My new healbot build

[Zoda]

So I always ran a shieldberer/troubadour when I wanted to have a strong healer in the party, max res/mig/enough int to reach 20 (16 base usually) for the double linger, evened out dex/con. It is a great build, and I'm sure many of us used it, but it is kinda boring, does nothing but heals, occasinoaly can cheese a fight with Brand Enemy and that's about it (then you reload anyway, because real men don't cheese fights). Upside is that it can function as an afk tank in emergencies.

Then last playthrough my watcher was a kind wayfarer (never played that subclass before), and my idea of a healbot started to shift a bit. I still think the AFK version is great, but there are merits to using a kind wayferer troubadour that actually hits stuff. White Flames AOE would be pretty reasonable with 20 INT + Ring of Overseeing (although a case can be made for Chameleon's Touch, Focused Flames is kind of mandatory), then buff its output with Physicker's belt and Footprints of Ahu Taka (and Mercy and Kindness in the lategame). Obviously we would need it to do the full attack with dual wield, so a bashing shield is in order (any works really, maybe have multiple setupts, in case if medium shield modal is needed). Dual wielding actual weapons is an option too obviously, but I like my healers as sturdy as possible. The focus is not on the damage so any of them work. Ring of Focused flames, and Gauntlets of Greater Reliability to make sure the attacks have good hit chance. Then the weapon of choice. Obvious one is Sun and Moon, but I actually think with the combination of Devil of Caroc breastplate, and the action speed aura upgrade, Sasha's Singing Scimitar is an amazing here. Sasha's also allows lower dex (+2 dex from the boots too). Self mending is a nice touch on top of its base stats. Then upgrade Flames of Devotion to Shared Flames. This together is big boost to the party's dps output, and the shorter the fight, the less healing is needed, so even better. The focus should not be on doing damage (not directly at least), so if needed a club/flail/hatchet can be used for the modal. All the key pieces are there from Nekataka too.

I've been stalking these boards for a while and never really bumped into a herald build like this, so I figured I share my idea (admittedly, I never reasearched healer builds, so it might be out there).

Edited August 16, 2022 by Zoda

[NotDumbEnough]

If you want a really, really powerful healer you can multiclass a Lifegiver druid with a Chanter and sing Mercy and Kindness. With high might and intellect a single healing spell (any healing over time, pretty much) will be enough to heal your party to full and more. As in you can get hundreds of HP healed per person from a single cast of The Moon's Light or Moonwell.

[Zoda]

I like herald because in most cases it spares me the trouble of having to deal with healing in most fights altogether. Just stands around with endurance aura, ancient memory, mercy and kindness and maybe throws in an occasional emergency LoH (Shieldberer LoH is kinda OP too, especially on a Herald, pretty much a full heal, and insanely fast cast), if someone eats a big crit. I don't like having to bother with actual healing spells, that's why I chose herald. 

This Kind Wayfarer version is fun though, punching stuff for AOE heals is way more entertaining than actually healing. I ditched the bashing shield momentarily in my ongoing playthrough. Herald not having access to Monastic Training takes away a lot from their (and I mean Tuotilo's) effectiveness. So it's Sasha's and Sun and Moon for now.

[Boeroer]

I once made a single class Kind Wayfarer with dual pistols (Scordeo's Trophy + Eccea's Arcane Blaster) who used all the reloading bonuses he could get. You can hit the reloading floor (can't go faster) rel. early then.

This included a Troubadour in the party who sung Many Lives Pass By with Brisk Recitation. 

There was also a confused Berserker/Devoted who used Amra's Riven Gore and Carnage to accitentially kill those skeletons around him while attacking the enemies. This triggered Blood Thirst and cleaves from Mob Stance which turned him into an human-sized Blender.

Devine Retribution of the SC Paladin also triggers when your parties' summons die - and the skeletons died faster than the Troubadour could summon them, providing an endless stream of Zeal for the Kind Wayfarer whom I simply set to AI and let him fire White Flames nonstop. He not only kept the whole party at high health but also did rely decent single target damage with those very fast pistol shots + lash.

So - one of the best healers I ever had was a SC Paladin. Also one of the most boring ones to play because I didn't even have to touch him.

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by Boeroer

[dgray62]

6 hours ago, Boeroer said:

So - one of the best healers I ever had was a SC Paladin. Also one of the most boring ones to play because I didn't even have to touch him.

Sounds like exactly what one would want for a hireling healbot!

[Boeroer]

I think so. But of course the complete "hands off" status is only achieved at the higher levels because of Divine Retribution.

[Zoda]

On 8/17/2022 at 1:41 PM, Boeroer said:

I once made a single class Kind Wayfarer with dual pistols (Scordeo's Trophy + Eccea's Arcane Blaster) who used all the reloading bonuses he could get. You can hit the reloading floor (can't go faster) rel. early then.

This included a Troubadour in the party who sung Many Lives Pass By with Brisk Recitation. 

There was also a confused Berserker/Devoted who used Amra's Riven Gore and Carnage to accitentially kill those skeletons around him while attacking the enemies. This triggered Blood Thirst and cleaves from Mob Stance which turned him into an human-sized Blender.

Devine Retribution of the SC Paladin also triggers when your parties' summons die - and the skeletons died faster than the Troubadour could summon them, providing an endless stream of Zeal for the Kind Wayfarer whom I simply set to AI and let him fire White Flames nonstop. He not only kept the whole party at high health but also did rely decent single target damage with those very fast pistol shots + lash.

So - one of the best healers I ever had was a SC Paladin. Also one of the most boring ones to play because I didn't even have to touch him.

 

 

 

This sounds amazing actually, never noticed that Divine Retribution says ally and not party member (this kinda makes me wanna roll SC paladin).

I have a followup question. Do effects that specify party member count animal companions? Specifically thinking about abusing Ghost Heart with it of course (with Neriscyrlas' Hope and Burden and whatever other effect I find if I start researching it).

A quick note on the build I outlined: it feels amazing on easy to moderately hard encounters, but in the really hard ones I'm crying for my usual turtle Herald with the Shieldberer LOHs.

[Boeroer]

Iirc an animal companion counts as party member. I have no idea if Ghost Heart's animal companion is an exception because it's a summoned spirit. I didn't play Ghost Hearts much...

Good thing is that non-ghost heart animal companion can be revived without limit because they don't suffer injuries.

 

 

 

[Zoda]

Just now, Boeroer said:

Iirc an animal companion counts as party member. I have no idea if Ghost Heart's animal companion is an exception because it's a summoned spirit. I didn't play Ghost Hearts much...

Good thing is that non-ghost heart animal companion can be revived without limit because they don't suffer injuries.

 

 

 

I'm in the middle of a Stalker/Soulblade playthrough, and I have to say I really prefer Ghost Hearth for the later parts of the game at this point. Initially the bear was truly beastly, but as encounters get harder and harder, it gets very tedious to keep it alive, and I try to do everything to passively boost its defences: troubadour chanting, endurance aura, Shining Beacon, Hearth Defender's Scales (I massacred Junvik Vilage). The engagement immunity in particular is what I really miss (I always rolled ghost hearts before - or Maia obviously). Not sure if Stalker bonuses are better than having Ghost Hearth at this point, even if I do focus on the AC and go melee with it. I really think the passive bonus should scale a bit. Spending bond to resummon is no different than spending it on healing, and not having to deal with grief/dilemma is also a big upside. Meanwhile Maia is running on AI, Ishiza stays stealthed and ever since she got Driving Flight, she is taking over my watcher in overall damage done. Will see what happens when I get to Takedown Combo + Desintegration.

Maybe I'm just mad, because I couldn't do Memories of a Mad Man trial with a lvl 15/14 party in 2 tries