Thank god the boards are back up! So what feat for 12th cleric.

[Gaiden]

Disciple of the Sun - unnecessary: already have the extension of the sun domain power to normal amount of turning attempts.

Improved Turning? - is certainly in line with the character so far. However, he was designed with an initial hatred in his heart towards all undead and now has evolved somewhat to view undead more as tortured souls that need release and consequently adapts a healer's perspective to them. The other thing is that I don't think it is really necessary. The character rarely sees undead and when he does almost always destroys them already anyway.

Empower Turning - see above.

Divine Vigour - seems to be too self focused. This character is an intricate part of a tight knit team. I just can't see the added speed and hit points as important for him. Certainly the extra HP's would be nice, but they would be better for our resident paladin - in fact, this may be the next feat our pally takes (I am controlling him as well). At 12th an extra 24 hp's would be very nice as well as the faster movement.

Augment Healing - I glossed over this one. Upon review this may be precisely the feat to take. I did not realize it was +2 per level of the spell. Would this work before empowering?

Quicken Spell and aim for Divine Metamagic - I did not know about the errata. I can't deny that quicken spell is an amazing feat especially at our house ruled +3 levels instead of +4. D&D is all about the number of actions you have (hence the choice of quicken turning).

Domain Spontaneity - an amazing feat for versatility to be sure. I am being hampered by the moment though. We have a party of 6 and the cleric is using about 3/4's his spells on buffs for everyone. He simply doesn't have the extra spells at the moment for this to be useful. It is great in theory but at the moment would see no use. I am not sure if I should go for it anyway though.

Reach Spell - in my mind a worthless feat. Cure spells gain a range as soon as you hit 5th level with the mass versions. As a healer, slay living is a bit contrary to his beliefs and I would never cast that spell. About the only touch range spells I can think to be of major use at range then are stone shape and dispel evil. At +2 levels it is just not worth it though. Too bad I can't find a magic item that gives me spectral hand. Alas, should have been a mystic theurge.

So I guess it looks like Quicken Spell, Augment Healing, or Domain Spontaneity. A real shame about the Domain Metamagic (although I was considering quicken alone anyway).

 

[Lamoni]

You could also consider empower spell. Since Radiant Servent of Pelor loses empower healing and gains maximize healing at 6th level (for less total healing), it still remains a benefit when you empower it yourself and you end up with an empowered/maximized cure for only +2 levels. Empower is also quite nice for spells like flame strike.

Of course your DM might let you still empower your healing after 6th level (since it really doesn't make much sense for RSoP to lose that ability for a worse one as you increase in level). In this case the empower spell feat is less appealing.

 

[Nail]

If I understand it correctly, that means you lose an action effectively to boost a spell cast the next round (unless you have the spell quickened).

You do not understand it correctly.

Divine Spell Power is a Free Action. Says so right in the feat description.

Moreover, you don't seem to understand Divine Metamagic. You need to already have a metamagic feat. Then you take the Divine Metamagic feat, and select one of your metamagic feats for it to apply to.

IOW: you can't take Divine Metamagic: Quicken Spell if you don't already have Quicken spell. ..and you don't already have the feat, as I look over your list.

Divine Metamagic is a Hugely broken feat. Absolutely bro-ken. If your DM allows it (and you have quicken spell already), count yourself lucky. ...and highly "Uber".

 

[Nail]

Augment Healing - I glossed over this one. Upon review this may be precisely the feat to take. I did not realize it was +2 per level of the spell. Would this work before empowering?

yes, as it is added to the die roll, and the die roll plus bonus is a variable numeric effect.

Think about this: use it when creating potions, wands or magic items. More for less!

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Augment Healing:

The biggest argument in favor of this is probably the way that it changes your capabilities.

Without Augment healing, you can provide minor healing at range (mass cure mod for 2d8+12 (avg 21)) or major healing up close (Cure critical for 4d8+12 (avg 30)) or Heal). With Augment healing, you gain the ability to provide major combat healing to groups of allies at range. (An augmented mass cure mod would provide 2d8+24 (avg 33) which is more than an unaugmented cure critical and an augmented mass cure light wounds provides 1d8+22 (for an average of 26.5 points).

The exponential effect of augment healing applied to mass cure spells can't be over-estimated.

The dramatic effect on spells like lesser restoration (1d4+4 instead of 1d4) is also worth noting.

Divine Spellpower: With your charisma, you would never do worse on your caster level and you'd pretty reliably add 3 or 4 points. That would add up when you started applying it to Flame Strike, Magic Vestment, Greater Magic Weapon, etc. It would pay off in spades when you start tossing out Holy Word spells.

Domain Substitution: What would you take it in? Healing domain would just duplicate abilities you already have (spontaneous casting). Sun domain could be nice--cast all the flame strikes, Searing Lights, and Fire Seeds you want. However, if you don't want to transition your party role into an offensive spellcaster bringing down the wrath of Pelor, it would be really nifty capabilities that you just don't use.

Quicken Spell: This could be useful to you--even more so with the +3 levels houserule, but its primary use is for battle clerics to get their buffs up quickly. For non-battle clerics, you could pack a quickened Resurgence, quickened shield of faith, quickened divine favor, quickened protection from evil (though you're better off just packing a magic circle), quickened Remove Paralysis, quickened Spiritual Weapon, quickened Resist Energy, quickened searing light, quickened blindness/deafness, quickened bestow curse, and next level, quickened mass resurgence, quickened Divine Power, quickened Freedom of Movement (though the duration is long enough you don't really need to), or quickened death ward.

The thing to observe about all of those, however, is that the vast majority of them are either offensive or highly situational. If you prep a quickened remove paralysis, it'll be great when your party is hit by a mass hold monster but if you don't run into paralysis it's wasted. The offensive stuff is a bit more reliable--quickened spiritual weapon or quickened searing light is useful in most combat situations. However, using it would again, mean transitioning your role into more of an offensive spellcaster. That's not necessarily a bad thing but you should walk into it with both eyes open. (And it's somewhat hard to sustain if you're already short on spell slots).

 

[shilsen]

Augment Healing:

The biggest argument in favor of this is probably the way that it changes your capabilities.

Without Augment healing, you can provide minor healing at range (mass cure mod for 2d8+12 (avg 21)) or major healing up close (Cure critical for 4d8+12 (avg 30)) or Heal). With Augment healing, you gain the ability to provide major combat healing to groups of allies at range. (An augmented mass cure mod would provide 2d8+24 (avg 33) which is more than an unaugmented cure critical and an augmented mass cure light wounds provides 1d8+22 (for an average of 26.5 points).

The exponential effect of augment healing applied to mass cure spells can't be over-estimated.

Elder-Basilisk, I believe you've misread the benefits of Augment Healing. It does an extra +2 hp per spell level, not caster level (as you seem to be using it). So an augmented mass cure mod would do 2d8+16 and an augmented mass cure light does 1d8+15.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

No misreading there. The maximum "+1/level" bonus is higher for mass cure spells than for the low-level varieties and never caps out lower than +20.

So an augmented clvl 12 mass cure light is 1d8 +12 (clvl) +10 (augment healing) for an average of 26.5

A clvl 12 augmented mass cure moderate is 2d8 +12 (clvl) +12 (augment healing) for an average of 33

The net result is that an augmented mass cure light or mass cure mod is quite respectable combat healing in the same ballpark as a cure serious or cure critical wounds spell instead of being weak combat healing like their unaugmented versions.

Elder-Basilisk, I believe you've misread the benefits of Augment Healing. It does an extra +2 hp per spell level, not caster level (as you seem to be using it). So an augmented mass cure mod would do 2d8+16 and an augmented mass cure light does 1d8+15.

 

[shilsen]

No misreading there. The maximum "+1/level" bonus is higher for mass cure spells than for the low-level varieties and never caps out lower than +20.

So an augmented clvl 12 mass cure light is 1d8 +12 (clvl) +10 (augment healing) for an average of 26.5

A clvl 12 augmented mass cure moderate is 2d8 +12 (clvl) +12 (augment healing) for an average of 33

The net result is that an augmented mass cure light or mass cure mod is quite respectable combat healing in the same ballpark as a cure serious or cure critical wounds spell instead of being weak combat healing like their unaugmented versions.

Gah! My mistake.

 

[Gaiden]

I am almost thinking augment healing is the most important thing to possibly take especially because the empower healing would make the +2 effectively into a +3 (and I am always about the synergy).

Looking over the analysis for the other feat choices (bravo by the way), I agree that quicken is mostly useful for combat clerics. In fact I was thinking that it would be amazing with the divine metamagic for a quick rigtheous might, divine power, divine favor and holy sword. However, it would be so rarely I would get to use that as I have to make sure to heal everyone else. So really the quicken would just let me cast more heal spells.

The Divine Spell Power is looking very nice indeed. WOW - Holy Word would rock the evil baddies I am fighting - simply rock them! Of course, I have to make it to 13th level . We have just set ourselves up to be the targets of a major trouncing. Because the cleric is less about offense, flame strike would not see as much use. However, even with fire seeds - on a good roll that would be a total of an extra 24 or so points of damage. This is indeed probably the best choice for my character.

However, I have to think story as well. I think the feat that is most in line with my character's personality development is augment healing. He has transitioned from uber undead turner to uber healer . His entire philosophy has changed as I mentioned in the first post to view undead as psychologically tormented souls that are in need of release as opposed to a plague upon the world that ought to be destroyed with relish. With his focus so strongly on healing augment healing seems as natural choice, and certainly, it is not a sub-par feat. Quite the contrary it is probably the best choice right behind divine spell power.

I usually go for things to give my characters more actions in combat, i.e. I was originally going to go with quicken. However, as quicken would most likely be used with healing, I think from an efficiency perspective, I get more mileage out of the augment healing then with the quicken - a similar effect for less spells (just fewer targets with the lower level spells).

What say you?

BTW - I think I might take Divine Spell power at 15th. I have to at some point take CWI for roleplaying reasons but that is a post adventure schtick (my cleric will have indirectly been the cause of the destruction of Jozan's holy symbol - a relic, and so has taken it upon himself to make a new symbol of the faith to replace it when the crisis that is saving the world is complete ).

 

[Gaiden]

You could also consider empower spell. Since Radiant Servent of Pelor loses empower healing and gains maximize healing at 6th level (for less total healing), it still remains a benefit when you empower it yourself and you end up with an empowered/maximized cure for only +2 levels. Empower is also quite nice for spells like flame strike.

Of course your DM might let you still empower your healing after 6th level (since it really doesn't make much sense for RSoP to lose that ability for a worse one as you increase in level). In this case the empower spell feat is less appealing.

I had just assumed that you could do one or the other. I guess I will have to reread the ability description. Of course, I already talked to my DM about it because he was thinking maximize was the most broken thing out there until I pointed out that actually the empower was more powerful because of the huge constant added to the random result. My thought is when I have to have a minimum amount of healing for sure with no doubt, go for maximize, and when I want to play the odds to try and go beyond that use empower. Yes, giving an ability that is worse than the original makes no sense, and I would prefer to just lose the maximize healing than have it replace the empower. With that I doubt my DM would mind houseruling the either or.

EDIT - Oh and the other thing is that doing as you suggest is redundant with the 10th level ability.