FormerlyHemlock
Hero
[Sorry, I meant to post this in the Optimization forum. Mods, could you please move it? Thanks. -Max]
I loaned away my copy of SCAG this week, but my memory tells me that Arcana Clerics at 17th level get to pick one spell off the wizard list for each of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells. What picks would make it worth it to go Arcana cleric?
My initial thoughts:
9th: either Wish or True Polymorph, depending on whether you'd rather have an army or spell versatility. Wish is less mandatory for a cleric than a sorcerer or bard, because clerics already get to prepare different spells every day, so I'm kind of leaning towards True Polymorph. True Polymorph gets you an army either by creating creatures and finding ways to bring them to your side (Persuasion/bribes/Geas/etc.), or by just straight-up Polymorphing into a Shadow Dragon and murdering a great whacking lot of peasants who then turn into Shadows under your permanent control. (BBEG-only stuff there, not for heroes.) However, Wish does free up your 6th/7th/8th level picks.
6th: Magic Jar so you can take possession of a werebear or weretiger for immunity to normal weapons and more HP. If you took Wish already then this doesn't matter, maybe take Globe of Invulnerability instead.
7th: Simulacrum probably. If you took Wish already then this doesn't matter, maybe take Reverse Gravity or Teleport instead.
8th: Not sure. Maybe Clone or Demiplane? If you took Wish already then this doesn't matter, can take Maze instead.
As you can see, my bias is towards proactive problem-solving in a Combat As War style, not reactive countermeasures. My preferred approach to a problem is to sit safely at home while my simulacrum ( in a werebear's body) leads an assault on the enemy fortress, under cover of darkness and with a battalion of peasant Shadows and several Planar Bound Invisible Stalkers and Earth Elementals for taking out enemy champions. I'll watch the whole thing by Scrying on my simulacrum.
Admittedly this does raise the question of "Why be a Arcana cleric at all instead of just a wizard?" I don't have an answer for that, am currently just exploring the idea of Arcana clerics.
I loaned away my copy of SCAG this week, but my memory tells me that Arcana Clerics at 17th level get to pick one spell off the wizard list for each of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells. What picks would make it worth it to go Arcana cleric?
My initial thoughts:
9th: either Wish or True Polymorph, depending on whether you'd rather have an army or spell versatility. Wish is less mandatory for a cleric than a sorcerer or bard, because clerics already get to prepare different spells every day, so I'm kind of leaning towards True Polymorph. True Polymorph gets you an army either by creating creatures and finding ways to bring them to your side (Persuasion/bribes/Geas/etc.), or by just straight-up Polymorphing into a Shadow Dragon and murdering a great whacking lot of peasants who then turn into Shadows under your permanent control. (BBEG-only stuff there, not for heroes.) However, Wish does free up your 6th/7th/8th level picks.
6th: Magic Jar so you can take possession of a werebear or weretiger for immunity to normal weapons and more HP. If you took Wish already then this doesn't matter, maybe take Globe of Invulnerability instead.
7th: Simulacrum probably. If you took Wish already then this doesn't matter, maybe take Reverse Gravity or Teleport instead.
8th: Not sure. Maybe Clone or Demiplane? If you took Wish already then this doesn't matter, can take Maze instead.
As you can see, my bias is towards proactive problem-solving in a Combat As War style, not reactive countermeasures. My preferred approach to a problem is to sit safely at home while my simulacrum ( in a werebear's body) leads an assault on the enemy fortress, under cover of darkness and with a battalion of peasant Shadows and several Planar Bound Invisible Stalkers and Earth Elementals for taking out enemy champions. I'll watch the whole thing by Scrying on my simulacrum.
Admittedly this does raise the question of "Why be a Arcana cleric at all instead of just a wizard?" I don't have an answer for that, am currently just exploring the idea of Arcana clerics.
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