Best Healer?

Ccgizmo · May 25, 2010

Hey everyone, i am getting ready to start a new campaign with a group of friends, and this group never had a healer so i was looking at taking up that role. Any suggestions on what is the best healer and how to optimize it? We are starting at 3rd lvl so i dont have to many options as far as feats go. It looks like Cleric is still the top healer, but maybe im missing something. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

keterys · May 25, 2010

You need to define 'best'. A cleric pacifist healer, for instance, can output the most hit points healed, but I'd often much rather have a different leader (warlord, for example) because I'd rather get bonuses to damage or something similar as well.

Ccgizmo · May 25, 2010

I mean as far as pure healer. Because with party is always full of strikers, strikers with mediocre Ac so as nice as buffs are from the warlord, for this party i need the best hp and temp hp healer.

Herschel · May 25, 2010

Unless the groups is a bunch of glass cannon strikers and no defender, every leader has sufficient healing.

What else do you want out of a character? Favorite race? Melee or ranged? Spellcaster or Archer?
Spirit Companion or by his own hand? Social Leader or Battlefield Leader? Religious, Arcane, Primal or Martial?

The sky's the limit.

Kinneus · May 25, 2010

But if all you're looking for is handing out healings surges, HP, and temp HP, then yeah, Cleric is still top dog in that particular arena, even with the nerf to Healer's Lore.

Ccgizmo · May 25, 2010

Herschel said:
Unless the groups is a bunch of glass cannon strikers and no defender, every leader has sufficient healing.

What else do you want out of a character? Favorite race? Melee or ranged? Spellcaster or Archer?
Spirit Companion or by his own hand? Social Leader or Battlefield Leader? Religious, Arcane, Primal or Martial?

The sky's the limit.

Man Herchel your blowing my mind. I tend to lean towards human for the extra feat, And all the other stuff i dont really care for since ill build my character around the race and class i go with. I guess a secondary option would be controller, but thats like really a low priority.

Ccgizmo · May 25, 2010

Well since the cleric seems to be the way of what i would like to go, any ideas of the optimizing build? I mean im sure its pretty straight forward, i just want to make sure im not missing any cool combo between feat and power or something. Pacifist healer is a must i know. But any other suggestions on optimization or maybe a nice combo?

Obryn · May 25, 2010

I will buck the trend and say "artificer."

Numerically, their healing is the least out of any Leader. BUT - they allow your party to share healing surges amongst themselves. This is pure, absolute gold on a long haul.

-O

Ccgizmo · May 25, 2010

Obryn said:
I will buck the trend and say "artificer."

Numerically, their healing is the least out of any Leader. BUT - they allow your party to share healing surges amongst themselves. This is pure, absolute gold on a long haul.

-O

Oh nice, i didnt even know that they allow the party to share healing surges. The only thing i would argue, is with only one healer in the party would enough healing surges be used that the party would have to share amongst themselves?

Obryn · May 26, 2010

Ccgizmo said:
Oh nice, i didnt even know that they allow the party to share healing surges. The only thing i would argue, is with only one healer in the party would enough healing surges be used that the party would have to share amongst themselves?

It largely depends on the game. How often does the DM allow you to take extended rests? Have you seen the party at 0 surges yet?

In my game, it's probably irrelevant a lot of the time, but when push comes to shove, it's exceptionally useful. (Right now, it'd be insanely good, since 4/7 characters are down to 0 surges.)

-O