Making a non melee powerful cleric (core)

[Franky]

Hi guys,

we are going back into a campaign and I am refining my Cleric Dwarf before we go,

I have played Dwarf clerics many times as well as fighter/cleric and other mixes to test out their functionality.

to be honest, getting into melee has been fun but I want to build a front line Defensive character, with outstanding power from summoning or spells or something other than divine favour+Divine power + Righteous might combo (i.e. 3 rounds of combat gone before I take a swing)

and also I would like to be effective at something other than stand behind the fighter with my hand on his arse casting Cure after cure.


so ... let rip guys ... lets hear your thoughts.. in particular I have 4 feats I need help with (less one for combat casting)

 

[Klaus]

Str 10 Dex 8 Con 12+2 = 14 Int 13 Wis 15 Cha 14-2 = 12

LG Cleric 9 Domains: Knowledge and Protection
Weapon: None (usually Light Mace)
Armor: Breastplate + shield

Feats: Shield Ward, Combat Casting, Improved Shield Bash, Divine Justice

Shield Ward lets you add your shield bonus to touch AC
Divine Justice lets you spend a turn attempt to "mark" an opponent. If your "mark" deals damage to you within 1 minute, you write down that damage. The next time you hit the "mark" in melee (with, say your shield), you deal your normal damage or the damage the "mark" dealt you.

Both feats are from PHBII. If those are not available, then go Spell Focus (conjuration), Augment Summoning and take levels in Thaumaturgist (DMG)

 

[mvincent]

3 rounds of combat gone before I take a swing lets hear your thoughts

Ideally, you would have most of your buffs cast before entering the dungeon (i.e. focus on 10min/level or 1hr./level buffs), leaving you to cast offensive spells during combat.

lets hear your thoughts

1) A summoning focused cleric (i.e. Thaumaturgist) can be a fun change of pace.
2) A cleric focused on Animating/controlling the dead can be similarly enjoyable (and powerful).
3) Battlefield control is another cleric favorite. Buffing allies, debuffing foes, and creating barriers (giant vermin, walls, etc.)

 

[Thurbane]

Shield Ward and Divine Justice aren't core, though they are good suggestions.

I also agree that a summoning focused cleric is probably the way to go.

 

[mvincent]

I also agree that a summoning focused cleric is probably the way to go.

Note that I personally have always viewed summoning in general as underpowered (even with abilities that enhance it). However, getting a cohort can be an excellent ability (maybe 1/2 celestial centaur mount?), and lesser planar ally is da bomb when used to get a Formian Taskmaster.

 

[Nifft]

Elf Cleric Archer instead?

Domains: War (wf: bows), Travel
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, ... free feat.

Cheers, -- N

 

[green slime]

I played a freaky cleric of the god of the dead. LE. So no spontaneous curing. Physically weak.

Raised an army of undead to help, commanded undead, and used summoning, as well as potions and scrolls to good effect through the low levels.

 

[Meeki]

Currently I play a cleric with SF(Enchantment) and GSF(Enchantment). Clerics have a fair number of enchantment spells. I am only level 6 but calm emotions, command, hold person, and even bane all come in handy. I'm snagging some metamagic feats soon to help out with the casting. Grab a domain with hold monster and you will have some fun.

My cleric is very heavily weighted towards mental stats, I have 6 dex and 10 str :0 14 con but that's not so bad.

 

[mvincent]

I played a freaky cleric of the god of the dead.

I've found that a Cleric of Wee Jas is an excellent option. You don't even have to be evil (indeed, Wee Jas even has LG Paladins), and you can still spontaneously heal (although, with wands of cure light wounds being so cheap, that's not as big of a deal). Also, Clerics of Wee Jas have the magic domain, with allows you to use all those handy arcane items (like cheap 1st level wands), and identify things without paying the 100gp pearl costs (a big savings for the party).

 

[nittanytbone]

If you can use the cloistered cleric variant from the SRD, a Rogue 1/Cloistered Cleric X makes a highly effective skill monkey/trap smith + divine caster double threat.

You'll probably want to be a human to avoid XP penalties.

If you're stuck on dwarf, the only way to make that combo work is something like Rogue 2/Cloistered Cleric 3/Church Inquisitor X. Church Inquisitor has Search as an in class skill which cuts down on your cross-class spending, so the 4 SP/level instead of 6 isn't such a bad hit. Using core only, you're stuck with either eating the XP penalty or keeping your class levels balanced (losing caster levels sucks).