[Pathfinder Only] Creating a Support Only character - What are the best options

[thematgreen]

Hello friends,

I play with a group who does not optimize their characters very well, so I generally have a character who (with minor min/maxing) is magnitudes more powerful than the rest of the group combined. Nobody has complained but I feel bad for being able to single handedly take on any encounter skewed for the levels/abilities of the group.

So in the spirit of taking a step back I want a purely support only character, focusing on buffs, healing, skills to assist the group, and such without entering combat.

I don't have any stats rolled or classes in mind so the sky is the limit for ideas.

I was looking at the Vows and those seem interesting, but they seem to be monk only. I remember some kind of other Vow where you get AC and other benefits by taking that vow...maybe in book of exalted deeds...does anything like that exist in Pathfinder?


Help me Pathfinders, you're my only hope.

[Red Fel]

Bard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard) or Skald (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald). Bard is the ultimate force multiplier, and Skald adds Barbarian rage to that - and allows you to share it with your friends.

Really, you could do a lot worse than straight Bard, though. Just grab it, pick an archetype you like. If you're going for full-on support, you could do worse than Songhealer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard/archetypes/paizo---bard-archetypes/songhealer) or Watersinger (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-undine/watersinger); they're not amazing (although Watersinger has some neat tricks), but they're great for support roles.

As for sacred vows, you might be thinking of the Oathbound (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/paladin/archetypes/paizo---paladin-archetypes/oathbound-paladin) Paladin (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/paladin) archetype. They're... Not all amazing, if you ask me.

[CGNefarious]

Skald is a great way to be a more aggressive support character who works well with a melee focused team. You can support your team and still lay the smackdown on enemies pretty easily.

You could go Oradin for the ultimate healing and still have plenty of buff spells.

If you are ok with Dreamscarred Press material, both the Vitalist and the Tactician are great support characters. The Vitalist is an amazing healer and the Tactician will multiply your teams combat abilities.

[Kurald Galain]

Ranger with Freebooter archetype. Just point at any enemy and your whole party gains to-hit bonuses against him.

[Barstro]

If you are willing to kind of enter combat, you can do a Witch. However, it is much more obvious that you are the one hogtying the enemies and your friends are just there to beat up the helpless. On the plus side, you can step in and quickly end fights if things start to go south.

[blackspeeker]

I've been playing a Vitalist for several months now, I highly recommend it, I'm full on support and have only had to get directly involved with the combat encounters once or twice.

So unless by pathfinder only you meant paizo only then I highly recommend Dreamscarred Press's vitalist and by extension the tactician

[Sayt]

Skald is a great way to be a more aggressive support character who works well with a melee focused team. You can support your team and still lay the smackdown on enemies pretty easily.

You could go Oradin for the ultimate healing and still have plenty of buff spells.

If you are ok with Dreamscarred Press material, both the Vitalist and the Tactician are great support characters. The Vitalist is an amazing healer and the Tactician will multiply your teams combat abilities.


If Dreamscarred is okay, The Bannerman Warlord Archetype is also very good at support, and picking up a glut of Golden Lion maneuvers should support this excellently, providing allies with bonus damage, free movement, letting them act out of order, etc.

[Secret Wizard]

Don't go with a CHA class, you'll end up taking all the social skills too.

If you want to be the true party support, go Sensei Monk. Go full WIS. Take the Mantis Style line of feats and Crushing Blow. Pick a small race for Mountain-Splitting Strike. You get:

- Bardic Performances
- Good skills, including some knowledge
- Buffing abilities, able to grant monk features to other players (feel free to combine this with Ki Mystic if you please)
- Massive AC and Will saves and much better attack than any Monk, since your AC, attack and Will are all tied to Wisdom.
- HIGHEST DC STUNNING FISTS IN THE WORLD. +2 from Mantis, +2 from Mountain-Splitting Strike, and +a million for having 24+ Will at level 5. A properly built Sensei, at level 5, should have a DC23 Stunning Fist. That's a 50/50 chance of knocking down an elephant.
- CRUSHING BLOW! This is the most fun you have. If an enemy is immune to Stunning Fist or if you can take a full-round action, use Crushing Blow to dish out massive punishment.

The feel, playstyle and flow of Sensei is really wonderful. Plus you can take Vows and Qinggong abilities.

[Starbuck_II]

I've been playing a Vitalist for several months now, I highly recommend it, I'm full on support and have only had to get directly involved with the combat encounters once or twice.

So unless by pathfinder only you meant paizo only then I highly recommend Dreamscarred Press's vitalist and by extension the tactician

You don't use your steal health ability as a vitalist? What do you rely on to do?


Don't go with a CHA class, you'll end up taking all the social skills too.

If you want to be the true party support, go Sensei Monk. Go full WIS. Take the Mantis Style line of feats and Crushing Blow. Pick a small race for Mountain-Splitting Strike. You get:

- Bardic Performances
- Good skills, including some knowledge
- Buffing abilities, able to grant monk features to other players (feel free to combine this with Ki Mystic if you please)
- Massive AC and Will saves and much better attack than any Monk, since your AC, attack and Will are all tied to Wisdom.
- HIGHEST DC STUNNING FISTS IN THE WORLD. +2 from Mantis, +2 from Mountain-Splitting Strike, and +a million for having 24+ Will at level 5. A properly built Sensei, at level 5, should have a DC23 Stunning Fist. That's a 50/50 chance of knocking down an elephant.
- CRUSHING BLOW! This is the most fun you have. If an enemy is immune to Stunning Fist or if you can take a full-round action, use Crushing Blow to dish out massive punishment.

The feel, playstyle and flow of Sensei is really wonderful. Plus you can take Vows and Qinggong abilities.

Take 2 levels in Ninja and you an grant everyone in party invisibility or mirror image. :smallbiggrin:
Ninja abilities are Ki abilities after all.

[blackspeeker]

You don't use your steal health ability as a vitalist? What do you rely on to do?
I had forgot about steal health, I've used it pretty rarely, so those two times I've been directly involved in combat are wrong. The two times I was thinking of were me using Hostile Empathic Transfer.


Anyway what I do is a lot of buffs, I normally open an encounter with Biofeedback or Expansion, and sometimes, but rarely Animal Affinity for either added strength or con, combat doesn't normally last too long I've been making a lot of beatsticks beatier.

[Baroncognito]

Evangelist Cleric.

You get Bardic Performance. You get 9th level divine casting. You get Channel Energy.

Downsides: Only one domain, slightly reduced power for Channel Energy, you're tempted to put all your point buy into Wisdom and Charisma.

[Necromancy]

Play a wizard specialized in battlefield control like wall spells and such. While the other players are battling the monsters, you're playing chess with the DM