Gestalt Frontline/ healer

[Virdish]

Hey everyone I'm gearing up for a new campaign and the group is looking for a healer/frontline type (I know gimping myself but the concept is a little interesting) my initial thoughts are going towards clericish/maybe ToB. What I am looking for is some tips on classes that might work well in the role. I don't mind where they come from (wotc books only though) I'm not hard set on anything and am not looking for an entire build. I'm just hoping to get some seeds that I can throw together.

[bekeleven]

Well, that concept can be filled by a single-classed cleric, so cleric is obviously a contender. Righteous Might, Divine Power, Cleric is a better frontliner than fighter, plus skill monkey, plus healer, and can rebuilt every day by selecting new spells. Throw on Crusader and you'll have a bit of doubling up on abilities, as neither is a super-passive class, but the loadout and chassis are solid.

For Int synergy, consider throwing Archivist into a blender with Warblade and watch the tier 1 pop out. For a slightly wonkier (and probably worse) build, try Archivist + Monk with Kung-Fu Genius to move monk abilities to Int.

I myself am partial to Factotum // Anything to do anything, but it requires feats to make you Int SAD. I'm building a level 15 Factotum // Chameleon now, although I used Academic Priest from Legend of the Twins and Faerie Mysteries Initiate, which you may not have access to.

The most common use of Gestalt is to pair an action-heavy class (like most spellcasters) with a class that grants tons of passive bonuses, like high HD/BAB/Saves/Skills, or extra actions, or bonuses like flight. For this reason, classes like Crusader, Factotum, Monk, and Warlock are very popular as Gestalt halves.

[Red Fel]

The problem with a "Frontline healer" is that the two don't go well together. Combat healing is hard, and a poor use of the action economy. The best way to recover from injury is to not suffer injury in the first place - and that's by putting the injuror into the ground.

Ironically, one of the best combat healing classes, as you've pointed out, comes from ToB - it's the Crusader. Devoted Spirit maneuvers are exceptional for combat healing, because you can heal while killing things. Very few other classes get to do both at once - it's either heal or kill something, and usually the healing provokes an AoO.

By using a Crusader with a Cleric, either in a Cleric/Crusader/RKV build or by gestalting them, you can have access to Cleric spells for out-of-combat wand and scroll healing, and access to Devoted Spirit maneuvers for in-combat spot-healing. There is a handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2710) covering effective healing methods.

[Fouredged Sword]

Crusader 20 // Bard 5 / War Weaver 5 / Sublime Chord 10

Ok, read healing hymn. Look at war weaver ability to cast spells into the weave to go off all at once. Now read cure light wounds.

You can dump (1d8+5+ranks in preform)X5 on a the whole party as a move action.

Now, you have to use some cheese to get into war weaver in time. I prefer versatile spell caster and heighten, but sanctum spell can also work and saves you a feat.

Great party buffer, great front line armored fighter. Really good healer of HP. You get 9th level spells from the sorc/wiz list. You have a strike for when you need heal.

[Rebel7284]

The best frontline/healer is Ruby Knight Vindicator already with a bunch of buffs persisted to save on action economy. Crusader gives healing strikes while cleric can always use immediate actions for Close Wounds and keep fighting.

Ask your DM if you can take RKV in gestalt, it may count as a dual progression class.

If you can, you can use the free levels to pick up a bunch of passive abilities and more turn undead attempts.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Crusader 5/ Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader 9// Cloistered Cleric 11/ Contemplative 9

Crusader and Hellreaver both allow you to heal while you attack. Binder is to bind Naberius so you can pay Con damage to keep using your Hellreaver abilities. Cloistered Cleric is because you don't really need the hp, BAB, or proficiencies, and it gives you tons of skill points. You don't have to use Contemplative if you don't want to.

Edit: Also consider including Divine Oracle 4+ on the Cleric side for Evasion and Uncanny Dodge. You can get its feat prerequisite via the Frog God's Fane in Complete Scoundrel without spending a feat on it. Other good classes to put on the Cleric side include Paragnostic Apostle, Church Inquisitor, Ruathar, and Seeker of the Misty Isle.

[Psyren]

Crusader is your best bet in 3.5. PF has the Oradin build as well for a great frontline healer approach.

[Dimers]

Crusader is a solid choice, of course, but it doesn't provide anything besides hit point healing, and not huge bursts of that, either. If you're gestalt, you should consider psionics as a way to heal without losing your standard action. Combine psion with any tough, front-line-y class (duskblade and warblade are nice for Int synergy), then take schism and lots of swift-action powers.

Or how about ardent//cleric or ardent//swordsage?

[Virdish]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I know what I'm going to do.