What's a good support class?

[Alzrius]

What are some good classes whose abilities are built around supporting your allies? I'm not talking about just spellcasting ability (clerics already have the buffing spells down pat), but rather classes like the healer, marshal, or society mind (from Untapped Potential: New Horizons on Psionics), which are designed with party support in mind.

What other classes, or prestige classes, are out there that are meant to be support classes?

 

[Sejs]

Straight friggin' bard.

Pump your bardic music and you are a tiny burning star of group support. Buffing? Supplimentary healing? Ablative hit points en masse? Debuffing? Social legwork?

All in one tidy package. No PrC needed.

 

[Deset Gled]

I would consider the bard class to be the archtype of a "character support class" in the core rules. You already hit on the other big two classes: marshal and cleric.

A wizard could also become a great support character with the appropriate spell and feat choices (i.e. buff spells and item creation feats). A monk is can be a decent melee support character. Their high mobility and (potentially high) AC makes them great at running into the midst of battle to supply flanking bonuses or much needed items with minimal risk to themselves.

In 3.0 there was the Devoted Defender PrC in Sword and Fist, which was more or less be a bodyguard. It would be a good support class, but was limited to choosing one specific person that you were devoted to defending.

 

[Hypersmurf]

PHBII's Dragon Shaman has an aura mechanic similar to the Marshal's.

-Hyp.

 

[Particle_Man]

In an odd way, Hexblade. I mean, if you make your enemies have a penalty to hit, that is like giving your allies a bonus to AC. Similarly, using the alternate ability in PHB II, if you give your enemies a penalty to AC, that is like giving your allies a bonus to hit that enemy.

And best of all, if the party already has a bard, you can both do your schtick and they don't interfere with each other.

 

[iceifur]

The Artificer (from Eberron). I mean, how much better can you support your group than providing cheap and easy access to magical items?

Plus, their infusions list is basically a "who's who" of the different buff spells.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I think that an answer depends upon what the campaign is like and what the encounters tend to be like. Often, a paladin or ranger is a support character. The diplomatic skills, ability to heal a little, and legendary resistances, combined with rather limited fighting skill (compared to the over-the-top fighter) makes the paladin a figure that only occasionally takes the spotlight and then fades back into the background. For different reasons, the ranger often ends up doing the same thing.

But, like I said, it all depends upon so many variables.

Dave

 

[starwed]

The dragon shaman is indeed a good support class. What makes it nice is that you don't lose anything from providing the support. Most support classes (such as the bard) require you to use your actions to sing, cast spells, or the like. The dragon shaman's auras are always on, and you can switch them as a free action.

On the downside, your support abilities lack the versatility of the bard's or artificer's. Still, even a 1 level dip into dragon shaman might be good for a support character.

For a combat support character, you could probably build a nice Crusader from ToB. They've got some nice stances and maneuvers for aiding allies.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

In an odd way, Hexblade. I mean, if you make your enemies have a penalty to hit, that is like giving your allies a bonus to AC. Similarly, using the alternate ability in PHB II, if you give your enemies a penalty to AC, that is like giving your allies a bonus to hit that enemy.

And best of all, if the party already has a bard, you can both do your schtick and they don't interfere with each other.

Very true, but I would always go with the boosting friendlies before hurting opponents. You can all but guarantee that your boosts will effect your friends - except in certain rare cases like how some DM's rule the drow spell resistance, etc. But you cannot always count on your enemies succumbing to your prowess.

But the line of thinking is a good one, especially if you already have the bard, dragon shaman, marshall role covered. Personally, as much hate as the bard gets, I love 'em. Not in a party of four, mind you. But in a party of five of more there is nobody that can boost like a bard. And more friendlies just means that the bard's power gets increased! Bigger parties get more out of a bard - or it's aura producing boosting cousins for that matter.

 

[Unkabear]

If you are playing with Psionics the Divine Mind from complete psionics. The aura's really can help out, and as you gain in levels you are able to use more aura's at the same time.