Paladin/Cleric help

[DarkLord Of DForce]

You could try BattleCleric (or is that allowed under Encounters rules?).

If you can, you get a +2 shield bonus to AC, and buff your Ally's attack
rolls.

Lots of good options for healing and doing fair damage at the same time.

Like you, I like dual wielding and all the feat benefits that can come from it. I'd go with a Urgrosh or something like that. Spiked chain maybe, if you're really wanting that reach.

Just a thought. I'm playing Battlecleric in our groups next campaign and am
looking forward to it.

Good luck, have fun, happy monster bashing!

 

[cpendlet]

What that build's starting array look like?

Str 12
Con 16
Dex 12
Int 10
Wis 18
Cha 8

It might be worth it to pull some off the str and put it somewhere else as you are going to suck at attacks of opportunity no matter what you do (aside from spending a feat to use wis for the it - can't recall the feat name at the moment).

 

[Riastlin]

FYI: The healing on a runepriest is poor (from personal experience playing a Runepriest and a war priest and seeing a laser cleric and a bard in action) compared to other healers.

This is true. Runepriests are probably the worst healers among the various leader classes, though with a pally in the group you are probably fine. Runepriests balance this out with generally better damage and almost constant bonuses to the rest of the party.

The runepriest I'm currently playing is actually outdamaging the ranger at the moment (primarily due to the ranger's player not particularly optimizing her character). Even given the lack of optimization though, 2d6 + 7 (brutal 1) at level 5 is pretty fun for a basic attack, with the damage only going up from there (and that's without trying too hard).

 

[Riastlin]

It might be worth it to pull some off the str and put it somewhere else as you are going to suck at attacks of opportunity no matter what you do (aside from spending a feat to use wis for the it - can't recall the feat name at the moment).

Melee Training (Wisdom) is the feat you are thinking of.

 

[Pentius]

• Character will be level 1
• Character will be human
• Character will be good

My preferences:

• Character to duel wield (or sword + board)
• To have NO dump stats (nothing below 10 to start)
• To train in perception
• To be a functional healer, as well as support striking

Possibilities I'm open to:

• Mutliclassing (though I've never done it before)
• Hybridding (though I've never done it before)
• Using an odd or exotic weapon (like something with reach)

What I'm not interested in:

• Just setting around being a fulltime medic

Any thought? suggestions?

All of this screams Warlord at me. Really, just every line.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I agree that warlord sounds like a good choice for you if your encounters allow it. It's typically sword and board, but not dual-wielding. If you really want to dual wield, you could hybrid into ranger or fighter.

 

[mneme]

Warlord is always a great choice. Runepriests are pretty interesting, but they're also hella complicated for you and for your party (constantly shifting bonuses), so there are some minuses there. Clerics are fine too.

That said, why do you want not to have a dump stat? Is this a RP thing or what? The reasons I like the 8 dump stat are:

1. No downside. A dump stat will never affect any of your defenses (as the other stat in the pair will always cover the stat), and there are no classes that can't afford to take one off one of their sets of skills, which is pretty much all of what a dump stat affects. Nobody dumps con (very close to nobody, anyway), but every other stat has a good argument for dumping it in the right circumstances--even Dex, for high-wisdom classes that can take a feat to use wisdom for Init.

2. Dump stats establish character. Sure, if you're a wizard, having a low Str doesn't hurt you much, and if you're a cleric, you can probably afford to dump Dex without it hurting you beyond pushing you into a feat you're going to want anyway. And nearly everyone dumps Int who doesn't have a good selection of knowledge skills or Int as a primary/secondary ability. But having something you're weak in means that's something you can yield to other characters, and can help establish a personality niche -- the wise fighter disdains intillectual pursuits, but has his own canniness; the weak wizard avoids lifting and carrying; the reckless rogue can talk his way out of trouble as easily as he runs straight into it, and so on. Even a monk tends towards the "fast, strong and silent type", capable of daring feats of strength and wisdom, but knowing when to keep her mouth shut (most of the time).

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Warlord is always a great choice. Runepriests are pretty interesting, but they're also hella complicated for you and for your party (constantly shifting bonuses), so there are some minuses there. Clerics are fine too.

That said, why do you want not to have a dump stat? Is this a RP thing or what? The reasons I like the 8 dump stat are:

1. No downside. A dump stat will never affect any of your defenses (as the other stat in the pair will always cover the stat), and there are no classes that can't afford to take one off one of their sets of skills, which is pretty much all of what a dump stat affects. Nobody dumps con (very close to nobody, anyway), but every other stat has a good argument for dumping it in the right circumstances--even Dex, for high-wisdom classes that can take a feat to use wisdom for Init.

2. Dump stats establish character. Sure, if you're a wizard, having a low Str doesn't hurt you much, and if you're a cleric, you can probably afford to dump Dex without it hurting you beyond pushing you into a feat you're going to want anyway. And nearly everyone dumps Int who doesn't have a good selection of knowledge skills or Int as a primary/secondary ability. But having something you're weak in means that's something you can yield to other characters, and can help establish a personality niche -- the wise fighter disdains intillectual pursuits, but has his own canniness; the weak wizard avoids lifting and carrying; the reckless rogue can talk his way out of trouble as easily as he runs straight into it, and so on. Even a monk tends towards the "fast, strong and silent type", capable of daring feats of strength and wisdom, but knowing when to keep her mouth shut (most of the time).

I will second all of this. Nothing wrong with a dump stat at all. Some of the games I'm in even allow "double dump statting," or dumping lower than 8 (though doing so usually does not buy back any more points).

That said, we also have a guy in all our games that refuses to dump anything if he can. I think it's purely psychological on his part; he doesn't want ANY weaknesses at all. He doesn't seem to like challenges, to either himself or his character, isn't a strong roleplayer, and his OOC habits make most of us wonder why he's even there.

I am not trying to imply anything about the OP, per se; just relating my experience with the only "no dump stats" player I know of.

 

[RBolyar2]

Warlord is always a great choice. Runepriests are pretty interesting, but they're also hella complicated for you and for your party (constantly shifting bonuses), so there are some minuses there. Clerics are fine too.

That said, why do you want not to have a dump stat? Is this a RP thing or what? The reasons I like the 8 dump stat are:

1. No downside. A dump stat will never affect any of your defenses (as the other stat in the pair will always cover the stat), and there are no classes that can't afford to take one off one of their sets of skills, which is pretty much all of what a dump stat affects. Nobody dumps con (very close to nobody, anyway), but every other stat has a good argument for dumping it in the right circumstances--even Dex, for high-wisdom classes that can take a feat to use wisdom for Init.

2. Dump stats establish character. Sure, if you're a wizard, having a low Str doesn't hurt you much, and if you're a cleric, you can probably afford to dump Dex without it hurting you beyond pushing you into a feat you're going to want anyway. And nearly everyone dumps Int who doesn't have a good selection of knowledge skills or Int as a primary/secondary ability. But having something you're weak in means that's something you can yield to other characters, and can help establish a personality niche -- the wise fighter disdains intillectual pursuits, but has his own canniness; the weak wizard avoids lifting and carrying; the reckless rogue can talk his way out of trouble as easily as he runs straight into it, and so on. Even a monk tends towards the "fast, strong and silent type", capable of daring feats of strength and wisdom, but knowing when to keep her mouth shut (most of the time).

I will second all of this. Nothing wrong with a dump stat at all. Some of the games I'm in even allow "double dump statting," or dumping lower than 8 (though doing so usually does not buy back any more points).

That said, we also have a guy in all our games that refuses to dump anything if he can. I think it's purely psychological on his part; he doesn't want ANY weaknesses at all. He doesn't seem to like challenges, to either himself or his character, isn't a strong roleplayer, and his OOC habits make most of us wonder why he's even there.

I am not trying to imply anything about the OP, per se; just relating my experience with the only "no dump stats" player I know of.

My issue with the dump stat is really 4e's emphasis on the fact that you are a "hero"... through you're quests, ect. you're expected to do really great... big... HUGE things... which is why they allow the stat arrays they allow (or the buy 22)... you're character is supposed to be superior to the normal human. I would expect any adventuring mage or wizard to at least have the strength of a normal man

In previous editions I've played, namely 3 and 3e... depending on rules for rolling, I've had characters who've had significant flaws that I learned to RP with or around (with the help of having played some WoD games)...

With 4e though, I really REALLY hate optimizing... I'm not looking to make the greatest character ever by using their simplified rules of: here are you're only 2 important stats, don't worry about the other stuff... but I also don't think it appropriate to have a fighter with below average intelligence... JUST because he's a fighter... or a paladin who has virtually no dexterity, ect.

For the cleric I'm working with now (with the help of some fine folks on these very forums), I don't see any reason he shouldn't be at the very least, average at everything... and work up from there, even if it means he's not the most optimized character.

Personally, I'd love to go back to the roll 4d6, keep the top 3 days... but I'm not sure 4e lends itself to that any longer (though I have rolled some epic characters in past editions, as well as some pretty crummy ones)

I guess for me I look at the stats in a RPing sense. I also am not comfortable with making my cleric with 18 STR as that's not how I envisioned him, regardless of how that may affect his powers/abilities.