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New player looking for advice on choosing a support class (Pathfinder 2e) (self.rpg)

submitted 6 months ago by glimse to c/[email protected]

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Hello everyone,

We are nearing the end of my first TTRPG campaign and in a few weeks, the DM is starting a homebrew. I joined this one half way through and a friend slapped together most of my level 7 character for me, a basic fighter. For this new campaign I'm hoping to have "more to do" in and out of battle so I'm looking for class advice.

I want to play a support class but I've been feeling overwhelmed by the class options. All I know is that I want it to be beginner-friendly support that can heal but also do more - like damage, buffs, or debuffs. Doesn't have to be all 3!

The group gave me a few suggestions but there was so much back and forth about how complicated they are, I thought I'd pose the question here.

Can someone help point me in the right direction on a simple support? Any help would be appreciated!

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The most beginner friendly support classes are the Bard and the Cleric. The Cleric is a very powerful healer, with their Healing Font feature granting them a number of free extra heal spells per day, and it comes in 2 flavours: The Cloistered Cleric, that wears robes and casts spells, and stays at the back of the party, and the Battle Cleric, that wears armor, uses a shield, and works as a front line class.

Both can do a fair bit of buffing and debuffing with their non-font spell slots.

The Bard is the gold standard support caster in the game, with less focus on healing, and a wider variety of support options.

Clerics have access to the Divine spell list, and are Prepared Casters, while Bards use the Occult spell list, and are Spontaneous Casters. Take a look at those lists, and what those casting types mean, at the Archives of Nethys

[–] glimse 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Oh really? I guess I had Clerics all wrong...I thought they were pure healbots! There's a few playable races that would work well for a Cleric so that class is back on the table.

I was initially thinking bard because there's been a few times this campaign when someone has said "if only we had a bard in the party" but I think I've been hesitant because it's such a common beginner class, though it's obviously for a reason

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If your party needs a heal bot, they need better tactics (which isn't a slight -- tactics are hard), and a non-magical healer to use battle medicine.

But no, Cleric's whole gimmick is extra dedicated heal slots so they can use their regular spell slots to do other fun things. They can be very flexible, and we're hoping for a significant expansion of the Divine spell list in the fall with War of the Immortals coming out.

Look into a battle cleric in particular. They're very versatile.

[–] glimse 3 points 6 months ago

I just meant I wasn't considering Clerics before this because I thought they only healed. If this campaign is any indication of the group tactics, we definitely don't need a healbot.

I will check out battle cleric!