Favored Soul Help

[melchizedek]

I'm going to be playing a favored soul, and I'm having some trouble with the build. The basic idea behind the concept is a body guard/mercenary who has been chosen by Helm (FR LN god of protectors.) He doesn't really know why he has been chosen, and he doesn't know what Helm wants from him.

Ideally, I'd like the character to be my groups primary healer, and to be a decent secondary fighter. Helm's favored weapon is the bastard sword, so the best option is likely going to be to use that.

I'm allowed 32 point buy, and I'll be starting at level 5. Here's what I'm currently thinking for stats (after +1 at level 4)
STR: 14
DEX: 11
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 18

I don't care about using any offensive spells, so I don't need to be worried about saves.

What feats do I take to make this character useful in combat, or take make healing/buffs (either self buffs or party buffs) more effective. What buffs are good for this sort of character (level 1 or 2 spells at this point, although advice on what spells to take later would also be appreciated)? What items should I look for?

I have access to pretty much any book, after I run things by the DM. I don't want this character to be hugely cheesy, but I do want him to be effective.

[SamTheCleric]

Augment Healing is your friend.

Also, you will be two-handing the bastard sword unless you take the exotic weapon prof. (favored soul grants you martial, not exotic)

[melchizedek]

Augment Healing looks awesome. Thanks.

Are you sure about the bastard sword? All it says under Weapon and Armor Proficiency is "A favored soul is also proficient with her deity’s favored weapon." It seems to me that, if the weapon is exotic, that would mean the favored soul gained the exotic weapon proficiency.

[Hal]

Versatile Caster (Races of Dragon) is always a good one. It lets you burn 2 spell slots in order to cast a spell one level higher.

Alternatively, Domain Feats or Reserve Feats (Complete Champion) are always good for a holy warrior styled character.

[Darrin]

Are you sure about the bastard sword? All it says under Weapon and Armor Proficiency is "A favored soul is also proficient with her deity’s favored weapon." It seems to me that, if the weapon is exotic, that would mean the favored soul gained the exotic weapon proficiency.

The text is a little ambiguous, but this is how gaining a proficiency through the War domain works. Bastard swords are treated as two-handed martial weapons if you don't have EWP, so a deity that grants proficiency with it grants it as a martial weapon proficiency. Using it one-handed would require spending a feat on Exotic Weapon Proficiency.

Check with your DM, he might be willing to let it slide as granting EWP.

[Benejeseret]

Make sure your party understands the difference between a combat healer, and a after-combat healer.

You want to be an after-combat healer.

Otherwise all your turns are spend healing others in combat and potentially wasting your build. Make them pick up healing belts, potions, and wands and make sure they can look after themselves. Take vigor spells rather than cure ___ wounds to drive the point home.


If you are set on being a in-combat healer, check out the Favoured Soul variant Deity's Favour (PH2 p43) which grants bonus healing every time you cast a buff spell.


Items like the slippers of Battledancing, or the gauntlets of ...(darn, forget the name...check bard threads) that add charisma as fire damage to the gauntlets.

Possible feats like chain spell to link good buffs (and the variant heals) to everyone. Perhaps better to use a Rod of Chain or some such to save the feat.

[Kizara]

Power Attack and Divine Might (CDiv).

There's the Healer's Belt (or is it Belt of Healing?) in the MiC. Get that, it's > a Wand of CLW IMO.

[melchizedek]

Thanks for all the great advice.

@Hal: I don't own Complete Champion (I've never heard anything good about it.) What do the domain or reserve feats do?

@Kizara: Doesn't Divine Might have the ability to turn/rebuke undead?

I had a question about the spontaneous healer feat. Reading it, it would appear that by knowing one cure spell, and taking that feat, I should be able to cast all cure spells on the cleric list spontaneously, even without knowing them. Is that correct?