Cleric help


Advice


Starting a new campaign with my group. We decided for fun to roll each stat separately and lock them in, and we have to build characters around that... Rolls were good at least as we did 5d6 drop 2

I got

str 13
dex 12
con 14
int 14
Wis 18
cha 13

So obviously I'm going to be a wisdom based, and thinking cleric.

I have a few ideas. Basically I need to focus more caster, but I can't really be a battle cleric with my strength (or at least not as well).

I really like touch spells so I was thinking I would focus on that.

So say I pick Irori as my god, and get unarmed strike for free.

Then I go for guided strike so I can use wisdom to my hit with unarmed... I assume this would count for touch as well? So would weapon focus, touch right?

Then I would basically be a heavy armor and shield cleric, with my hand as my weapon. I would never need to worry about swapping my weapon out to cast or touch things.

Only drawback I can see is I would need an amulet of mighty fists if I wanted an enhancement bonus. That or magic weapon spells (can magic weapon apply to unarmed or only magic fang?)

Anyone see any major problems with this?

Are there any other good ways of optimizing touch attacks I'm missing?


Are these your final stats? Are there racial bonuses to come yet?

Shadow Lodge

You could use a Gauntlet (free with heavy armor anyway) for Magic Weapon, which can also be enhanced as an actual magic weapon.

I would suggest doing a search for something called the "Bad-Touch Cleric", which is just a Cleric build for close range debuffs.

Things that you can look at are feats that let you use your Domain's Powers with Unarmed Strikes, I want to say in Ult Combat.

Dark Archive

Magic fang and magic weapon both work for unarmed attacks. And for a roleplaying touch have a sheathed weapon to mislead enemies.


Those are before racials. I plan to play dwarf probably (or human maybe), so it will be a 20 wisdom.

I've read the "bad touch cleric" stuff. It's kinda misleading as most of it isn't actually touch stuff. Thing for me too is my dex is pretty low, so using reach spell to make things ranged touch isn't amazing either, not when I have a way higher to hit melee and I will be the most heavily armored guy in the party, with high hitpoints to boot.

I really like the prospects of using guided hand on my unarmed strikes (name makes more sense too... guided HAND), especially with the wisdom I got (and relatively crappy str and dex)

It's probably total overkill though. Touch attacks aren't hard to land on most things. Though it will be fun to land on enemies that think they have a great touch AC.

I read the spell description for magic weapon.. It says it can work on a monks unarmed attacks, but it doesn't specifically say it works for anybody with improved unarmed strike...

Really though I plan to mostly stand near the fighter, heal and buff him while I soak up some hits too. When the opportunity presents itself I'll throw down some nasty touch spells.

Really I'm building support/caster with heavy tank aspects primarily. I would build a more pure caster but cleric isn't great for that, and my group really needs a cleric. first choice would have probably been empyreal sorcerer.

Probably pick up the healing domain (I know its not the greatest but it will keep my party happy). Not sure about the other. I like Knowledge, as well as rune for the free scribe scroll feat.


Can I suggest a Reach Weapon rather than standing right on the front line, where you can help it...

Also a melee Touch spell is not lost if you miss your touch attack, and you do not provoke as you do so. You can cast from a safe distance, then move forward, then attempt the touch attack, all as RAW. The spell is not dispelled until you touch something.
A ranged touch attack spell, on the other hand, is lost if you miss with that d20 roll.

Healing Domain is still good, especially if you going to be up the front with your fighter to cast CLW at a higher CL as per domain. Save the Channels for after combat healing.


I'm pretty set on being close melee. I'll be the toughest character in the party, and I can heal too. I know its not ideal, but if I'm gonna be full plate and shield im gonna enjoy it.

I know, maybe i shouldnt worry so much about hitting with the touch spells.

If I'm gonna use a real weapon, and a heavy shield I guess my only concern is swapping to cast. Is quick draw going to be a must have?


Quick Draw, sounds like a good idea for the heavy shield. Doesn't a buckler leave you a free hand for casting? It's only -1 on the AC and armour enchantments are easiest. I guess it depends on whether you want to use Quick Draw for other things.

I also like the idea of the healer being a tank to take some blows.


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Actually, I can picture using QuickDraw to put sword away, cast, touch, and then Quick Draw to have weapon in hand again.


Buckler lets you cast, light shield lets you hold an item (so a meta rod or wand maybe.)

Shadow Lodge

Yes, you can use a light shield, swap our weapon to the shield hand, (free ction) cast, and swap the weapon back to your main hand (again free action). Just not with a Heavy Shield.

The Healing Domain really isn't that bad. The Rune Domain poers can be nice if you plan on being up front a lot. You can set little traps around the Fighter or yourself and help control the batle field.

Korada , an Empyreal Lord (NG, peace, forgiveness, wisdom, forsight) also offers unarmed strike as favored weapon, which might be something you might be interested in. He offers the Good, Magic, Healing, and Protection Domain. He offers the Restoration SubDomain which is a little better than Healing, and the Protection Domain is pretty good.

If your still interested in going Unarmed Strike, I would suggest focusing on bumping HP (Toughness and Con boosts), acting quickly in the round (Imp Init and Warrior Priest feats), and also getting around other things that require using your hands, like the Birthmark Trait and Eschew Materials Feat. One of the real advantages to Unarmed Strike is that you never have to draw your weapon, essentually always threaten, and do not need to worry about being disarmed. Birthmark and Eschew Materials means you also don't need to worry about that for spellcasting/Channeling, and acting fast in the init means that you can both take unexpected AoO's and be ready.

Like someone mentioned previously, many touch spells do not go away until you actually use them on something, (read "holding the charge" in the combat section), so it might be a wise idea for your character to walk around with an Inflict spell already cast before combat starts.


Thanks for the info, that's helpful.

Found out one of the other guys is playing a heavy tank paladin, so maybe that free's me up a bit more.


Anyone have any opinions on the priest variant of the cleric?

I might be interested in it, heavier on the casting and less combat.

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