throws.

[Epinephrine]

You may want to consider going hybrid cleric for a few tricks. For one, you save a feat and can get scale proficiency and a free shield bonus to AC without having to carry a shield (take Battle Cleric's Lore instead of Healer's Lore).
thanks, that is something I've considered, but I'd either lose the bear (a mobile +2 defense aura with AoO and tanking ability) and a summon that will attack for me (The giant toad's instinctive action is pretty solid), or the resist 5 power that I imagine will save us a lot of grief and the power that grants cover for the fight. I may be misplacing my faith in the bear, but it dioesn't take my healing powers to keep it going - just surges, and I'll have those to spare (and the AoO isn't bad, at 1d12+9 damage or so).
Is there a cleric power that can provide the same amount of resistance as protective roots (Resist 5 on me and all allies, for the encounter, no sustain)? That's the real reason I eyed Shaman; getting another body blocking summon is a bonus. I know a cleric can manage resist 5 with a minor action sustain, but I was worried that I might end up going down and the rest of the party would then wipe; or if something prevented me from taking actions we'd likewise be in trouble (I doubt we'll see stuns or dominates, but either of those would stop a sustained resist all).


Failing that, you might want to consider Spirit's Shield as your shaman at-will since it provides the shammy's version of at-will surgeless healing. Also serves as a decent opportunity attack. Heck, cleric|shammy could provide continual surgeless healing if you have an ally to bump enemies away from your spirit companion to trigger Spirit's Shield. In that case you'd want to get the Healer's Brooch to inch up the surgeless healing (sadly, that's pretty much the only way for you to do it).
I'd have to spend a feat to get the spirit's opportunity attack ability; it's a hybrid talent. Free surgeless healing would be nice; I'm figuring I'll have to make do with granting THPs and reducing incoming damage.


Edit: Forgot that Recovery Strike is Str-based. Still, cleric would be a good choice for Brand of the Sun to provide free saving throws.
Well, Shaman also has an at-will save granter - that's one of my dithers. Shaman level 1 at-wills include one that grants saving throws (Spirit of the Tempest, grants a save on an ally within 2 of you or your spirit companion as an effect), or another that has a shift 2 for an ally (again, as an effect).
The saving throw would potentially be useful, but I was trying to think about low-level effects that a save can end, and most didn't seem nasty. Ongoing damage is typically 5 at this level, and we'll resist that. Slow/Immobilise isn't too bad, I think we all have a ranged attack or equivalent (I can only do ranged attacks by flying my spirit about, but that's still a range 20 attack), and the shift 2 power could at least help with mobility when slowed.
I suppose there might be daze save ends effects, but those don't reduce the effectiveness of low-level characters nearly as much as higher level PCs, and again, a power that moves my allies might be better than a save.

So I'm back to that dilemma: a save granting at will, or a mobility granting at-will?
Oh, and thank you for no spoilers, and confirming that World Serpent's Grasp likely isn't a waste.