I'm making up a halfling cleric for PFS; starting with the first level of Emerald Spire superdungeon. Metagame, our local PFS chapter tends to be heavy on hitter-types--right now, magus and kineticist seem to be the classes du jour--and I like support/skill-monkey characters. So, I've decided to play a cleric (for support) with some basic lock/trappicking skills.
I've come up with a CG halfling separatist cleric 1 ("troubleseeker") of Chaldira Zuzaristan (Luck and Travel domains). STR 8 DEX 14 CON 11 INT 12 WIS 16 CHA 16. HP 8 (preferred class went to skill), AC 16 (leather+buckler). Shiftless racial trait (bonus to Bluff and Sleight-of-hand: SOH made a class skill). Traits are Vagabond Child (Disable Device as class skill) and Call for Help (allies get bonus to hit my attacker when I take total defense action). Spells: 0-guidance, mending, light, 1-bless, shield of faith, domain-longstrider. Skill ranks in Disable Device +6, Heal +9, Perception +6, Profession(fortuneteller) +7. His combat role is pretty strictly support/buffing, although I may dip into rogue the next level or two mainly for the skill ranks. My question is about the first-level feat choice. Here are my thoughts.
* Cosmopolitan, taking Perception and Knowledge(local) as the class skills, getting a bump in Perception like a good trapspotter
* Improved Initiative: +4 to initiative to get that Bless spell off sooner
* Dodge: AC boost never hurts, especially as he's squishy
* Toughness: same as with Dodge, but for HP
* Cautious Fighter: AC boost during total defense synergizes with Call for Help trait, plus it sets up the Desperate Swing feat to let him take an attack during total defense and to get some crit buffs
* Selective Channel: for those times in a fight when my team needs a boost. I'm inclined to pass on this one, because with a base move of 30' and Longstrider domain spell he should have a good chance of getting into position to channel to allies only.
What does the wisdom of the crowd say? Any one of these feats stand out to y'all, or do you have any other ideas?
Hey, Manujyestha:
I enjoy the flavor of a chaotic good trouble-seeking halfling cleric! (Who needs a rogue, amirite?!)
Though I've never played a cleric (), the ones I've DMed for always go for Selective Channeling as soon as possible. It becomes an issue very quickly. Even with your good maneuverability, that 30' radius is just so large-n-wide that you're going to be hard-pressed to just target your allies (especially if they're engaged in melee with the enemy). Healing your enemies doesn't seem to be a sound strategy, but as a DM, I welcome it :3
The Other Feats:
Cosmopolitan would be really fun if you're going for a skill-monkey-esque cleric; plus, you net yourself two languages and the all-powerful perception skill. Improved Initiative is always good for a caster (particularly if you're looking to get your buffs cast before your enemies act), but I'm not sure if that would be a level one priority. I could be wrong, but I feel Dodge is a bit of a waste, especially for a cleric. I prefer Toughness over Dodge any day. Cautious Fighter would be a waste. You'll be helping your friends more by casting and channeling.
I would also consider Scribe Scroll. My friend's current cleric at our table nabbed it at first level (he's a human, though, and could afford another feat at the beginning) and he's been using it to great effect. (Some spells are better scrolls than they are taking up space in your memorized slots.)
Anyway, I hope this helps somewhat. I hope you have fun with your character - it looks like a blast. :)
Cheers!
Seperatist is a pretty weak archetype since it is rare you can't find some diety that will fit well enough and give you the domains you want. In this case, Sinashakti fits the bill.
You are putting a fair amount of character build resources into disable device, but still not able to deal with magical traps. Personally, I would be hesitant to invest that much without having trapfinding, and a rogue dip weakens your cleric. I'd probably take Trapper Ranger first (a couple more skill points aren't going to do much, but an extra BAB might help.)
If you want more skill points, you might do better building this concept with an inquisitor instead of a cleric. Still need to pick up trapfinding somewhere of course.
Anyway, to your question. I find selective channel to be a weak feat, since unless you specialize or go for alternate channeling, I think just waiting until the fight is done to heal up everyone is easier. If someone is really in trouble, they probably need a spell not a channel anyway. Imp Init, Dodge and Toughness are all solid, if not very exciting.
Thank you Dysphoria Blues and Dave Justus for your suggestions. I agree with Dave about saving channeling for after combat, so I'll pass on Selective Channel for now. Unfortunately PFS doesn't allow Scribe Scroll. Ultimately I'm a sucker for role-play and backstory over strategy and tactics. Dysphoria reinforced my sense that this character will be fun to play. So...Cosmopolitan, which fits the backstory nicely, it is.
In regards to a new deity: I've decided to stick with Separatist archetype for a Chaldiran cleric. It gives access to second domain powers--namely extra move speed from the Travel domain (useful for a halfling)--at the cost of short sword proficiency. I can live with that trade.