Advice Requested: Healer Build

[Mistwell]

I am creating a character to serve in the role of party healer.

Yes, I know, any leader can be a decent healer. However, I am genuinely interested in a build focused specifically on healing, and I like the idea of a Deva Cleric with Pacifist Healing.

We are 5th level, all books except perhaps some setting-specific ones are OK. Here is what I have so far:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Ice, level 5
Deva, Cleric (Templar)
Build: Shielding Cleric
Cleric Option: Battle Cleric's Lore
Versatile Expertise Option: Versatile Expertise (Mace)
Versatile Expertise Option: Versatile Expertise (Holy Symbol)
Touched by an Angel (Perception class skill)
Theme: Guardian

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 10, CON 12, DEX 12, INT 8, WIS 19, CHA 19

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 10, CON 12, DEX 12, INT 8, WIS 16, CHA 16


AC: 22 Fort: 15 Ref: 15 Will: 20
HP: 44 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 11

TRAINED SKILLS
Diplomacy +11, Insight +13, Perception +13, Religion +8

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Arcana +1, Athletics +2, Bluff +6, Dungeoneering +6, Endurance +3, Heal +6, History +3, Intimidate +6, Nature +6, Stealth +3, Streetwise +6, Thievery +3

POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Guardian Attack: Guardian's Counter
Deva Racial Power: Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes
Cleric Feature: Divine Fortune
Cleric Feature: Turn Undead
Cleric Utility: Healing Word
Cleric Attack 1: Astral Seal
Cleric Attack 1: Sacred Flame
Cleric Attack 1: Bane
Cleric Attack 1: Moment of Glory
Cleric Utility 2: Resurgent Strength
Cleric Attack 3: Hymn of Resurgence
Cleric Attack 5: Consecrated Ground

FEATS
Level 1: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Pacifist Healer
Level 2: Versatile Expertise
Level 4: Improved Defenses

ITEMS
Ritual Book
Create Holy Water
Comprehend Language
Symbol of the Holy Nimbus +1
Healer's Brooch +1 x1
Light mace of Healing +2 x1
Scale Armor of Sacrifice +1 x1
====== End ======

Unfortunately the character builder doesn't seem to factor much of anything into the final power cards. So I need to know what stacks onto things like my various healing powers.

For example, for Healing Word, which of these stack onto it: Pacifist healer feat, Symbol of Holy Nimbus, Healing Broach, Mace of Healing.

 

[Zaphling]

From the looks of it, Wisdom is your primary score. Take a look at the Sun domain powers presented in Heroes of the Fallen Lands in the Warpriest section. They have a good list of Wisdom based melee attacks. Just be sure to get those powers that doesn't have Constitution as riders.
final note: having a solid melee attack, especially at-will, can really help you a long way if you're stuck in a sticky situation. Get it? sticky.

 

[Mistwell]

From the looks of it, Wisdom is your primary score. Take a look at the Sun domain powers presented in Heroes of the Fallen Lands in the Warpriest section. They have a good list of Wisdom based melee attacks. Just be sure to get those powers that doesn't have Constitution as riders.
final note: having a solid melee attack, especially at-will, can really help you a long way if you're stuck in a sticky situation. Get it? sticky.

Uh, the point of a pacifist healer build is to NOT use melee attacks. I get stunned if I do damage to a bloodied creature in fact. The build is healing and debuffing/control. I have a few attacks in there for emergency, but I don't need more. I need to know how those healing things stack.

 

[chitzk0i]

I would swap out Consecrated Ground for Astral Condemnation or Iron to Glass. Guardian's Counter isn't going to do a whole lot for you since it just redirects an attack to you; unless you pick up Sonnlinor's Hammer, you won't have a melee basic attack to speak of and afterwards you'll be in melee where you don't want to be. Also, Holy Symbol Expertise is a thing now. Superior Implement for an accurate holy symbol wouldn't be bad.

As for the item stacking, check the wording on each item. Pacifist Healer definitely applies to Healing Word.

 

[Oldtimer]

I know what you mean about the character builder not being able to factor in much of your benefits. I played an 11th level Deva Cleric (Pacifist Healer) and had to add corrections to more than half my power cards.

Here is my build for comparison:
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Mahar, level 11
Deva, Cleric, Messenger of Peace
Versatile Expertise: Versatile Expertise (Mace)
Versatile Expertise: Versatile Expertise (Holy Symbol)
Background: Divinely Inspired (+2 to Religion)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 9, Con 11, Dex 11, Int 16, Wis 22, Cha 18.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 10, Dex 10, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 15.


AC: 26 Fort: 18 Reflex: 21 Will: 26
HP: 73 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 18

TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +17, Diplomacy +14, Insight +16, Heal +17

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Arcana +8, Bluff +9, Dungeoneering +11, Endurance +4, History +10, Intimidate +9, Nature +11, Perception +11, Stealth +4, Streetwise +9, Thievery +4, Athletics +3

FEATS
Cleric: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Pacifist Healer
Level 2: Defensive Healing Word
Level 4: Healer's Implement
Level 6: Defensive Grace
Level 8: Combat Medic
Level 10: Shielding Word
Feat User Choice: Versatile Expertise
Level 11: Battle Intuition

POWERS
Channel Divinity: Healer's Mercy
Cleric at-will 1: Sacred Flame
Cleric at-will 1: Astral Seal
Cleric encounter 1: Prophetic Guidance
Cleric daily 1: Beacon of Hope
Cleric utility 2: Return from Death's Door
Cleric encounter 3: Hymn of Resurgence
Cleric daily 5: Iron to Glass
Cleric utility 6: Bastion of Health
Cleric encounter 7: Denunciation
Cleric daily 9: Rebuke Violence
Cleric utility 10: Prophetic Protection

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Holy Healer's Mace +2, Warding symbol of Shared Healing +3, Amulet of Protection +3, Healer's Braidmail Armor +3
RITUALS
Gentle Repose, Comrades' Succor, Raise Dead, Purify Water, Create Holy Water, Brew Potion, Corpse Light, Last Sight Vision, Spirit Fetch, Hunter's Curse, Iron Vigil, Hunter's Blessing, Shadow Passage
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
(The campaign allowed for a free Versatile Expertise feat for everyone.)

 

[Riastlin]

You'll have to look at the wording of the items to determine what stacks. As a general rule, bonuses will stack so long as they are not of the same "type". So if you have two bonuses that say "power bonus" they would not stack with each other, but a "power bonus" would stack with an "item bonus". IIRC, most of the healing bonuses will add to Healing Word since it requires the use of a surge, though most no longer stack with Astral Seal as I recall. The bigger question is whether the assorted bonuses stack with each other.

As for other options, if your DM allows it, I might look at Mark of Healing instead of Ritual Caster. You get a number of rituals with the Mark plus your healing powers will allow the targets to make a saving throw (particularly useful by the time you get to late heroic and into paragon tier). From a purely mechanical (i.e. not necessarily roleplay) standpoint, I might look at training in Heal instead of perception. Its likely you'll have somebody in the party that is decent at perception anyway, plus being able to stabilize comrades and/or trigger their second winds and help them with diseases can be huge -- particularly when there are a lot of bloodied critters around.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

For pure healing, Healer's Lore would give you a nice bonus to all powers that trigger a surge to be spent, but Battle Cleric's Lore is just so powerful, I can see why you took it instead.

If you can wait until it is in the builder, or don't mind pencilling it in, the new Skald multiclass feat give you an extra per-encounter heal for the cost of one feat, and it can be triggered by an ally on their turn if they need it, which is nice.

There are also some weapon + implement expertise feats from Dragon 402 that you may want to consider (Devoted Priest or Devout Protector). Not sure when that content is hitting the builder.

If you take the above advice from Riastlin and train heal, the L6 heal skill power than allows you to trigger your allies' second wind as a minor action once per encounter is nice. Or, if you can train Endurance, even though your Con is 'meh,' L2 Inspriring Fortitude is amazing. You can even pick up a spare skill power with a feat and not have to take up one of your regular class slots.