Not sure what to play... (URGENT)

[kyuubigan]

Our group is starting a new campaign for 3.5 dnd, and I'm not sure what to play. We're starting at level 2, and I rolled the following stats:

18 14 12 11 11 7

And the party so far consists of:

Elf Rogue going into Swashbuckler then Battle Trickster
Human Wizard/Fighter going into Abjurant Champion
Human Sorceror/Warlock going into Eldritch Theurge
Human two-weapon Ranger

The party seems pretty balanced, but we lack a healer. But I don't want to get stuck as the band-aid, either.

Just some friendly advice would be greatly appreciated

[LOLC2k]

HMmm.. in the morning I'll post more, it's about 2 AM here... I would say try a dragon shaman since they can heal without wasting their turns... but they don't get healing at level 2... hmmm... tough one. Maybe a bard or factotum? I don't want to recommend any walking band-aids (clerics, FS, Healer)...

[Tempest Fennac]

Cleric or Favoured Soul would be a good choice due to how they can do much more then just heal people if you pick the right spells. Shugenja from Complete Divine would be another descent option if you didn't mind having the sort of spells you could take limited by whichever element you focus on. If you have Tome of Battle, Crusader would help as well. While the party looks like it could use more melee fighting, which the Shugenja is admittedly useless for, the Archivist, http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x...051007a&page=3 , can potentially learn any spell in the game.

[Brock Samson]

Druid or Cleric, but just refuse to be a walking bandaid and tell people to buy Healing Belts. That way you can remove status effects when necessary, which your lack of a real divine-caster is not so wonderful for, you get full-casting, plus are a fantastic beat-stick, and with Druid have a companion beat-stick as well.

In fact, go for Gnome Druid for the Con bonus and general awesomeness of being a tiny person, and being able to RIDE YOUR COMPANION. But seriously, spend most of your time in Wildshape with Natural Spell. Fun will be had.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Killoren Druid 20, Str 7, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 11, Natural Bond, Magic of the Land, Natural Spell, Companion Spellbond, Quicken Spell, Multiattack, Combat Reflexes.

Killoren and Magic of the Land are in Races of the Wild, Companion Spellbond is in PHB2, Natural Bond is in Complete Adventurer, everything else is core. Start with a Wolf animal companion. At level 4 you can get a Fleshraker dinosaur for your animal companion from MM3, it takes 24 hours of prayer to summon it so it doesn't matter if they aren't native to the area you're in. Natural Bond will negate the -3 to your druid level for its extra HD and other benefits since you can apply your own bonuses and penalties in whatever order you choose. Use Aspect of the Hunter until you get Magic of the Land, then start using Aspect of the Ancient and be sure to keep max ranks in Knowledge: Nature. Make the party all chip in for Wands of Cure Light Wounds to heal up between encounters, the Ranger can use them too as long as his Wisdom score is 11+.

[Crazy Scot]

I second the use of Druid. Druids can fill a number of needs in a party from extra fighters (wildshape), buffs (spells), and flanking (companion). All you need to add to this is one feat and you can be a part-time healbot without having to dedicate all your spells to it. Unfortunately, it requires the ability to cast 2nd level spells, so it will have to wait until next level (in the mean time get a wand of cure light). The feat I am talking about is Touch of Healing [Complete Champion p. 62]. It is a reserve feat that says as long as you have a conjuration (healing) spell available to be cast you can (as a standard action) heal the touched creature of 3 hp/spell level. This only works on creatures who have hp below half, and it can only bring them up to half hp. It costs a feat, but it allows you to be a quasi-healbot without hurting your build too much. Go Druid and fill whatever niche in the party you want, then use this feat to help the meatshields when they need it.

[Tempest Fennac]

I think that Reserve feat requires that you have a level 2 healing sopell stored to use it as well, which would require you to take something like Lesser Restoration as a Druid whenever you prepare spells.

[InaVegt]

Play a druid, take the spontaneous rejuvenation variant, take the spontaneous healer feat, and if you want to summon, take the spontaneous summoner feat.

You won't need to prepare any healing spells, but you'll have healing to spare anyway.

Spontaneous rejuvenation is usually superior to the cleric's spontaneous healing, but this way you don't need to choose.

[Killer Angel]

I would play a druid, but i think that also a cleric is fine, if the alignment is evil or neutral.
If you cannot cast spontaneous cure and your deity is not a kind one, you won't fill the healbot role.

[Farlion]

The party seems pretty balanced, but we lack a healer. But I don't want to get stuck as the band-aid, either.

As far as I see it, you also lack a tank. Healers can be replaced by Wands, Tanks cannot.

But if you want to be the one with the heal spells I'd go with favored soul or druid.

Cheers,
Farlion

[InaVegt]

As far as I see it, you also lack a tank. Healers can be replaced by Wands, Tanks cannot.

But if you want to be the one with the heal spells I'd go with favored soul or druid.

Cheers,
Farlion

At this level, the Animal Companion of a druid is a perfectly good tank.

[Farlion]

At this level, the Animal Companion of a druid is a perfectly good tank.

Hmm... here comes the ultra uber question that has been burning in me for some time: Whats a tank for you in D&D?

(I don't think an animal companion can be a sufficiently good tank, but thats just how I play)

Cheers,
Farlion

[InaVegt]

Hmm... here comes the ultra uber question that has been burning in me for some time: Whats a tank for you in D&D?

(I don't think an animal companion can be a sufficiently good tank, but thats just how I play)

Cheers,
Farlion

Take a wolf as animal companion, this beasty can attempt a risk free trip at every hit, cast magic fang at occasions where you'd normally give the party fighter magic weapon.

A 2nd level fighter would need to spend two feats to get roughly equal tripping skill, which leaves both the wolf and the fighter with one free feat.

The wolf's tripping ability still denies the defender the chance to trip the wolf, unlike the fighter's. If the wolf would take combat expertise instead if weapon focus, it'd could take improved trip at the druid's level up, and be capable of going attack -> trip -> attack every round and attack of opportunity, that is better than what most equal level humanoid tanks can do.

This way, the wolf can pretty reliably keep any single enemy he wants close to him close to him, and more at higher levels.

[Curmudgeon]

Do you want to mainly be a healer? Then pick Cleric and whatever domains suit your interests. If you want to be a generally sturdy martial type that can also heal, go Favored Soul. Here the trick is to pick a deity that works for you. Kossuth's favored weapon is the spiked chain, so you gain Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain) immediately, then Weapon Focus (spiked chain) as soon as you level up, and Weapon Specialization (spiked chain) later.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I'd say go dragon shaman... pick up vigor aura and then theres no worries..

Though i guess the real question is, Ignoring the rest of the party what do you feel like playing?

[Crazy Scot]

I know what I suggested (Touch of Healing feat) is a reserve feat, that is why I said that it requires you to have a conjuration (healing) spell available to be cast. But unlimited healing (up to 1/2 hp) for the cost of one spell isn't too bad. Then you hold onto the wand of cure light wounds so someone else can heal you (UMD) if necessary later. It does cost a spell slot, but you should have at least one bonus spell slot (if you put the 17 into Wis) at 3rd level. That would give you one 2nd level spell and your 1st level spells to play with all day. And when you get higher level spells, you don't have to increase the level of the spell slot you are using to "hold" the reserve prerequisite.

[kyuubigan]

Though i guess the real question is, Ignoring the rest of the party what do you feel like playing?

I'm not really sure, that's why I'm posting. Though the druid is a valid argument, I'm not really in the mood to role-play a tree hugging shape-shifter.

Bard seems like an interesting way to go, and I haven't played one yet.

Favored souls, though powerful, are not what I had in mind. Plus I don't have the stats to play one effectively.

Clerics are always a good option, especially a cleric of Wee Jas or something.

Factotum is intriguing, but I don't have the source material, which is required in order to use something at my group.

Those are my thoughts so far. I'm now basically torn between cleric and bard.

[Thrawn183]

Since I have never gotten to play a crusader, I'm going to suggest you do so and live vicariously through you.

[Another_Poet]

If you're allowed to change the order of your stats I'd put the 14 in Int and play a Duskblade. Let someone else be the healer or go without a dedicated healer.

A gnome duskblade on a riding dog is made of win.

[Killer Angel]

Bard seems like an interesting way to go, and I haven't played one yet.

Clerics are always a good option, especially a cleric of Wee Jas or something.

Those are my thoughts so far. I'm now basically torn between cleric and bard.

A cleric with the trickery domain could be funny... suddenly you are a good infiltrator, with good domain spells, and certainly you're not a bag of healing. Then you can go for some good PrC.

Bard are not my favourite class, so i'm not going to support the idea...

[Eldariel]

Druid is probably best for filling the role the party needs filled. ClericZilla could also do a fair job, but that takes a slightly larger amount of work on those levels. On the upside, you could easily persist Mass Lesser Vigor soon enough to remove the problem of healing entirely. Bard could be very decent healer and support, but not much of a tank.

But yeah, anything with UMD or Cure Light Wounds on the list can do decent job as a healer. Druid, Cleric and Bard all have bigger advantages though.

[Silence]

I've always liked dual wielding rangers. In fact, my favorite character I ever made was one.

[Waspinator]

There's always artificer. You can eventually make some iron defenders or something to help out in melee and you can craft and use some wands of whatever healing spell you want in order to cover that niche as well. Of course, artificers can cover almost any spell-related role if you're willing to spend enough cash on scrolls and wands.

[Devils_Advocate]

The 3.5 cleric was pretty much designed to be an excellent healer but more than just a healer. It gives full access to a variety of useful spells and the potential to be specialized in any of several directions. You might want to consider just looking through the available gods* for one that seems like it would be interesting play a cleric of. Odds are good that you can find one.

*Which setting is this, and what deities are available?

Bard could also be good, but it seems like it might overlap a bit with the rogue. But it also might not, depending on what each of you decides to do.

[Garian]

Those are my thoughts so far. I'm now basically torn between cleric and bard.

Druid would have been my first suggestion.
I find clerics as fairly bad unless playing band-aids.
I would not go there.

Bards are fun with an 18 cha. I would go bard, even though your party has far to many arcane spell casters already.

[Eldariel]

Druid would have been my first suggestion.
I find clerics as fairly bad unless playing band-aids.
I would not go there.

Clerics need two-three spells to become competent Fighters. Few more to become vastly superior than Fighters (in Core, the 3 most obvious ones: Divine Power, Divine Favor, Righteous Might - if battle is joined R1 of the encounter, quickened Divine Power and go to town; otherwise Righteous Might+Quickened Divine Favor into Quickened Divine Power + full attack).

Other than that, they buff the whole team with awesome spells like Magic Vestment and Greater Magic Weapon (plus Beads of Karma from Strand of Prayer Beads) that last effectively whole day, walk in the air, teleport, have an array of save-or-dies and overall just kick ass.


"Fairly bad" is hardly a term to use on them. They can layeth the smackdown with the best of them, while healing when necessary (in-combat, it's rarely efficient beyond the actual Heal-spell; better kill the opponent and have the badly damaged guy heal himself with Healing Belt and duck for cover. After combat though, Wand of Lesser Vigor along with few fix-'em up spells especially on low levels keeps the team running).

Of course, with Divine Metamagic: Persistent Spell, you can keep your buffs running all day so no need for the preparation rounds.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Maybe go with a Wild Elf Cleric of Fharlanghn, eventually go Cleric 6/ Ruathar 3/ Seeker of the Misty Isle 1/ Contemplative 10. He grants the Celerity, Luck, Protection, Travel, and Weather domains, so you'll eventually be able to have all five. I'd start with Celerity if you plan to use light armor, otherwise get Luck and Weather at level 1.

Savage Bard is another strong choice, in which case you may as well pick up Wild Cohort. Go Silverbrow Human from Dragon Magic, with flaws get Dragonfire Inspiration, Wild Cohort, Melodic Casting, and Obtain Familiar starting out. Get a Badger companion but don't get a familiar yet, take Song of the Heart at 3 and Improved Familiar at 6 for a Krenshar. That gives you two critters which each get three attacks/round, with a Badge of Valor and casting Inspirational Boost you'll be Inspiring for +4d6 fire damage on each of their attacks. I'd probably make it go Savage Bard 8/ Spellthief 1/ Mindbender 1/ Sublime Chord, then take a full spellcasting prestige class to advance SC. Take Master Spellthief and Mindsight at 9 and 12, then probably some metamagic feats for your higher level casting. Use a shortbow or a whip when you're not buffing, you'll get to add your Inspire Courage bonus to any weapon attacks whether melee or ranged.

[Thurbane]

Maybe a Binder (ToM) - you don't get healing until 5th level (binding Buer using the Improved Binding feat), but it allows for good flexibility, and you can heal the party up to full ad infinitum out of combat.