Show me your clerics!

[Ipissimus]

Hmmmm, Cleric builds...

I've mentioned in another thread my upcoming character will be a Mystic Theurge headding towards True Necromancer. It's a rather good build for Death Clerics since you don't drop as many caster levels as you would going straight TN or MT (5 by 30th, in fact, four of which can be mitigated by Practiced Spellcaster). In fact, it's the only way I've found that doesn't make either MT or TN a complete waste of time...

Rather than Rogue, Beguiler can be a good substitute for a 'Sneaky Cleric', particularly when coupled with Cloistered Cleric. It may be tempting to go Mystic Theurge from that, but it's not worth it. It may also be tempting to go Archivist rather than Cloistered Cleric for the Int synergy, the problem is if you want to do both the job of the Cleric and the Thief (a very rewarding combo, IMO), you need skill points the Archivist doesn't get. The key to the Sneaky Cleric is the Chaotic Mind feat from Dragon Magazine. This will let you take Search and Disable Device as class skills. Particularly good if you take Olidammara as your Patron and use his other rules from Dragon (Initiate feat, spell that enables you to cast Bard spells).

Hmmm, fighting priests. Elf can be a rather good choice, particularly if you can couple it with the War domain, gives you the option of both the longsword or bow.

I recently had the chance to upgrade one of my old Clerics (2nd edition) to 3.5. Cleric of Isis. The old character's theme was light (even invented some personal light spells for him), so when I converted him I went for Master of Radience from Liber Mortis, then finished off with Divine Deciple. MoR is a very good alternative to radient servant for light-theme clerics, IMO.

 

[hanniball]

Simply said: Rage and one buff spell is fast and can be used in any fight. Most melee clerics though need two or three buffs to be better than your run of the mill fighter.

One. Divine Power. Fighter BAB, +1 Temp HP/CL and +6 strength.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

About Cleave: Cleave and Great Cleave depend on the type of game you run. If you play the typical D&D game with one or two big monsters against the whole group, these feats are useless.

If you play the type of game where the PC barbarian/cleric level 10-12 greatcleaves through the elite bodyguards (fighter level 8-10) of the BBEG like I do... YMMV.

I don't know that Cleave is quite as campaign dependent as all that. (Great Cleave, OTOH, I think I'd only recommend very occasionally and only then for specific characters in specific campaigns). There is a bit of middle ground between hordes of bodyguards and one or two big monsters.

Against one foe, Cleave is wasted unless he is using Mirror Image (Hello, Mr. Vrock).

Against two foes, Cleave is largely wasted.

Against three or more foes, however, Cleave is very frequently useful for high damage characters. You don't need to be great cleaving through bodyguards in order to make it work. Simply being able to drop one of four uber constructs AND get started on the next one instead of being done is enough. If your damage is high enough that enemies are one to one and a half-round kills and you have reach, I think you will find Cleave useful.

 

[Darklone]

One. Divine Power. Fighter BAB, +1 Temp HP/CL and +6 strength.

I said better.

The fighter has much more feats... let's say Weapon Spec and perhaps some things that allow him to attack once more. Now take into account that a fighter usually has high strength, then con. The cleric has high wisdom, then con, then strength. So many clerics with strength +6 (enhancement bonus) will not be that much stronger than their team fighter. Lets assume the fighter of higher level has a nice strength buff item... and the fighter is in the lead again. Add Weapon Specialisation. The hitpoints simply put the cleric on par to the fighter.

Now the clerics casts one spell and is perhaps as good as a fighter. Granted, he can still heal himself... but still the fighter had one more round to do something when the cleric buffed.

Righteous Might might be a better choice ... yet I've seen an unbuffed barbarian chop such a melee monster cleric to pieces even though the cleric had two rounds to buff.