Holy Smoke! A Cleric's (Templar's) Handbook (by GelatinousOctahedron)

Nibelung

First Post
Originally posted by GelatinousOctahedron:

Paragon Paths

Clerics now have a wide variety of excellent in class choices to pick from so most of the time you should stick with one of those most of the time.  There are a handful of racial, theme, setting specific, and multiclass options worth looking at. 

Top Paragon paths by build (* means deity specific):

Any: Zealous Demagogue, Adroit Explorer,
Any Ranged: Divine Oracle, Annointed Champion
Any Melee: Paragon of Victory, Tactical Warpriest
Any Wisdom Build: Luckbringer of Tymorra, Miracle Worker
Any Strength Build: Angelic Avenger, Hammer of Moradin*, Mithral Arm
Radiant Builds: Morninglord*, Radiant Servant, Exorcist of the Silver Flame* 
Pacifist: Messenger of Peace
Essentials Warpriest: Devout Warpriest (for Death Domination Earth Oghma Selune Storm & Torm)

Cleric Specific
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Strength or Wisdom Primary

Angelic Avenger (PHB)  /tools/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-innocent.gif C Gives you proficiency with a heavy blade of your choice: fullblade is probably your best choice, but bastard sword for small characters and glaives for polearm builds work.  The revised version is good overall.

Chromatic Bane (D378) A decent choice for any battle cleric.  Variable resistances when you use an action point and a good defensive CD power.  Also you can use strength, wisdom, or charisma for the petty good encounter and daily attack powers, both of which encourage mobility.

Gatekeeper of the Golden Palace (D387) *Must worship Erathis* .  Saving throw focused path that is best for battle clerics and ok for others who lack a way to grant saves.  The encounter and daily powers enhance any at wills.  The enounter power boosts your adjacent allies damage (ok) and the daily makes an at will stun (save ends) on a hit (daze on a miss) and allies get to push the enemy around some.

Oak Sield
(D401) * Must worship Melora* .  Kind of a blah defensive oriented weapon using path.  You get lightning and thunder resistance, give out defensive boosts with your actions points, and get tremorsense at level 16.  The attack powers are not impressive, but the encounter utility power grants your party partial concealment in a close burst 5 which is a decent use of a minor action.

Paragon of Victory (D400) Good action economy path with lots of options.  The level 11 feaure is good, but requires you drop a non minion enemy.  The action point feature is a save or bonus to damage rolls.  The encounter power is minor action use a cleric at will power makes it good as an off striker path for melee builds.  The daily utiltiy is a solid area heal/buff.  The daily power is a 3 person at will attack enable for a minor action.  You need a decent MBA for the level 16 feature, which is best if you have power of skill or sonnlinar's hammer.  I played one of these with a morningstar goliath build through low paragon and it was very effective, if a bit boring.

Soul Reaper (D380) * Must worship Raven Queen*. Black for death domain warpriests.    Ignore necrotic resistance, but not many templar powers are necrotic.  Action point movement is very situational.  The utility encounter power is a very nice ally reroll effect.  Both the encounter and daily powers (whose effect can potentially hurt allies) are str or wis implement powers.

(Tactical) Warpriest (PHB) Best path for most melee clerics in general, especially those who want to off defend.  All the features of this class are good: rerolls, ac boost, good action point feature, good leadery powers, an at will mark with good punishment, and an excellent utility power.

Strength Primary 

These all have some sort of prereq or else post dragon 400 wierdness to them so most strength clerics should stick with tactical warpriest or paragon of victory, but these are not bad.  Battle chaplain and stonekeeper used to be better pre dragon 400.

Battle Chaplain
(DP)  It gives you heavy shield proficiency, which if you took battle clerics lore is only a +2 to reflex and no 2-H weapon. If you  have to take healer's lore because your DM does not allow dragon material this is a good path for a battle cleric.  It has a good marking ability and the attack powers are decent.  The daily utility power is pretty situational, but so many parties are built around charging now that it will see some use.  The action point feature is good enabling.

Hammer of Moradin (DP) * Must worship Moradin* and be proficient in a warhammer or throwing hammer.  Either get it through a background or be a dwarf.  Get a +1 on hammer attacks, including weapliment attacks.  It has a good action point feature (knock prone or daze), gives you a good ranged encounter strength attack, and a tough dailiy resistance stance.

Idol of Darkness
(Bovd, evil alignment) Good resistances.  Action point feature gives you concealment and the level 16 feature gives str/cha builds some good shifting when pcs or enemies drop.  Decent enemy forced movement through the daily utility and attack powers.

Stone Keeper (DP Dwarf)  You need the history skill.  It is a solid path all around that lets you do extra damage with action points and knock larger creatures prone on a crit. The one drawback now is that the level 16 feature was designed around making divine fortune a good power (basically you get a +3 to your attacks each encounter until you hit), but that is much less useful now that we have Favor of the Gods. I would not want to go through 15 levels with divine fortune, but if you are able to retrain out or start at mid paragon it is not a big deal. I used to have this path as skyblue, pre dragon mag 400.

Lightning Blitzer (D386 - Half-orcs) Lightning themed charging path for halforc battle clerics.  Good mobility and it potentially recharges furious assault, which also does extra thunder damage.  More of striker path and does not make you a better leader since none of the path features do anything for your allies.

Wisdom Primary 

Anointed Champion (DP) C An excellent buffing path for ranged clerics. You really need a high charisma to get the most out of it, but balanced clerics can get good use out of it if they have a decent charisma.  At level 16 you can have very consistent temp hitpoint generation and the daily power is one of the best for a cleric: close burst 5 radiant damage and a massive encounter long defense and offense boost for your party.

Arrow of the Moonbow (D386) * Must worship sehanine* .  For specialized bow builds.  Good class features, gives you a good CD power, and over all good attack powers.  I like seldarine deicate a little more, but this does not have racial prereqs and is almost as good. 

Astral Savant (DP)   /tools/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-innocent.gif C Good for balanced and lazer clerics. Focuses on radiant and cold damage. The level 16 power lets you reuse a CD power any time someone in your party gets hit with a crit, which should happen most encounters. 

Compassionate Healer (DP) +  Black for warpriests or zealots.  OK for those with a high number or healing surges, but I think you have better options. Messenger of Peace and Miracle Worker are both better.  Also the 11th level feature compassionate blessing got nerfed in errata.  It is still a good choice for some hybrids with high constitution and members of other classes like bear shamans and I use it in one of my example hybrid builds.

Divine Oracle (PHB) The most versatile path in the game since almost any character can make use of it. Good for any cleric who wants to target will and the other features are nice too from no more suprise to auto crits. Even useful for a few battle clerics with low wisdom since the encounter power does not require a roll and the daily is semi reliable.  Take the feats Superior Will and Focused Mind and maybe uncanny dodge so you won't worry about being dazed much when you do miss.
Exorcist of the Silver Flame (EPG)
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* Must worship silver flame* .  Lots of fire and radiant boosts and bonuses against certain creature types.  Anyone with radiant and fire powers will like it.

Holy Emissary (DP)  C Good ally buffing.  Saving throw bonus from gift of hope is only +2 due to errata.  Gift of grace is also now charisma based via errata.  For lazer, balanced, and healics who do not mind doing damage. 

Luckbringer of Tymora (drag 365) *Must worship tymora*  Excellent for wisdom builds. It gives you a heavy blade proficiency that you can use as a weapliment for free.  The powers are wisdom implement powers and for some reason it gives you an excellent area burst encounter vulnerability power (save ends) at level 20.  That it is an encounter might have been a mistake, but it was early in the life of 4E and they never fixed it.  This path is also wierd in that you get your AP feature at 16 (lets you spend an AP so you or an ally can reroll an attack with a bonus).  You also get a free double D20 roll once an encounter.  The level 11 power is a standard action no damage power with a good automatic defensive buff for your allies and a potential penalty to your enemies defenses.  The utility is a standard action daily that grants a bunch of saves to one target with a +4 bonus.

Messenger of Peace (DP) + My favorite path for healics that do not want to do any damage. Insane almost constant bonuses (if you use non-damaging powers) to your defenses and constant penalties to your enemies attacks at 16. Plus good powers.

Miracle Worker (DP) semi + since the encounter power damages. Best healing path for balanced, lazers, and healics that are willing to do damage.

Morninglord (FRPG)
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* Must worship Amaunator* . Tons of radiant vulernability and high crit.  High charisma helps.  Generally considered the best path for lazer clerics and radiant builds.

Radiant Servant (PHB) /tools/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-innocent.gif Default path for radiant themed clerics unless
you have access to Morninglord, which is better.  You crit on a 19-20 with cleric radiant powers.   The action point feature and encounter power got toned down significantly in the templar update, but this is still a good path for non-hybrids.  The utiltiy power eats up standard actions, but is fairly powerful.

Scourge of Io (D369) Good against dragons and ok against other things. The action point benefit only works against dragons.

Seldarine Dedicate (DP Elf or Eladrin) Lets you use a bow as your implement, but you have to be elf or eladrin. Long range powers, along with shifting and extra uses of healing word.  For specialized bow builds.

Soul Guide
(MOTP) /tools/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-innocent.gif Ranged radiant path. Best against shadow and undead and the utility power only effects them. Has one of the few ways to use channel divinity more than once an encounter in paragon.  The other radiant themed paths are much more consistently useful.

SoulForged (D385) * Must worship Moradin* .  Gain extra uses of channel divinity or heroic tier encounter power when you AP.  Several wisdom/weapon powers that can be ranged or melee, so mostly for balanced clerics or wisdom weapon clerics.  Does extra fire and radiant damage.  Its a good enough path and I planned to take in on an avenger I once played, but there are other ones that do very similar things for clerics.

Truthseeker (DP) Very good against specific enemies (those that use fear, polymorph, & psychic powers and against phasing/insubstantial/teleporting) but just ok in general. Very powerful utility and good daily power. Good for balanced and lazer. I prefer paths that are always useful.

Zealous Demagogue (D377) + Good bonuses for allies and a good potentially rechargable encounter charge
enabling power, but you need at least one charger in the party to make it worth while.  One of the few paths open to all clerics since the very good daily power is the only one that has an attack roll (wisdom) and is ok on a miss.  One of the best enabling options for clerics and the path has great fluff too.  You might want a bloodfury weapon starting at 16.  

High Charisma


HeartWarder (FRPG) + * Must worship Sune* .  The attacks both use charisma, so only consider this if you have done a good job boosting it.  The encounter power dominates so that is the main selling point of the path since dominating in encounter powers is rare.  The level 16 feature penalizes enemies for focusing all their attacks against you and the action point feature works well against enemies with vulnerabilities.  I would mainly consider this path for str/cha builds with a weapliment.
 
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Warpriests
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Warpriests alone can get Devout Warpriest for their paragon path.  These are pretty good for the most part and mix with your other abilities, with a boost to one of your at wills at 11 with transcendent blessing and a boost to healing word at 16. You also get divine resurgence at level 11 instead of getting a new encounter power.  It recharges your and an ally's second winds and recharges one of your domain encounter attack powers of level 20 or lower.  For Oghma warpriests it is almost mandatory that you take this path.

Correlon I don't like the action point feature since it only helps if you spend it on a move action and you are already very mobile.  The powers are ok.  The level 16 feature of your healing word making the target invisible makes up for most of that, but that is only thing I really like about it. I would normally go for radiant exploit path like radiant servant or morninglord or else mc for a different classes path like artificer.

Death Most of it is based around autodamaging enemies, even the encounter utility.  The healing word feature boosts the damage a specific enemy takes that round.

Earth:
Your healing word grants damage resistance keyed to con mod to everyone besides the target.  Action points prone an enemy.  You can make a wall of earth and your daily can potentially petrified (save ends).  Hardly any PC powers petrify so this is pretty unique.

Oghma: The main reason to go Oghma is to get access to this path.  The level 16 feature lets your healing word grant MBAs.  With gamblers word and supreme healer thats 8 free action MBAs an encounter in epic.   Everything else is solid about the path: action point gives your party a good shift, singing strike immobilizes, the utility power lets your party reroll initiative and perception/insight checks, and the daily power is a solid close burst dazing attack.

Selune Good sticky action point feature that will tie down enemies next to you. Brand of the moon grants saves to you or ally.  And a good level 20 blinding autodamage power.  The only drawback is that it was a very situational healing word boost that you will rarely get anything out of.

Storm
: Action point feature dazes, healing word slides, your utlity slides, and your daily lets you auto damage adjacent enemies.

Sun: You action points give your party temp hitpoints, you can make a wall that heals allies and hinders enemy movement, healing word also grants temp hitpoints, and your daily blinds (save ends) in a close burst.  Not bad, but a bit repetitive with what you already do and you will be giving you allies a lot of temp hitpoints already.  I would go for radiant servant or morninglord over this almost all the time and one of the best sun warpriest builds I have seen was an adroit explorer.

Torm Healing word feature is excellent, especially if you can't get mark of healing.  The other parts of the path are ok, with a very situationally useful action point feature for concealed enemies.  The level 20 daily is a solid power that lets you teleport and MBA as an interrupt all encounter long.  If you can't get mark of healing this is a good option, but if you can I would probably look at another path.

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Here is a list of good paragon paths strength clerics can take without worrying about wisdom.  This was more useful pre June 2011, but I am going to leave it up.

strength paths
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Here is a quick run down of good battle cleric choices where you can use all the powers and features without worry (no stat other than strength and no implements), but most of the paths have some prerequisite: battle chaplains (no prereqs), hammer of moradin (need proficiency with throwing or warhammer and must worship moradin), Chromatic Bane (no prereqs), lightning blitzer (halforc), stone keeper (dwarf and history skill), kensei (fighter), dreadnaught (fighter), draeven marauder (fighter w/spear), champion of corellon (worship correlon and paladin), stoneblessed (goliath), storm sentinal (warden), captain of fortune (warlord), knight commander (warlord), white raven (warlord) Gatekeeper of the golden palace (worship erathis), Scion of Arkhosia (dragonborn), Mithral Arm (Dragonborn), Adroit Explorer (human), elemental tempest (genasi), warforged life seeker (warforged), Gallandra Sanctuary Guardian (mark of hospitality), and caravan master (dune trader theme).  There are other more specialized choices as well depending on race and multiclass feats, but there are potentially so many of those so they do not all get listed here.

For paths that have a strength/wisdom encounter power that you do not want you can take the reserve manuever feat from PHB2 to rotate out the path power for a lower level cleric power. For instance if a battle cleric wants to take the angelic avenger path he can switch out the level 11 wisdom encounter power for a level 7 strength power to get more out of it.

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Other Classes
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I generally ignored paths that work better when you start from that class in favor of ones that
work well for all classes who take them.
Strength Primary

Barbarian
As of now all the paths for barbarians from PHB2 revolve around you raging most of the time, but you can only rage 2 times a day in paragon, 3 times in epic assuming you used a power substitution to swap out a daily and took primal resurgance in epic. 

Wildrunner (PHB2) Lots of extra shifting and battle clerics usually are not this mobile.

Winter Fury (PP) This one is worth taking if you want to do a cold theme and are interested in untyped damage melee powers.  It works really well then, but this limits your power choices.

Fighter
Battle and balanced clerics should take a look at these.

Doomguard Marauder (MOTP) Deal extra damage

Dreadnought (MP) For hammer, maces, and axes

Kulkor Arms Master (MP2) With errata this is still an ok choice since clerics can prone and push (with a potential prone) at will now.  
 
Polearm Master (MP) Good for pole arm users 

Draeven Marauder (D365) Good choice if you use a great spear or other spear.  Cirt on a 19 at level 11, free basic attacks when you crit bloodied enemies at 16 (combine with power of skill), plus extra shifting.  No real leader benefits, but still has good features and powers.

Paladin
Paladin is a good choice for some str/cha builds.
Champion of Corellon (DP) Best paladin path for high charisma strength clerics, but diety specific.  Boosts your ac and speed.  You need a decent dex as well, but starting with 14 is enough to get the full armor bonus.

Demonslayer (DP) Another choice for strength clerics.  Good against creatures with resistances.

Knight of the Chalice (DP) Only for battle clerics with a high charisma, but it gives battle clerics 1 more choice.

Questing Knight (DP) Another choice for strength clerics with a high charisma

Slayer of the Dead (DP) not a bad choice for strength clerics, but the utility only effects undead. 

Ranger

GiantSlayer: (MP also works with fighter MC) Lots of bonuses if you are fighting larger creatures.

Horizon Walker (MP) A couple of nice bonuses that key off wisdom including a good encounter teleportation power.  You need to use a weapon to make the most of it, so it works for bow clerics, balanced clerics, and battle clerics and the daily power can be radiant or another type.

Thay Infiltrator (D370) This is setting specific for forgotten realms but is designed for ranged rangers that mc cleric and vice versa.

Warden
Like the barbarian and rages most of these revolve around you being in a polymorphed form, which you can only do 2/day in paragon, 3 times in epic assuming you used a power substitution to swap out a daily and took primal resurgance in epic. 

Storm Sentinel (PHB2) Extra lighting damage, extra self healing, flight, and an encounter close burst 2 weapon powers

Warlord
Many path features either key off of int or benefit warlords

Captain of Fortune (MP2) A path focused around allies rerolling attacks and damage.

Earthfast Brigadier (MP) If you have a high con and use axe/hammer and shield this is an ok choice and has some leader abilities.

Pack Master (MP) Lots of ally movement and some concealment

Knight Commander (PHB) Good static attack bonuses for nearby allies

White Raven (MP2) Path that gives bonuses to you and your allies depending on if you have nearby allies.  Good enabling powers.

Wisdom Primary

Avenger

Dervish of Dawn(DP) Bonus to defenses when you use radiant powers, potential second CD each encounter, and you get extra shiffting with your powers.
Radiant Visage (DP) If you are a wis primary build with an implement this is an ok choice.  Flight, extra shifting, and a second use of a CD power with action points.  Plus a rechargable close blast 5 radiant power for some control.

Serene Initiate (DP)  helps if you have a high dex, but this path lets you target more enemies with your oath ability

Weapon of Fortune (DP) Chance to reuse action points and intersting powers based on chance, definitly not for everyone.

Invoker
Adept of Whispers (DP) Good for lazer clerics focusing on blast/burst powers.

Divine Philosopher (DP) only good if you have lots of knowledge skills.

Angelic Aspect (PHB2) Flight, resistances, and higher defenses.

Blightspeaker (PHB2) I am tempted to make this sky blue for lazer clerics with lots of save ends powers.  Get free hp (keys off your wisdom) when you score a crit, your enemies are vulnerable to your attacks when you spend an action point, and they take damage when they save against your powers.  The only thing holding back a better rating is that the powers are not that great.  Its good for death warpriests too.

Other primary stats
For these to work right you need to invest a lot into these secondary stats.

Monk (DEX)

Raidant Fist (PHB3)
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This is not for your typical cleric since it requires you make dex a high stat and encourages you to powers swap for some monk encounter powers.  But you can make an very interesting character with this.  Better for cleric monk hybirds. 

Artificer (Int)

Spell Commander A good way to make up for your lack of enabling as a leader.  Requires a ranged weapon like a crossbow so its sort of specialized to a few builds like bow builds and corellon warpriests.

Arcane Armorer An interesting choice if you take a lot of resistance powers.  You get to add your wis mod to any resistance you hand out at level 16 and its not to hard to be handing out a lot of resistances at higher levels.  

Ardent (Cha)

Catalyst (PsP) + You don't get anything from the level 16 feature, but the enabling features are good and you don't make any actual attacks.

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Racial
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Racial paths that require you be a cleric are in the cleric section of paths.

Deva
Ancestral Incarnate (PHB2) Keys of wisdom and your implement. But the powers are not that great.

Dragonborn

Dragonborn have a couple of good choices, but I only listed the more obvious ones here.

Adamant instructor (D385) Good for Strength/Charisma or balanced builds.  Makes your dragonbreath more useful and the utility is the same as shield of faith.

Mithal Arm (D385)  Good for battle clerics.  Not that leadery, but it works and lets you teleport a lot.

Platinum Templar (PH Races DB) Must worship bahamut.  Ok flying bath with a good action point feature and a very good daily.

Scion of Arkhosia (PHB2) Decent for battle/balanced clerics.

Dwarf
Firstborn of Moradin (PHB2) Ok, but Hammer of Moradin and stone keeper are both a lot better.

Eladrin
Sphere knight (PHB2) I like Seldarine Dedicate a little more, but this is a decent choice.

Elf
Twilight Guardian (PHB2) Not a bad choice, but I like Seldarine Dedicate more.

Githzerai (PHB3)

Gnome
Fey Beguiler (PHB2) A diverse set of abilities and if you have a high int this can be an ok choice for lazer clerics.

Goliath
Goliath Juggernaut (D386) This works with either strength primary or zealot/warpriest builds with a high con. A tough, prone focused build.

Stoneblessed (PHB2) Reach, threatening reach, and extra damage. Good choice for battle clerics.

Half Orc
Bloodfury Savage (PHB2) Decent choice for battle clerics.

Human
Adroit Explorer (PHB2) This is a decent paragon path for any character. More action points and you get extra encounter powers from your class including a possible reuse power.

Shifter
Moonstalker (PHB2) Actually a decent choice. It has a wisdom power and a strength/weapon power. Lots of movement benefits.

Tiefling
Turanthi Highborn (PHB2) Good choice for a lazer cleric with a high int.

Changeling (EBPG)
Chameleon (EBPG) Its usefulness depends on your allies since you pick their powers for your paragon path powers.

Drow (FRPG)
Curseborn (D367) Good choice for lazer clerics who want to exploit their racial powers.

Genasi (FRPG)
Elemental Tempest (FRPG) Good way for battle clerics to focus on a variety of racial abilities.

Wildfire Genasi (FRPG) Good way for battle or balanced clerics to concentrate on fire powers and clerics have a couple of fire powers already.

Kalashtar (EBPG)
Lightwalker (EBPG) Resistances, surge free healing, and radiant powers.

Warforged (EBPG)

Warforged Juggernaut (EPG) Clerics have enough charging options now to make this a fairly good choice.  Very solid action point feature for charging, extra damage and push/shift when you charge, and a bonus to saves.  Best for strength primary builds with power of skill, but a str/wis build could use storm hammer.  You would want angel's rescue, valorous charge, and maybe gift of incomparable strengh from 11-14.

Warforged Lifeseeker (D364) Lots of self healing and giving out temp hitpoints.

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setting specific
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Forgotten Realms

Steelsky Liberator (FRPG) Human, Half orc, Dragonborn or genasi. OK choice for battle clerics. The powers are ok and geared against fighting dragons and other specific creatures. You get an extra use of your racial power when you spend an action point so it is a good choice if you like using racial powers.

Eberron
Gallandra Sanctuary Guardian (EPG) Requires mark of Hospitality.  A decent choice for battle clerics since it is str/weapon powers and it boosts your healing abiities.

Jorasco Jadehand (EPG) Requires Mark of Healing.  Good choice for balanced and ranged clerics who want to boost their healing and save granting abilities,

Orien Swiftblade (EPG) Requires Mark of Passage.  Ok choice for battle/balanced clerics who want some movement abilities.

Dark Sun

Caravan Master (dune trader theme) Extra saves for allies, your party speed increases and a consistent way to grant basic attacks to two allies or you and an ally as your encounter power.  Clerics don't normally enable well, but this is a way to do it.  Unfortunately it uses up your theme.

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Epic Destinies

Destined Scion is the normal choice at this point.  Boring, but very solid mechanically.  Several of the Avatars as well as Saint are good if you want a more divine theme and Revered One is interesting if you want to use muitiple channel divinity powers.  Lorekeeper is your best choice if you are doing a level 30 oneshot. Reincarnate champion is great for those who qualify and I think Harbinger of doom is an interesting choice as well.  Avangion is worth looking at for those wanting some more radiant options.  Adamantine Solider, Eternal Defender, and Avatar of Io are all good choices for battle clerics.

EDs
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Cleric/Divine

Avatar of Death (DP) To get the most out of this you need to take as many necrotic powers as you can, and most clerics do not have that many.  So really mainly for death domain warpriests, but its not even that great for them since its overcoming necrotic restistance feature only applies to powers, not features like your autodamage.  Bonus to int is ok.  Harbinger of Demise fits death domain warpriests thematically.

Avatar of Hope
(DP) Good stat bonuses for any cleric and useful immunity.  Useful conjuration utitlity. Requires hope remains feat

Avatar of Justice (DP) Bonus to int is only going to help a few lazer clerics and requires Immediate justice.  That 30th level feature is real nice and the other class features punish enemies/reduce their effectiveness well.

Avatar of Freedom (DP) Stat bonuses are pretty good, especially for lazer clerics but also could help battle/balanced clerics pick up a heavy blade or spear mastery feat.  Lots of save bonuses for allies and the level 30 feature is wonderful.  Requires path of freedom

Avatar of War (DP) Good stat bonuses for battle or balanced clerics.  You do not grant CA and the other class features are ok.  The utility is ok for a daily.

Avatar of Life (DP) Good stats for any cleric and the best healing abilities of any of the epic destinies. Requires pulse of life

Avatar of Storm (DP) good stat bonuses for battle clerics, but it focuses on lightning and thunder powers and battle clerics do not have many of those powers normally.  The utility is nice and at 30 you fly. Requires storm sacrifice.

Exalted Angel (DP) resistances and flight with a pretty good encounter utility power.

Saint (DP) Nice bonuses to defense and immunity to domination. Extra saves and healing surges for people next to you.  Lots of extra healing at level 30.  The daily utility is very nice and might free up some other utilities that you set up to use on dying allies.

General

Destined Scion (HoFL) The best overall bonuses of any destiny available to everyone.  Boring, but very good.

Deadly Trickster (PHB)  If you have the skill and stat prereq this is a fine choice, but only ranged clerics with high dex or those who maxed charisma will probably qualify.

Demigod (PHB) (variants appear as "chosen" in FRPG/DP) You might wonder why your cleric is becoming a "god" like character so you might want to go with chosen for flavor reasons. This is always a solid choice stat bonuses and good powers.  The level 30 has been errated to only work with encounter attack powers and has been errated a second time to only work 1/enc.

Eternal Seeker (PHB) Some might look into this, but for the most part your powers are solid enough that you do not need to dip into other classes.  Battle clerics who did not MC into another melee class might use this to pick up things like a fighter encounter power or a barabarian rage.  And some bow clerics might also find it useful for getting ranger powers.

Harbinger of Doom
(PHB2) I really like this one for lazer/balanced clerics who take burst and blast powers since you get to reroll 1s.  Not bad for any type.

Lorekeeper (PHB2) Utility power lets your party do extra damage against some type of creatures equal to your wisdom mod.  Level 30 power is best one for clerics since you get to use daily utilities as encounter powers.

Revered One (PHB2) the level 21 and 30 features are only ok, but you can pick and use any gods CD feat and use all of them every encounter.  The daily resistance utility is nice as well.

Punisher of the Gods (D372) This is just an ok choice for clerics, although the flavor may feel a bit off since you serve a god.  Battle clerics and bow clerics should have the improved crit feat by 21st level so they can get some extra action points.  You do not get multiple attacks against the same target like rangers or barbarians so you will not get as much from this path as they will since the desitiny is built around mutliple single target attacks to increase the chance of crits with your immortal curse, but if you pick up multi attack powers from multiclassing this is a better choice
Reborn Champion (D365) Pretty standard/boring destiny.  Better skill checks and good utility and level 30 powers.

Keybearer (D372) The traveler's tricks power will let lazer clerics with burst/blast powers teleport all over the place.

Prince of Hell (D372) Charisma bonus and your fire attacks ignore fire resistance. Some lazer clerics can use this.

Storm Soverign (D372) Con bonus and thunder/lighting theme.

Bahamuts Vessel (D378) (must worship Bahamut) Boost wisdom, strength, or charisma, regain HP when spending an action point.  Get a nice utilty power and evenutally turn into a dragon.

Raven Knight (D380) (Must worship Raven Queen) Con, dex and speed bonus.  Not a bad choice for battle clerics who need those stats bumped and it gives adjecent enemies -2 penalities to hit you.  Decent utility and level 30 abilities.

Racial

Deva
Disincarnate  (D385) Boosts to wisdom and another stat and interesting powers based on transforming into a raksahasa  and debuffing with your memory power.  Gives you radiant and necrotic immunity at 30.

Soul of the World (D385) Similar to reincarnate champion, but with a boost to wisdom and inteliigence.  Also you get to swap out powers with another class.

Dragonborn
Avatar of Io (Races Drag) Bonus to Str and Cha.  Fly and pick your breath weapon type.  Unfortunately radiant is not a choice, but fire and lightning are and you get a bonus to attacks when you use that type of attack afterwards.  More interesting than demigod.

Setting

Eberron
 Sublime Flame (EBPG) Revolves around fire and radiant damage (your two most common damage types), with you getting an extra daily attack power and at 30 doing extra damage with those damage types.

Champion of Prophecy (EBPG) Pick your stat bonuses and get bonuses for milestones

Dispossessed Champion (EBPG) Decent Leadership powers with shifting and healing surge sharing.

FRPG
Harper of Legend (D367) Some restirctions, but extra encoutner powers and action points.

Multiclass 

Reincarnate Champion (PP - Primal) If you can qualify this is an interesting and potentially very powerful destiny with a stat boot at 24 and you count as a member of other races.

Avangion (DS Arcane) Wisdom and either charisma or int bonus.  Get a fly speed at 24 and the ability to add radiant damage type.  Also get niftly little things like low light vision and suprenal.

Eternal Defender; (MP - Fighter) good choice for battle clerics who MC fighter.  Increase your reach, strength, and size of your weapon.

Undying Warrior (MP - Fighter) Ok choice, but I think eternal defender and adamantine soldier both offer a lot more.

Adamantine Soldier (MP - Fighter or Warlord) Lots of defensive buffs for battle clerics.

Legendary General (MP - Warlord) Some good leadership benefits with power recovery for you and your allies, action point sharing, and letting allies spend some healing surges.

Warmaster (MP - Warlord) Lots of extra actions.

Godhunter (MP - ranger or Rogue) Nice bonuses when fighting higher level creatures.

Mythic Sovereign (D367 - paladin, Fighter, warlord, or ranger)  Really only for battle/balanced clerics.  Some extra actions and a decent utility power.
Glorious Sprit (PHB2 - Primal) Ok choice for battle/balanced.  Good movement and extra damage.

Primal Avatar (PHB2 - Primal) The teleport ability is nice, but the rest of the class abilities are just ok.  The attack bonus works for either strength or wisdom.

Immanence (AP -Arcane) Lots of resistances.  You can get those other ways and the main benefit of this class is that what you first take damage from is what you resist
Master of the Eternal Hunt (PHB3 Seeker) Bonus to wisdom and lots of neat abilities like tremor sense/darkvision 10 and the ability to ignore concealment and cover with 10 squares.  Good choice for ranged clerics.  The utiltiy requires use of a seeker power.

War Master (PHB3 Ardent) Good general leader path.  Bonus to initiative, temp hitpoints to an ally when you let another ally spend a surge, and untyped bonuses to you and your allies attacks when an ally is adjacent to the enemy.

Demiurge (PsP Psionic) Charisma and another stat bonus, a good saving throw utility, and you get and can use a lot more action points.

Master of Moments (PsP Psionic) Action points also give you a minor and move action and you get extra minor actions later on each turn.

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Nibelung

First Post
Originally posted by GelatinousOctahedron:

Equipment

I am not going to include every item a cleric might want but will include plenty of items that clerics in particular might find useful.  The number in the notation is the lowest level the item starts at and I will order the items by category and level.  Remember that you can create items with the enchant magic item ritual and actually put your ritual casting skill to good use.  For a complete list of dual purpose implements and weapons, see my other guide: Ginzu items.

I am mainly going to include itmes with good properties or with good encounter or at will powers.

Also here is a good general item guide(x).

Armor
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Chain is only a good choice for those forced by their DMs to stick with healer's lore or for warpriests.  Unfortuantly that has a lot of the better leader focused armors. 

Astral Fire Armor: Chain (PHB2) 2 When you use CD gain +2 bonus to AC and Fort.  Eventually this caan be an extra 2 to those defenses two or more rounds and encounter.

Rebuking Armor: Chain (PHB2) 4 Bonus to defenses vs targetted enemy when you hit with a divine attack.

Healer’s Armor: Hide, chain (AV2) 5 Gives extra hp with healing powers, but with errata this only works when target spends a surge..

Shared Valor Armor: Leather Chain (PHB2) 8 When you give ally temp hp, you also get temp hitpoints.

Benefactor Armor: Chain Scale Plate.  (D380) When you heal an ally heal extra keyed to CHa mod 1/encoutner.  One of the few Scale armors worth looking at for leader qualities.

Righteous Armor: Plate (AV) 9 Do radiant damage to enemies who hit you while you grant CA.

Champion’s Hauberk: Chain Scale (AV2) 13 Trade use of healing word for a CD use.

Armor of Shared Valor: Leather Chain (AV2) 15 When you give an ally a defensive bonus, you get it to. With mark of warding this could be very good for some warpriests. 

Armor of Shared Health: Chain (AV2) 30 When you heal an ally you are also healed 1/2 as much

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Weapons
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There are plenty of good weapons out there, but these are ones that I think clerics might especially like.  Balanced clerics may want ones that can be used as a holy symbol to save money and ranged clerics might want a mace that helps with healing.  Post essentials, you can now multiclass to another class to use their weapon implements as holysymbols: swordmage to get any heavy/light blade, sorcerer to get any dagger, and warlock/bard/shaman/druid etc. for certain weapons like pacthammers or songblades.

Can be used as a holy symbol:

Disrupting Weapon
AV (flail, hammer, mace) 8
Can be used as a holy symbol.  Extra damage against undead.  Mainly notable for flail/hammer builds.

Unforgettable Cudgel AV2 (Mace) 8
Anyone can use this as a holy symbol and it crits on 19-20.

Crusader's Weapon AV (hammer, mace) 9
Can be used as a holy symbol and half the damage is radiant and gives extra use of channel divinity once a day.

Weapon of Evil Undone AV2 (Any weapon) 10
Works on any weapon and anyone can use it, but has weird properties.  Best for devas.

Moonbow Drag386 (bow) 13
Sehanine Worshippers can use this as a holy symbol.

Bradaman's Weapon
AV2 (Heavy Blade, Axe, Hammer) 13
Anyone can use this as a holy symbol, but more designed for paladins.  Mainly notable for axe builds, who don't have much else.

Avandra's Whisper AV (light blade) 17
Can be used as a holy symbol if you worship avandra

Lion's Heart Hammer AV2 (Hammer) 17
Any cleric can use this as a holy symbol

Blade of Bahamut AV (heavy blade) 19
Clerics of bahamut can use this as a holy symbol

Moradin's Weapon AV (hammer) 19
Moradin clerics can use this as a holy symbol

Holy Avenger
PHB (Axe hammer heavy blade) 25
Counts as a holy symbol and does lots of neat stuff

Other useful properties:

Holy Healer's Weapon AV (Mace, staff) 2
Add enhancement bonus to healing effects.

Mage's Weapon AV (Heavy blade, light blade) 2
You are automatically proficient with this so it saves a feat.

BattleStaff EPG (staff) 4 A decent choice for staff fighting builds with a weapon crit range of 19-20 and a daily reroll for melee attacks.

Sunblade AV (Heavy Blade) 4
Does radiant Damage

Traveller's Staff PHB3 (staff) Teleport instead of shift.  You will want to take Staff of travel and other feats/items along with it.

Mace of Healing AV (Mace) 8
Add enchantment bonus to healing effects.  Good for off hand for ranged builds

Jagged Weapon AV (Axe, Heavy blade, Light Blade) 12
Increased critical chance helps those who can not get improved crit feats later on and is good for lower level characters as well

Cunning Weapon AV (any melee) 13
Penalty to save ends effects.

Radiant (AV) (any) 15.
Because you can exploit this with vulnerabilities

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Holy Symbols
[sblock] There are at least 100 different Holy Symbols.  Here are some of the more unique ones.  Battle clerics and people who MC into cleric, but do not take any implement powers might want to pick from the first section.  The last section has the holy symbols I like mainly for ranged clerics, but ranged clerics have a lot of choices including the first section.
Symbols that are useful even when you do not use them to attacK:

Here is a thread about them.

Symbol of Excellence (D365) 2 Give an ally a bonus

Symbol of the Dragon (D365) 3 Give ally resistance as an interrupr

Leaves of Death (EBPG) 3 Must worship undying court. Make a save when you spend an action point.

Octogram of the Sovereign Host (EBPG) 3 Must worship sovereign host. Regain a use of CD.

Symbol of the Holy Nimbus
(AV2) 4 Your healing word power also grants temp hitpoints to everyone around you.

Symbol of Daring (AV2) 5 Allies action points do extra damage.

Symbol of Unified Defense (AV2) 9 Boost party's defense against an area attack as an interrupt.

Symbol of Courage (D365) 9 Party gets bonus against fear saves

Symbol of Victory (PHB) 9 Allies get extra action point.

Symbol of Security
(MotP) 13 Teleport a bloodied ally as a n encounter reation power

Symbol of Sustenance (AV) 17 Extend the duration of a power as a dialy power

Symbol of Defense (AV2) 18 Give ally bonus to defenses when hit by attack.

Symbol of divine Light (AV2) 22 increseases radiant damage against vulnerabile enemies

Other notable symbols:

Symbol of Divine Reach
(AV) 3 Extra range and crit damage.

Symbol of foe turning (AV2) 7 Get to turn one other type of creature.

Symbol of Gaiz (AV2) 7 Grant allies resistances when you use a healing power.

Symbol of Power
(PHB) 7 Saving throw penalties to first save

Sun Disk of Pelor (AV) 8 All damage can be radiant.

Champion's Symbol (AV) 15 Semi Dominates on a crit and as a daily power.

Pelor's Scepter (AV2) 29 Works as a rod.  Reroll 1s on radiant damage.

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other implements
[sblock]
With the new rules from essentials about multiclassed implement users and other classes implements, clerics can now use implements besides totems.   This is going to be a list of useful implements from other classes, with staffs and rods being the ones worth looking at.    

Staffs:

Aversion (PBH3) 2 For debuffers

Staff of Ruin (AV) 3 Extra damage.

Hellfire Staff (PH Races: Tiefling) 4 Regain encounter fear or fire power on a crit. Clerics only have a couple of encounter fire/fear powers, but if you have even one of these this is a decent implement.

Architects Staff (AV) 5 Makes your zones and walls bigger.  Starting at level 9 a lot of the better daily implement powers are zones or a wall.
Staff of Luck and Skill (AV2) 23 For AOE builds since you get a cumuluative +1 to hit when you score a crit. 

Orb

Orb of Judicious Conjuration (AV) 3 Good for off hand implement.  Lets you sustain a minor action power as a free action.

Rod

Rod of Divinity (AV2) 3 Daily power gives you extra CD usage.

Rod of Hope Triumphant (AV) 7 Generates temp hitpoints on a crit,

Rod of Resurgent Valor (AV) 8 Bonus to attacks against creature that attacks you.

Rod of Divine Retribution (D381) 9 +1 to hit creature you just hit.

Torch of Misery (AV2) 10 Get CA against creatures you deal fire or radiant damage.

Adamantine Rod (AV) 14 Radiant damage ignores some radiant resistance.

Rod of the Bloodthorn (AV) 17 Gain stacking bonus to hit if you or target is bloodied.

Ingot Liberatis (EPG) 19 Encoutner Extra saves.

Rod of the Star Spawn (AV) 23 Crit on 19-20 and can spend a surge.

Rod of Dispater (MOTP) 28 Good for balance clerics and is a weapon that pushes and dazes (save ends)  at will.

Noatable Weapliments for Mulitclassers:

Sunblade (heavY blade, AV) 4 Makes damage radiant

Jagged (light/heavy blades, axe AV) 12 crit on 19-20

Dazzling (Axe, heavy/light blade, D386) 15 Ignore radiant resistance and deals radiant damage. 

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Neck
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Amulet of Elegy (AV2) 2 Penalty to your save ends effects.

Healer's Brooch (AV) 4 Allies get bonus hp when you use a healing power.

Medic’s Amulet (AV2) 9 Helps with heal checks and gives allies extra saves against ongoing damage when you use a healing power on them.

Periapt of Wisdom (PHB) 13 Bonus to wisdom checks

Timeless Locket (AV2) 14 Minor action for a standard action (not an attack) once a day.  This lets you use one of your good standard action utilities as a minor action.

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Arms
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Arms:
Executioner’s Bracers (AV2) 3, 13, 23 Extra damage when you crit.  Clerics with lots of burst/blast powers want to look st these.

Bracers of Mental Might
(AV) 6 1/encounter turn a strength attack into a wisdom attack.  This lets zealot builds take 1 strength encounter power or maybe some strength dailies.  The real beauty is that it also lets warpriests encounter power swap with classes like warlord, fighter, barbarian, and warden while keeping their strength low.

Iron Armbands of Power
(AV) 6, 16, 26 Damage bonus to all melee attacks.

Bloodhound Bracers (AV2) 13 Creatures taking ongoing damage grant CA.

Rapidstrike Bracers (AV) 15 Make an at-will attack instead of a basic attack.

Bracers of Bold Maneuvering (AV) 18 Protects against OA.

Bracers of Respite (AV) 22 When one ally gains hitpoints, someone else does too.

Shields:

Battleforged Shield (AV) 4, 14, 24 Adjacent ally gains extra hp when spending a surge

Pelaurum Shield (AV) 7, 17, 27 Melee attacks occasionally will do extra radiant damage.

Hammer Shield (AV2) 8 Bonus to defenses after hitting with hammer.

Healer's Shield (AV) 10, 20, 30 Maximize healing and add wisdom or charisma mod as bonus.

Shield of Fellowship (AV2) 15 Transfer temp HP to ally

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Feet
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Boots of Dancing (AV) 11 good for divine oracles in particular
Battlestrider Greaves (PHB) 12 most clerics wear heavy armor so this speed bonus always helps.

Oceanstrider Boots (PHB) 14 these give a speed bonus no matter your armor type.

Spark Slippers (AV2) 16 Do lighting damage equal to your charisma mod when enemies move adjacent to you.

Survivors Boots (AV2) 16 When bloodied do not provoke OA when moving or using area/ranged powers

Phantom Chaussures (AV2) 18 Move 3 and become concealed

Boots of Speed (AV) 22 +2 item bonus to Speed

Zephyr Boots (AV) 24 Fly in light armor

Fey Warrior’s Boots (AV2) 24 Teleport when someone misses you

Sandals of Avandra (AV) 25 +2 item bonus to speed with lots of shifting

Clearing Cleats (AV) 26 Ignore difficult terrain

Earthreaver Stompers (AV) Tremorsense 3

Boots of Teleportation (AV) Teleport at will

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Hands
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Lots of good choices starting in heroic that generally either increase damage, increase range of powers, or help with healing.

Resplendent Gloves (AV2) 5, 15, 25 Do extra damage when you target will.  These seem overpowered for the level 5 version.

Breaching Gauntlets (AV) 6, 16, 26 Reduce Resistance by 1 (scales)

Burning Gauntlets (AV) 6, 16, 26 Fire is the second most common damage type for clerics, so if you have lots of fire attacks this is worth taking a look at.

Gauntlets of Blood (AV2) 4, 14, 24 Do extra damage against bloodied opponents.

Holy Gauntlets
(AV) 8, 18, 28 Do extra radiant damage as a daily.

Strikebacks
(AV) 10 If you have a good MBA this is my preferred hand item for you.  I got tons of use out of them with my power of skill battle cleric.

Gloves of the Healer (AV) 12, 22 Heal extra whenever you use a power with the healing keyword and with errata the target needs to spend a surge.

Gloves of Transference (AV) 14 Increase the range of utility powers

Gloves of Accuracy (AV) 16 ranged attacks ignore cover and concealment.

Hero's Gloves (AV2) 17, 27 Bonuses when you spend action points.

Gauntlets of Destruction
(AV) 18 Reroll 1s on melee attacks

Gloves of the Wandering Star (AV2) 19 Range on ranged attack powers increases by 2

Many-Fingered Gloves (AV2) 20 Wear three rings.

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Head
[sblock] 
Phylactery of Divinity (AV) 6 Bonus to heal and religion checks

Phrenic Crown (AV) 7, 17, 27 When you target will defense, target takes penalty to saves.

Fey-Blessed Circlet (AV2) 8 Get temp hitpoints equal to your charisma mod

Sacred Mask (AV2) 8 Bonus to attack undead after using a CD power

Headband of Intellect (AV) 10 A An almost must for psychic themed builds.  +1 to all your psychic attacks

Circlet of Mental Onslaught (AV) 11 Daily bonus to wisdom attacks.

Crown of Equilibrium (AV2) 12 Rechargable saving throws for allies.

Crown of the Brilliant Sun (AV2) 14 Turn lightning damage to radiant.

Helm of Able Defense (AV2) 14 Bonus to all defenses until bloodied

Tenebrous Mask (AV2) 14 Ignore concealment at range each encounter.

Crown of the World Tree (AV) 18 Roll twice for rituals.

Halo of Fallen Stars (PHB) 25 big bonus to religion, heal, and nature checks.  Daily power is automatic radiant damage.

ClockWork Cowl (AV) 26 Minor action for two standard actions you can't use for attaclks.  Lets you use some standard action utilities that encounter.  Also bonus for initiative

Firebird (AV2) 27 Extra damage with fire implement attacks.

Mirrored Mask (Av2) Big static untyped bonus to defenses against ranged/area attacks and to gaze attacks.

Crown of Victory (AV2) 29 Spend 2 action points

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Rings
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Alliance Band (AV2) 15.  A little additional healing for your allies when you use second wind.  You can also spend one of your surges on an ally.

Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (AV) 15 bonus to damage rolls with close attacks.
Ring of the Zealous (AV) 15 Increases size of turn undead.

Grace Ring of prowess (AV2) bonus to next rounds attacks if you don't make an attack that round.  Makes stanaard action utilities less painful.  And bonus with dazed and stunned saves

Ring of the Radiant Storm (AV) 17 Roll twice for damage when doing radiant or lightning damage

Ring of Tenacious Will (AV) 21 Use charisma mod to determine your number of healing surges.

Luminary Ring (AV) 21 Increase range or healing/buffing powers by charisma mod.

Ring of Elemental Mastery (MOTP)  28 Attacks can ignore some resistances, particularly fire and lightning.

Ring of Free Time (AV2) 29 Extra minor actions.

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Waist
[sblock]
There are not many belts specifically useful for clerics.
Cord of Divine Favor (AV) 13 When you let an ally spend a surge, you can spend a surge.

Sash of Vitality Ceaseless (AV2) 14 Spend a surge while bloodied and get extra HP equal to your wis mod

Belt of Mountain Endurance (D367) 18 Spend a surge and add your strength mod to HP gained.
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Wondrous Items
[sblock]Generally the tattoos and solitaires are pretty useful, but none of them are particularly special for clerics.

Blessed Book (AV2) 1 Never fill up your ritual book
Battle Standard of Healing (AV) 3 Healing surges heal 1 hp more.  I don't think this is that great from looking at it, but people keep commentating to say this is great in practice especially during rests.

Scabbard of Sacred Might (AV) 10 Blade can do radiant damage instead of normal type.

Shining Sundial (AV2) 10 Creatures get bonus to hit/damage when you use a radiant power.

Ritual Candle (AV) 11 Bonus to ritual

Stone of Earth (AV2) 12 Reroll Melee Attack

Stone of light (AV2) 12 Reroll radiant Attack

Elemental Prism (dun165) 16 Switch around damage types (radiant not a choice)

Firehorn (AV2) 18 Cause fire vulnerability in a blast

Revenant Ankh (PHB) 20 Revive dead ally

Holy Shrine (AV2) 22 Retrain a divine power.

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Nibelung

First Post
Originally posted by GelatinousOctahedron:

 
 
Multiclassing
 
 
If you can you should try to mulitclass at some point since almost all builds will benefit from it.  With the new implement rules from essentials, you can now use a holy symbol for other classes implement attacks and vice versa.  Staffs, ki focus, and rods are your best choices if you go that route.  For multiclassing into a divine class the basic MC feats usually give you religion as a skill, which you already have.  Divine power has a couple of feats that help with that, divine channeler gives you a channel divinity power (but no skill) and divine secret keeper, hero of faith, and soldier of virtue let you pick something besides religion as a skill.  If you multiclass swordmage you can use heavy/light blades as your implement and for monk you can use a ki focus (but not a weapon as a ki focus) and wield a weapon so for balanced clerics those are good choices if you want to make all your attacks through one item.  The main skills you should probably try to pick up through multiclassing are perception and athletics, but other ones like endurance or a wisdom/charisma one can be a good addition as well.
 
 
i have added other useful class feats for those who mulitlcass, but I left out ones that have racial or other tough prereqs.  The ones that are included almost every cleric will qualify for.  I have included recommended paragon paths, but see the actual paragon path section for more details.
 
 
For power swaps, I generally only recommend doing that if you are going for enabling encounter powers and possibly enabling daily powers.  Something like a battle cleric mc warlord or a ranged cleric mc shaman should consider a power swaps to help out the weakest area of the cleric's leading.  And most warpriests should power swap for encounter attack powers, but I go over that in detail in my warpriest guide.

Ardent
ardent
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Weapon attacks with cha so not that bad of a choice for melee clerics who bump charisma.  The basic intro feat is fine for anyone with a 13 charisma and some of the level 2 utilities might be worth swapping for.  Also if you are doing a full str/cha build powers like ire strike or forward thinking cut might be worth swapping out if you want to do a power swap for some enabling.  Warlord works better for this, but this is an ok route.  Unfortunately ardent is only an ok hybrid choice.

Feats

The intro feat Fervent Talent is the only one usually worth taking since the feats either only boost your ardent surge power or have a prereq.  The feat Blood's passion is ok in that it lets you use an adent mantle power as a daily.

Paragon Paths
Warmaster

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Artificer

artificer
[sblock]
There are some specialized builds that can use this, but not many can and the stats don't really line up for all clerics since int is usually a dump stat.  A few builds however can go with int as a secondary stat, which makes this a better choice in that case.  You get rods and staffs, a new skill, lets you get a familiar and other arcane feats, and you get a daily healing infusion.  

Spell commander is one of the best leader paragon path in the game, but that assumes you made int your secondary stat and you need a ranged weapon for spell tracer so its more for bow clerics or corellon warpriests.  Arcane armorer is an interesting choice if you take a bunch of resistance powers like ramparts of light and granite shield.  It adds your wis mod to all resistance you give out.

Feats
Master Crafter (EPG) If you are the ritual caster for your group this might be worth looking at.  Dungeon Enchanter might also be something you are interested in.

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Assasssin

assassin
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Shadow initiate gives you access to stealth, you can use a ki foxus with a weapon sort of like a weapliment and you can get 2 shrouds that you can enhance with some feats, but I don't think its worth it.  I like acolyte of the veil a bit more if you don't plan to take the additional feats since the shadow step power actually helps you move around more and you can pick between stealth and acrobatics.  Practiced killer is good for shortbow users.  They also have good feat support for fear powers and some of the clerics best powers are fear powers.

Feats

Fear keyword feats: nightmare master gives free dazing on a hit (until start of next turn), nightmare killer is better than weapon focus, and nightmare step is a slide on a miss.

Death Sight (D366) Bloodied Creatures don't get the benefits of cover and concealment against your attacks. 

Vengeful Shade (D386) Make your shroud damage radiant.  For radiant damage builds this means twice per encounter you can do some radiant damage to a target, even if you miss.

Minion of the Dark (D379) Darkvision.

Death's Pall (D379) Concealment from enemies not under your shroud.  Melee clerics can get some use out of this since you have to be adjacent to a shrouded enemy for this to work.

Drawn Shadows (D379) Concealment when near dim light or darkness.  This is very party dependent.

Soul in Shadow (D379) Ranged clerics especially will like this one.  Concealment from enemies 5 squares from you.
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Avenger
avenger
[sblock]
Hero of Faith pre errata was sky blue, but it is now an ok choice for clerics although you can pick up a non religion skill for that feat and still get to double roll until you hit an enemy 1/encounter.  The class powers are not that good but use wisdom and holy symbols/weapons.  The feats below are the ones

Intro feats: Hero of faith vs Disciple of Divine Wrath.  Most people on the boards seem to like disciple of divine wrath more because the oath is a bit better, but I prefer hero of faith because you can pick up the perception skill that way.

Feats
Oath Strike (DP) Mark your oath target

Inspiring Oath (DP) Ally gets to shift closer to your oath target.

Painful Oath (DP) This is better for those who took disciple of divine wrath.   Extra radiant/necortic damage to your oath target.

Onslaught of Enminy (PHB2) Shift when you use your oath.

Enmity Shared (DP) Get Ca against your oath target.

Hand Of Divine Guidance (D382)  If you took disciple of divine wrath and don't have another easy way to get a good crit range consider this. 

Mighty Enmity (PHB2) This is better for those who took hero of faith since the oath lasts until they are dead or you hit them.

Paragon Paths
Dervish of Dawn

Radiant Visage

Serene Initiate

Weapon of Fortune

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Barbarian
barbarian
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If you have the con this is good choice for battle clerics looking for a damage boost and some of the powers like curtain of steel are worth swapping out.  Most of the feats key off barbarian class features.  Clerics hybrid really well with barbarian so that is normally a better option.

Feats

Slayers shift (PP) You get a free shift when you bloody or kill an enemy.

Paragon Paths

Wildrunner

Winter Fury

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Bard
bard
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Bards have abilities that do compliment you and you probably have the charisma anyways.  Makes a better hybrid.  Master of Stories gives you a daily heal power that doesn't use your actions, wand proficiency, and a class skill.  Opens up arcane feats at least.  Wizard and swordmage are a little better, but this and sorcerer are arcane multiclass that most clerics will qualify for without trouble.

Feats

Bard of all Trades (D383) a big untrained skill boost.

Bardic Knowlege (PHB2) Another good skill boosting feat

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Battlemind (skyblue for warpriests)
battlemind
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Very few non warpriest clerics will make use of the high con needed for the attacks and the mark only lasts until the end of your next turn.  Templars normally shouldn't take this.  Much better for warpriests
than templar clerics, expecially by late heroic/early paragon since they will often want to power swap out for lightning rush or brutal barrage.

Feats

Wild Advance (PsP) If you are going the warpriest defender route this is ok.  Blurred step as an encounter power.

Unstoppable Speed (PsP) You might get a decent move out of this 1/encounter.

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Druid 
druid
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Sentinel Initaite gets you an extra daily use of healing word, nature skill, and staff/totem implements.  Harbinger of Nature's Wrath is ok too, but gets you nature's growth 1/day.

Some power swaps are good for warpriests since they have some wisdom based domination encounter powers, but templars are probably better off hybridding to pick up the good powers.

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Fighter
fighter
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Good for battle clerics and wis weapon templars/warpriests.  Also has many good feats to poach.  Battle Awareness
is probably the best of the intro feats for most clerics who want to sub defender, but warpriests & zealots should consider wrathful warrior.  There are many more fighter feats that are potenitially useful depending on what intro feat you took, your race, and what weapon you use, but these are the ones that stuck out to me as being most commonly useful.

Feats

Dizzying Mace
This takes a specific type of build (see here(x)), but a wisdom focused cleric with con as a secondary stat can focus on daze with a mace weapliment for a lot of debuffing.

Focused Superiority (D378) Only worth it for balanced clerics and warpriests, but if you regularly get a decent number of OAs take it.

Hindering Shield (D385) Earth/Domination Warpriests or anyone else who pushes will want this.

Grit (MP) Warpriests/zealots should take this for a decent number of temp hitpoints.

Shielded Resurgence (D378) Mainly for dwarf clerics, unless you have some other way to second wind easily.

Small Warriors Defense (D378) For the small templars out there.  Even ranged ones should consider this.  If you qualify for this consider advantageous perspective as well.  With battle cleric's lore you can get scale +4 Ac +2 reflex at level 2. 
 
Striking Resurgance (MP2) If you have power of skill this is pretty good and its not bad for other clerics.

Wary Fighter (D378) Improves your initiative and gives you bonus to perception and insight.

Marked Scourge (MP) Warpriests (Paragon Path), or if you have some other way to regularly mark, should consider this.  If this feat works also consider daunting challenge.

Polearm Momentum (MP) For polearm gamble builds.  Combine with rushing cleats.

Slashing Storm (MP2) Good for balanced clerics and warpriests.  You will be doing an extra free 8 or 9 points of damage most rounds in epic with this. 

Paragon Paths

Doomguard Marauder

Dreadnought

Kensei

Polearm Master

Draeven Marauder

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Invoker
invoker
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You share the same main attack stat, you get rods and staffs and the invoker at wills will increase your control; particularly hand of radiance, visions of blood, grasping shard's and vangaurds lightning.  And good feat support for clerics.  The only thing holding this back from being perfect is that the religion skill training is wasted on you with acolyte of divine secrets.  Cleric/invokers benefeit a lot from the hybrid since they have the same attack stat and have a lot of similar powers.

Intro Feats: Acolyte of Divine Secrets does not give you a skill, but gives you an invoker power.  Divine Secret Keeper gives you a skill and invoker implements so maybe pacifists would prefer this one. 

Feats
Some of the feats that boost invoker powers might be worth taking if you do some power swaps, but several of the feats below boost all divine attack powers.

Invokers Blaze (DP) this is a better than implement focus for lazer clerics.

Invoker's Control (DP) if you have save ends powers this is can be pretty good since it gives you potential power bonus to hit.

Speaker of the Gods
(PHB2) This lets you crit on a 18-20 after using a channel divinity power.  Retrain in epic.

Invokers Aura (PHB2) A radiant damage aura when you us a channel divinity power.

Invoker Implement
Expertise
(D387) Crit range of 19-20 when using a staff or rod for divine attack powers.  One of the easiest ways for an implement cleric to get a good crit range in epic.

Paragon Paths

Adept of Whispers

Divine Philosopher

Angelic Aspect

Blightspeaker
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Monk

monk
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Uses dex to attack.  But the skill choices are nice and the flurry of blows 1/encounter is good for melee clerics.  The main benefit is that you can now use a ki focus and a weapon for your cleric melee attacks and use a ki focus for your cleric implement attacks.  My goliath battle cleric took this and I was happy with it for athletics skill, flurry of blows, and fluid motion.

Feats

Monastic Adept (PsP) If for some reason you are using dex as your secondary stat this is very good.  If not it still gives you a monk movement technique once per encounter and another monk skill.

Fluid Motion (PsP) Untyped +1 boost to speed in heroic, +2 in paragon.

Confounding Technique (PsP) Swap places with an ally.

Keep Your Feat
(PsP) Stand up from getting knocked prone as an immediate reaction.

Paragon Paths

Radiant fist

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Paladin
paladin
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Some possibilities with battle clerics and you share the same main three stats.  For the basic intro feat you best choice is usually walker of the dark path. That gives a choice of skills instead of religion and consistent melee damage boost based on you cha mod 1/encounter along with shroud of shadow as a daily.  You can also either get divine challenge 1/encounter (but no new skill) with Soldier of the Faith, a defender aura with righteous radiance 1/enc with squire of righeousness, or virtue's touch once a day with Soldier of Virtue, more for ranged clerics.

The main reason to mc paladin besides some decent encounter powers you get is that they have good feats for you, specifically Virtuous Recovery for wisdom builds and Hero's Poise for charisma heavy builds.

Feats

Protectors Commitment (DP) +1 untyped attack bonus when enemy or you are adjacent to a bloodied ally.

Virtuous Recovery (DP) DR equal to your wis mod when you spend a healing surge.

Divinity's Shield (DP) Bonus to NADs afer using channel divinty.

Mercy's Reward (DP) Extra healing for you or an ally when you score a critical hit.

Resurgent Attack (DP) +2 power bonus to attack when you spend a surge.

Hero's Poise (DP) When you make a save allies near you get a bonus to saves equal to your charisma mod.

Paragon Paths

Champion of Corellon

Knight of the Chalice

Questing Knight

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Psion
psion
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You need int to get the MC feat and you attack with with int.  A few builds are probably possible, but unless you are playing an int/wis character pass.  None of the feats are good for clerics either.

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Ranger
ranger
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Elf Ranged clerics in particular can get a lot out of this. The dual wielding stuff does not easily help you, but the ranged powers are a possibility and even just the basic intro feat is worth taking.

Warrior of the Wild is the intro feat to take.  Get a skill and hunter's quarry 1/encounter.

Feats

Retreat Technique (MP2) Move away after you hit with a melee attack without provoking

Slashing Storm (MP2) Good for balanced clerics and warpriests.  You will be doing an extra 8 or 9 points of damage most rounds in epic with this.

Suprise Action (MP) Get an extra action in a suprise round.

Paragon Paths

GiantSlayer

Horizon Walker

Thay Infiltrator

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Runepriest
runepriest
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So far this does not have much to offer despite being another divine melee leader class that uses strength and wisdom.  You get skill training religion, which you already have, and a poorer version of healing word 1/day.  Some of the powerswap feats might be worth it, but it does not look like you get any runestates.  Eventually this might get upgraded, but for now you are better off with any other MC leader feat.  Can be a good hybrid.

Feats
No feats that benefit a cleric.

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Rogue
rogue
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Not much here and you probably do not have a light blade.  If you are a halfling using a rapier or something this is an ok choice and there are some good feats.

Feats
Blade and Buckler Duelist (D381) If you took battle cleric armaments this is a good choice to boost your shield bonus some.

Duelist Panache (D381)  Feat bonus to athletics and acrobatics. 

Risky Shift (MP2) Shift an extra square, but grant CA

Suprise Knockdown (MP2) Knock enemies prone on crits when you have CA.  Works with implement powers too, but you need 15 strength.

Expert Sneak (MP2) CA against deafened slowed, immobilized or weakened enemies.

Shadow Eyes
(MP) Ignore concealment

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Seeker
seeker
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This is only for specialized bow builds, but can be a good choice for those.  See the bow cleric guide in my signature.

Feats
No feats for clerics.

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Shaman

shaman
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Multiclassing shaman is one of the most overpowered mulitclass dips in the game since you get a spirit companion and a bunch of other stuff.  You share the same main stat and I have now upgraded this to skyblue since any cleric can make use of the spirit companion with the addition of spirit prey and shared implements, although without spending any feats it still takes a standard action to summon the spirit.  Investing in mending spirits (and possibily sudden call) is very effective at boosting your healing.   With the intro feat of Spirit Talker you get a spirit companion, 1/encounter spirit attack, the nature skill, speak with spirits 1/day, and access to totems & mace and hammer weapliments.

Feats

Mending Spirits
This is healing spirits as an encounter power.  Better than gambler's word in paragon if you not investing in healing word boosting feats. 
 
Sudden Call (PHB2) Summon the spirit as a free action 1/encounter.  Nimble spirit only works for pure shamans and hybrids.

Resilient Spirit (PHB2) Only take this if your DM likes to attack your spirit and you are trying to keep it on the board.

Paragon Paths

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Sorcerer
sorcerer
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Laser clerics might get something out of this with their high charisma.  The access to staffs is nice as well.  Makes a better hybrid,

Soul of Sorcerery is a good intro feat if you only want it for staff implements since you can pick the damage resistance you get so pacifists should go with this one. 
Arcane Prodigy is good for lazer clerics with big AeO effects and you also get arcana.

Feats

Champion of the Bloody Circle (D390) A decent skill boost.

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Swordmage
swordmage
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You dumped int didn't you?  If you didn't you can use heavy/light blades as implements and the other features are ok.  A few of the utilities can be useful, but I think in general this is a better choice for hybridding.  Genasi balanced clerics or other zealots, balanced, and warpriests from races with an int bonus should consider this.

Blade Intiate is the intro feat to take since it boosts your ac while you are wielding a blade 1/day for the entire encounter.

Feats
None for clerics

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Warden
warden
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Some possibilities for battle clerics and the daily forms are very nice for battle and balanced clerics.  An encounter mark with a good skill list including perception and athletics is the base benefit.

Feats

Sudden Roots (PHB2) If you do make a lot of OAs take this.  Warpriests who take this should also consider taking crippling crush since clerics don't normally have many ways to slow/immobilize with weapon attacks.

Forceful Smash (PP) knock prone on a crit with hammer or mace.

Manueving Attack (PP) For polearm/spear builds if you did not go fighter for some reason.

Paragon Paths

Storm Sentinel
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Warlock
warlock
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Most non pacfists can get good use out of this, mainly because you can get the feat starfire womb.  Warlock gives you access to rods along with access to some racial weapliments and powers like eyebite and dire radiance can be a decent addition.

Intro feats: Student of malediction with give you a boost to damage and has good feat support for those who mc into warlock, but clerics with a decent charisma or constitution should usually take
Pact initiate instead for the extra attack power.

Feats

Star Fire Womb
(D366) Roll a save when you deal damage with a radiant or fear power.  This feat is  the main reason for clerics to mc Warlock.

Relentless Curse (AP) If you took student of Malediction, I think this recharges your curse.  Ask your DM.

Two Fold Curse (AP) For those who took student of malediction.  Curse two at once.

Curse of Doom Ensured (AP) For those who took student of malediction. If you took two fold curse then this is ok as your enemies grant CA to your allies

Warding Curse (AP) Again for those who are boosting their curses.  This gives you a bonus to defenses.

Inevitable doom (AP) Again for those boosting their curses.  More damage when you miss.

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Warlord
warlord
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The dark blue rating assumes you are following up with novice power.  If you want a good skill and another daily heal for a strength/balanced cleric this is a good choice.  Also some of the encounter power swaps are worth taking, for instance level 7 and On My Mark.  I don't normally recommend templar clerics take novice power, but clerics are usually not good at enabling in heroic and low paragon and you can poach powers like Death From Two Sides and Hail of Steel this way.  If you are wis primary, then you can get bracers of mental might to hit with on my mark or hail of steel.
 
Intro feats: Inspiring leader gives you another way to grant temp hitpoints 1/encounter.  Resourceful leader
is similar, but works with each action point an ally spends.  Student of battle gives you another daily heal.

Feats
Most of the good warlord feats have racial or class feature prereqs.

Enabling Shot (MP2) This is good for ranged and pacifist since you grant allies extra basic attacks when you crit with a ranged attack.

Reliable Action (MP2) Allies don't expend encounter powers when they miss while spending an action point.
 
Paragon Paths

Captain of Fortune

Earthfast Brigadier

Pack Master

Knight Commander

White Raven

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Wizard
wizard
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If you really want to some ranged clerics can multiclass this way and it gives you access to staffs and orbs along with the arcana skill. Most clerics won't have int high enough to make use of most of the at wills you can pick from, but storm pillar and the dailies don't need a high int to be effective.  Pacifist's can use storm pillar and magic missile since they do not have attack roles.

Feats

All the good feats relate to wizard powers or class features.  Some of the racial ones might be worth looking into if you are playing a tiefling.

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Hybrids
 
 
Clerics  make better hybrids than they do straight templars and are one the best classes to hybrid with.  With Battle Cleric's Lore you do not have to spend your hybrid feat for armor, which solves the AC problems for classes like ranger, barbarian and shaman.  You do not lose that much for going hybrid cleric and many other classes use strength and wisdom for their attack stats or at least use them as a secondary stat.  Templars hybrid well with over a dozen other classes.  The main thing you lose is uses of healing word and usually channel divinity.

Hybridding lets you pick the good powers and paragon paths and often the good features from both classes.  So a cleric who wants to be a good enabler can hybrid shaman, bard, or warlord, a cleric who wants good control can hybrid wizard or invoker (or even druid or seeker), a cleric who wants to defend can go fighter, paladin, or swordmage, and a cleric who wants to do striker damage can go ranger or barbarian.  And you get (sometimes limited) features from the other class as well so a shaman hybrid will have a spirit companion and a barbarian hybrid can use rampage with barbarian powers.

Cleric Hybrid: simple weapon prof and holy symbol prof, healing word 1/encounter, and battle cleric's lore.  Through your hybrid talent feat you either get 1 cleric CD power that you can chose or armor proficiency (leather/hide/chain) so you are usually better off taking the other classes hybrid talent feat unless you need channel divinity for your build.  With battle clerics lore you no longer have to worry about the armor one.  You have to pick only one cleric channel divinity with hybrid talent so I would pick favor of the gods if you spend your talent on that.
  
One of the main benefits from hybrids for battle clerics is to gain easy access to martial weapons and to boost your toughness through higher HP and surges and better melee powers.  For ranged clerics the main advantage is access to other classes powers and features along with the potential for a staff or other implement.  You never know until you actually try to make one how a hybrid will work out and I have not tried all of these, but really its more which classes should you avoid more than anything else. Right now the best/easiest choices for hybrids are probably Ranger, Invoker, Artificer, Barbarian, Paladin, Swordmage, Shaman, and Fighter.  Bards, Avengers, Wizards, Druids, Warlords, Seekers, and Monks have some very good build potential as well.   I also like warden and avenger for hybrid cleric, but most other charopers don't like hybrid wardens or avengers.  I think they both can work out well with clerics.

Hybrids
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Ardent This has only a little potential: A melee leader with charisma is the main stat, with wisdom as a rider stat.  This does have decent enabling, but I would probably go bard, shaman, warlord or even artificer once you hit paragon first.

Artificer This is a bit tricky, but the two classes can complement each other well as seen here. 
Spell commander is one of the best leader paragon paths in the game and you need a ranged weapon for spell tracer so its more for bow clerics.

Avenger:You get martial weapon proficiency, but the main thing is Oath of enmity, though it only works with avenger powers. You do share implements and wisdom is the attack stat, so you should go with essentials warpriest powers and go wis/con or wis/dex or int.  I would focus on immediate cleric encounter attacks.  I have a wierd build in my cleric build book that uses domain synergy with radiant vengence and lance of faith to get those two powers to be very accurate and that makes almost all the encounter powers immediates. The tricky thing is a normal good avenger is already feat intensive so if you want to focus on that you won't have much room for cleric feats and most charop people don't like hybrid avengers, but I think it works with templars.

Barbarian: This is more a way to improve barbarians than it is a way to improve clerics, though barbarians do have a few good leaderish powers.  I would spend your talent feat on Rageblood even though str/cha works very well. Thaneborn talent still works.  The best part is that you can do a str/cha barbarian and not worry about dex.    There is a build that does this in my build handbook and other ones floating around out there since this is one of the better ways to make barbarian.
 
 
Battlemind: Not much to offer in the features besides martial weapons, but it has some good powers and you could do a wis/con build with lightning rush and cleric standard action attack powers.  Maybe go tactical warpriest. Most other defenders use strength as a main stat and wisdom as a secondary stat.  Out of all the power point classes this is the only one I think worth hybridding with.

Bard: One of the better choices for hybrid bow users.  Bard now has a strong wis/cha build.  Good combination of healing from cleric and enabling from bard.  I have a very effective enabling build in my cleric build handbook and a decent bard one in my bow cleric guide.
 
 
Druid: You share the same attack stat and this gives you access to staffs.  You get hide proficiency so you can do an int/dex secondary builds if you want to, but I would probably go with scale and a 18 preracial wisdom.  Druids have some very good encounter powers now, including heoric and paragon tier stunning/domination.  I think you are much better off ignoring wildshape and focusing on close and ranged AOE, though you can now maintain non druid powers while in beast form.
 
 
Fighter:
Get martial weapon proficiencies. You get combat challenge, but have to use fighter powers to mark normally. You can get combat superiority if have a good wisdom or one of the fighter techniques.  I have seen builds based on this that were fairly good, mainly because fighters have such good powers, feats, and paragon paths to pick from.

Invoker:
This has some good options for ranged clerics. You share the same attack stat and this gives you rods. Lots of blast and burst powers and radiant damage.  Dizzying mace is an option too.  Easiest hybrid out there for clerics and there are examples in my build handbook.

Monk  This is tricky, but has a lot of potential.  Monk's secondary stats are str/wis and you could use any weapon you are proficient with as your holy symbol or stick with a holy symbol implement.  You need to make dex your main stat, and then take off turn cleric attacks like Death Surge to make up for the monk not really having these.  Maybe take a ranged implement or a basic attack melee power like Fell Strike.  The fun part is you can use at will monk movement techniques the same round you use cleric standard attack powers.  Exampke in my build handbook.

Paladin: This is another good choice for battle clerics who want to work as defenders. It will boost your toughness, give you martial weapon proficiency, and you get divine challenge/sanction. For the talent feat you can get a paladin or cleric CD since its not worth it to pick up plate/shield.  You can do a couple differeny builds here: str/cha or str/wis would be my choices, but wis/cha also works.

Psion This might be doable, but I think you are better off going invoker, bard, druid, shaman, or wizard if you want to be a controller.
 
 
Ranger Another possible good choice for battle or bow builds since many ranger powers key off wisdom and it lets melee rangers dump dex without any problems. You get hunters quarry and martial weapons proficiency, but really you want this for twin strike and the action economy attacks.  For your talent feat I would probably go for prime shot.  Example in my bow cleric handbook, but melee builds also work well.  You are more a ranger than a cleric with these builds.

Runepriest:
Most obvious choice for all the PHB3 classes.  Use your cleric powers for healing and your runepriest powers for other buffing and protecting your allies.

Rogue: Does not look to have much to offer.  You can only sneak attack with rogue powers. You used to be able to stack up the attack bonuses with rogue weapon talent, but that no longer works with implement powers.

Seeker: Wisdom focused ranged character.  You can spend your hybrid feat to use your strength for AC and get a +1 to hit with thrown weapons so clerics can get some use out of that.  Also good for elves wanting to make another bow cleric variant.  This is one case where you will probably be sticking with cleric powers and the handful of good seeker powers.

Shaman: shares the same attack stat.  You need the hybrid talent feat to get spirits power.  Really you want this for all the enabling shaman gives you and the spirit is a nice touch too.  It might be a decent choice for pacifist builds since you can pick passive attack powers like claws of the eagle.    It also works well to balance out the clerics lack of enabling and can help with your control.  While the shaman stuggles some with good encounter powers and lacks good immediate attacks so you can use the clerics for those.
 
 
Sorcerers: With battle clerics lore this is very doable.  Str/Cha is probably your best option and should work well in heroic.  I would probably go dragonsoul and do something with staffs, but I don't know much about sorcerers.

Swordmage: You need to go with a race like a deva or genasi for this and spend your talent for hybrid warding.  Not intuitive, but it can be done with a battle cleric and assault swordmage who goes str/int or a ranged shielding sword mage lazer cleric who goes wis/int.  Look into swordburst and white louts master riposte, along with intelligent blademaster and battle intuition for wis/int builds.  Probably plays like a paladin and you get heavy/light blades as an implement so you can go with a long sword or rapier.
 
 
Warden:Your main stats will need to be Strength and Wisdom (or possibly con) You get martial weapons and only get hide and leather (and scale) to start out with, but with battle clerics lore you don't need to spend a fear on your AC and can go two handed.   You can get font of life with hybrid talent, which hybrid wardens can't usually afford.  You only get to mark 1 adjacent creature per round, but wardens have enough interesting powers to make it worth taking.   A lot of charopers don't like warden hybrids, but I think this could work out ok especially if you go tactical warpriest. 
 
 
Warlock: I used to have this rated low, but at this point I think a wis/con build with a radiant theme and battle clerics lore could work well. Maybe take some immediate cleric attack powers and starfire womb as one of your first feats.  Dire radiance or eldritch strike for your at will.  Str/Cha could also work.  Your curse only activates on warlock powers and you do not get a pact boon, but can pick up shadow walk or prime shot as a feat.  With shadow walk it is a going to be tough to hit.
 
 
Warlord: Another good choice for battle clerics.  You get inspiring word 1/encounter, which makes up partially for losing a use of healing word. You get the combat leader feature and can get commanding presence with a feat.  It boosts your enabling significantly and you can go str/wis, str/cha, or even wis/con or wis/int with lazy warlord powers. 

Wizard:
Int/wis laser and pacifists clerics might be able to do it and wizards don't loose much by hybridding.  You can get implement mastery from a feat as well. Getting access to wizard dailies might make it worth it.  And there are good powers like raiant pillar which fit well with clerics.  There is a fun build I made of a pacifist cleric/wizard hybrid with hypnotism in my cleric build handbook, but it actually uses healer's mercy as its hybrid talent.

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Optimizing Hybrid Domains
 

One good thing about hybriding with another divine class (invoker/paladin/avenger) is a lot of the domain feats get better since it will potentailly effect both of your at wills instaed of one.  Here are some of the tricks that work, with a focus on how to use domain synergy.  I have the powers that work for each domain listed with the relevant stats, but unfortunately only the older cleric at wills get domain tricks,
 
 
 
 
 
domain synergy
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Domain Synergy is a cleric feat that gives you +2 to hit with an at will, but its normally not worth taking since it only applies to one at will and it takes three feats to get the +2 bonus.  But with hybrid avengers, invokers, and paladins, it is sometimes worth taking since it can apply to both your at wills. 
 
 
 
The basic trick is to spend your hybrid talent on channel divinity, usually favor of the gods.  Then spend a feat for the channel divinity power and the “power of” feat along with domain synergy.  Try to load up on immediate encounter attack powers since that will let you spam your at will.  In the first round or so of each fight you use your channel divinity power and then both your at wills get an extra +2 to hit along with doing something else extra for the rest of the encounter.
 
 
This also works if you go half elf with dilletante master in paragon and any cleric can pick up an invoker one by going mc invoker, but it will only be an encounter power.
 
 
 
Top Combos:
 
 
Sun works really well with invoker or avenger. And both the feat and power of are all about radiant vulnerability:  Lance of Faith (wis) Radiant Vengence (wis) Sun Strike (wis/basic attack) Virtuous strike (cha).  Dilletante Sun strike with avenger hybrid and distant vengance means double rolls for sun strike.  That is mighty accurate.  I have an avenger build based around this trick in my build handbook.
 
 
Skill easy trigger, just make a knowledge check to start off the encounter.  Turns power into basic attack. Righteous Brand (str) Overwhelming Strike (wis) divine bolts (wis) valiant strike (str).

Decent Combos
 
 
A lot of these are an ok way to increase damage as well if you don’t want to focus on radiant for some reason: Poison, storm (thunder), undeath (necrotic) and winter (cold).  I think storm is the best of these in large part because of mark of storm tricks, but with winter you can potentially do permafrost if you can find the room for feats.
 
 
Arcana has some potential, but is a bit feat instensive and you need a way to reliably be hit with a fire, acid, lightning thunder or cold power each encounter for the .  This "power of" gives you an extra +1 power bonus to hit with arcane powers and the at will counts as arcane.  You slmost need to MC something arcane and then taking the good white lotus feats.  Divine Bolts (wis) Radiant Vengence (wis) Lance of faith (wis) Virtuous Strike (Cha, MBA) 

Poison: minor action that gives you a +2 to hit with poison powers for a round.  Does poison with extra 2/3/4 damage. Enfeebling strike (Cha, needs mark) Grasping Shards (wis) Overwhelming Strike (wis) Righteous Brand (str).  Only drawback is poison damage is normally not a good damage type.
 
 
Storm: Minor to give thunder/lightning vulnerability.  Power of thunder turns damage to thunder and gives 2/3/4 bonus to damage roll.  Overwhelming strike (wis) Righteous Brand (str) Valiant Strike (str) Vanguards lightning (wis).  Mark of storm is a good addition to this.
 
 
Destruction, trigger is roll damage for a melee attack.  Extra damage vs non bloodied enemy is ok.  Ardent Strike (str or cha), bond of censure (wis, with free double rolls), grasping shards (wis), righteous brand (str).  Weird combo in that two of the powers are ranged, but the trigger is melee damage.  But paladin is easy enough and a str/wis avenger build could work ok.
 
 
Freedom, sort of easy trigger.  Minor action that usually won’t do anything.  Bonus to allies next save through power of is decent.  Holy strike (str/wis) Leading strike (wis/int), Righteous Brand (str), Vanguards Lighting (wis/int).  Paladin is probably only one worth it.
 
 
Hope Free action trigger.  Ally gets +1 power bonus to next attack. Avenging Light (wis/con), Leading strike (wis/int), Righteous Brand (str) Valiant strike (str)
 
 
Madness, Free action trigger.  Enemy takes -1 to attacks from power of madness feat.  Enfeebling strike (Cha, needs mark) Overwhelming Strike (wis) Righteous Brand (str) Visions of blood (wis)
 
 
Strife,  Free action trigger, but might take a turn or two and doesn’t work when just one enemy. Ardent Strike (str or cha) bond of retribution (wis/int), lance of faith (wis), sun strike (wis basic attack)
 
 
Tyranny, Minor action trigger Peanlty to Saves Astral seal (wis/cha), Bond of Censure, bond of censure (wis, with free double rolls) Divine Bolts (wis) Enfeebling Strike (cha, needs mark)
 
 
Undeath, Minor action trigger.  Does necrotic with extra damage.  Bond of Censure, (wis, with free double rolls) Enfeebling strike (Cha, needs mark) Grasping Shards (wis), Lance of Faith (wis)
 
 
Wilderness Minor action trigger.  Lets allys ignore difficult terrain. Overwhelming strike (wis), Recovery strike (Str/cha), Sun strike (wis) Valiant Strike (str).  Paladin looks like only normally good combo.
 
 
Winter, easy minor action.  Extra cold damage.  Bond of censure (wis, with free double rolls), enfeebling strike (Cha, needs mark), hand of radiance (wis), lance of faith (wis).

Normally Bad domains For domain synergy

These don't work well for domain synergy, normally because the trigger for the channel divinity power won't go off early or easily.  But the power of feats might be worth taking by themselves in some cases.

Change Death Fate Justice Luck Moon Life  Protection Sea Trickery Vengence 

Normally bad Combos: These all either have a moderately difficult trigger, have weird stat combos, or use Priests Shield.  With Priests Shield they might be salvagable if you hybrid and half elf dilletante at the same time for two other classes at wills and some other cleric one.  Or if you go with the other classes and mc cleric just for the domain synergy feat.

Civilization  Creation Darkness Strength Torment War 

Terrible Domain

Don't take power of love unless you are doing some wierd pacifist build and even then I wouldn't take it.

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Nibelung

First Post
Originally posted by GelatinousOctahedron:

Cleric Builds

I have moved all my builds to this handbook to save space: Exemplars of the Faith(x)

Other Links and Handbooks

Other Handbooks

Naussicaa's Warpriest(x) & Healic(x) handbooks

My bow cleric miniguide

My weapliment guide(x) and deity(x) guide

Warpriest Builds

Auspex7's supertough Sun Warpriest/adroit explorer the Variant

Ruinsfate's Earth Warpriest that works as a good fifth man.

Naussica's Enabling Storm warpriest

My Death Domain Warpriest/blightspeaker(x) (a tough front line debuffer/controller)

My Sun Domain Warpriest Can't Hold Me Down(x)  Constantly grants himself and his allies saving throws with solid bonuses.  Also very good at radiant damage.

Other Builds
Elf frostlaser cleric(x)

Cazzeo's Headspin(x) builds: dizzying mace with cleric or cleric/invoker

Naussica's White Mage Healic guide(x)

Nausicaa's Staff eater and battle eater(x) post BCL builds

Naussica's Lightswitch(x) cleric/artificer spell commander

Kerrus Holy Prostration(x).  A tielfing cleric/paladin hybrid that stuns itself, then automatically saves to grant allies good saves among other saving throw tricks.

Dielzen's Thri-kreen Ranger/cleric(x) draeven marauder with a hungry great spear.  Its in the first post.

Adslanhit's White Mage(x) Kalashtar Cleric Messenger of Peace Chosen (good, but is pretty out of date at this point)

Ranged Cleric A diary(x) (old, but good)

Tactics

Radiant Damage
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Team Jedi: Exploiting Radiant Vulnerabilities(x)

It elemental: Radiant(x)  This has a great rundown of a lot of radiant stuff out there: paths, powers, items, etc. but is not specific to clerics.

clerics and radiant damage
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The key with clerics is that you have many ways to stack radiant damage vulnerability and have more than 56+ powers at last count (including 3 at wills) that do radiant damage.  Ranged clerics have the easiest time of this because of the at wills (hence the name laser cleric), but battle and balanced clerics can also do this.

Here are some common tricks you can use:

Sun Domain: the power of the sun domain creates radiant vulnerability through lance of faith and the channel divinity creates stackable radiant vulnerability.

Items: Symbol of divine light increases radiant vulnerability as a property.  Several weapons do radiant damage of some sort for battle clerics looking to exploit this: Brilliant Energy, Crusader, Disrupting, Holy Avenger, Radiant and Sunblade.  Champion's Ring give radiant vulnerability as daily property.  Brightleaf is a reagant that creates radiant vulnerability with radiant powers.

Feats:
heroic: Astral Fire, nimbus of light, power of the sun, solar enemy
Paragon: clinging radiance, pervasive light, radiant vessel.
Epic: Fires of Heaven, Font of Radiance, Punishing Radiance, Radiant advantage 

Paragon Paths: Morninglord, Exorcist of the Silver Flame, Lightwalker, radiant servant, soulforged, angelic avenger, astral savant.

EDs: Radiant one, sublime flame.

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How to make your pacifist cleric speed up battles:

pacifists
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Quote from tiornys this thread(x) in response to how a pacifist build was slowing down combat, negating the benefit from additional healing,

"This is a common trap for Pacifist builds.  It can be mitigated with careful power selection and play, and a well built Pacifist Cleric with a well coordinated party can easily pull his weight in direct and indirect damage, but most builds will fall into the "stretch out combat" trap since only a few select powers for one specific build actually contribute enough indirect damage to be worthwhile, and many parties won't coordinate well enough to make the math work out.

Astral Seal has a bonus to hit and imposes a -2 penalty to defenses.  If we assume that party members are hitting about 50% of the time, they'll hit a Sealed target 60% of the time, which is a 20% increase in their expected damage.  In standard 5 person group, if the other 4 characters focus on the Sealed target, the Pacifist is indirectly contributing about 80% of a party member's average damage, which is decent for a Leader.  However, if only half of the party attacks the Sealed target, the Pacifist's indirect output drops to 40%, which is clearly sub-par.

As far as encounter powers, the Bane line of powers (Cha mod penalty to attacks and defenses) are excellent for a Wis/Cha Pacifist.  Reducing a target's defenses by X is effectively the same as giving everyone in the party a +X to hit that target, which can lead to a dramatic increase in party damage if a) X--Cha mod--is high and b) everyone actually attacks the weakened target.  Bane and similar powers are damage multipliers; taking the party from a 60% hit rate to an 80% hit rate is like multiplying the party damage by 4/3.  Going from a 50% hit rate to a 90% hit rate is multiplying by 9/5.  The effect is comparable to Lead the Attack for a round, which is awesome as an encounter power.

The Exacting Utterance line (vulnerable all damage equal to Wis mod) is generally weaker than the Bane line, since straight damage boosts are a linear increase to party damage instead of multiplicative.  However, for groups with high accuracy (like Avengers and Rogues) and/or the ability to make multiple attacks against a single enemy during a round, these powers can be better than the Bane powers.  In particular, they can be combined with the Bane line (via action points) to allow a party to take down an elite or solo within a round or so.

Finally, nothing mechanically stops a Pacifist Cleric from taking and using damaging powers, and from an optimization standpoint, Pacifists should have at least one encounter and at least one daily power that deals significant damage.  Ideally, one would open combat with direct damaging powers and only switch to non-Bane Pacifist powers against bloodied enemies (Bane powers should be used against high-priority targets as soon as the party is in a position to capitalize).  This allows the Pacifist to function as a normal damage dealer when enemies are not bloodied, and encourages the party to focus on bloodied enemies thanks to the debuffs and healing bonuses.

Of course, the RP fluff encourages most Pacifists to have only a single at-will that deals damage, and such a Cleric is likely to avoid using their damaging at-will power if at all possible.  The Bane line of powers is easy to overlook, and the overpopular super-Wisdom Pacifist builds can't use them to full effect.  Many of the area Pacifist powers look better than they play, or are at least very easy to misuse in combat.

Pacifists are potentially amazing as the only leader in a large group.  Debuffing powers like Bane and Exacting Utterance (and even Astral Seal) get stronger with more allies to take advantage of the debuff, and the extra healing is welcome rather than excessive.  Unfortunately, I suspect that very few Pacfist Cleric builds balance Wis and Cha to maximize Bane, take some damaging powers for use on non-bloodied enemies, and have large, well coordinated parties to take full advantage of their debuffs.  It's the builds that stray from those guidelines who tend to drag out combats, and those builds are a sad majority."

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Maximize your healing

I do not think you should do everything to max healing, but you should do something.  Here are some of the main ways to do it:

healing
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Feats like defensive healing word are good, but do not actually boost your healing.  Temp hitpoint boosts are sort of like preemptive healing so they will get a small section at the end.

Feats

Heroic Battle Healer; Healer’s Implement (only helps with surge healing now); Pacifist Healer; Word of Retaliation; Restful Healing; Mark of Healing; Mark of Hospitality

Paragon Extended Healing; Radiant Vessel; Assured Healing;  Gambler's Word;

Epic Beatific Healer (only help with surges now); Supreme Healer; Reactive Healing; Shared Healing

Racial Blessing of Avandra (halfling) ;Blessing of Corellon (elf); Holy Resolve(warforged); Draconic Healing (Dragonborn) Clarity of Spirit (kalashtar); Moon Elf Resilience (eladrin) ; Burden of Rejuvenation (wilden) Githzerai Healer (Githzerai); Ghostly Rejuvenation (shadar-kai) Aspect of the Cultivator (wilden)

Channel Divinity/Domain Healing
(These do not get your wisdom boost since they are not cleric powers)
Moon Touched; Undeath’s Ally; Amoth's Grace;  Power In Death; Life; Arawai's Abundance; Light Within; Berronar's Salve; Blessing of Silvanus; Ilmater's Martyrdom; Kord’s Favor; Melora's Tide; Raven Queen’s Blessing;

Items
Many of these are not the best choice for all builds or even many builds, but here are the items that help by tier when first available.  Also read item descriptions for healing carefully since some like Gloves of the Healer only help heal the target of the power, so with powers like healing striker and astral seal the target is the enemy.

Heroic Items

Armor: Exalted Armor (better for nova heals); Healer's Armor (this one heals more over the course of the day, but only helps the target of the heal so powers like astral seal do not heal more, plus with errata they have to spend a surge);   Shared Valor Armor (good for temp hitpoint builds)

Weapons: Holy Healer's Weapon (boosts healing word and has a powerful daily heal); Healer's weapon (ranged, with a powerful daily heal, only for bow users)  Weapon of Healing (mace, with a static bonus to all heals)

Symbols: Symbol of Life (daily boosts heals for a round) Symbol of the Holy Nimbus (healing word also grants temp hitpoints) Symbol of Shared Healing (when you spend a surge so does ally) Symbol of Gaiz (gives allies resistences when you heal them)

Neck: Healer's Brooch (static boost to heals) Medic’s Amulet (boost heal skill and allies get bonuses to some saves when you use a healing power on them)

Arm: Bracers of Respite (heal second character a little when one PC gets healed as daily)  Battleforged Shield (daily power lets ally spend an extra surge + some extra in paragon) Healer's Shield (daily power maximizes a healing power, at epic this is an encounter power)

Hand: Gloves of the healer (these heal the target of your healing powers 1d6 more.  Note for most offensive powers like healing strike or astral seal the target is an enemy so it does not help with those powers.  With errata they have to spend a surge as well)

Wondrous: Battle Standard of Healing (good for out of combat healing)

Paragon Items 
Arm: Shield of Fellowship (transfer temp hitpoints)

Hands: Gloves of Transference (increase range of utility powers)

Ring: Alliance Band (ring that gives ally hp when you use second wind and which has good daily heal power) 

Waste: Cord of Divine Favor (encounter: ally spends surge, you spend surge)

Wondrous: Revenant Ankh (revive dead ally)

Epic Items 

Armor: Armor of Shared Health (great but level 30)

Ring: Luminary Ring (range of healing powers increased)

Paragon Paths

Astral Savant (spend an action point, ally spends a surge)

Compassionate Healer (spend an action point they spend a surge.  Lots of ways for allies to spend surges whiley ou takea  little damage)

Holy Emissary (bloodied allies heal 1d6 extra when you heal them)

Miracle Worker (Everything but the daily power boosts how much your allies get healed: action points boost it, your healing word uses D8s, second winds heal more.  My opinion best healing paragon path)

Epic Destinies

Saint (big encounter healing utility, lots of ways to let allies make saves and spend surges)

Revenered One (decent level 30 heal)

Avatar of Life (lots of good healing, regeneration, and saving throw features)

Temp hitpoint Boosts:
Feats: Defensive healing word; Dwarf Battle Priest (dwarf); Healing Step (eladrin); Kol Korran’s Boon (CD); Healing Fragments (shardmind)

Paragon path: Zealous Demagogue

Post Healer's Lore Errata
Powers that get to add your healer's lore bonus (as of 5/18/10);
Encounter Special: Healing Word

CD: Healer's Mercy

1 Healing Strike

2 Return from Death's Door

5 Hallowed Advance

6 Bastion of Health
6 Divine Favor

7 Strengthen the Faithful
7 Zealous Sanction

9 Crucial Resurgence

10 Word of Vigor

13 Mantle of Glory
13 Remorse
13 Union of Three Fates

15 Divine Reprisal

16 Unexpected Return

19 Necrotic Transference

22 Spirit of Health

23 Divine Fervor
23 Healing Touch

25 Soulshock Field

27 Healers Reproof
27 Sacrificial Healing

Powers that no longer get to add your Healer's lore bonus (also earlier FAQ says regeneration powers like Divine Power do not add bonus):

AT will Astral Seal wis DP
AT will recovery strike str DP

1 Beacon of hope wis PHB

2 Cure Light Wounds PHB
2 Life transference DP

5 Consecrated Ground PHB

6 Cure Serious Wounds PHB
6 Spirit of Healing DP
6 Stream of life DP

7 Strike of Judgment Str DP

9 Divine Fury STR DP
 
10 Mass cure light wounds DP

13 Inspiring Strike Str PHB

15 Puryfying Fire Wis PHB
15 Summon Black Reaper Wis Dragon

16 Cure Crit Wounds DP

17 Life Stealing Light wis Dragon

19 Indomitable Spirit Str PHB

22 Mass cure serious wounds DP

25 Life Lanterns wis DP

27 Sunburst Wis PHB

29 Breath of the stars wis DP

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Ways for ranged clerics to expand crit range:

crit range
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For some reason WOTC has decided that Holy Symbol users (along with totem users and ki focus users) do not need to have access to a 19-20 crit range unless you go with very specific builds.  So here are some of the ways to get it.

Cleric Paragon Paths: Radiant servant level 11 crit on 19-20 for radiant powers,
Seldarine Dedicate: Can take bow mastery in epic for critting on 19 with ranged powers (other weapon mastery feats require it to be a melee weapon attack)
Morninglord: Crit on 18-20 with radiant power after action point.

Sehanine worshippers have several ways to use a bow as an implement and then take bow mastery in epic.

Anyone can use a Weapon of Evil Undone bow and take bow mastery.  (RAW you do not need to be proficient with a bow to use it for implement attacks)

Power of luck lets you crit 19-20 with lance of faith

Multiclassing:

Avenger (these only work with your oath target)
Take hand of divine guidance feat, but that only works 1/enc.
Relentless slayer PP crit your oath target on a 18.

Invoker
Invoker Implement Expertise lets you crit from 19-20 when using an invoker implement.
Speaker of the Gods feat lets you crit on a 18 with a divine attack power after CD use.
Arbiter of Forgotten Justice PP lets you crit on 19 with radiant attacks and on 18 with demons and devils.

Rogue
Daggermaster PP lets you crit with dagger implements on a 18. Post errata this does not work.

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