Cleric in Shackled City

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Radiant Servant of Pelor is a good choice for a healing Cleric too. Take the Augment Healing feat (I think that it's name), and stop advancing before you get the Maximize Healing ability.
I was a bit suprised to find out that Maximize sucks on healing spells, unless I am interpreting the Empower Spell feat wrong. Ex. Cure Serious with Augment Healing and Healing Domain at minimum caster level (5+1 = 6): Avg(3d8+12)*1.5 = 38.25 > 36). True, it only affects 4 or 5 spells you cast each day. But a empowered Mass Cure Light spell isn't bad in combat.

But a straight Cleric isn't a bad choice, too. You will probably be better in melee and take more punishment. Martial weapon proficiency doesn't really matter (and I don't understand why the Radiant Servant gets it all).

Dodge and Mobility aren't critical to a Cleric. With enough ranks in Concentration, melee doesn't affect your spellcasting at all (with Combat Casting or Skill Focus (Concentration) you will be safe very quickly), and once you have picked up heavy armor, you help your fighter more if you stay in melee. Some enemies might accidently attempt to hit you, which means less damage to your allies, and possibly a totally wasted attack on you.

 

[Harm]

I know this was the case in 3.0, but is it true in 3.5? I didn't see anything under the section about spontaneous conversion saying that it was a full-round action in the 3.5 PHB.

Ah, looks like it only becomes full-round if you apply a metamagic feat to it.

 

[Wik]

I strongly recommend against taking Dodge and Mobility for a cleric. IMO the only reason to take Mobility is to get Spring Attack for a fighter-type, or if you need it to qualify for a PrC. It won't come in handy nearly as often as you think it will, since you don't have to get to the front lines as a healer, you only have to get one space back from the front lines. That makes a big difference. If you're fighting Medium or Large creatures, you aren't going to get opped for stepping into the square that's 10 feet away from them. It might help versus Huge creatures, but you aren't going to be facing many of those at low levels. If it ends up being a big problem, you can always take it later.

Even something like Improved Initiative would be a better choice for a cleric, IMO. Your Dex probably won't be very good, so a +4 to initiative would be very helpful. Better chance of being able to cast a buff at the beginning of the fight.

Words of wisdom.

 

[Dykstrav]

I strongly recommend against taking Dodge and Mobility for a cleric. IMO the only reason to take Mobility is to get Spring Attack for a fighter-type, or if you need it to qualify for a PrC. It won't come in handy nearly as often as you think it will, since you don't have to get to the front lines as a healer, you only have to get one space back from the front lines. That makes a big difference. If you're fighting Medium or Large creatures, you aren't going to get opped for stepping into the square that's 10 feet away from them. It might help versus Huge creatures, but you aren't going to be facing many of those at low levels. If it ends up being a big problem, you can always take it later.

Even something like Improved Initiative would be a better choice for a cleric, IMO. Your Dex probably won't be very good, so a +4 to initiative would be very helpful. Better chance of being able to cast a buff at the beginning of the fight.

I am having second thoughts about Mobility. Later on, I'll be able to afford heavy armor (which is almost always a better deal for a cleric), and I'll have a decent stack of hit points to survive getting popped a few times anyway. The tricky part in the recent games I've been playing is that I've been getting nailed by attacks of opportunity quite a bit and I found myself really wishing that I'd done the Dodge/Mobility thing instead of Combat Casting/Discipline. I'm pretty firmly committed to picking up Dodge, especially since my DM has houseruled it to a +2 bonus instead of a +1 bonus.

The character's Dex is 13. I'm willing to invest in that (it's a point buy system) because the heaviest armor generally available (full plate) allows that +1 bonus to AC and it also gives me a little extra edge in ranged touch attacks and even those poor Reflex saves. I'm not really worried about winning the initiative, since many cleric spells are kinda reactive. Except for bless, my fellow players usually prefer potions for buffs to leave my spell slots open for spiritual weapon and the like.

 

[Nightfall]

Joe,

Okay well if you think that it is okay, I guess I'll reserve my right allow in other games too.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Don't get me wrong, it's the cleric's cleric in terms of abilities.

And my campaign run max hit points so the d6 wasn't a complete wash for him either.

But he had a good time with the cleric and I didn't mind it occassionally blowing up those few undead real good.

One of the nice things about the higher powers of the undead is that they need a lot of hit dice since they have no constitution bonus.

 

[Nightfall]

Joe,

True but even with lesser amounts of HD, the SP of some undead is pretty darn scary. Bodaks for example.

 

[Harm]

Joe,

True but even with lesser amounts of HD, the SP of some undead is pretty darn scary. Bodaks for example.

The amount of no-save damage Greater Bolt of Glory does is scary too.

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah well...undead aren't THAT prominent in Shackled City so less worrisome for me.

 

[Whimsical]

Undead do pop up here and there. Shackled City does a good job in providing a wide variety of opponents. And who else is going to pwn the incorporeal undead that spring attacks in and out of the floor or wall?