Damage sources for a melee cleric who isn't buffing a lot

[Corsair]

Right, but I'd never be able to improve any other than Religion (undead) and the Planes (outsiders). I suppose the bonus would be impressive already between Collector of Stories, good wisdom (looking like +6 right now), and either Lore of the Gods (+10) or Divine Insight (+14, but discharges). Maybe I don't need any ranks in other knowledges?

Of course if I'm not going to be boosting the actual ranks much I debate the necessity of cloistered cleric in the first place. This would allow me to save 8k on a skillful weapon, and give me about 9 more HP (13 more if I bother to use the Dwarf sub 1).

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I must point out: Collector of Stories won't benefit untrained skills. Also, I think it's debatable that you can use it on the Knowledge Devotion roll.

"When you attempt a trained Knowledge check to identify a creature or to learn its special powers or vulnerabilities, you gain a +5 competence bonus on the check."

Technically, using the Knowledge Devotion feat does not fit under those parameters. My previous DM, a good friend and generally fair on rulings, did not allow me to use Collector of Stories on the rolls, and I begrudgingly agreed with him.

 

[Dandu]

Right, but I'd never be able to improve any other than Religion (undead) and the Planes (outsiders). I suppose the bonus would be impressive already between Collector of Stories, good wisdom (looking like +6 right now), and either Lore of the Gods (+10) or Divine Insight (+14, but discharges). Maybe I don't need any ranks in other knowledges?

Of course if I'm not going to be boosting the actual ranks much I debate the necessity of cloistered cleric in the first place. This would allow me to save 8k on a skillful weapon, and give me about 9 more HP (13 more if I bother to use the Dwarf sub 1).

Hold on. Clerics do get Knowledge Arcana, and Knowledge Devotion allows you to add one knowledge skill as a class skill, which could be Knowledge Nature.

 

[bigbaddragon]

A significant boost in damage would be the ability to make touch attacks with your weapon in conjunction with power attack. This is doable via two fairly cheap solutions:

1) Impaling weapon enchantment from MIC. Only a +1 bonus, can be bestowed on piercing weapons only and it allows you to make attack with that weapon as if you were making a touch attack 3 times per day. So yeah, longspear + power attack.

2) The same thing as above is possible if you use Heartseeking Amulet (can't remember where it is from). Also 3 times per day and I think its about 3-4k gp. Buy a dozen of these

Both require a swift action to activate and are good for one attack only IIRC.

 

[Corsair]

"When you attempt a trained Knowledge check to identify a creature or to learn its special powers or vulnerabilities, you gain a +5 competence bonus on the check."

Technically, using the Knowledge Devotion feat does not fit under those parameters. My previous DM, a good friend and generally fair on rulings, did not allow me to use Collector of Stories on the rolls, and I begrudgingly agreed with him.

First sentence in Knowledge Devotion: "You can use your knowledge to exploit your foes' weaknesses and overcome their strengths." That sounds similar enough to "learning[ing] its special powers or vulnerabilities" for my purposes.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

A significant boost in damage would be the ability to make touch attacks with your weapon in conjunction with power attack. This is doable via two fairly cheap solutions:

1) Impaling weapon enchantment from MIC. Only a +1 bonus, can be bestowed on piercing weapons only and it allows you to make attack with that weapon as if you were making a touch attack 3 times per day. So yeah, longspear + power attack.

2) The same thing as above is possible if you use Heartseeking Amulet (can't remember where it is from). Also 3 times per day and I think its about 3-4k gp. Buy a dozen of these

Both require a swift action to activate and are good for one attack only IIRC.

Heartseeking Amulet is also MIC. And yeah, it's grossly underpriced and/or broken.

Impaling is fine, though. And a dwarven warpike can benefit from it. Or a longspear if going human.

 

[Dandu]

The amulet takes up the same slot as the Necklace of Natural Armor and the Amulet of Health though.

I'm aware you can combine the items, but then you can't really carry a dozen amulets around to give yourself constant touch attacks without combining those amulets...

 

[bigbaddragon]

I'm aware you can combine the items, but then you can't really carry a dozen amulets around to give yourself constant touch attacks without combining those amulets...

Or a quiver of +1 Impaling longspears ftw