Pathfinder 2E Optimalizing my Cleric-Bard-Champion

[Vengrath]

Hello! I'm about to start my first campaign using PF 2nd edition ruleset. My DM most often than not wants us to optimize our builds, because he likes to throw more challenging encounters than the book suggests (we are pushed to our limits in our current campaign, and i started the campaign as 19DEX 20 INT Bladesinger)
I have decided to go for a Cleric with Warpriest doctrine, but with some additional capabilities (we play with a free archetype rules). Basically the idea is to smite everything, everywhere, everytime. Cleric gives me a lot of high-level Harm casts that i can use to Channel Smite, and bard gives me access to Counter Perform and Occult Spell List. With Warpriest i have training in medium armor, and later on i grab heavy armor with Champion Dedication, that also grants me access to powerful Champion's Reaction. I believe it would be a strong character, but then again, i have not yet played in Pathfinder 2edition ruleset, so I'm not sure, and so i ask you to point out any and all weaknesses of this build, suggest improvements, and so on.

I have this build prepared for now:

Frilled Lizardfolk (+STR +WIS +CHA -INT)
Cleric of homebrew by my DM former fay turned god-like (+WIS) (the deity is Neutral Evil, but accepts followers of every alignmnet that will fight demons; i have a preference towards Lawful Evil or Lawful Neutral, depending on the rest of the party to avoid too much conflicts)

• Divine Ability: Charisma or Strength
• Divine Font: harm or heal
• Divine Skill: Performance
• Favored Weapon: longspear, glaive
• Domains: pain, sun, fire, creation, confidence, ambition, destruction
• Cleric Spells: 1st: burning hands, 2nd: quench, 4th: wall of fire

Artist Background (+CHA + STR)

Ability Boosts
Lvl 1: +STR+CON+WIS+CHA (16 10 12 16 8 16)
Lvl 5: +STR+CON+WIS+CHA (18 10 14 18 8 18)
Lvl 10:+STR+DEX+CON+CHA (19 12 16 18 8 19)
Lvl 15:+STR+DEX+WIS+CHA (20 14 16 19 8 20)
Lvl 20:+DEX+CON+WIS+INT (20 16 18 20 10 20)

Ancestry Feats
Lvl 1: Reptile Rider
Lvl 5: Guided by the Stars
Lvl 9: Terrain Advantage
Lvl 13: Bone Investiture
Lvl 17: Scion Transformation

General Feats
Lvl 3: Toughness
Lvl 7: Prescient Planner
Lvl 11: Prescient Consumable
Lvl 15: Incredible Investiture
Lvl 19: Fleet

Skill Feats
Lvl 2: Virtuosic Performer
Lvl 4: Impressive Performance
Lvl 6: Intimidating Prowess
Lvl 8: Terrifying Resistance
Lvl 10: Battle Cry
Lvl 12: Terrified Retreat
Lvl 14: Disturbing Knowledge
Lvl 16: Specialty Crafting
Lvl 18: Legendary Performer
Lvl 20: Scare to Death

Cleric Class Feats
Lvl 2: Harming Hands
Lvl 4: Channel Smite
Lvl 6: Champion Dedication
Lvl 8: Domain Initiate (Zeal) Focus Spell - Weapon Surge
Lvl 10: Domain Initiate (Pain) Focus Spell - Savor the Sting
Lvl 12: Advanced Domain (Pain) Focus Spell - Retributive Pain
Lvl 14: Premonition of Clarity
Lvl 16: Cast Down
Lvl 18: Shared Clarity
Lvl 20: Maker of Miracles

Free Archetype Feats
Lvl 2: Bard Dedication
Lvl 4: Basic Bard Spellcasting
Lvl 6: Counter Perform
Lvl 8: Advanced Muse’s Whispers (Melodious Spell)
Lvl 10: Occult Breadth
Lvl 12: Expert Bard Spellcasting
Lvl 14: Diverse Armor Expert
Lvl 16: Champion's Reaction
Lvl 18: Master Bard Spellcasting
Lvl 20: Divine Ally

Skill Increases
Lvl 1: Trained in: Religion, Performance, Crafting
Lvl 2: Trained in: Occultism, Intimidation
Lvl 3: Expert Occultism
Lvl 5: Expert Intimidation
Lvl 7: Master Occultism
Lvl 9: Master Intimidation
Lvl 11: Expert Performance
Lvl 13: Master Performance
Lvl 15: Legendary Occultism
Lvl 17 Legendary Performance
Lvl 19 Legendary Intimidation

 

[Kichwas]

Yeah that's right - I'm necro-posting to a one year old post because I'm some rando with an opinion.

Anyone looking at PF2E right now and feeling discouraged that in a sub-forum about builds it's almost all D&D 5E and there's only this one PF2E post from a year ago with no replies...

That's kind of the point for PF2E.

The response this guy should have gotten last year is that you really can't but also don't need to optimize a build. Slap any random set of things together from the process of making a character (I recommend using pathbuilder website to do it BTW - makes it really easy so you can spam them out and test this point I'm making) and your character will be about as good as the next set of random things.

With only 2 caveats:

1. Avoid Investigator. Conceptually my favorite class in PF2E, it's essentially unplayable because it depends on GM fiat for it's core mechanic to work - and if the GM rules for it it's world-destroying levels of broken, but if the GM goes the other way you don't even have the stats to make toast and jam for breakfast... Every game needs one total fail by the designers - this Hercule Peroit / Sherlock Homes fan just wishes it wasn't that class... but it is.

2. Don't preplan the levels out like this. As power is fairly well balanced, you want to wait until the last possible moment to stat out your next level. Don't do it during a game session, but in the time before the session you are likely to next level, just build only the next level. The reason being that you want to build for the game you're playing. Power will balance out, so build for theme.

If we were to start putting PF2E builds in this thread - the focus for them would logically be in the lore / backstory parts, because the numbers can just kind of be whatever the player wants to play out. At that point, it would just end up looking like a thread full of Mary Sues posted by the kids in the Drama Club.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

2. Don't preplan the levels out like this. As power is fairly well balanced, you want to wait until the last possible moment to stat out your next level. Don't do it during a game session, but in the time before the session you are likely to next level, just build only the next level. The reason being that you want to build for the game you're playing. Power will balance out, so build for theme.

If that plays really out this way, I have to actually try it out for a while. Games should be played, not planned... although I like some planning actually ...

On the other hand, 5e with multiclassing works out well enough for that too... at least way better than people give it credit... at least the way I built my last character.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

i have a third caveat:
3. most of the time, getting proficiency in heavier armor from a feat is a trap, because it will stay at trained while your other armor proficiencies go to expert or higher, meaning you get less AC from the heavier armor.

 

[Gortle]

The response this guy should have gotten last year is that you really can't but also don't need to optimize a build. Slap any random set of things together from the process of making a character (I recommend using pathbuilder website to do it BTW - makes it really easy so you can spam them out and test this point I'm making) and your character will be about as good as the next set of random things.

Rubbish you can optimise a fair bit. It is just that the game is balanced so there are sensible limits. You can improve builds, you can make very poor builds. Normally the best gains come from looking at the action economy. This build should probably look at why it doesn't have the obvious Champions reaction. Maybe a mount would help.
The real message is most PF2 action is on Reddit or the Paizo forums. There is not quite the depth of player base to support it here yet.

If we were to start putting PF2E builds in this thread - the focus for them would logically be in the lore / backstory parts, because the numbers can just kind of be whatever the player wants to play out. At that point, it would just end up looking like a thread full of Mary Sues posted by the kids in the Drama Club.

Different people like different aspects of the game. Stop preaching. Let people have fun.