Suggestions for a new party member

[mistermysterio]

Have a Pathfinder group. We are currently at level 17 and nearing the end of our campaign. Our make-up is currently:

1. PoW Warlord primarily using mithral current and silver crane disciplines (with a little primal fury and scarlet throne)
2. Slayer built around nonlethal sneak attacks and dimensional dervish
3. Witch with a mix of witchy hexes and spells
4. Sorcerer who originally was specc'ed to do no damage (primarily focused on control-type spells), but has recently picked up some fire and acid type spells (due to in-game RP stuff)
5. Life Oracle

We sometimes have (players come inconsistently... maybe 1 in every 4 or 5 sessions):
6. Ranger
7. Investigator


Any suggestions on a class that will best balance out this team (primarily the original 5 members). We could probably use a buff/debuff focused class (we had a bard who died) OR some sort of tank (though we have a warlord, GM doesn't want any more PoW classes... so no warder :(. Maybe a combat maneuver-focused class?)

Thanks ;)

[Geddy2112]

I think bard would do nicely, although a buff caster like a cleric would also work.

A fighter/brawler or even a maneuver based monk would be okay too, but less effective than the above options. That said, the party is pretty solid as is and a new player could really be any class.

[zlefin]

I agree another bard would be the best choice, and that the party is diverse enough that anything woudl work really.
At level 17, skillmonkey-ing tends to be far less relevant (not that it's ever that vital)

Try out a Spherecaster (i.e. spheres of power) buffer of some sort perhaps?

[mistermysterio]

How does a Skald stack up, in terms of capabilities, to Bard?

[noob]

Skald have a significantly smaller spell list due to inferior add on support.
But if you do not care much about spell list it is quite similar to a regular bard.

[mistermysterio]

isn't their spell list the same list as the bard?

At level 17, they should be capable of accessing all of the same spells, no?

[noob]

Sorry I did read wrong.
So it have the same spellcasting as bard.

[mistermysterio]

yeah... just fewer songs and skills, but more combat capabilities with rage and rage powers. *shrug*

[Kurald Galain]

Skald is best in a party with a number of strength-based frontliners. I don't think that matches your current party well.

Frankly, I'd say the three full casters can do plenty of buffing, and would suggest either another frontliner or an archer. If the current frontliners are primarily damage dealers, focus on a reach tripper. If one of the frontliners is already on battlefield control, focus on damage.

[noob]

Alternatively be a summoner and have a pet who is a front-liner and also a summoner who can spam summons(spread the control of the summons between allies so that turns all take the same time).

[Eldariel]

Nothing wrong with doubledipping. A necromancer Wizard or Cleric could fill both, tank and buffer roles. You could also doubledip in permanent minions (Undead, Simulacrums, Planar Binds/Allies) and Summons as PF Summon Monster line is really strong indeed, and Clerics and Wizards are some of the best summoners. Acadamae Graduate and Sacred Summons respectively. They can of course also personally fight, Wizard by turning into a dragon (very powerful with just a modest investment in physical stats and items) and Cleric through self-buffing (Samsaran with Mystic Past Life also allows borrowing Named Bullet or such).

Summoner or Druid could also indeed be fun and fit the bill but for buffery, they fall a lot behind the Wizard/Cleric. Wizard with PAO can give modest allday buffs to everyone (including minions) and brings the usual Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Invisibility, Heroism, etc. to the table while Cleric particularly with Domains has basically anything.

[noob]

Minionmancing wizard is about excel table mastery and accounting.(I wish there was a prc about accounting or bureaucracy in a manual for wizards so that people researching the classes to take for his wizard can find it easily)
Then when a fight happens the gm wonders why he did send opponents in the first place.
Heck you do not even need useful minions if you have enough kind of minions: the gm will just wish you did not knew by heart all the monster manuals ever instead of trying to find what would work.

[Eldariel]

Minionmancing wizard is about excel table mastery and accounting.(I wish there was a prc about accounting or bureaucracy in a manual for wizards so that people researching the classes to take for his wizard can find it easily)
Then when a fight happens the gm wonders why he did send opponents in the first place.
Heck you do not even need useful minions if you have enough kind of minions: the gm will just wish you did not knew by heart all the monster manuals ever instead of trying to find what would work.

Depends on how deep you go. One-two big bruiser thingies and whatever you summon tends to not obviate things entirely and neither does e.g. support caster but yes, if you do as much as possible, there'll be issues. Luckily there's the middle ground of keeping a manageable amount.

[EldritchWeaver]

(we had a bard who died) OR some sort of tank (though we have a warlord, GM doesn't want any more PoW classes... so no warder :(. Maybe a combat maneuver-focused class?)

Thanks ;)

Maybe instead of PoW Spheres of Might are more palatable to your GM. It increases options for martials without adding an additional complex subsystem, instead trying to broaden the existing mechanics. Also it is light on the conditions you need to fulfill to be able to do a chosen option. If you have chosen the particular combat talent and are in a situation where the combat talent is applicable, many talents just work. Some require that you a combat focus, some require to expend a combat focus. You can get the focus back once per round, with the right talents as a part of an action like reloading a weapon.