Help my 7th level Cleric fight demons!

[Nareau]

Note: This encounter is from a module that's been heavily modified. If you can somehow figure out what module it is (or know what the monsters we're fighting are), please don't say anything. I don't want spoilers, and don't want to ruin it for anyone else.

The task:
We've been fighting evil cultists for a long time now. It seems that we're finally going to be going up against the demons they worship/are allied with.

The demons have taken up residence with the leader of the town we're in. All indications point to him being in league with them (or at least being heavily enchanted by them). He lives in a mansion/fortress.

We need to kill the demons.

What we know:
The demons seem to have the following powers (not all have the same powers):
Demon 1:
Dimension Door at will
Major Image
Suggestion at will
Levitate at will
Decent SR

Demon 2:
Levitate at will
Darkness at will
Cone of Cold

There are more demons, but I don't know what they can do. I'll post details when I do know.

What we can do:
Clr6 (?) NPC cleric who's agreed to help us beef-up for the battle.
Wiz7 (?) NPC (ex-PC) wizard who'll help us too. She can cast Fly, Cat's Grace, and Haste. Not sure what else.
Rog3/Ftr4 PC with a spiked chain
Mnk2/Wiz5 PC with mostly attack spells
Rng1/Ftr1/Brb4/Devoted Defender 1 PC who can dish out the damage.
Clr7 (Me). 6/5+1/4+1/2+1/1+1 Protection and Strength are my domains. I have access to all the PHB spells, as well as Body Blades (MoF, 82), Spectral Stag (MoF, 120), Remedy Moderate Wounds (MoF, 113), Blindsight (MoF, 82), Weapon of the Diety (MoF, 132), and Ironheart (it replaces my 4th level Protection domain spell).

I've toyed around with some numbers, and have come up with the following:
(source) (att/dam) Type
Str 19 +4/+4 Enhancement Strength
Enlarge +1/+1 Enlargement Strength
Divine Favor +2/+2 Luck
Divine Power (+7/+2)
Weapon Focus +1/+0 Feat
MW Weapon +1/+0 MW
Magic Weapon +0/+1 Enhancement Damage
Bless +1/+0 Morale Bonus

+17/+12 to hit
2-Handed
+7 Str; +2 Luck; +1 Enhancement
+11 Damage

2-Handed with Domain Power (Additional +3 Str)
+19/+14
+14 Damage

Magic Vestment +2 Armor Enhancement
Chain Shirt +5 Armor
Shield Ring +2 Shield
Dodge Feat +1 Dodge
Dex 14 +2 Dex
Protect/Evil +2 Deflection

AC 24 (22 without shield)

4th
Blindsight (to negate their nasty darkness/fog effects) (cast on me)
Divine Power (domain) (it'll give me 7 rounds of hefty fighting)
3rd
Magic Vestment (domain) (cast on me)
Daylight (cast on someone else's ring, so they can suppress potential Darkness effects)
Dispel Magic
2nd
Bull's Strength (domain) (cast on me)
Bull's Strength (for a fighter)
Endurance (possibly cast on barbarian to prolong rage)
Spiritual Weapon (will my blindsight allow me to keep this on someone whom I couldn't otherwise see due to darkness?)
Death Knell (maybe, if my DM will let me use this in a "Sacrifice a bull to God before the battle" sense.)
1st
Endurance (cold) (domain)
Protection from Evil (x2)
Divine Favor (yay luck bonus! Stacks with other things!)
Magic Weapon
Bless

I've thought heavily about taking Dismissal, Dimensional Anchor, and Lesser Planar Ally. The first grants a saving throw, and my Wisdom is only 15 (making the DC only 16). Considering they are spellcasters, I imagine their Will saves will be high. Dimensional Anchor would be nice, but the darn thing has SR. I'd hate to waste my spell if he resists. And LPA would be effective...but I think it would take the fun away from us (and turn the battle into a fight between powerful NPC's).

I'm hoping that the NPC Cleric and Sorceror can provide us with some Fly/Haste/Magic Circle Against Evil support.

Is there any way to protect myself against Dispel Magic? That would suck bigtime...

Any other thoughts? Have I done my logic/math right? Other ideas as to how I can be more effective?

 

[Gaiden]

I currently play a cleric 6 in a party of five and have had alot of time to think about strategy. Based on dynamics of your group, it might be more useful for you to play healer, then combatant. I say that because your group already has several warriors.

If you cast shield other on every warrior as well as bull's str, divine shield, and any other spells that could help them, you will still have some spells left over for healing. You will have effectively just have doubled all of your fighter's hit points as well as made them hard to hit (with the AC buffing spells). If you have your mage cast shield on them then they will aslo get a cover bonus.

Your roll as cleric is to counter spells with dispel magic and heal yourself when your fighters take damage.

The mage can sit around next to you casting fireballs at the ceiling over the demons to have them take nonmagical damage from falling stones (or something else of that nature).

Make sure the rogue gets improved invisibilty from your arcane caster (or at least blink/blur/something that allows every attack to be a sneak) as well as cast mirror image and blink on himself - that will give a total miss probabilistic miss chance somewhere around 90%.

In fact the both of you can sit their and counterspell. The SR won't matter for that.

 

[Nareau]

You're right, but...

I've been playing this character for a while, and only recently have I really started enjoying it. A big part of my enjoyment comes from playing a more active role in the combats. I'm afraid I don't really enjoy playing the "support cleric" as much.

I was hoping the NPC cleric might be convinced to cast Shield Other on one of the fighters...but now I see that it has a Close range.

One thing that just occured to me: Blindsight + Darkness might be a really worthwhile combo. If I'm in the darkness, it'll prevent the enemy from doing a targeted Dispel Magic (in addition to other benefits, and assuming they don't have blinsight themselves). Or even Obscuring Mist...

 

[Darkness8Me]

Darkness may not be that great of an idea in this case. While not all demons / devils have this ability, some of them can see in normal or magical darkness normally. Something to think about.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

If the demons are using spell-like abilities, you can't counterspell their spell-like abilities. However, they won't be able to counterspell your spells either.

 

[hong]

Note that dimensional anchor ignores SR, unless cast on an object. Get it, and use it to good effect.

 

[James McMurray]

Dimensional nchor DOES NOT ignore SR. The (object) in parenthesis means that you can cast the spell on an object, and that it only gets SR if it is attended by a creature with SR. Dimensional Anchor is VERY useful against demons and devils. Sure, you have to worry about failing your spell resistance check, but unless you want to fight a creature that can do as much damage as it wants, then teleport away, you'd be best sered by locking it down.

Another 4th level spell to consider is Holy Channel from defenders of the Faith. Although it doesn't share damage like Shield Other does, it will allow you to heal people at a distance, meaning you can be both combat and support.

Also, Dismissal, even though it allows a save, can be very worthwhile. Demons and Devils, although pseudo-spellcasters, don't always have extremely high wisdoms. It might be worth a shot. Sure, it has a chance of failure, but if it succeeds, you've just saved the entire party a whole heck of a lot of trouble.

Hope this helps

 

[Shin Okada]

Prepare Greater Magic Weapon spells!

So you are to confront demons and have only +1 weapon? That can be a problem. Many demons have damage reduction 20/+2. Also, some demons have regeneration and only take normal damage from holy/blessed weapons. So I think you really need Greater Magic Weapon spells. IMHO you shall fill two of your 4th level slots with this spell. If you prefer, cast it on fifty arrows and you can provide those arrows to all your allies.

Can you buy magic items? If you can, buy Necklace of Prayer Beads (Karma). With that, you can cast your spells at +4 caster level for 10 minutes a day. Use it and cast enhancing spells such as Bull's Strength, Endurance, Magic Vestment, Greater Magic Weapon, etc. Now those spells lasts +4 hours and you can create a +3 weapon with Greater Magic Weapon.

 

[Pielorinho]

As the DM, I want to chime in with a quick note or two:

1) First, I use the term "demon" in my game to refer to a lot of creatures that aren't technically demons in WOTC terminology. So the properties of WOTC demons don't necessarily carry over to the properties of the creatures described here. Even if they did, the PCs wouldn't be aware that (for example) most demons have high DR.
2) Buying magical items is extremely limited.

Carry on!
Daniel