On the main page for The Healer you’ll find information about various build information you need to know when first creating your character, while on this page you’ll find a level-by-level guide to advancing them, and information on how the character’s playstyle will change over time, when applicable. For the sake of brevity, we’ll base this information based on the build we used and we won’t quibble too much over minor variations which are possible.

Like The Caster, The Healer is another simple build with a simple premise: add a pet to a caster to get a two-for-one character who can also outperform your companions (Harrim and Tristian) at the essential function of casting spells. In this case, The Healer provides divine spells, rather than The Caster’s arcane spells.

This build also doesn’t really need a level-by-level analysis, and since it’s a divine caster who gets all applicable spells by leveling up, you don’t even need to pick those, either. That being the case, you’re mostly worried about feats and class abilities, the latter of which are mostly decided by 1st-level. Make sure your deity is Gozreh for access to Water and Animal domains - he’s the only one that has both (and Air doesn’t hurt, either, as you’ll soon see), then opt to channel Positive Energy.

Pick the Water Domain first to make it your primary domain, which will allow you to prepare spells from that domain in any of your memorization slots instead of just your domain slot, netting you full access to spells like Stinking Cloud, Freedom of Movement, Horrid Wilting and Tsunami. Pick Animal Domain second - the spells here aren’t special and don’t really matter, but it does get you an Animal Companion in the future, which, frankly, is a better boon than access to any spell would be. Picking a Leopard isn’t a bad idea, as they get numerous attacks per round right out of the gate (something your dedicated warriors won’t have for a while) and it’ll retain high stats (Attack Bonus, Armor Class, etc.) throughout the game.

Because you’re an Ecclesitheurge you’ll also be able to cast spells from your other domains, something the game handles by simply making them all available to you. Granted you’ll only be able to prepare one per level, but this still nets you limited access to Cloudkill, Chain Lightning, Entangle, Barkskin, Vinetrap, Mind Blank, Mind Blank, Communal, Slowing Mud, Sirocco and Tsunami. All in all, not a bad list.

While you’ll have a fine selection of spells to use, this character isn’t really meant to be a blaster or debuffer. When they can do it, fair enough - they can even debuff fairly well - but that job mainly goes to The Caster. Instead, The Healer is… well, a healer. But she’ll also buff, and we rely on her for highly situational spells like Animate Dead, Resist Energy, Communal, Protection from Energy, Communal, Death Ward and of course Delay Poison, Communal, the latter of which will allow you to pepper the battlefield with Stinking Cloud and Cloudkill spells while remaining utterly immune to both. It’s not fair, and we’re not sorry.

We’ll get Spell Focus: Conjuration early on, mostly in preparation of Stinking Cloud, while Skill Focus: Perception will have a more immediate effect. In the early levels, The Healer will mostly be used to buff allies with Shield of Faith and, of course, to heal, either by converting spells to healing magics, or by Channeling Positive Energy. Once she hits 4th-level, however, she’ll grab an Animal Companion: Leopard, which will help her make an impact in combat - more of one than her crossbow was, anyways. At 5th-level she’ll grab Boon Companion to boost the level of her Animal Companion, putting it on par with her own level. This constitutes a significant boost in lethality at a time when The Healer also gains access to 3rd-level spells.

Bit of a slow start, but definitely worth it.

After that, you’ll eventually grab Spell Focus: Evocation and Greater Spell Focus: Evocation in preparation for the few worthwhile blaster spells this character gets - Flame Strike, Chain Lightning, Sirocco, Stormbolts, etc. To finish this build off, pick up Heighten Spell so you can up-level spells, both to make them more potent and to fill out otherwise lackluster spell lists, Extra Channeling for more healing, and Blind Fight to deal with obnoxious late-game enemies.