D&D 5E What 4th Level Feat for a Cleric of Trickery?

[Todd Roybark]

So I have a 3rd level Cleric of Trickery, that also bears a Dragonmark of Shadow.
Since Pass Without Trace is on both the Divine Domain spell list and the Dragonmark list, the DM has allowed me to replace Pw/oT with Shadowblade, (as a Dragonmark spell...preparation still required).

Abilities Scores are: S:10, D:18, C:14, I:14, W:17, Cha: 14 (some of the best rolls in my life).
Role-play wise the character is based off Flynn from Borderlands 3 and Cassidy from Preacher.... a wisecracking trickster.

My thoughts on good contenders are:

1) Elven Accuracy: with the +1 stat boost going to Wisdom. Beyond boosting spell DCs, the synergy of increased chances to score a critical hit with Inflict Wounds and Spiritual Weapon; when within 5’ of the perfect illusion created by the Invoke Duplicity, Divine Power, is nice.
The feat is also a nice fit for Shadowblade if there is darkness/dim light.

Downside is Invoke Duplicity, seems to be most useful, when used as a remote spell casting vessel and decoy, than as a CQB buddy.

I will be selecting this Feat, at some point, I am just not sure if 4th level is the best spot to take it.


2) Sentinel: Shadowblade and Mirror Image work well together, and fit my vision of the character.
Clause 3 of the Sentinel Feat works nicely with the above. More opportunities for a single attack class to get more attacks in with Shadowblade is very good.

Clause 1 of the feat, works well with getting the most out of Spirit Guardians, when I can finally cast the spell.

This also seems to be a must have Feat. Not being able to increase my Wisdom at 4th level, is the big downside to selecting it.

3) Magic Initiate: For Booming Blade. Adding more damage dice, and eventually an extra ability modifier to a one attack per action-class, seems useful. Downside is a Bonus Action cast for the cantrip conflicts with a cleric’s action economy, more than say a Sorcerer’s. Also, no increase to Wisdom.
At 4th level, this Feat, does not seem the best option.

4) ASI. Boosting Wisdom, (and possibly one other ability score), is always useful. Given my ability score array, taking Wisdom to 19, is probably the best option, if I go the ASI route.

What are people’s thoughts? I am also very willing to read other options not described above.

@FrogReaver @Esker

The next question is: wether to multi class as a fighter Echo Knight

 

[Adamant]

I don't have much opinion on the others, but if you are considering elven accuracy there's no point in delaying it and taking wisdom to 19 because you only need 18 to get to the next modifier and elven accuracy gets you there plus gives other benefits. Then you can take a +2 wisdom any time later that you want to get to 20. For echo knight, I love the idea but don't know much about the subclass other than that it thematically fits perfectly. It would also give you martial weapons so you can use a rapier when you aren't using shadowblade.

 

[Esker]

The thing about Invoke Duplicity is it uses your concentration, and you're unlikely to benefit more from getting to make attack rolls at advantage, even with Elven Accuracy, than you would from concentrating on something better (like Spirit Guardians). But you'll probably use it sometimes, and boosting your odd WIS with Elven Accuracy seems as good as any other option.

The Sentinel and Mirror Image thing I guess is RAW, but worth checking if your DM would allow it. I'm also not necessarily sure you want to be the designated "attack me" guy as a Trickery Cleric, though it depends on the party I guess.

I take it you're some kind of elf, so you don't have War Caster yet. It's boring b/c it's pretty much a feat tax, but nonetheless pretty essential for a cleric. I'd take that before any of the above.

It's worth mentioning that with your rolled stats you have options open to you that most clerics would have a hard time doing: for example, a dip in another full caster class. Sorcerer would give you booming blade, shield, some other cantrips (mage hand, minor illusion, e.g.) and another spell (absorb elements is really useful but maybe an illusion pick like Silent Image or Tasha's would be thematic). Going Wizard (which you also qualify for!) would also get you a familiar, which synergizes well with Elven Accuracy without using your concentration.

If you pick Divine Soul you don't have to prep Bless. Shadow Sorcerer doesn't offer as much from a single level --- especially if you are an elf and therefore already have darkvision --- but would be thematic. Once you get to Cleric 7 (since you don't want to delay Polymorph), going Sorcerer 3 for Subtle Spell would fit well.

 

[captainbananas]

FWIW I agree with @Adamant - Elven Accuracy (Wis) scratches your feat itch without delaying your primary casting ability progression, so that's clearly a solid (if not globally optimal, at least locally optimized) choice.

 

[FrogReaver]

What kind of Elf are you?

 

[FrogReaver]

Here's the Feat/ASI recommendations I have:

+2 Dex
+1 Wis/+Con
Elven Accuracy
War Caster
Resilient (Con)

You require so many feats that I would not use recommend magic initiate when you can take a single level dip into sorcerer for it at a point it will actually be strong. I don't think I would go sentinel as booming blade and a high accuracy should have a close enough effect.

Your concentration is important as shadow blade or spirit guardians are both important spells for you.
Dex is important for attacking and stealth and AC.

However, I think the number 1 pick is elven accuracy because it actually has the ability to make shadow blade stronger than spirit guardians against a single target.

So at level 4 I would go with elven accuracy.
At level 8 it's either dex or fixing concentration saves - you'll probably know more by that time to judge how often you failed concentration saves.

And then sometime after level 5 multiclass into a sorcerer for booming blade.

(Warcaster might be essential first depending on how particular your DM is about a free hand).

 

[Todd Roybark]

The lack of War Caster has not been an issue so far. Being limited to daggers as my only finesse weapon option, helps in keeping a hand free.

I am torn at what to M/C into....too many above average stats and too many options.

There is a Wizard in the party, so swapping spells is always fun....and even a small dip in Wizard gets you good Ritual magic options.

Of course there is metamagic, which might be too good to pass up.

 

[FrogReaver]

The lack of War Caster has not been an issue so far. Being limited to daggers as my only finesse weapon option, helps in keeping a hand free.

I am torn at what to M/C into....too many above average stats and too many options.

There is a Wizard in the party, so swapping spells is always fun....and even a small dip in Wizard gets you good Ritual magic options.

Of course there is metamagic, which might be too good to pass up.

I would stick cleric - except for a dip. Good not great int and cha kind of dictates that.

 

[Esker]

Re: not having needed War Caster, keep in mind that you don't have Spirit Guardians yet, and when you get it, keeping up your concentration is going to do more damage most of the time than any attacking you do. Elven Accuracy does also boost your DC and give you another spell preparation, but on a "save for half" spell, the effect of a higher DC is basically halved. Even if you are in dim-light and using shadow blade at a 3rd level slot, it should be doing about 14-15 damage a round to one target without elven accuracy, vs 16-17 damage with elven accuracy. On the other hand, spirit guardians isn't dependent on dim light for its damage, it does damage to multiple targets, and also has a control effect attached.

So I disagree with Frog Reaver that Shadow Blade + Elven Accuracy is better for single target damage than Spirit Guardians + War Caster. Math: SG adds about 10-11 damage per target per round on top of whatever else you're doing with your action --- even just a basic dagger attack without advantage plus spirit guardians against just one target is about as much damage as you do with your concentration and action from a 3rd level shadow blade attack, comparing the least favorable circumstances for SG to the most favorable circumstances for SB. War Caster gives you about a 22% bump to your chance of passing a concentration save, so the first time you get hit it's essentially doing 2-3 damage from that feature alone, and it compounds: for example, if you get hit three times, the cumulative chance of losing concentration somewhere in there goes down by about 40 percentage points with war caster.

And of course, should you decide to use shadow blade in a particular situation, War Caster helps it also, since you also have to concentrate on it. In dim light, losing concentration on shadow blade takes you from 3d8+4 with advantage (about 14-15 damage) to a 2d12 cantrip which averages about 7-8 damage. Much bigger difference than the 2ish DPR bump you get from elven accuracy.

As far as taking a level of an arcane caster class, Wizard 1 offers you the most, with 3 more spells known, including access to a Familiar, at the cost of a cantrip. Divine Soul Sorcerer is also worth considering, though, because their Favored by the Gods feature is really good. And yeah, I'd definitely wait at least until after 5th, if not until after 7th to multiclass, because polymorph is at its best right at 7th and gets gradually worse from there.

 

[FrogReaver]

Re: not having needed War Caster, keep in mind that you don't have Spirit Guardians yet, and when you get it, keeping up your concentration is going to do more damage most of the time than any attacking you do. Elven Accuracy does also boost your DC and give you another spell preparation, but on a "save for half" spell, the effect of a higher DC is basically halved. Even if you are in dim-light and using shadow blade at a 3rd level slot, it should be doing about 14-15 damage a round to one target without elven accuracy, vs 16-17 damage with elven accuracy. On the other hand, spirit guardians isn't dependent on dim light for its damage, it does damage to multiple targets, and also has a control effect attached.

At level 5 spirit guardians will be slightly ahead. By level 11 assuming he progresses in trickery cleric and takes a level dip to pick up booming blade he will out damage the spirit guardian character on single target.

Though at some point it stops being about which is strictly better and starts being about having a cleric that doesn't have to always rely on spirit guardians to do solid damage.