Damage sources for a melee cleric who isn't buffing a lot

[Corsair]

Ok, so here is the deal:

I want to make a capable melee cleric, probably a human. I do not want to use DMM cheese. What sources of damage should I be looking for?

Right now I'm leaning towards Knowledge Devotion + Knowledge Domain + Collector of Stories + Lore of the Gods + 1 point in almost every knowledge skill to get +16 on the knowledge checks (guaranteed +2 or more attack and damage against nearly everything I face). I'm also adding in power attack, but unsure of what to use as a weapon or if I should bother with a shield.

Any thoughts?

 

[Dandu]

Cast Greater Magic Weapon and use a CL booster like Consumptive Field or a Bead of Karma.

Cast Divine Insight (SpC) or Guidance of the Avatar for a good boost to knowledge checks.

Divine Power, Visage of the Deity, etc.

 

[Corsair]

Oh I like Divine Insight. Not sure how I missed that one before. An all day duration to boot!

I suspect my entire 2nd level spell load every day would be like 3 Lore of the Gods and 3 Divine Insights if I play this character.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I recommend Dwarf. Then you can get Ancestral Knowledge feat and use your primary wisdom stat on all Knowledge rolls. Also means you don't need to worry about training in every single knowledge skill right away, since it lets you use them untrained.

Dwarf also means you can use the dwarven waraxe one handed without a feat. If your DM is cool, show him in races of stone the note in the weapons section about substituting racial weapon proficiencies and see if you can trade urgosh or waraxe for the dwarven warpike, one of the best exotic weapons I know of, if you would rather go two-handed.

Dwarf Cleric has the racial sub. level to permanently lose a level 2 slot for Weapon Specialization with hammers. Just mentioning that, maybe not useful.

Note, Lore of the Gods gives the higher bonus if your deity has Knowledge in the portfolio. AFAIK by RAW, you don't even need to actually have the knowledge domain yourself. Of course, it helps a lot to have it...

Don't forget the simple Absent Minded trait for a extra +1 to Knowledge checks. Could make the difference on your Knowledge Devotion rolls, afterall.

 

[Dandu]

Idea:

Dwarf Dragonfire Adept1/Cloistered ClericX

Feats: Ancestral Knowledge, Knowledge Devotion (traded domain for), Power Attack

Skill tricks: Collector of Stories

Spells: Lore of the Gods, Guidance of the Avatar, Greater Magic Weapon, Divine Power Visage of the Deity

Weapon: Skillful Weapon (+1 enchantment, you are treated as having a BaB of 3/4th even if your BaB is lower.)

Invocation: Dragonic Knowledge. +6 to knowledge checks, along with the ability to make knowledge checks as trained even with no ranks in the skill.

 

[Corsair]

Idea:

Dwarf Dragonfire Adept1/Cloistered ClericX

Feats: Ancestral Knowledge, Knowledge Devotion (traded domain for), Power Attack

Skill tricks: Collector of Stories

Spells: Lore of the Gods, Guidance of the Avatar, Greater Magic Weapon, Divine Power Visage of the Deity

Weapon: Skillful Weapon (+1 enchantment, you are treated as having a BaB of 3/4th even if your BaB is lower.)

Invocation: Dragonic Knowledge. +6 to knowledge checks, along with the ability to make knowledge checks as trained even with no ranks in the skill.

Only concern there is the XP penalty for multiclassing. I'd either have to make it a straight cleric and ditch the +6 invocation, or non-dwarf and ditch ancestral knowledge (which might be a similar bonus). I'd be inclined to ditch the DFA, seeing as I'd be saving myself a caster level that way.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

My thought process reading your post:

Dwarf Dragonfire Adept1/Cloistered ClericX

Me: Wait, Cloistered Cleric? But he wants to fight in melee a lot, and that means poor BAB.

Weapon: Skillful Weapon (+1 enchantment, you are treated as having a BaB of 3/4th even if your BaB is lower.)[/QUOTE]

Me: Oh, right. I try and forget that weapon property exists. *Sigh*



Good idea, I second it. I hate Skillful Weapon enhancement and don't allow it. But if the OP's DM does, there's really not much reason not to make it Cloistered Cleric instead of regular cleric...

EDIT:

I'd be inclined to ditch the DFA, seeing as I'd be saving myself a caster level that way.

Yeah, that's probably better.

 

[parinho7]

divine might and holy warrior

 

[Corsair]

Good call on Holy Warrior, but I don't think I'll get any use out of Divine Power, given that my Cha is likely to be 6 or 8. (yay dwarf!)

One problem I've noticed: I have to burn a feat on Knowledge Devotion, I can't ditch the domain, because I still need it for all knowledge skills as class skills. (The Cloistered Cleric notes that these are class skills because of the domain, not separate from the domain)

This character will be starting at level 9, so I'm thinking Dwarf Cleric 9, Str 14, dex 12, con 16, 12 int, wis 18 (16+2), Cha 8, using cloistered cleric, and dwarf substitution level 1 (+4 HP, trade turn undead, which is Cha based, for smite giants, which is Con based). Edit: Nix the dwarf sub level. It would cost me skill points. I'll find something else to trade off the turn undead for.

Feats would be:

Power attack
Ancestral Knowledge
Knowledge Devotion
Holy Warrior

Probably take the war domain to power Holy Warrior, try convince the DM to allow me to have WF in a dwarven exotic weapon (since it would be martial for dwarves, thus appropriate for War domain). Get a +1 Skillful DwarfWeaponOfSomeKind, probably the axe. I'll wield it 2 handed, but keep a shield handy for when I need extra AC.

At level 9, assuming a +2 Str Item, +1 skillful weapon (+2 with greater magic weapon), I'd attack for +12, 1d10+10+Knowledge devotion (assuming a 5th level spell saved to power Holy Warrior). Two handed it would be +1 more damage and improved power attack.

How does that look?

 

[Dandu]

One problem I've noticed: I have to burn a feat on Knowledge Devotion, I can't ditch the domain, because I still need it for all knowledge skills as class skills. (The Cloistered Cleric notes that these are class skills because of the domain, not separate from the domain)

It was stated that Ancestral Knowledge allows you to make checks as trained even if you are untrained.