The War Cleric

[Zardnaar]

Potent cantrip cantrip works on the SCAG cantrips for arcana clerics.

Any cleric can cast spiritual guardians plus weapon and wade into melee dropping sacred flame/toll the dead.

This is why I think clerics are better off built for primary spellcasting.

The exception would be high rolled stats and it's iffy. To reliably keep up spiritual guardians you'll probably need warcaster as well so that's two feats down at level 8.

Light cleric doesn't need warcaster, nature can key everything off wisdom and wear medium armor, arcana cleric can just take warcaster and do the above combining potent cantrip with green flame blade.

If you don't mind 18 wisdom at 8 the arcana cleric can take magic initiate and shillagh.

With higher stats they can have 20 wisdom and warcaster and Magic Initiate.

Round one they can cast spiritual weapon plus green flame blade or spiritual guardians plus shillagh next round spiritual weapon then gfb.

Or just spam cast shillagh outside combat so it's up already round one.

 

[FrogReaver]

Potent cantrip cantrip works on the SCAG cantrips for arcana clerics.

Any cleric can cast spiritual guardians plus weapon and wade into melee dropping sacred flame/toll the dead.

This is why I think clerics are better off built for primary spellcasting.

The exception would be high rolled stats and it's iffy. To reliably keep up spiritual guardians you'll probably need warcaster as well so that's two feats down at level 8.

Light cleric doesn't need warcaster, nature can key everything off wisdom and wear medium armor, arcana cleric can just take warcaster and do the above combining potent cantrip with green flame blade.

If you don't mind 18 wisdom at 8 the arcana cleric can take magic initiate and shillagh.

With higher stats they can have 20 wisdom and warcaster and Magic Initiate.

Round one they can cast spiritual weapon plus green flame blade or spiritual guardians plus shillagh next round spiritual weapon then gfb.

Or just spam cast shillagh outside combat so it's up already round one.

And yet, when the warcleric decides to, we can out damage any caster cleric in any given fight.

One of the key benefits to the war cleric is that he doesn't have to rely on concentration spells for damage (at least not by level 8) which makes concentration not something he needs to worry as much about.

 

[Esker]

And yet, when the warcleric decides to, we can out damage any caster cleric in any given fight.

But why would you focus on your own attack damage when you could give a martial ally your channel divinity, and keep your own action free to do something that does about as much damage anyway (even if it's only toll the dead)? By the time you can use spiritual weapon most fights, that bonus attack isn't doing that much for you any more.

 

[FrogReaver]

But why would you focus on your own attack damage when you could give a martial ally your channel divinity, and keep your own action free to do something that does about as much damage anyway (even if it's only toll the dead)? By the time you can use spiritual weapon most fights, that bonus attack isn't doing that much for you any more.

Because inflict wounds does more than the martial is doing

 

[Esker]

Because inflict wounds does more than the martial is doing

Oh, but that's a spell. Isn't that being a caster cleric?

 

[Esker]

To be clear, the distinction I was making above between caster and non-caster wasn't so much about choice of subclass as it was about whether you invest ASIs and feats in Wisdom and spellcasting ability or whether you invest them in being better at weapons. But maybe I just misunderstood the thrust of your reply, which was to Zardnaar, after all.

 

[FrogReaver]

To be clear, the distinction I was making above between caster and non-caster wasn't so much about choice of subclass as it was about whether you invest ASIs and feats in Wisdom and spellcasting ability or whether you invest them in being better at weapons. But maybe I just misunderstood the thrust of your reply, which was to Zardnaar, after all.

A caster cleric is one whose at will attacks will be primarily cantrip attacks.

 

[Markh3rd]

So at level 20, what would be the DPR of my warcleric over 10 rounds assuming I'm using the practice of Spiritual guardians, 6 uses of my extra attacks, spiritual weapon when I'm out of extra attacks, and GWM feat? I will list the stats again so you don't have to go back and look it up.

29 str
18 con (resilient)
10 dex
22 wis (tome of understanding)
10 int
8 cha

AC 22 (Resistance to B/P/S)
HP 183 (203 with Aid)
Halberd +17 to hit, 1d10+11 (6 uses of extra attack)
Spell to hit and dc is +12 and 20 dc.

Feats Resilient and GWM

 

[Zardnaar]

So at level 20, what would be the DPR of my warcleric over 10 rounds assuming I'm using the practice of Spiritual guardians, 6 uses of my extra attacks, spiritual weapon when I'm out of extra attacks, and GWM feat? I will list the stats again so you don't have to go back and look it up.

29 str
18 con (resilient)
10 dex
22 wis (tome of understanding)
10 int
8 cha

AC 22 (Resistance to B/P/S)
HP 183 (203 with Aid)
Halberd +17 to hit, 1d10+11 (6 uses of extra attack)
Spell to hit and dc is +12 and 20 dc.

Feats Resilient and GWM

Depends on the AC of what you're hitting or if you upcast spiritual guardian.

 

[Markh3rd]

Go for an appropriate CR creature for level 20 and up cast at say level 6