Cleric or a better healer class???

[Silveron]

Been a while since I played a cleric so need the experts to give me some pointers to max out a cleric for best healing or fill me in if some other class would do better. I do not want him to be one sided healing only, having a few other tricks up his sleeves would be nice, but over all I need to keep eight people alive. If a pure healer exists it might be best to go with it, if that's what you guys suggest.

Here is the game info:

Starting level 1, can be up to +3 level adjustment, taking place in Forgotten Realms but is not limited to only classes/races/etc. found in that world, two flaws are allowed for extra starter feats, 3.0-3.5 and d20 supplement books are useable, as well as dragon mag.

My thoughts so far were to maybe use Dvati Cleric (Dvati are a twin race from Dragon Magazine Compendium. One soul, basically treated as 1 character in terms of exp, skills, etc. but two body's) so my character could literally be in two places at once doing two different things (except when casting). So one could be on the right side using healing skill on one ally while his twin could be on the left helping another ally drink a healing potion. Whatever the case when casting is needed one or the other can cast the spells targeting whatever side needs it the most. Just an idea so far not set in stone. So welcome to any other race ideas that might work a lot better. Thx in advance.

[Clanjos]

Convince your entire party to take Tomb-Tainted Soul.

Play a Dread Necromancer.

You now have unlimited healing per day through your charnel touch, as well as the ability to heal en masse later on with area-effect negative energy spells.

[Silveron]

I do think that is a clever solution, however, they will not be willing to all give up a feat. Also, need higher healing power too. The unlimited touch for 1d8 +1 every 4 levels is nice but not that great in higher levels when they need much more hit points recovered. You do however got me wanting to play a dread necromancer just for the fun of it now lol.

[Garryl]

Dread Necromancers do get a variety of higher-end Inflict spells, so you're no worse off than a Cleric in the healing department. You do lose out on condition removal (Restoration, Heal, etc.), however, but there are ways around this if you look for them.

[Nytemare3701]

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1520

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2710

Start there, work your way back towards your class selection.

[Vampireshado]

Or you could not have everyone in your party blow a feat that they may or may not even be able to take. Not that it isn't fun to have a freakishly undead-like party, but it's really a hard sell in many cases. My suggestions are going to differ depending on just how min/max you are going here.

If you want to go as far as possible a well constructed artificer is your best bet. You would be able to laugh off wounds and effects that would kill a regular old cleric, but it takes a lot of book keeping and a lot of people hate artificers.

Cleric is really a very solid base for healing though. You can do really over the top DMM tricks if you want to be superman, or just stick to traditional healing and still be somewhat effective.

If you want to be a traditional healer there is actually a class from miniatures handbook called healer. They have an edge over cleric at traditional healing, but they are far, far worse at everything else. Maybe play a pacifist healer? Take vow of peace or some such thing.

If you want my personal favorite healing tricks I will list them below.

Sacred Healing (Feat, Complete Divine) grants area fast healing for turn attempts. A good solitary healing ability.

Dragonic Aura (Vigor) (Feat, Dragon Magic) gives you an area of fast healing up to half hp, but it's constantly on. Bonus if you can swing dragonblooded subtype.

Martial Stance (Martial Spirit) (Feat, Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords) this one heals you or an ally within 30ft for 2hp everytime you make a melee attack. It lets you multitask.

Augment Healing (Feat, Complete Divine) adds potency to healing spells. It isn't that much, but it's nice to get for a dedicated healer.

Master of Day and Night (Feat, Player's Guide to Eberon) maximizes all cure spells.

[Kethrian]

If your DM will allow a little homebrew, you could try my Healer class rewrite.  Other than that, I'd suggest Vampireshado's list of feats, and asking your DM for a refluff of the Radiant Servant of Pelor PrC.

[muktidata]

I recommend:

Lesser Aasimar. PGtF p.191.

Cloistered Cleric to start. 3 levels. Then Church Inquisitor. 3 levels. Then Radiant Servant of Lathander. 2+ levels (probably 10). At some point Contemplative is good. Divine Oracle is also good.

Also pick up:

Spontaneous Domain Casting ACF: Healing Domain.

Nymph's Kiss. - +2 to turning/CHA checks and +1 Skill Point a level. Optional.

Divine Ward. - Let's you heal at range.

Extra Turning. (PrC requirement) - +4 Turns/day.

Touch of Healing. - Reserve feat that lets you heal to half HP indefinitely.

Divine Spell Power. - Increases your CL on feats by using Turn Undead attempts to fuel.

Early Equipment:
Amulet of Retributive Healing.
Reliquary Holy Symbol.
Lesser Rods of Extend.
Wands of Cure Light Wounds.


I intentionally didn't recommend DMM Persist. It is obviously your prime choice for healing needs. I find it's often banned.

[Silveron]

Thank you. I always forget the good stuff in Miniatures Handbook.

So...  Aasimar Cloistered Cleric, to start.
1st Feat : Maximize Spell, Flaw Bonus Feat: Divine Ward , Flaw Bonus Feat: Extra Turning
3rd level Feat: Mastery of Day and Night (have to wait to 3rd level to get it because of skill rank requirement)
6th level Feat: Touch of Healing


Sounds good so far but torn a bit. If I do focus on just healing and use wands for other tricks and such I could use Healer and go:

Aasimar Healer
1st Feat : Maximize Spell, Flaw Bonus Feat: Augment Healing , Flaw Bonus Feat: ?
3rd level Feat: Mastery of Day and Night (have to wait to 3rd level to get it because of skill rank requirement)
6th level Feat: Touch of Healing

Then would get more healing spells and do at first level: Cure Light Wounds 1d8+5 and at 3rd level it would jump to an automatic 15 points cured. Hmmm going to have to think on this.

-

Found Draconic Aura Feat and found Draconic Vigor Feat but found no Vigor Aura in list of Auras???

[Kethrian]

Don't forget, Augment Healing affects all spells with the Healing subschool.  That means your Restoration spells and others that don't normally heal HP will heal 2x their level still.

The Vigour aura is limited to Dragon Shamans only, so it's not a viable choice for the Draconic Aura feat, unless your DM houserules that all Dragon Shaman auras can be accessed through the feat.

[sirpercival]

The Invigorating Spellcaster feat from Dragon 311 can make all your healing spells remove conditions too.  Paired with Close Wounds, you have condition removal as an immediate action.

If you put together an Eldritch Disciple build, Healing Blast + Eldritch Glaive also gives you out-of-turn healing.  Take Combat Reflexes, and then if a party member needs healing it comes over and provokes an AoO from you.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Erudite with:
Discipline Psychometabolism
Chameleon Crafting feat
maybe the specific Psiotheurgist feat
dudes to learn magic healing from (~magicmart)
heck ... throw in recharge too

Maybe that'd be better than Cleric.
  ... Maybe.

[muktidata]

Thank you. I always forget the good stuff in Miniatures Handbook.

So...  Aasimar Cloistered Cleric, to start.
1st Feat : Maximize Spell, Flaw Bonus Feat: Divine Ward , Flaw Bonus Feat: Extra Turning
3rd level Feat: Mastery of Day and Night (have to wait to 3rd level to get it because of skill rank requirement)
6th level Feat: Touch of Healing


Sounds good so far but torn a bit. If I do focus on just healing and use wands for other tricks and such I could use Healer and go:

Aasimar Healer
1st Feat : Maximize Spell, Flaw Bonus Feat: Augment Healing , Flaw Bonus Feat: ?
3rd level Feat: Mastery of Day and Night (have to wait to 3rd level to get it because of skill rank requirement)
6th level Feat: Touch of Healing

Then would get more healing spells and do at first level: Cure Light Wounds 1d8+5 and at 3rd level it would jump to an automatic 15 points cured. Hmmm going to have to think on this.

-

Found Draconic Aura Feat and found Draconic Vigor Feat but found no Vigor Aura in list of Auras???

Radiant Servant of Illmater gives you free Maximize on healing spells.

[Silveron]

Radiant Servant of Illmater gives you free Maximize on healing spells.

Maximize Feat requirement of Mastery of Day and Night Feat so would have to skip taking it till 7+ with your suggested Cloistered Cleric 3/Church Inquisitor 3/Radiant Servant of Lathander ~

Since I am using flaws to gain extra feats would rather be able to use Master of Day and Night asap.

-

Toying with the idea of A Half-Fey Lesser Aasimar. Would give me +6 chr as will as some other nice extras and flight speed 2x base movement.

[xzyx]

If you want a different approach to healing, I used a character some time ago who was a paladin/monk/swordsage (believe it or not, there's a good sinergy here, with the right feats) who would use either Touch of the Shadow Sun or his Lay on Hands in conjunction with the "Conduit of Life" spell.

When he used touch of the shadow sun or healed himself for 1 point of lay on hands, he would heal 2d10 +1/Caster level (max 10).

And there is the hellreaver prestige class which allows for some good secondary healing too, tough shenanigans are required.

(I've always thought of healing as a great secondary role, so I'm not sure I'll be 100% helpful to you. These are my 2 cents, tough)

[Silveron]

Only problem is I need something that is good at healing from the start. I see what your saying, but with 7 others in the party to heal, I can't wait several levels till it gets good at healing.

[Maat Mons]

If you opt to use that +3 level adjustment, how does that work?  Is your advancement to your second class level delayed a really long time?  Or is this one of those situations where the DM has given “free” level adjustment, so it's practically mandatory? 

[xzyx]

Well, you can always get a few levels of artificer and dish out lots of Wands of Lesser Vigor. It's the best and cheapest low level healing I can think of.

Also, a paladin's lay on hands + conduit of life is availble at a rather low level for a Cleric/Prestige Paladin, for self healing. Healing whole parties at low levels is quite difficult without weird shenanigans like dread necro + tomb tainted soul, I think. (but someone may know a better trick).

EDIT: There's always a reserve feat that lets you cure a few points at will. You can just use it a thousand times to full heal everyone outside of combat (not sure about which level can you take it, tough).

And if you go the Eldritch Disciple route and your DM rules that the healing blast is an essence you can always have fun healing with blast spells, if you have any. (I always wanted to use a positive energy storm of vengeance haha). But using the eldritch blast to do so is more effective.

[Rebel7284]

Are you getting the up to +3 LA for free?  I assume not.

For healing early, just ask everyone to invest in a Healing Belt from MIC and highlight the fact that, unlike in popular MMOs, in D&D the best way to win is typically to kill opponents first and worry about healing later...

Close Wounds is a good spell because it allows you to heal as an immediate action in the cases it actually matters while saving your standard actions for useful things.

As other have indicated, divine metamagic [persistent spell] + Mass Lesser Vigor gives everyone fast healing 1 all day for the cost of a level 3 slot.  If you are only persisting a few party buffs, I don't think DMM is THAT overpowered.  It's when you abuse it with Nightsticks and favorable stacking of extend spell is when it gets silly very fast.

[Nunkuruji]

Divine Adaptation of War Weaver, if your DM is flexible

Of course, preventing damage in the first place via defensive buffs & immunities is more efficient than reactive healing.