Making a Healer for a Swashbuckling game, looking for advice

[djreynolds]

1. Did you already roll for stats?

2. Who else is in the party?

3. Are going with a Paul Bettany from Master and Commander?

4. I feel anybody on ship is going to be able to climb and swim, maybe not well, but you'll need athletics as a skill anyhow. (or should, many sailors back in the day couldn't swim)

For a doctor feel, you don't make house calls, the come to you. Spirit Guardians and sanctuary and warding bond could all be flavored

Have looked into the new alchemist, it gives you a modern feel. Also the spell-less ranger gets some interesting stuff.

A knowledge cleric could also be cool with expertise in something like alchemy

[verbatim]

I'm playing a bizzarly spec'd lizardfolk str grave cleric in a similar situation rn.

Being able to swim is awesome.
Being able to grapple people into the water and bonus action bite them with hungry jaws is even more awesome.


this also works with medkit thief rogue (expertise on athletics) and with druid (natural armor means not being able to wear metal armor isn't that big of a deal).

[Arcangel4774]

Have you looked into the elf subrace: eladrin? Theyve got a built in misty step and the spring eladrin in particular can forfeit his own misty step to teleport a willing target. In other words you can just send allies out of harms way

[Potato_Priest]

No, I never really considered eladrin, and wouldn’t want to play them simply because of the fluff (elves with added special snowflake). Thanks for the suggestion though!

Looking at what’s been said here, a triton thief rogue taking healer at level 4 is the way to go, but I might do one of the other suggestions if I get godlike stats. Thanks for the help, everybody!

[moonfly7]

Whatever you do, by like 5 healer kits. Instant stabilize

[MrStabby]

I am surprised Bard isn't higher up the list.

You get healing spells, feather fall, the mending cantrip, vicious mockery/cutting words seems a fitting for a swashbuckler.

You get a good amount of skills and can get expertise for athletics/acrobatics as fitting - because who wouldn't want to be an expert at swinging from the rigging.

If you go to level 6 then the college is pretty important. Swords seems a natural fit for the campaign type (you can still be a pretty good bow user) but lore can open up some options (boosting your magic with aquatic spells to play a preacher of a sea god for example).

[swamp_slug]

I am surprised Bard isn't higher up the list.

Exactly my thoughts. Bard was the first class I thought of when reading the OP.

You get access to Cure Wounds and Healing Word and both Restoration spells and Magical Secrets can get you Revivify and/or Raise Dead. You also have the Charisma to make Inspiring Leader worthwhile and Song of Rest allows for improved healing during a short rest.

As to Colleges, Swords is the archetypal swashbuckler subclass, Valor and Lore can also be swashbuckler types. With Vicious Mockery and Cutting Words Guybrush Threepwood could be a Lore Bard.

[Naanomi]

The triton rogue doesn’t get any healing until level 4, and doesn’t plan on going higher than 6... I wouldn’t call that much of a healer in the big picture

[Potato_Priest]

The triton rogue doesn’t get any healing until level 4, and doesn’t plan on going higher than 6... I wouldn’t call that much of a healer in the big picture

That’s fair, vhuman would probably be the better choice. That or a caster class. What do bards get in the way of mobility and object interactions?

[8wGremlin]

Can I ask why object manipulation is such an important concept for this build?

[Potato_Priest]

Can I ask why object manipulation is such an important concept for this build?

Using the sails, using the ship, using the ropes and rigging for tricks, loading cannons. I basically foresee it being incredibly useful in ship combat.

[Kane0]

Seconding Thief Rogue.

Bonus action cunning action + item use (ask your DM if you can use healing potions?), expertise, evasion/uncanny dodge, light armor so you don't sink, sneak attack at a distance, only Dex dependent, etc.
You just have to choose between a race that gets you swimming/water breathing or getting the healer feat faster. Shame you can't multiclass cause a fighter dip for second wind and mariner fighting style would have been great.

[8wGremlin]

Using the sails, using the ship, using the ropes and rigging for tricks, loading cannons. I basically foresee it being incredibly useful in ship combat.

I would check your assumption with your DM just to make sure.
I'd hate for you to build a character around this concept and then have it not work.

Other than that, If you are set on that, then get the healer feat, and then look in to Ritual Caster (you'll need either wis, or Int of 13) you can then pick up some very useful ritual wizard spells, including find familiar (i'd pick an owl or hawk, and ask the dm if I can have it as a seagull or parrot) as you go up in levels at level 6 you'd be able to cast things like

Alarm (1st)
Find familiar (1st)
Tenser's Floating disk (1st)
Unseen Servant (1st)


Magic Mouth (2nd)
Silence (2nd)


Water Breathing (3rd)
Water Walk (3rd)
Leomund's Tiny Hut (3rd)

which might give you some extra versatility.

[djreynolds]

A fighter might not be bad.

A battlemaster gets precision, you could possibly use this for firing

A scout fighter, from UA Kits of Old, get 3 free skills at 3rd level, in addition to background skills

And gets precision and can use SD for skill checks.

And the rangers natural explorer also

And 2 feats at 4th and 6th level

[Mikaleus]

A Triton Bard. Valor or Swords.

I want to play in a pirate campaign so bad and that’d be my character 😆

[Nhym]

You can reflavor a circle of the coast druid to be kind of like a Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean kind of character. Druids make awesome healers.

[Potato_Priest]

You can reflavor a circle of the coast druid to be kind of like a Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean kind of character. Druids make awesome healers.

Do they make awesome healers without goodberry and healing spirit? Because I refuse to use either.

Goodberry ruins the entire survival mini game, while healing spirit is just way too good.

[Bloodcloud]

I mean... make sure someone on the team is a Storm Sorcerer though. The wind change is not a ribbon suddenly (and comes at 6, so still within reach).

Combines well with inspiring leader (and I'd argue between spotting enemy ship and engagement, you got time for it often).

Aquatic capabilities with stealth capabilities is an interesting case. Sneaking on an anchored ship from underwater to blow the powder reserve could be VERY valuable. Especially with fire spells and misty step for some teleporting. Druid, aquatic race, all powerfull options here.

[Nhym]

Do they make awesome healers without goodberry and healing spirit? Because I refuse to use either.

Goodberry ruins the entire survival mini game, while healing spirit is just way too good.

They have access to Cure Wounds, Healing Word, Mass Cure Wounds, Heal and Regenerate if you aren't going to go with those two. Obviously not as good as a Cleric, but you can still definitely heal. Alternatively you can also pick the Circle of Dreams. You can still retain the flavor but you can get a bunch of free Healing Words basically. I understand Goodberry for survival purposes but i'd be a shame if you didn't use healing spirit as you can re-flavor it to be like an ocean spirit or healing spring. If you think it's too strong, just nerf the numbers or only use it in-combat.

Druids very good in water campaigns because of Wild Shape too.

[Potato_Priest]

Hmm, I am definitely liking the look of the storm sorcerer. It’s definitely got some of the mobility I’m looking for from tempestuous magic, and the wind control ability is awesome. Is there any way to get better object manipulation on it?

[Naanomi]

Hmm, I am definitely liking the look of the storm sorcerer. It’s definitely got some of the mobility I’m looking for from tempestuous magic, and the wind control ability is awesome. Is there any way to get better object manipulation on it?

Very little influences object manipulation... thief getting to do it as a bonus action is the only non-magical example I can think of; and the rest is just summoning (Unseen Servant) or Telekinesis (Mage Hand) examples

Not a healing example, but an Arcane Trickster could easily man the rigging with Mage Hand skills... and if they were Gith they could do so with no obvious casting as well

[2D8HP]

A PC that's both a physician and a Swashbuckler you say?

Spoiler: Some inspiration

Show

(It really was a good movie)

[MrStabby]

A PC that's both a physician and a Swashbuckler you say?

Spoiler: Some inspiration

Show

(It really was a good movie)

http://drmcninja.com/ , for his nemesis?

[Tallytrev813]

Surprised no one has mentioned Bard here?

Bards get Healing Word and/or Cure Wounds from level 1.

Bards are skill monkeys, and Party faces (like you mentioned you wanted)

Depending on which bard you pick, you can be effective in whichever you like - Casting, Charming, Combat.

And, finally, Bards are...Piratey.

Edit - I now see people mentioned Bard towards the back end of the thread.


Definitely i'd think the #1 choice here, if you're looking for a healer sailor who can specialize in some other skills, is bard.

[Naanomi]

Bardic inspiration is also one of the few ways of getting bonuses to Water Vehicles and Navigation skill checks that may be more important in a nautical setting (along with Guidance and a small handful of other bonuses here and there)

[8wGremlin]

Plus bard works very well with inspired leader, and healer as well.

[Potato_Priest]

Plus bard works very well with inspired leader, and healer as well.

Well, everything works well with healer, but the charisma of a bard or sorc would definitely be good for inspiring leader.

I guess the reason I’m less excited about the bard than the sorc idea is the lack of mobility.

[Mercurias]

I would probably run a Half-Elf or V. Human Bard. They have a lot of support/healing options, some armor, can easily be built for acrobatics, and they'd be great for a swashbuckling setting.

I would personally run as a Lore Bard and play as a trash-talking, shanty-singing, well-read renaissance man. REALLY play up those Acrobatics and wear out Vicious Mockery and Cutting Words.

If you want to be a much more relaxed sort of oddball herbalist type, a level in Life Cleric before swapping to Land Druid would serve you well. Scamper up the ropes to check out the horizon as a squirrel. Spy on enemy vessels as a bilgerat before escaping back to your own ship with information. Find out how many types of seaweed you can use to make yourself hallucinate. Make enough Goodberries to feed the entire crew! Good times!

[Tallytrev813]

Well, everything works well with healer, but the charisma of a bard or sorc would definitely be good for inspiring leader.

I guess the reason I’m less excited about the bard than the sorc idea is the lack of mobility.

Mobility like run speed?
Be a variant human and take Mobile or something if thats a concern.
Or, take a race that has swimming or faster walking speed or something

There's easy ways to do it i'd think

[MagneticKitty]

Dex based paladin
mariner fighting style if no swim speed from race. Uses light armor, rapier, shield and long bow
Magic initiate for mending and some minor water spell if desired. I'd go oath of ancients

Edit: you can find some neutral or chaotic god of the sea or maybe god of battle or thieves

You can do find steed, ask your dm if they will let you take an equal cr to warhorse water mount: giant sea horse, crocodile, or reef shark (small pc only). Maybe they can pull a small row boat for your group

Crocodile is fun for Peter pan references.

For race you could do:
lizardfolk (unarmored a.c. and hold breath and making things from monsters)
Tabaxi (themed after a tiger or fishing cat, both if which don't mind water) can climb up the ropes /mast be the lookout.
Goblin (light rogue flavor, can ride the shark)
Triton /sea elf /tritons/tortle (for obvious reasons)
Half elf / drow have good stats
Aarakocra (choose a crow design and be the lookout. Literal crow's nest.)