Min/Max Boards

This build is created as a versatile crossbow archer, usable on all levels. Main focus is on getting a high number of attacks.

Build (class, feats, special abilities) ; race: human ; no flaws

Fighter - point blank shot, precise shot, hand crossbow focus
Fighter - dead eye
Rogue - rapid shot, crossbow archer
Totemist
Totemist
Barbarian - extra rage
Rogue - two weapon fighting
Cloistered cleric - law devotion, knowledge devotion, improved initiative
Swordsage - improved two weapon fighting
Swordsage
Ruby Knight Vindicator
Ruby Knight Vindicator - woodland archer
Ruby Knight Vindicator
Ruby Knight Vindicator
Ruby Knight Vindicator - greater two weapon fighting
Ruby Knight Vindicator
Ruby Knight Vindicator
Ruby Knight Vindicator - divine might
Ruby Knight Vindicator
Ruby Knight Vindicator

Alternative class features / adaptions / variants

- Feat rogue (UA) - fighter bonus feats instead of sneak attack
- Ruby Knight Vindicator adaption - replace devoted spirit with tiger claw school
- Hit & run fighter (DotU) - only light armor, +2 initiative, dex to dam. vs flat footed
- Cloistered cleric (UA) - extra domain (knowledge), other minor details
- Whirling frenzy barbarian (UA) - rage gives extra attack for -2 to hit, +4 str, and +2 vs reflex and AC

Assumption

The trick with dual wielding hand crossbows is an answer to the question 'how to reload'? The description of the hand crossbow says: "You can draw a hand crossbow back by hand. ... you can shoot, but not load, a hand crossbow with each hand ...". Implication: you need a free hand to reload a crossbow, which seems reasonable. Magic of Incarnum states on the nature of soulmelds: "Once shaped, a soulmeld takes on a solid physical form in the shape specified for that particular meld." (p49) On page 68 the soulmeld Girallon arms is described, and the text specificly describes you get extra arms when bound to your totem chackra.

This is a case of "the rules don't say I can't"; the rules don't say specifically that Girallon arms can be used to reload a crossbow. Since they can be used to make attacks, and since they include a pair of hands attached to the arms, and the description of the crossbow says that free hands are necessary for reloading, I don't think it's too unreasonable to allow this.

Alternative, when a DM doesn't, a similar build is quite possible, with either a four arm race, like Tri-kreen or Diopsid, or with grafted additional arms, or a persisted / permanent Girallon's blessing.

Equipment

+6 belt of magnificence / belt of battle
+5 inherent dex bonus
2 splitting force +5 hand crossbows
Items that give extra turn attempts (like nightsticks)
- metamagic rod of extend spell

Conclusion - what does this build do?

With a concept like this, the risk is to end up with a gimmick build, that makes a lot of attacks but doesn't do anything else. I tried to avoid that here. What this build brings:

- rapid fire. At level 20, the build can make 30 attacks: 4 from BAB, 3 from two weapon fighting, 1 from rapid shot, 1 from whirling frenzy, 4 from raging mongoose, and 2 from dancing mongoose (and the extra swift action from divine impetus), all x2 from the 'splitting' enhancement on the crossbows. 1/day, with belt of battle, even more.
- attack bonus: +16 BAB (20 with divine power) + 11 dex + 5 (item) +1 (point blank shot) +7 (law devotion) + 1 (weapon focus) -2 (rapid shot) -2 (whirling frenzy) -2 (two weapon fighting) = +36. With the 30 attacks attack routine, 10 would be at +36. With divine power on, the first 10 attacks would be at +40. This does not include the extra to hit from knowledge devotion.
- damage: 1d4 + 5 (item) + 1 (point blank shot) + 11 (dead eye) + 5 (crossbow sniper) + 11 (againt flat footed) + knowledge devotion + divine might, no damage reduction (because force), for easily 30 - 40 damage / arrow. Times 30 = plenty of damage.
- initiative: this is a dex based character. Assume 16 dex + 5 (inherent) +5 (levels) +6 (item), there's a +11 dex bonus. Inclusing the +4 (improved initiative) +2 (hit & run acf) +2 (belt of battle), +1 (swordsage), the grand total is a +20 initiative bonus (not included other items, spells and buffs)
- Base saves: through the roof, with so many classes / prestige classes
- Maneuvers of an IL 16 martial adept (up to 8th level)
- Level 9 divine caster (up to 5th level spells)

So that leave to customize:
- loads of maneuvers and stances (the only ones filled in so far are a few tiger claw maneuvers), as an IL 16 martial adept.
- all cleric spell casting (lvl 9), so up to 5th level spells. Best choice is probably long duration stuff
- 2 soulmelds
- as good as all skill points, though some investment is needed to fuel knowledge devotion.

Starting at level 1, the build isn't strong yet: high initiative and AC (with buckler, a high dex and a chain shirt), but low damage. That gets better at level 2 and 3, while level 3 also gives some skill points to spend. At level 4 and 5, the levels of totemist provide a little utility or defense (there are good soulmelds to enhance AC), the totem chakra meld is needed only at level 7 for girallon's arms. Level 6 and 7 each give an extra attack, and level 8 gives a strong bonus to hit, a bonus on damage, and on initiative. Level 9 gives another 2 attacks, with 6 attacks you're doing fine at this level. Also maneuvers are added. Level 10 adds another maneuver, another stance and wis to AC. At this point, further levels increase both spell casting and martial adept levels, so power will develop smoothly into the higher levels.



Any comments, suggestions, additions, thoughts?

Handbook is here!Comments, suggestions and builds are welcome.

For suggestions, corrections and additions on this handbook: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=11381.0

All help is welcome.

I opened another thread for discussion: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=11384.0

Reason for this is that most discussions take place in the normal dnd 3.5 section, and real discussions here are (unfortunately) rather rare.

or: how mundane do the mundanes really have to be?

Introduction

Tl;dr-version: this is a handbook on how to get cool abilities for non-casters. God (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1570) knows they need them.

This board and its predecessors have had plenty of discussions on the magical versus the mundane. In short, the conclusion is mostly that the 'mundanes' (what's in a name?) suck and the magic users got all the good stuff. At one time, it was illustrated by someone with this list: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StoryBreakerPower - with the comment that all those things mentioned are spells. And indeed, all of them are. And after all, how can somebody who is good at swinging a sword compete with invisible, flying, fire shooting, teleporting mages that can stop time and change into a great beast at will?

Well... non-casters might not be able to compete with magic users (in an optimized game environment), but usually they don't have to compete with a wizard, but with stock Monster Manual monsters, and they have to be useful additions to the party. And more importantly: many of the game breaking super powers are there just for the taking for the non-casters as well, they don't need to merely swing their sword. In D&D, even Bob the dim witted fighter can fly: by having some dubious ancestors, by being devoted to a god or for other reasons (though 'dubious ancestors' ranks high when wanting something out of the ordinary, as this handbook will show). And the same goes for a lot of special powers: magic users get them easily through spells, but anybody can get them, in lots of different ways. And sometimes even earlier in the game and in more powerful or permanent versions then when given by spells.

This handbook will look into a number of abilities that are powerful, make a character more versatile and which are easily available by spells. Think of abilities like flying, invisibility, shape changing, teleportation, buffing, debuffing, getting extra actions, et cetera. Discussed is how these abilities can be gained by mundane classes and prestige classes, or by choosing the right race, feat, alternate class feature or skill. They are benchmarked against spells that give the same ability, regarding the way the abilities function, and the time (written as character level, not spell level) they are available. This should be an indication on how useful / necessary an ability is at the level it is available. 

Note: I've used stuff that I'm familiar with; I didn't go through extensive research in the list of stuff http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1412, for example. I'm pretty sure I miss both spells as alternatives for spells, feel free to add.

Magical items will be ignored, even though they offer a lot, if not all, the abilities discussed. In the first place, many campaigns don't have a ye old magic item shop and players don't have that much influence on what items they get. In the second place, items are often expensive. Although it's nice that Joe the expert (level 13) can teleport 3/day and fly at will with his boots of teleportation and wings of flying... that takes almost all his wealth by level and won't make him a Very Useful Member To Any Adventuring Group. For the same reasons, other equipment and grafts are ignored.

The almost but not quite spell casting classes, like binder, truenamer, incarnum classes, warlock, etc. will be ignored mostly as well. They don't cast spells, but aren't exactly mundane either. This handbook will focus on how to add some abilities to improve mundane classes (though this might happen through a feat like 'bind vestige' or 'bind shakra' or whatever). Tome of Battle is included, even though it falls a bit in between imo - but better to include too much then too little. Because the focus is 'alternatives for spells', I'll mostly use examples of spell-less variants of e.g. paladins and rangers.

On with the question: how to overcome mundanity, or how to compensate for 'not being a caster'.

For discussion on this thread: post here please: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=11384.0
For additions, suggestions and corrections, please post here: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=11385.0

Introduction to v2.0

On BG I started a thread called 'Waazraath's paladin build compendium' with a bunch of paladin builds that I deemed both interesting and playable at most levels and in most campaigns. On request of Larkas, I'm porting it over to this place. (the old compendium can be found here)

Since in the old thread, dozens and dozens of other great builds are contributed by other folks, I renamed the thread. I also added a bunch of hybrid paladin builds, based on a paladin chasis (at least 4 levels), and with a paladin-like feel and paladin-like abilities.

Enjoy!

Contents:

- Paladin builds from the original build compendium
- New builds for v2.0
- Builds contributed to the original build compendium
- observations & lessons
- more builds, add more, MORE!!1! (this is a request )

I created a thread for discussion here
New builds can be added to this thread, as far as I'm concerned.

Objective of this guide: to find an as-RAW-as-possible interpretation of the psionic variant of the Abjurant champion.

Contents

• Psionic abjurant champions
• The problems
• The solution
• Variants (or: a less strict interpretation)
• Conclusion
• Lists of applicable powers

Psionic abjurant champions

Abjurant champion is a prestige class from Complete Mage. It's a full bab, full caster prestige class with a d10 hd, a good will save and 2 skillpoints / level. It's generally considered to be a good class and a must for every gish build.

What makes it interesting are the rules under 'adaption'. The text says: "The abjurant champion can be made into a divine prestige class by altering the requirements and spellcasting progression. Alternatively, with a bit more work, the class can be transformed into a psionic prestige class, with its boost costing a range of psionic power points. (emphasis mine)

This is extremely nice. In the first place, it's simply a very good class, just as much for psionic characters as for arcane (or divine for that matter). Secondly, there aren't any other classes that allow both full BaB as well as full manifester progression. This makes this class a great addition for any psi gish build, even if it's only as simple as wilder 15 / psionic abjurant champion 5, or psychic warrior 15 / psionic abjurant champion 5.

Besides, given that it is in the book, using the variant is RAW.

The problems

The problem is, of course, in the line "with a bit more work". Let's go through the prestige class and see where the work is. Abilities that don't need any transistion to a psionic variant are black, arcane ones that are easily replaced with the same psionic ones are blue, and problems are red.

Entry requirements

Base attack bonus: +5
Feat: combat casting --> replace with combat manifestation
Spellcasting: must be able to cast 1st -level arcane spells, including at least one abjuration spell --> replace with 'must be able to manifest 1st-level powers, including ... eh... problem.'
Special: must be proficient with at least one martial weapon.

Class features

spellcasting --> manifestation
Extended abjuration --> problematic
Swift abjuration --> problematic
Arcane boost --> psionic boost. Instead of spending an uncast spell, expend the corresponding amount of power points, according to the table on page 63 Expanded Psionic Handbook (XPH).

Class skills

climb, concentration, craft, handle animal, intimidate, jump, ride, swim
Knowledge (arcana) --> knowledge (psionics)
Spellcraft --> psicraft[/color]

The solution

So basicly, the 'more work' boils down to defining a replacement for 'abjuration' within the powers. Unfortunately, though there are rules in the XPH about psionic disciplines corresponding with arcane schools (p56-58), there is no discipline that is the equivalent of the abjuration for the sake of psionics-magic transperancy.

In some cases, people advocate to use the discipline of psychokinesis instead of abjuration, with the reasoning that the class is made for effects like inertial armor and force shield, that both of those power are psychokinesis, and therefore it is a good replacement. I won't take this stance. In the first place, psychokinisis is in the first place the blast discipline; using this variant doesn't create an abjurant champion, but an abjurant / evocation hybrid champion, which isn't really what the class seems to aim at. In the second place, inertial armor might seem a logical power for a psionic abjurant champion, but its magical equivalent, mage armor, is a conjuration spell. Assuming that inertial armor would be logical, and from there looking 'what discipline is inertial armor from' doesn't seem the correct way to reason. Finally, a spell like dismissal is (obviously) abjuration, but its equivalent (psionic dismissal) is psychoportation. There simply isn't a corresponding discipline for the abjuration school.

My solution for fixing this would be a lot more work, but also more correct: simply review all powers and see if there is an abjuration spell equivalent. If yes, then it flies, if not, too bad. Basicly, the 'abjurant champion'  gets replaced with a 'defensive power champion'. Instead of a replacing school with a discipline, I replace individual powers. This is imo more RAW supported, since by RAW there is no replacement for the abjuration school in psionics-magic transperancy.
This solves all the above mentioned problems: for the sake of requirements, one 'defensive power known'  is needed, and extended abjuration and swift abjuration get replaced with extended defensive power and swift defensive power.

The only new problem is the name, few prestige classes deserve lame-ass name like Defensive Power Champion, especially a class this cool.

I hope this guide can offer an interpretation of the psionic variant abjurant champion which is as close to RAW as possible, and about which can't be argued too much.
Variants (or: a less strict interpretation)

This is a rather strict interpretation of the psionic variant abjurant champion. I did this deliberately, to stay as close to RAW as possible. But in some ways, one can argue that this version is a bit nerfed compared with its arcane counterpart. Below several suggestions that, the DM willing, can be used to improve/alter this class.
- Good arcane (and divine) casters have access to the sanctified spell '(greater) luminous armor', an abjuration spell, that gives an armor bonus, and a -4 on melee attacks, that lasts for 1 hour/lvl. This is the most powerful spell to use with the abjurant armor ability, the greater version gives +8AC, +13 with 5 levels of abjurant champion, effectively +17 against melee. Psionics have no equivalent of this spell.
-  The skill autohypnosis is accessible to almost all psionic (prestige) classes, it would be logical to be a class skill as well for a psionic variant abjurant champion
- It might be a mistake of the creators of the class that they didn't realize 'mage armor' didn't work with the class, it being conjuration. It seems like the class has been made for both mage armor and shield. In the example build in Complete Arcane, mage armor is used with the abjurant armor ability. Besides, except one rare spell in an obscure sourcebook (luminous armor in Book of Exalted Deeds), there are no abjuration spells that give an armor bonus. Following this line of reasoning, it wouldn't be weird to allow inertial armor to be used with the psionic variant (or mage armor with the original variant, for that matter). On the other hand: inertial armor can be augmented, so that makes it a bit dangerous; do you really want the power to give +17 on AC, next to a +13 force screen?

Conclusion

That's all folks. Please give me your opinion in the relevant discussion thread: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8146.0

Other discussions on this topic can be found, among other places, here:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236901
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9941.0
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236760

Any help with adding to the lists of powers below: much appreciated, also see the discussion thread! I started already with the powers for the psychic warrior, in time (hopefully with some help) I'll get to making list for the other psionic classes. I'm aware that a lot of points, there can be discussion on whether a power really 'corresponds' with a spell or not, there is a room for interpretation there as well. Looking forward to hear some opinions.
[/list]

I build gish with bard 1, duskblade 9, sublime chord 1, abjurant champion 5, spellsword 1, sublime chord +4. Idea is to have a decent BAB (17), combined with good casting (CL19, 9th level spells) and the channel spell ability from duskblade. The whole thing sorta works out, but I'm wondering about the spell list.

A build like this needs decent int and cha for casting, but also decent physical scores (str and con at least). So what is highly preferable is spells between 4th and 9th level, from the bard or wiz/sor list, touch range, that allow  no or only a partial saving throw. The only one I found to be great is otto's irresistable dance. Overwhelm (PHB2) is also nice, since it uses a will save.

Further, I looked for spells to make it a bit versatile; a bit battlefield control, a bit ranged, some defensive spells, teleportation, flying, polymorph...

My questions:
1) am I missing out on great spells to channel?
2) do you have improvements for the spell list below?
3) are there easy ways to get lower level spells that are good in this build (like wraithstrike and shield)
4) do you think it's worth it to go though the trouble of picking arcane preperation for (greater) luminous armor, and to find a way to counter the ability damage from that spell?

Spell list:
Duskblade 1: true strike, color spray, ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, swift expeditious retreat
Duskblade 2: scorching ray, spider climb, see invisibility, deflect
Duskblade 3: vampiric touch
Sublime chord 4: celerity, solid fog, greater mirror image, ruin delver's fortune
Sublime chord 5: draconic polymorph, dimension jumper, teleport, overland flight
Sublime chord 6: otto's irrisistable dance, superior resistance, greater dispel magic, overwhelm
Sublime chord 7: elemental body, bite of the werebear, energy absorption, spell turning
Sublime chord 8: superior invisibility, polymorph any object, maze
Sublime chord 9: greater dimension jumper, iceberg

With the draconic bloodline feat, fear, mind fog, true seeing, vision, mind blank and dominate monster also are available.

Thanks!

A short guide to healing in combat

This guide is dedicated to healing in combat. Though in general not a good idea, sometimes you have to. It will cover

• pitfalls of healing in combat
• how to avoid the pitfalls
• conclusion & suggestions

Pitfalls

Yeah, combat healing sucks, it has been said before. In general, two pitfalls of healing in combat are:

• probably you won't heal as much hp as the monster you're fighting does damage on its turn, making it a bad investment
• there are often better things to do with a turn then healing, like, killing what does the damage in the first place

For a large part, they are correct. Then again, something that is true most of the times, still sometimes is not.

When a character is almost certain to die due to hp-damage in the next round, it's worth to heal. This can be due to being in negative hp, because you know there'll be area damage, because a monster is around whose turn is nigh and that is quite sure to do lethal damage, or any other reason. Otherwise, you might face an opponent immune to almost everything the party can throw at it. The (usually sucky and resource draining) tactic to have one character do some damage to the opponent, and have the other characters undo damage done by the opponent, might in the long run still kill it. More stuff on the action economy and if combat healing is worth it can be found here: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1520.msg13787#msg13787

But this handbook isn't to discuss when combat healing is viable, or necessary. Let's just say there are situations when it is called for. The purpose of this guide is: how to do it without falling into the above mentioned pitfalls?

How to avoid the pitfalls

1) heal a lot

Or in any case, spend your turn healing as much hp as possible, preferably more than the monster your fighting dishes out. There are several ways of healing a lot of hp in one go:

• the heal spell, or variants (mass heal, strike of righteous vitality maneuver) like it. Note that arcane casters can get access to heal with levels in Wyrm Wizard or recaster, and can use it to heal several allies with 5 levels in the war weaver class.
• the lay on hands ability (from the paladin and certain prestige classes). This requires a paladin with quite a high charisma, but at high levels it can suffice to bring a party member from -9 to full hp. 1 use/day ability though. With the unicorn pendant (MIC) a paladin counts as having a charisma 4 points higher.
• touch of vitality (dragon shaman). The  same goes as for lay on hands, it relies on a high charisma score, and  can be used up all in 1 go to fully heal someone back to full. Charisma is less important for dragon shamans then for paladins, but touch of vitality works with 2x level x cha, instead of 1x for the pally.
• empower / maximize healing: though there are definitely better spells to maximize or empower, metamagic works with cure spells and allows them to improve their amount of healing. The Radiant Servant of Pelor gets this for free with its domains spells of the healing domain, which is pretty good (and the prestige class is a full caster that doesn't lose anything significant and  gains a bonus domain and some other nice stuff). The feat Master of Day and Night (PGtE) maximizes all cures and inflict spells cast, which is very good.
• feats that augment healing: the feat sacred healing increases the amount of healing you can do (divinde feat, PHB2); augment healing (Complete Divine) also increases the amount of damage you heal with each spell.
• honerary mention: the combo revenance & revivify heals someone that died and then keeps him/her alive, which is quite awesome.

Important: though for healing out of combat the vigor spells are superior to cures, this doesn't go for healing in combat, obviously, when you want to cure as many hp as possible in one go. 


2) heal without wasting (much) actions

In case healing doesn't take an action, or only a swift action, or can be combined with other actions, the second pitfall is avoided. You are doing something more useful than healing, but you're healing as well. Also, the first pitfall isn't that bad: maybe you aren't healing as much as the damage that is done by team monster, but hey, if it's a bonus, who cares? There are several ways to do this:

• Devoted spirit maneuvers: crusader's strike, revitalizing strike, rallying strike, strike of righteous vitality. All of these are normal attacks, do standard damage, and heal as well.
• The Martial spirit stance: every successful attack heals 2 hp, good in a build with many attacks, doesn't cost anything.
• The Vampire Torc (MIC) gives 2/day swift action the ability to heal half damage of the next melee attack. Good with attacks that deal a lot of damage, for instance in smiting or mounted charge builds, or for martial adepts that can deal a lot of damage in one strike.
• Some spells and powers do damage to an opponent and heal yourself. Vampiric touch is a common example, but also the power empathic transfer (hostile)  works. These options are inferior (from a healing perspective) to the devoted spirit maneuvers because the only heal / give temporary hp to yourself.
• Swift action healing. The hellreaver prestige class offers decent swift action healing (divine succor) within a small range (20 feet) on self or a good aligned ally, for 10, 20 or 30 points. The healing devotion feat gives yourself fast healing as a swift action, and for the casters there is always quicken spell. Paladins can choose the feat battle blessing to cast all their spells as a swift action. (If you are lucky with your DM and play really high powered campaigns, cleric with prestige paladin and battle blessing might get all cleric spells quickened for free, though this is highly controversial) Hellreaver is superior cause it works at range, though it is so only in a good party. Quicken spell can obviously also quicken a cure or heal spell. The Unicorn Pendant (MIC) gives one cure moderate wounds/day as a swift action
• swift action healing 2: shadow sun jinja level 1 gives the ability to do negative energy damage with a touch, equal to base unarmed damage + wis; next turn, as a swift action you can heal that amount of damage. The number can get quite high, with effects like enlarge and / or greater mighty wallop (from races of the dragon). You can only do this every other turn though, so for in combat healing it's only 50% reliable.
• Immediate action healing is even better then swift action healing. Close wounds (spell compendium) is a cleric 2 spell that heals 1d4 + CL (max 5), can be used in reaction to damage to prevent the damage. Delay Death (cleric 4, spell compendium) is also an immediate action that can prevent someone about to get a lot of damage from dying for 1 round/level. Need diehard or similar effect to keep fighting though. The amulet of emergency healing (MIC) also allows immediate action healing1d4+5 points, and can be used in respons to a potential lethal attack, on self or an ally in 30 feet.
• The fortunate fate spell (cleric 7, spell compendium) is basicly a contignent heal spell; for 10 minutes/level, a heal will trigger if somebody would be reduced to -10. This doesn't cost an action in combat (since the caster has taken place earlier) and heals a lot, which makes this a great way to avoid the 2 pitfalls of in combat healing.
• The mass versions of cure and heal spells are much more efficient then healing characters one at a time, especially in situations where area affecting spells or abilities are used a lot.
• The amulet of retributive healing lets you 3/day as a swift action heal yourself as much as you heal somebody else, so double the healing for only 2k gold
• 'cure' spells are often touch spells; that means that when a player is down or in need of immediate healing, it takes a move action to get to it. There are several abilities to heal at a distance (divine ward from PHB2, reach spell from complete divine ), this saves you at least the move. Mass spells also work for this.
• the draconic aura 'vigor' (PHB2) gives fast healing to all allies in 30 feet radius, up to half hp, this doesn't cost any action. There is some discussion if by RAW this aura accessible with the draconic aura feat from Dragon Magic. According to one of the other handbooks on healing (see below) it isn't, but after reviewing the arguments (see the discussion thread) and looking at the rules again, I think it should be. Probably depends a bit on the DM though.
• Other fast healing obviously works on self, without action cost. The feat Sacred healing (from Complete Divine) gives all living creatures in a 60 feet radius fast healing 3 for a number of rounds fo cha + 1, could be  worth it when fighting undead. Not to be confused with the feat sacred healing from PHB2).

Positive honorary mention: if you're healing anyway, might as well do other stuff, like removing negative status effects. The feat Invigorating Spellcaster (Dragon Compendium 147) allows you to remove any or all of the conditions dazed, exhausted, fatigued, sickened and stunned from someone you target with a spell that cures hp damage. No further cost. So you can do this with close wounds as an immediate action 2nd level spell! The spell healing lorecall (spell compendium) also allows to remove status effects when using conjuration (healing) spells, if the caster has ranks in the healing skill (5: remove dazed, dazzled, or fatigued; 10: remove exhausted, nauseated, or sickened). It also can slightly increase the amount of damage healed with cure spells.

Negative honorary mention for the 'healing by potion' method: from this perspective it's awful. Other handbooks will advise against it also because they are too expensive, but they also take too much time. Distributing a potion to a fallen ally is a full round action, so reaching and healing someone in the negatives will take at least two turns, when not already adjacent or in possession of swift action teleports or something. Pretty annoying when somebody is at -9HP. Avoid.


Conclusion & suggestions

As a conclusion: healing in combat is not a party role. Stuff mentioned above should help when you need to. If you really want to make it something your character is good at and wants to focus on, I'd recommend the following:

• crusader, with divine spirit healing maneuvers
• paladin, with the battle blessing feat and a high charisma for lay on hands
• dragon shaman with both aura of vigor and reasonable high charisma score for touch of vitality
• hellreaver in a good aligned party, with swift action healing
• cleric / radiant servant of pelor with either reach spell or divine ward, mass versions of spells and ways to maximize, empower and or quicken them. In Dragon 311 there is a cleric variant (Benefactor) that can spontaneously cast all manner of healing spells as well as buffs, which can be worthwhile.
• healer (miniatures handbook) with either reach spell or divine ward, mass versions of spells and ways to maximize, empower and or quicken them.

But next to healing in combat, also these characters really should be able to be useful in an out of combat (lockdown, charger, diplomancer, entangling breathweapon, etc.)
For more information on healing, see also the already mentioned band-aids for dummy's: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1520.msg13787#msg13787 and A Player's Guide to 3.5 Healing: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2710

That's all folks. Comments, ideas and suggestions please in the appropriate discussions thread: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6657.0 (credits to all the kind people who posted usefull stuff over there, and those who pm'ed me useful additions)

Old stuff made long time ago by Caelic, but still worth it as far as I'm concerned:

Caelic's "The Ten Commandments of Optimization"

I. Thou shalt not give up caster levels.

II. Wieldest thou thy two-handed weapon with alacrity; but two weapons shalt thou not wield, excepting that thou hast a source of bonus damage such as Sneak Attack.

III. Doubt not the power of the Druid, for he is mighty.

IV. Avoid ye the temptation of Gauntlets of True Strike, for they shall lead thee astray down the Path of Non-Rule Cheese.

V. Thou shalt not give up caster levels. Verily, this Commandment is like unto the first; but of such magnitude that it bore mentioning twice.

VI. Makest thou no build with an odd number of fighter levels, for such things are not pleasing to the Spirits of Optimization.

VII. The Rules of 3.5 are paramount; invoke not the rules of 3.0 if a newer version be available.

VIII. When beseeching the Bretheren of Optimization, come thou not empty handed, lest they smite thee; rather, bringest thou thine own build, that they may offer suggestions and guidance.

IX. Invoke not "common sense," for it is not common.

X. Thou shalt call no build "The Ultimate X" unless his name be Pun-Pun, or thou shalt see thine "Ultimate" build topped by the Bretheren within five minutes of posting.

Hi.























































Ok, that's lame.

I live in The Netherlands, near the German border. I played DnD since Advanced, occassionaly, and a lot since 3.0/3.5. I mainly lurk, and mainly post when I feel I might contribute something that's possibly (semi)original (even though I know that's unlikely up to the point of impossibility for a game that exists this long with so many people thinking and talking about it). I work in higher education.