Celebrim
Legend
Just wanted to agree with everyone else and say that this is a useful combination (as is Cleric/Fighter and even Cleric/Barbarian). In fact, anyone who needs to wear armor and wants spell casting can usefully multi-class with cleric.
There are indeed four main drawbacks here, and that's enough that I'd imagine a player could find some serious pitfalls if he wasn't careful. The most important is probably that you are multi-classing in two non-combat classes. As a result, you are going to have inferior BAB for some time. There isn't much you can do about that. You are going to be a support character. On the other hand, in 3ed. edition even support characters can assist combat with reasonable effectiveness provided they plan for it. Another problem is that you have mixed a skill class with a spell casting class, with the result that you aren't nearly as deep in either spell casting or skills as you might be. Thirdly, one of the main strengths of the Cleric class is its ability to function in heavy armor, and a Rouge simply cannot use his primary thiefly skills fully in Full Plate or Banded Mail. Fourthly, like all multiclassing, you are going to need pretty good stats to pull it off. You can be a reasonably powerful character by specializing if you have only one good stat (16+), but to multiclass between several diverse classes you need a well rounded character. To be an effective Cleric/Rouge you probably need 14+ in Dex, Int, and Wis, and at least no penalty in any other attribute since all will come into play.
On the other hand, you have an awful lot going for you if you plan correctly. Cleric is a very front ended class with alot to offer even characters with only 1 level in it. Rouge's first 3 levels offer abilities which are useful to everyone and will come up again and again - sneak attack, evasion, and uncanny dodge. You are going to have very good well-rounded saving throws. Your cleric spells are often tailor made to help a stealthy rouge. Obvious examples include Detect Magic (augmenting Search), Detect Poison (augmenting Search), Read Magic (augmenting or replacing Use Magic Device), Command, Comprehend Languages (augmenting or replacing Decipher Script), Endure Elements, Expedious Retreat, Obscuring Mist, Sanctuary, Bull's Strength, Silence (augmenting Move Silently), Undetectable Alignment, Locate Object, Meld Into Stone, Water Breathing and Wind Wall. Wieldskill (from FR) is also potentially a great spell to have, as it will temporarily make any skill you need almost certain to succeed against challenges typical of your level. You also gain the ability to heal, to turn undead, and use the all important Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Other wands that could be helpful are Divine Favor, Endure Elements, and Shield of Faith. Your high wisdom will also nicely assist several of the more important rougish skills - particularly Sense Motive, Spot, and Listen.
To maximize your advantages you are going to want to take Rouge as your first class. The 24 extra skill points are far more important in the long haul than the two extra hit points. You have several interesting choices in race. Human is always good, and the extra skill points could mitigate those missing when you take cleric levels. A Halfling's DEX bonus and bonuses to certain thiefly skills (hide, climb, move silently, and jump) accomplish much the same thing. Both the Human and the Halfling will find multi-classing easier. Dwarf gives you Stonecunning, Darkvision, and improved saves vs. poison and magic - four abilities of obvious utility to a Rouge. Elf gives you improved DEX and improved weapon selection and access to some potentially helpful domains. I'd stay away from anything else, though I'm sure it could be made to work. Picking your deity is of primary importance. You must have access to domains that augment your abilities. For your domains, Trickery is of obvious utility since it lets you spend your cleric skill points on hide and bluff. You also get Invisibility as your 2nd level domain spell. The Air domain gives you excellent thiefly spells at low levels. The Travel domain is extraordinarily potent both in its domain power and the spells it offers at low levels. Knowledge and Magic are also extremely good choices. Fire is useful if you want to have access to an array of good attack spells. I'd stay away from the Luck domain, because its power is more limited than its seems and its low level domain spells are not particularly useful. War is a good domain, but its most useful if it gives you Martial Weapon Proficiency in a high quality weapon you would not otherwise have access to and want to use - and this could be difficult. There are probably domains specific to the setting with equal utility I haven't mentioned. Renewal from FR is a darn good domain, for example, and Elf could be useful.
If I had to choose a deity from the PH it would probably be Boccob. Fharlanghn and Nerull would probably be second choices. Olidammara has an unfortunately weak domain selection.
Skill selection will depend on playing style, but its hard to go wrong with skills like Concentration, Spot, Search, Listen, Sense Motive, Bluff(!!!), Knowledge, Jump and Tumble and these should probably recieve the lion share of your skill points. Spread the rest into Escape Artist, Hide, and Move Silently (if you are sneaky) or into Diplomacy and Gather Information (if you are subtle) and you should be alright.
There are indeed four main drawbacks here, and that's enough that I'd imagine a player could find some serious pitfalls if he wasn't careful. The most important is probably that you are multi-classing in two non-combat classes. As a result, you are going to have inferior BAB for some time. There isn't much you can do about that. You are going to be a support character. On the other hand, in 3ed. edition even support characters can assist combat with reasonable effectiveness provided they plan for it. Another problem is that you have mixed a skill class with a spell casting class, with the result that you aren't nearly as deep in either spell casting or skills as you might be. Thirdly, one of the main strengths of the Cleric class is its ability to function in heavy armor, and a Rouge simply cannot use his primary thiefly skills fully in Full Plate or Banded Mail. Fourthly, like all multiclassing, you are going to need pretty good stats to pull it off. You can be a reasonably powerful character by specializing if you have only one good stat (16+), but to multiclass between several diverse classes you need a well rounded character. To be an effective Cleric/Rouge you probably need 14+ in Dex, Int, and Wis, and at least no penalty in any other attribute since all will come into play.
On the other hand, you have an awful lot going for you if you plan correctly. Cleric is a very front ended class with alot to offer even characters with only 1 level in it. Rouge's first 3 levels offer abilities which are useful to everyone and will come up again and again - sneak attack, evasion, and uncanny dodge. You are going to have very good well-rounded saving throws. Your cleric spells are often tailor made to help a stealthy rouge. Obvious examples include Detect Magic (augmenting Search), Detect Poison (augmenting Search), Read Magic (augmenting or replacing Use Magic Device), Command, Comprehend Languages (augmenting or replacing Decipher Script), Endure Elements, Expedious Retreat, Obscuring Mist, Sanctuary, Bull's Strength, Silence (augmenting Move Silently), Undetectable Alignment, Locate Object, Meld Into Stone, Water Breathing and Wind Wall. Wieldskill (from FR) is also potentially a great spell to have, as it will temporarily make any skill you need almost certain to succeed against challenges typical of your level. You also gain the ability to heal, to turn undead, and use the all important Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Other wands that could be helpful are Divine Favor, Endure Elements, and Shield of Faith. Your high wisdom will also nicely assist several of the more important rougish skills - particularly Sense Motive, Spot, and Listen.
To maximize your advantages you are going to want to take Rouge as your first class. The 24 extra skill points are far more important in the long haul than the two extra hit points. You have several interesting choices in race. Human is always good, and the extra skill points could mitigate those missing when you take cleric levels. A Halfling's DEX bonus and bonuses to certain thiefly skills (hide, climb, move silently, and jump) accomplish much the same thing. Both the Human and the Halfling will find multi-classing easier. Dwarf gives you Stonecunning, Darkvision, and improved saves vs. poison and magic - four abilities of obvious utility to a Rouge. Elf gives you improved DEX and improved weapon selection and access to some potentially helpful domains. I'd stay away from anything else, though I'm sure it could be made to work. Picking your deity is of primary importance. You must have access to domains that augment your abilities. For your domains, Trickery is of obvious utility since it lets you spend your cleric skill points on hide and bluff. You also get Invisibility as your 2nd level domain spell. The Air domain gives you excellent thiefly spells at low levels. The Travel domain is extraordinarily potent both in its domain power and the spells it offers at low levels. Knowledge and Magic are also extremely good choices. Fire is useful if you want to have access to an array of good attack spells. I'd stay away from the Luck domain, because its power is more limited than its seems and its low level domain spells are not particularly useful. War is a good domain, but its most useful if it gives you Martial Weapon Proficiency in a high quality weapon you would not otherwise have access to and want to use - and this could be difficult. There are probably domains specific to the setting with equal utility I haven't mentioned. Renewal from FR is a darn good domain, for example, and Elf could be useful.
If I had to choose a deity from the PH it would probably be Boccob. Fharlanghn and Nerull would probably be second choices. Olidammara has an unfortunately weak domain selection.
Skill selection will depend on playing style, but its hard to go wrong with skills like Concentration, Spot, Search, Listen, Sense Motive, Bluff(!!!), Knowledge, Jump and Tumble and these should probably recieve the lion share of your skill points. Spread the rest into Escape Artist, Hide, and Move Silently (if you are sneaky) or into Diplomacy and Gather Information (if you are subtle) and you should be alright.
