Author Topic: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet  (Read 4094 times)

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Devilen

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Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« on: September 01, 2011, 06:05:38 AM »
need some help creating a viable dm-pet for my starting campaign (savage tides), for my group consisting of : Wood Elf (MM) Barbarian (tank), Human Rogue, Human Ranger (specialized in bows, after my subtle prodding, pointing out that melee department is full) and a Human Sorcerer with a love for damage. So its fairly easy to see that the dmpet i plan handling them is delegated to assume at least some amount of healing and probably some ammount of buffing as well

So currently the plan is Human Cloistered Cleric 3/Wizard 1 (transmuter mayhaps?, via Precocious Apprentice, which i after long consideration don't think is to cheesy) / Mystic Theurge 10 / +Cloistered (or a prestige if i can find one fitting) ending out as a cleric CL 19, Wizard CL 11

Domains is Time, Travel and Knowlegde (from Cloistered), with him dedicating himself to unearthing ancient/forgotten history

STR: 10
DEX: 12
CON: 15
INT: 16
WIS: 17 (this is where everything goes)
CHA: 12

using Divine Ward (PHBII) with the Barb (and prehaps rogue) so he doesn't have to go into close combat, but rather stand back together with the Ranger and Sorcerer

Lo77o

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2011, 06:19:25 AM »
I would like to suggest that you make it a pure Archivist.

You could give him a kind of Indiana Jones persona, where unearthing secrets and ancient lore is the reason you join the adventures, and follow them along. And since you would be able to cast any/all divine spells, you can find some fun and unusual buffs and ways to heal the adventures.

The class also have a build in "buff" with knowledge checks already, so he can point out helpful tidbits during battle.
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JohnnyMayHymn

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2011, 08:32:38 AM »
archivist with binder and anima mage

or maybe just healer or something crappy as not to overshadow the party...  unless... the DM pet turns on the party eventually?

Or, the DM pet is really powerful(archivist or wizard), but a coward!  and the party has to make DC's to make him stop crying and buff the party...
... then he turns on the party after they build up his confidence... :evillaugh
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Devilen

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2011, 08:40:56 AM »
Archivist might be an idea, although i've never tried it before so i don't have much of a clue how it works

My idea is exactly that this guy have a Indiana Jones personality.

Neither planing to let him turn on the party, nor make him to much of a coward (from the reasoning that if he is a coward then why the *BEEP* did he choose Adventuring as a carreer path), i want my party to survive (althrough i'm of the opinion that they shouldn't be saved if they do something which they should know is deadly), not kill them for giggles

Never been much for Binders ... they're to oddballish for my taste (that and i prefer my toon to be good)
« Last Edit: September 01, 2011, 08:44:56 AM by Devilen »

JohnnyMayHymn

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2011, 09:04:01 AM »
Archivist might be an idea, although i've never tried it before so i don't have much of a clue how it works
Archivist is pretty easy, it's basically a Wizard except his spell list is all Divine spells ever including all domains... :twitch

Archivist Handbook for best practices...
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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2011, 09:07:38 AM »
Archivist might be an idea, although i've never tried it before so i don't have much of a clue how it works

My idea is exactly that this guy have a Indiana Jones personality.

Neither planing to let him turn on the party, nor make him to much of a coward (from the reasoning that if he is a coward then why the *BEEP* did he choose Adventuring as a carreer path), i want my party to survive (althrough i'm of the opinion that they shouldn't be saved if they do something which they should know is deadly), not kill them for giggles

Never been much for Binders ... they're to oddballish for my taste (that and i prefer my toon to be good)

Archivist is rather simple.. Play it like you would a wizard, but you fill your spellbook (prayerbook) with divine spells instead. You get to choose cleric spells when you level up, but any divine spell (druid, cleric, paladin, divine bard, domain, etc) can be added to your prayerbook if you find a scroll. This lets you be a bit creative with the buffs since you have so many sources to prick from, and if you add some exotic scrolls to the loot the party finds, then they can give them to him, and he can in turn cast the spell on them every now and then. Its win-win :)
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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2011, 08:57:42 PM »
Neither planing to let him turn on the party, nor make him to much of a coward (from the reasoning that if he is a coward then why the *BEEP* did he choose Adventuring as a carreer path), i want my party to survive (althrough i'm of the opinion that they shouldn't be saved if they do something which they should know is deadly), not kill them for giggles
I'm playing a PF Witch in a Wrath of the Burning Sky campaign currently (I know, I'm desperate for a gaming group).  He's associated with the adventuring party because he was driven out of his home by the inquisitors, despite being ill-suited, physically, for the adventuring life.  A similar storyline would actually work much better with a coward...

JohnnyMayHymn

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2011, 05:29:14 AM »
Yep, or the party could rescue the coward during the 2nd session or so, that way he doesn't feel like a DMPC, more like an obstacle that might be worth kelping around...

I plant alot of NPC's like this but they tend to get killed on sight...
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jeffrie

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2011, 02:42:47 AM »
Archivist is at least as powerful as wizard as far as list, and Sorcerer is a good enough combo (though Beguiler is SAD). You might consider adding a final Prc for fluff.

One feat (endurance?) and half elf qualifies you for Wildrunner, which qualifies you for Arcane Hierophant iirc.

Archivist3/ Beguiler1/ MT10/ Wildrunner1/ Arcane Hierophant5

18th Archivist
16th Beguiler (or sorcerer for blasters)

It's a will save heavy progression, and you could switch to SAD int and collect skills. Cost only two feats, but has very few other class features (besides kicking ass all day and never running out of spells).

Consider Versatile Spellcaster, Practiced Spellcaster, and Touch of Healing (reserve feat).

If you skip the wildrunner and Hierophant you can get some cool prc action for more class features or domains instead, but i think as a npc you might not need too many class features.

I've worked on this build recently.

Edit: After much consideration, i don't think you need precocious apprentice. I feel the wording of Heighten Spell is clear; it makes a first level spell in to a second. Read it. Precocious apprentice does have some other little benefits, but i think HS is a better feat for all levels and you only have 7.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2011, 03:12:07 AM by jeffrie »
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Devilen

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2011, 07:14:25 AM »
given that i'm planing the NPC to be a heal/buff bot, beguiler doesn't quite fit (and i'm playing a full beguiler in one of the groups other setups so)

Archivist3/Transmuter1/MT10/something, with prohibited schools of Necromancy and Abjuration (given that i have Divine spells those two seems least usefull) ... still on the fence on Wildrunner, given that i doesn't have my RotW on-hand

maybe a single dip of Hierophant for divine reach at some point, for keeping the pet safe

jeffrie

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2011, 12:00:32 AM »
Touch Of Healing(CA): Reserve
Prereq; 2nd-level spells.
Benefit: As long as you have a conjuration (healing) spell of 2nd level or higher available to cast, you can spend a standard action to touch a target creature and heal 3 points of damage per level of the highest-level conjuration (healing) spell you have available to cast. You can use this ability only on a target that has been reduced to one-half or fewer of its total hit points. The effect ends once you've healed the subject up to half its normal maximum hit points. This ability has no effect on creatures that can't be healed by cure spells.
As a secondary benefit,  +1 competence bonus to your caster level when casting (healing) .

According to Tr011;
Mastery of day and night automatically maximizes all cures and inflicts.
/edit: Player's Guide to Eberron, 125
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Devilen

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2011, 06:38:28 AM »
been reading up on Wildrunner and honestly i don't see the character going into that so as of yet its still Archiv3/trans1/MT10/? (probably more Archiv)

Touch of Healing strikes me as somewhat lackluster since its only practially usealbe out of combat, and even there, the usefulness might be limited (depending on how safe you're party wants to play)

Mastery of Day and Night i'm on the fence on, because its from Eberron which i'm not running with

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2011, 12:19:30 PM »
Most of the people here come from the "fluff is mutable" school, and I highly suggest it.  What book an ability comes from is usually not important in any regard.  Non-drow can just as easily learn how to block attacks for their friends -- hell, they seem more likely to do so -- and so on.  Broken is broken, regardless of the book, non-broken isn't.  I don't think Mastery of Day and Night is broken since damage usually outpaces healing so quickly.  It also saves you some rolling an burns some feats on things that are easy for the DM, who has a lot going on, to keep track of. 

Devilen

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2011, 12:45:30 PM »
when i say not running with, i mean 'I doesn't even have any of the books for that setting'

btw ... is there any way for say Archivist, to get ranged healing?

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2011, 05:42:19 PM »
when i say not running with, i mean 'I doesn't even have any of the books for that setting'

btw ... is there any way for say Archivist, to get ranged healing?
Reach Spell exists, but typically isn't that awesome.  Hierophant loses a CL, but gives you a free Reach Spell for, IIRC, all touch effects.

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2011, 06:10:15 PM »
This might sound silly, but a lantern archon, with its aid at will, is a surprisingly effective quasi-healer at low levels like that.  The persistent magic circle against evil is a handy buff, too.  Persistent tongues makes for a translator, and greater teleport at will makes an excellent messenger, remote shopper (got cash for Raise Dead but no diamonds? no problem!), even a party taxi if you have an extradimensional space to work with and it can carry the opening (portable hole, handy haversack for smaller characters, whatever).  Sure it's always lawful good, but at Int 6 it's stupid enough to be easily duped or distracted, so it doesn't get overbearing.

Want it to grow up with the party?  Give it some class levels.  It's got 1 HD and CL 3rd, a few really nifty tricks but nothing overwhelming, so ad hoc call it LA +2 and go to town.  Cloistered cleric is an obvious choice for the increased skill points, knowledge domain, and a spell list well suited to buffing and healing, but also consider bard.  Its spell list is also well-suited to buffing and healing, it gets all the knowledge skills as well as the bardic knowledge class feature, and not having much of a body doesn't bother it much depending on how you play it.  As many physical attackers as you have in that party already, Inspire Courage should be a welcome boost, and if you opt to go the dragonfire inspiration route, when the archon sings so will the rest of the gang.

A word of warning: continual flame at will is a slow but persistent economy smasher.  If you go with the archon, remove this spell-like ability, and maybe replace it with another level 2 or level 3 spell-like (one of the cure or vigor spells for unlimited genuine hp healing could be ideal).
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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #16 on: September 05, 2011, 07:03:53 PM »
This might sound silly, but a lantern archon,
...
This isn't silly at all.  I actually did something just like this for a Planescape game I was involved in -- there were only 2 or 3 players, and no one wanted to be a cleric, so Planar Binding (and DM fiat, etc.) and kablam.  I think I even added some class levels to him as we leveled up.  I might even have it lying around ...

Devilen

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #17 on: September 06, 2011, 05:08:47 AM »
After taking a long look at Heirophant (and holding it up against Archmage which is the Arcane equivalent), i'm going to rule that it gets +spell casting class, but looses a spell just like Archmage ... and then dipping 1 or prehaps even 2 levels into it to get 30/60ft range on touch spells

Archivist3/Transmuter1/MT10/Heirophant1/Loremaster5

Looks reasonable for a Healer/buffer? or should the Loremaster levels be Archivist instead?

jeffrie

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #18 on: September 06, 2011, 11:18:13 AM »
After taking a long look at Heirophant (and holding it up against Archmage which is the Arcane equivalent), i'm going to rule that it gets +spell casting class, but looses a spell just like Archmage ... and then dipping 1 or prehaps even 2 levels into it to get 30/60ft range on touch spells.

lame.

If you are making an npc there is no need to make a house rule on H that will then be a house rule for everybody. You just told me 'it's just a healbot'. Therefor it doesn't need wish. Giving a pet npc that follows your party around and has more more spells than god and has both wish and miracle, , , , is not what i would do. And you want him to cast 20/20.


Archivist3/Transmuter1/MT10/Heirophant1/Loremaster5
Looks reasonable for a Healer/buffer? or should the Loremaster levels be Archivist instead?


Archivist3/Diviner1/MT7/Heirophant2MT3/Loremaster4
I think this is a much better npc. You get the 60' reach, and almost any arcane/divine spell in the game, and 17/15 caster level.
   If you need more CL, there's a feat for that.
Also, with reach spell you can get Ocular Reach, and Split Ray, iirc.

I would, personally, only heal them out of battle. They should carry at least some heal spells/potions/items of their own. There should still be the chance of a party death due to their playing badly/well. Use your spells to open doors, build railroad tracks, find items in town the pcs want, etc.
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Devilen

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Re: Help with Creating DM-heal/buff-Pet
« Reply #19 on: September 06, 2011, 11:31:11 AM »
point ...

I'll catch ... why Diviner instead of Transmuter, buffing (its a very unoptimizing party)