Playing the giant series, Frost Giant section, having trouble. Party make up is 2 warriors - one a monkey gripping dps (9th level, low AC, high damage, he gets beaten like rented mule) the other a straight tank (9th level, sword and board, low damage, high AC, high hp - no goad, no combat reflexes, no stand still), 1 rog/swashbuckler - deadly defense guy (10th level, high AC - for a rogue, low hp, average damage, no hide in plain sight, another heal sponge), 1 Wu-Jen/Master of the Unseen Hand (Real narrow specific build - I think he's trying an X-man Magneto or Jean Grey build-thing. He disarms the giants maybe half the time, tries to grapple them occasionally, and hasn't succeeded yet), and me.
Problem - with the party make up we've been averaging two or three combats before we've burned out the healer (Me) and have had to retreat. I have been allowed to bring either my 10th level cleric/boneknight (6 cleric/4 boneknight) - and his cohort or my Wizard/Conjurer specialist (Enchantment/Necro Banned schools) - and his cohort. Both characters have improved cohort from Heroes of Battle.
I would like help creating a 9th level cohort that will give our mish-mash melee heavy group more loiter time in the dungeon. No psionics, no flaws, no Mind Sight, no venerables, no templates, no ToM, no MiC. WotC 3.5 only, Complete books in, Sandstorm in, Storm Wrack in, Frostburn in, Tome of Battle in, FR in. Any help would be greatly appreciated.