OK the limits here are PHB/2, DMG, MM1, and the “Complete” Series excluding Psionics
Ive looked through Complete Divine pretty thoroughly and I cant seem to understand why anyone would choose one of the base classes in this book opposed to a plain Druid, Pally, or Cleric. Is there something Im missing here?
Basically would like a back-up healer class. Please help!
-absolution
For outright power, you can’t beat a cleric. Probably because it’s the most powerful base class in the game.
But the classes in the CD do have their uses. Excluding the Shugenja for now (oriental class), we have the spirit shaman and the favored soul. The Favored Soul is as to the Cleric as the Sorcerer is to the Wizard. More endurance (spells) for less power. In my opinion, for a ‘backup healer’ the Favored Soul would perform just fine. They have 2 casting stats, but if you are a healer/buffer, you don’t require a high save DC. You can be a backup melee combatant and healer/buffer, focusing your spell knowledge in these areas. You can cast more often per day than the Cleric can, so you’ll last longer. The good news is, so will your teammates as a result.
Your spells will just have less power behind them. No way around it.
As for the spirit shaman, it’s very unique. Like a spontaneous caster, it can cast all spells it knows whenever it wants. Like a wizard, it needs to prepare it’s spells. The difference is, each day, you change what spells you know. This can provide for some very interesting uses in game. The class over all is fairly campaign specific, as many abilities require you to be battling with ‘spirits’ in order to make use of them.
I think favored soul will be the way I go with this. The character will be pretty much back up healing for the cleric. If I pick a deity with a 2 handed weapon I will still be able to cast without having to drop my weapon. Now I just have to think up some good feats to make this guy stand his own in battle.
Thanks Link
-absolution
Well, you could cast with a two-handed weapon anyway, just take your off-hand off the weapon while casting and then put it back on.
It only becomes a problem with a separate item in each hand, like a sword and shield.
Just note that you will be neither as good a warrior as the fighter type, or as good a caster as the cleric. In exchange for the versitility to do both (and cast longer), you give up a certain amount of power.
I’m playing an Elven Favored Soul of Ollidarma right now… intentionally being sub-optimal so as to not give a novice DM fits. It can’t come near a cleric for sheer power but I much prefer this type of spellcaster to anyone who has to prepare stuff in anyway. It also helps a lot that the DM let me use just CHA for my casting stuff though… MAD issues would have pushed me back into cleric considering my unusually poor stat rolls.
My favorite tactic thus far has been to use spring attack for both attacks with my rapier and for using cures (thanks to “Spell Flower"), which has thus far kept my frail little dude from getting smooshed.
One twist in a favored soul build would be to choose a deity with an exotic weapon and use that to qualify for exotic weapon master.
You´d also get the focus (which is a prereq. for EWM) and eventually the specialization.
That way you could dip into exotic weapon master later and get some nice trick.
That is the idea I had as well. However, homemade game with homemade deities.
As well as homemade stat rolls. My cha will start at 17 and my wis 15, everything else will be pretty sub-optimal.
Anyway, I dont need to be super fantastic, just need to save lives when the cleric cant.
-absoltuion
I urge you to use wisdom as a dump stat and just skip spells with save DC. That makes spell selection easy and your stats are better for actual combat.
That 15 could be a good strength or con score for you.
I did the wisdom dump thing with my favored soul and it worked out fine. Just focused on heal, buff and utility spells.
I’ll agree with Rothe that dumping Wis would be the best course of action with this character. Get Power Attack and Leap Attack (CV, errata) and you’ll be awesome in the damage department. Be sure to have spells like Divine Favor, Magic Vestment, and Greater Magic Weapon. Good items would include a standard Strand of Prayer Beads which has had the Bead of Smiting removed as it would significantly lower the price, a Lesser Rod of Extend, and especially a set of Armbands of Might (CV) since the bonus they grant is added to your Power Attack bonus damage, which would then be increased by Leap Attack. With a two-handed weapon you could use Leap Attack and Power Attack for a -2 to hit for +12 damage.
For your deity’s favored weapon I’d go with a Bastard Sword or one of the CW weapons which are one-handed exotic or two-handed martial, i.e. Maul, Dire Pick, or Warmace. That way it could be wielded one-handed if necessary, and you can go Favored Soul 8/ Exotic Weapon Master 1/ Favored Soul to get the Uncanny Blow trick. I’d go for a god of strength, probably some sort of deific titan, and use a maul. That would certainly fit with wanting to be a melee combatant and focusing on combat buffs, especially spells like Divine Power and Righteous Might.
Indeed. If the question is “why would anyone choose one of those classes when cleric is better"… then I’m not too settled on a reason, besides RP. Favoured Soul comes close, but misses due to MAD.
Ironically, however, the classes in Complete Divine are better balanced for normal usage than the cleric. I’ve long considered just banning the cleric and druid and letting every other divine class take their place.
Ironically, however, the classes in Complete Divine are better balanced for normal usage than the cleric. I’ve long considered just banning the cleric and druid and letting every other divine class take their place.
My DM almost did that with my spiked chain wielding dwarven melee-focused cleric. Then the F2F group broke up, sadly. I liked that character, but it got to the point that it wasn’t much fun in combat because he just dropped everything in a round or two. He definitely was not a healer type.
