D&D 5E Newb Needs Help - Dwarf Cleric

[klinktastic]

I'm being thrust into a game on short notice in a few hours. I rolled stats with the DM earlier to day via facetime and ended with a solid 11,11,13,13,13,16. I'm stuck with the class cleric and the race of dwarf. I can go either hill or mountain dwarf tho, not sure which is better given the stat line I have. I'm probably going to go with a Nature Cleric, since it seems to be one of the better routes to go with the whole quarterstaff/Shillelagh goodness? Any thoughts on how I should stat out my character? Any tips, advice, comments would be extremely helpful.

 

[The Human Target]

Why are you stuck with cleric and dwarf?

 

[klinktastic]

Quirks of the campaign is that the GM is only allowing one of each race and class. Only Dwarf, Gnome, Dragonborn, and Half-Orc are the open races. Class-wise, I have Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, and Rogue open. The only combination between them that I'm interested in really is Dwarf Cleric.

 

[The Human Target]

Alright cool.

Your dwarf cleric is going to be pretty good no matter what you do.

Do you actually want to be a Nature cleric?

Cleric domains are all solid.

 

[klinktastic]

Nature seems solid because you get Shillelagh goodness, heavy armor, and some other nice perks. I will have to see with the DM were a majority of the action is going to take place though. If it's mainly urban, maybe tempest might be better suited.

 

[Voort]

Level one character?

 

[klinktastic]

Level one character?

Yes, apparently the group is quite close to level 2. If you feel so inclined to give me some guidance for things to consider as I level that is also appreciated.

 

[discosoc]

Honestly, if this is your first character, don't get bogged down with what's "best" or anything. Play what you think sounds interesting. Ask your GM if the races in his setting are pretty close to the descriptions in the book, or if they have unique or different roles. Otherwise just have fun. Nice thing about the cleric is you don't have to worry about picking the wrong spells at character creation because you have access to them all. You do have to choose which ones you have prepared for each day, but it shouldn't take you too long to figure out what's working best for you and your group.

 

[Voort]

First things first, I'd take Hill Dwarf for the extra HP and Wisdom. Assign stats (with racial mods) as STR 13, DEX 13, CON 15, INT 11, WIS 17, CHA 11, with an eye to going CON 16, WIS 18 at level four.

For background, take Sailor for the Athletics and Perception. Athletics always help for melee grapple situations, and you can never have too much perception. For class skills, take Insight and Medicine, with Survival as your Nature Cleric bonus skill.

Spell wise, just make sure you have Healing Word, Cure Wounds, and possible Guiding Bolt or Bless prepared (depending on party style). You already have your combat strategy laid out: heavy armor, shield, shillelagh.

By my math that's AC 18, HP 12, PP 15 with two cure spells and a +5 to hit in melee. Not a bad setup.

 

[Voort]

Whoops, that should be HP 11. The Hill dwarf gets +1 max HP per level.

I forgot to mention cantrips. Other than the nature/druid cantrip, you get three. I'd recommend Guidance, Sacred Flame, and Spare the Dying.