Where can you find a character that is a clecic/healer?
Tok
Member Posts: 19
I need a healer for my team, is there some such out there?
0
Comments
BG1 you can pick up Branwen fairly quickly (at the fair in Beregost). She is a neutral human. You can also pick up Viconia (the area escapes me ATM). She is an evil drow elf and you'll suffer reputation loss if you pick her up. Jaheria can also double as a healer, she's at the Friendly Arm Inn.
BG2, again Jaheria who is available ASAP. Next is Aerie who is a cleric/mage in the circus tent. Again Viconia can be picked up in the Government district. Also Anomen can be recruited in the Copper Coronet.
Those aren't exhaustive but should give you some direction.
For clerics, in bg1, head east from Nashkel, a halfling will try to sell you a scroll... Or explore the map to the east of the Friendly Arm Inn (more difficult enemies around there though). In bg2, there's a circus tent you might want to check (Promenade), or talk to a few people at the Copper Coronet (Slums).
EDIT: I had Confusion spell on me.
Kagain is a fighter (in his shop in Beregost)
So plenty of Divine healing to be had.
Yes, you'll need to have completed Cloakwood Mines at the very least.
Branwen is a solid choice for a capable early cleric.
Although I think it's worth pointing out that in-battle healing is not very effective in BG compared to other games I've played. The hp recovered is modest, and the spell duration is pretty long. You are better off using buff-self/disable-foes to prevent damage in the first place.
Kagain, the evil dwarf fighter in Beregost, will leave if your rep is 19 or 20, but from a roleplay perspective, he easily counts as Lawful Neutral. His only "sin" is wanting gold, and he runs a mercenary business, so he gains his gold in a honest, legal fashion. I can't see many good/neutral characters having a problem with him. Maybe someone who swore an oath of poverty or objects the existance of currency. There is a potential conflict with Yeslick and Ajantis (who potentially attacks all evil aligned NPCs), but I assume Kagain/Yeslick is a rarely seen fight. With Yeslick being a midgame NPC, and a party leader with high charisma, it's a rather low risk they'll come to blows.
Speaking of midgame NPCs, in Cloakwood is also Faldorn, the "evil" druid who can function as healer. She's true neutral as all druids, and "evil" in the same way Jaheira is "good".
Early in the game (one map north of Friendly Arm) you can pick up Ajantis, who is a paladin and can at least Lay Hands for some minor healing.
For a starting party and "need healer asap", it's either Viconia (evil) or Branwen (neutral), the two pure clerics, or Jaheira.
A healer's main roles are buffing the party before combat (Resist Fear, Bless, Chant, Protection from Evil 10' radius and Defensive Harmony are all good), debuffing or disabling enemies and lastly healing the party up between combats. Using them well will mean your party take less damage and can go for longer peroids between resting.
While her wisdom of 16 gives a couple of bonus spells her Strength of 13 means she cannot equip plate without a Strength-boosting item. Her Dex and Con are okay but nothing to write home about.
She's just underwhelming. No platemail for a while which means frontlining is out unless you use the Ankheg armour. Not a particularly devestating slinger. No cleric kit advantages. No useful multiclass combination. Meh.
I prefer Viconia, Jaheira, Quayle and particularly Yeslick to Branwen. Possibly even Tiax. All the others have either better stats or a solid multiclass that lets them fill another role as well. Branwen's real role is being the only non-Evil Cleric you can get early.
Since it's still not clear where in which game OP is... Xzar and Dynaheir can also be healers (Xzar reasonably early in midgame with 1 tome, Dynaheir tediously late in late game with 2 tomes) and that would be the complete list of options. Without knowing the party, it's hard to say which would be the best choice.
Admittedly, she isn't a first string front liner, but then name another cleric in the game that is? With Ankheg armor and the +1 Warhammer that shocks for an additional point, she is a perfectly acceptable backup tank. Throw in some of the normal Cleric Buffs and she'll hold her own in any combat situation. And by virtue of being one of only two single class clerics in the game, she is clearly one of the best healers too boot.
I have a personal bias towards Viccy, but I think Branwen is just as capable (probably more so against everything but magic users) and she fulfills more than one role.
I know Quayle gets a lot of stick for his poor stats (including wisdom), but you'll struggle to find a better secondary arcane or divine caster in BG1. His Cleric/Illusionist class alone gives him tons of spells to play with. If you really wanted, you could have no casters but him in your party and still have a full set of buffs, debuffs and heals.
I confess that I've never dealt with Quayle or Yeslick. I'll have to check them out one play-through.