Help Building a Healer's Cohort

[Bromley20]

I've been playing in an Eberron campaign and I need help coming up with a build for my healer's cohort. DM said I could build my cohort and I can use any 3.5 books, or 3.0 that was never updated. No dragon mags or 3rd party stuff though.

Party currently consists of:

Halfling Healer (from miniatures handbook) focused on healing and buffing
Human Sorcerer focused on debuffing and battlefield control
Human Bard focused on buffing and being party face
Orc Fighter focused on power attack and making stuff deader
Dwarf Cleric focused on being 2nd party face and battlefield control
Elf Ranger/Rogue focused on being the skill monkey and assassin


The rest of the party isn't super optimized so I don't want a super cheesy build for the cohort. My healer is slowly going to try to start a network of clinics that can heal people and use the redemption mechanics to slowly convert people to good. I would like this cohort to focus on converting people and enter classes like Emissary of Barachiel or Evangelist. I don't really know how to build a character to convert people to our side without just making a diplomancer with +50 or more to diplomacy. I've looked at Jowgen's Redeemery (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?410846-The-Redeemery-Saving-Souls-for-Good-and-Profit-Work-in-Progress) for making a redemption character but a paladin wouldn't work well since half the party is evil or borderline evil. Any suggestions for a way to make a decent evangelist, emissary, or other similar "convert the masses" classes?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Maybe do the Paladin thing but use Paladin of Tyranny in UA. If they’ll be adventuring with you, I’d go Cloistered Cleric 1/ Paladin of Tyranny 19 for the final build, with the Inquisition domain and Knowledge Devotion. Trade the Paladin rebuke undead for divine counterspell, and take the feat Divine Defiance. Be sure to have enough ranks in knowledge: arcana to get the synergy bonus to divine counterspell. This way he can spend a cleric rebuke undead use on divine defiance to use divine counterspell as an immediate action, and the inquisition domain plus anything that boosts his effective rebuke undead level will boost that check.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Bromley20
My healer is slowly going to try to start a network of clinics that can heal people and use the redemption mechanics to slowly convert people to good.


Originally Posted by Biffoniacus_Furiou
Maybe do the Paladin thing but use Paladin of Tyranny in UA.

The paladin of tyranny loses his class abilities if he willingly commits a good act, and healing strangers and converting them to good almost certainly counts as a good act.

Also, if the cohort is aiming for Emissary of Barachiel, he or she needs to be lawful good, which rules the paladin of tyranny right out.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The paladin of tyranny loses his class abilities if he willingly commits a good act, and healing strangers and converting them to good almost certainly counts as a good act.

Also, if the cohort is aiming for Emissary of Barachiel, he or she needs to be lawful good, which rules the paladin of tyranny right out.

He said the party is mostly evil or borderline-evil, and Emissary of Barachiel is exalted, so it's an even less viable option than Paladin of Tyranny.

Converting creatures to your cause, especially by force via magic, is absolutely an evil act, regardless of your intentions.

I don't see you providing any useful suggestions here.

[RNightstalker]

I've been playing in an Eberron campaign and I need help coming up with a build for my healer's cohort.

My healer is slowly going to try to start a network of clinics that can heal people and use the redemption mechanics to slowly convert people to good

but a paladin wouldn't work well since half the party is evil or borderline evil.

Your cohort is going to have a tough time converting anyone...

[EndlessKng]

Evangelist is the easier of the two to enter, so let's start there.

Evangelists are in need of many skill points, so a skill monkey is probably the best bet. A Bard, Rogue, or Factotum is probably the best bet overall. A bard wouldn't necessarily preclude Emissary eventually if they go lawful; they just won't be able to advance, but can still operate, so don't write them off for that. But otherwise, those are probably the three best classes to get into it, especially since social skills are needed.

That said, a Marshal or Dragon Shaman could also work. Marshals get the skills built in. Dragon Shaman can do it, but only with the more chaotic chromatics, so they're probably less likely to hit the LG alignment for Emissary, but if you aim for Evangelist instead you're probably more likely to hit it.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Bromley20
…and use the redemption mechanics to slowly convert people to good.


Originally Posted by Biffoniacus_Furiou
Converting creatures to your cause, especially by force via magic, is absolutely an evil act, regardless of your intentions.

Completely untrue. There’s nothing that says converting someone to your cause is automatically evil.

The OP also specified the redemption mechanics, which are in the BoED. Using these mechanics to redeem an evil soul is explicitly a good act, as detailed on p. 8 of the BoED.


Originally Posted by Biffoniacus_Furiou
I don't see you providing any useful suggestions here.

Your suggestion doesn’t work within the OP’s parameters.


Originally Posted by RNightstalker
Your cohort is going to have a tough time converting anyone...

To be fair, the OP never said the cohort would be converting party members. The clear intent is to convert people in the general population, who are by definition NPCs.

.

[Bromley20]

Not sure if this will help with the alignment debate happening. I am playing a neutral good character who attempts to save evil people by converting them instead of killing them. I am traveling with the morally questionable party to undo the damage they cause and slowly see if I can get them to change their ways over the course of the campaign (with player approval of course, don't want to use mechanics to force alignment changes on them). I spend most of my down time away from the party healing people, running a soup kitchen, and other acts of charity. My plan for the cohort is to have them help out with helping those in need and redeeming evil NPCs in the general public.

As for class suggestions, Bard seems like it could be pretty good since it has casting capabilities and a decent selection of utility spells. Having a second bard that can provide situational spells like circle dance, healthful rest, and animal messenger would be nice. As was pointed out, having an exalted cohort with this party would be difficult so I will probably use Evangelist. Bard and Evangelist levels also seem to stack for bonuses of known songs which is also nice. Marshal could be useful since their minor aura could increase diplomacy and make redeeming NPCs easier. However, I feel like the ability to grant move action, weapon and armor proficiency, and major auras would be wasted since I don't plan on them being present for combat too often. Dragon Shaman's vigor and presence aura could be useful for the theme of healing and converting people but I could just take a feat for them. It also seems like it would require a lot of cross class skills to enter Evangelist. So far it seems like I'll go with Bard into Evangelist. I'll lose casting progression but that doesn't matter too much to me right now. Any other class or feat recommendations are still welcome and thanks for all the suggestions so far. I never would have thought of Marshal or Factotum as an entry class. That Paladin build actually seems interesting and I'll try it out if this character dies. They may end up fitting with the party better than my current healer. The rest of the party enjoys having the healer around to act as the voice of reason so I don't plan on switching characters unless I die.

[RNightstalker]

To be fair, the OP never said the cohort would be converting party members. The clear intent is to convert people in the general population, who are by definition NPCs.
.

I was/am well aware of that. It just begs the question why run with that group when they're making your job harder not easier? I also recognize the difference between mere association (which this isn't) and something more inclusive (which this is).


Not sure if this will help with the alignment debate happening. I am playing a neutral good character who attempts to save evil people by converting them instead of killing them. I am traveling with the morally questionable party to undo the damage they cause and slowly see if I can get them to change their ways over the course of the campaign (with player approval of course, don't want to use mechanics to force alignment changes on them). I spend most of my down time away from the party healing people, running a soup kitchen, and other acts of charity. My plan for the cohort is to have them help out with helping those in need and redeeming evil NPCs in the general public.

As for class suggestions, Bard seems like it could be pretty good since it has casting capabilities and a decent selection of utility spells. Having a second bard that can provide situational spells like circle dance, healthful rest, and animal messenger would be nice. As was pointed out, having an exalted cohort with this party would be difficult so I will probably use Evangelist. Bard and Evangelist levels also seem to stack for bonuses of known songs which is also nice. Marshal could be useful since their minor aura could increase diplomacy and make redeeming NPCs easier. However, I feel like the ability to grant move action, weapon and armor proficiency, and major auras would be wasted since I don't plan on them being present for combat too often. Dragon Shaman's vigor and presence aura could be useful for the theme of healing and converting people but I could just take a feat for them. It also seems like it would require a lot of cross class skills to enter Evangelist. So far it seems like I'll go with Bard into Evangelist. I'll lose casting progression but that doesn't matter too much to me right now. Any other class or feat recommendations are still welcome and thanks for all the suggestions so far. I never would have thought of Marshal or Factotum as an entry class. That Paladin build actually seems interesting and I'll try it out if this character dies. They may end up fitting with the party better than my current healer. The rest of the party enjoys having the healer around to act as the voice of reason so I don't plan on switching characters unless I die.

That makes a little more sense. If healing is a main focus, there's always RSoP.