Post/Author/DateTime	Post
skizo2k4 02-02-05, 10:59 AM	(edit: changed topic to make it more clear) Hi folks, Soon, our gaming group is going to challenge Rappan Athuk, a frightening old school dungeon filled with traps and killing encounters. So far our group looks like this: - a dwarven Warrior, a half-orc Barbarian, a human Wizard, a tiefling Rogue. Im to take the last spot in the group, so I guess I'll have to be the healer... We will start level 5, 32 point buy, standart starting gold, only 3.5 WotC non setting-specific rules allowed (no FR, Eberron, etc...). Im hesitating beetween 2 "concept" : - Human Melee Cleric : going the Divine Might, Divine Metamagic road. Persistant self-buff, power attack, and so on... Pros : - Best healing capacities. - Can Turn/Destroy Undead. - Good AC Cons : - Fighting capacities relies on heavy buff. - Suffers from MAD (Charisma + Wisdom) - Venerable Feral Human Druid with Spontaneous Heal, Wild Shape, Animal Companion Pros : - Versatility - Good mellee damage dealing capacities in Wild Shape + animal companion - Doesn't suffer much from MAD Cons : - Cannot Turn Undead - 4th lvl spellcaster (can be fixed by dropping the feral template, which I choosed for the "cool" effect) So here i am, looking for advice : which "concept" would you choose ? Any comments on the choice of druid as main healer ? What should I focus on, or avoid, when building a healer for a dungeon-exclusive environment ? Do you got any suggested build ? In a nutshell : Can you help me break Rappan Athuk ? Best Regards, Skizo
PhoenixInferno 02-02-05, 11:28 AM	Druid. They're ridiculous. Need healing? Summon a Unicorn (that can cast Cure Serious Wounds) with a Summon Nature's Ally spell. Not only will you get healing, but you'll get a decent melee combatant to boot. Rip everything to shreds with good Wild Shape forms.
Portuguese D. Ace 02-02-05, 11:32 AM	i suggest you the melee- cleric way... to have best healing abilities use a radiant servant of pelor as PrC.. create a NG cleric of pelor ad take this fantastic prc... ur teammates will be enthusiastic... auto maximize and empower healing spells... YUMMM! oh u also get all these undead-killing abilities... empowered turning... a great prc... full casting progression but a d6 hit dice :)
sma 02-02-05, 12:06 PM	But Druids can turn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a). IŽd definetely drop the Feral Template, since it is powered by monster HD.
skizo2k4 02-03-05, 07:35 AM	@sma: good call, however, Im not allowed to Use setting-specific stuff, in this case Faerun stuff @Portugase D. Ace: This PrC is indeed one of the best healer PrC I've seen so far. But given the killing rate of this Dungeon, Im not even sure I could become one day High-level enough to be effective.. @PhoenixInferno: That's why I love druids ! I was just wondering if they could replace cleric as main healer in a dungeon tho' ? Anyway, thanks guys for your answers ! I need more advice however ! Do you know what should I be aware of by playing a healer in a dungeon ? Any feats/equipment that could help ? Best regards, SkiZo
happycows 02-03-05, 09:07 AM	I rarely play clerics with charisma less then 10 and greater then 10. Just don't really like the turn and rebuke thing all that much, besides you get 3 a day and undead only comes up every so often. You can avoid MAD by not caring about charisma so much; not that big of an aspect to the cleric especially if you worship Kord.
sma 02-03-05, 10:18 AM	@sma: good call, however, Im not allowed to Use setting-specific stuff, in this case Faerun stuff Oops, silly me, I thought is was one of the regular web enhancements. For a Healer the Cleric is difficult to replace, as he gets access to the all important restoration line of spells earlier, and can drop those unused slots at the end of the day. Definetly get everone to buy a Wand of CLW or Lesser Vigor for the out of combat healing needs. This will take a huge burden off you shoulders. Also killing your opponents fast keeps them from doing damage to you, IŽd go for an offensive cleric. Damage output tends to be bigger than healing, so youŽd be fighting a losing battle from the beginning.
skizo2k4 02-03-05, 08:00 PM	@sma: What kind of offensive cleric would you suggest ? A self-buffed mellee cleric ? Would you suggest any build ? Im a bit disappointed : I thought more people would come to help :/ Come on guys, Im sure people on this board got enough knowledge to give advice ! skizo
Lilt 02-03-05, 08:24 PM	Some of the feral stuff does go off monster HD (the pounce+rake+rend progression), but your fast healing and darkvision goes HD rather than monster HD. I think a human who technically has 1 racial HD (even though it was replaced by a class HD) still gets Improved Grab.
Baneslayer 02-03-05, 09:17 PM	If the healer of the party is in Melee, your group is doomed. Let me say this again - If The Healer Is In Melee The Group is DOOMED!!! Go Human Cleric 5 and get yourself set for Radiant Servant of Pelor at level 7. Take the Healing and Sun domains. This makes you the ultimate Undead zapper and at later levels you get free Empower and Maximize feats automatically added to your healing spells. Make your Wis 16 and Cha 16, then take Extra Turning, Augment Healing, and Sacred Healing. Now you have 10 turn attempts a day and you can choose to use one to give your entire party Fast Healing 3, which lasts for 4 rounds, and your cure spells will do 1d8+7, 2d8+10, 3d8+12 when you cast them. I guarantee your party will love you.
Lilt 02-03-05, 09:32 PM	I like baneslayer's idea. Sacred healing is a nice boost available at level 5, but be warned that it will also heal living enemies. Take Nightsticks from Libris Mortis. Each of them adds 4 turn undead attempts at a price of 7.5k. If you use sacred healing to heal out-of-combat, that's 48 healing to everyone in your party. Possibly 192 healing totalled amongst a 4-man party.