I have been playing clerics since 1977 as a matter of fact my first character was a cleric fighting in gladiatorial events in the Empire of the Petal Throne. My clerics have endured OD&D, 1e, 2e, 3.0 and 3.5. Mostly I play clerics of what I now call the local sun god. Pelor of Greyhawk, Lathander of Forgotten Realms, the Eternal Lantern of Kalamar, Apollo of a homebrew using Greek and Norse pantheons and now I am ready to convert my 16th level cleric from Apollo to Sarenrae. Some of the things I am looking at are.
1. Concentration check instead of a concentration skill check. This one is just a matter of adapting to the new way of doing business. I may have to invest in the combat casting feat but I will have to see.
2. Three extra feats to decide on. Actually this will be four feats since when we transition I will loss access to the Augment Healing feat. Since Sarenrae grants proficiency to the scimitar I am thinking along the lines of weapon focus (scimitar), improved critical (scimitar) and critical focus. The swap out feat will go from augment healing to combat casting.
3. Changes to spells. This is a pretty big one. The change to spell which used to give immunities to giving bonuses to saving throws is huge in the current campaign world. The big one is hero’s feast no longer making you immune to poisons. The game master based the world on the worst aspects of the Roman empire and poison use is routine and a common threat. The party my cleric belongs to are considered enemies to the empire and the assassination attempts have added up into the millions of gold pieces in black lotus dust. The sneak peak by James, XXX poison, is already being incorporated. I fully expect my spell load out to include lots of neutralize poisons and one of my 0 level spells will be detect poison. Death ward is another one which is going to hurt since we have run into more than one banshee in the past. Of course since it is going to a damage base instead of save or die we may be better off.
4. The new domains. Since I converted the character from 2e to 3e I have always had the sun and good domains. Once I actually see the domains I may petition the GM to let me have glory and healing.
5. Favorite class and racial hit point bonus. These are two I am really looking forward to. I have progressed this character a half elf with a 12 Int getting only 3 skill points per level for 16 levels. Getting an extra skill point per level to work with is huge for me plus being able to no longer have to put points into concentration or spell craft (beta). I get to become skilled in something else like craft alchemy so I brew antitoxins. Six extra hit points may not seem like much but when a frost giant warrior crits with a great axe every bit helps.
Having played for 30+ years it is just a matter of adapting to the new rules. The game will remain the same; fight when I can, cast offensive or buffing spells when I can’t fight and heal when the other party members get hurt. Paizo has done a lot to making clerics live again.
Thanks,
Doug
Hey Doug!
I love clerics myself (though only playing them since 89-90, I'm a bit younger). Sounds like you'll have a blast in your campaign with all the new toys.
On your points:
2. Feats: At 16th level, you might go for getting Keen on your scimitar, instead of a feat for improved critical.
3. Poisons: Don't forget Delay Poison! - 16 hours at your level. Also Heal checks if you've got the skill points in it.
4. Domains: If you've been playing Beta, I'm sure you've seen the strength of the Good Domain. If its anything like that in Final I can't see wanting to change. But Glory and Healing are nice too, no question :)
Personally I can't wait to see the Travel and Luck final abilities, should be fascinating.
Thanks, I had totally forgotten about delay poison. The reason for improved critical over keen is due to blessed weapon. Being one of the highest level priest in the world I can ask (command) a paladin to accompany me on adventures. So he/she could cast the spell on my scimitar before battle. Auto-confirm on hits against evils is nice. If I do get to switch out my domains then I should have access to one blessed weapon myself per day. The factor is is I would like to have access to the high level critical feats when the character advances. Being able to stun a target even if only for one round is a huge advantage.
Doug
Thanks, I had totally forgotten about delay poison. The reason for improved critical over keen is due to blessed weapon. Being one of the highest level priest in the world I can ask (command) a paladin to accompany me on adventures. So he/she could cast the spell on my scimitar before battle. Auto-confirm on hits against evils is nice. If I do get to switch out my domains then I should have access to one blessed weapon myself per day. The factor is is I would like to have access to the high level critical feats when the character advances. Being able to stun a target even if only for one round is a huge advantage.
Doug
Good thinking on the Keen vs. Improved Critical planning.
However, you may find yourself disappointed with the high level critical feats.
If you are cleric only (no prestige classes, no multi-classing) then you will never qualify for the Bleeding, Exhausting, or Stunning Critical feats. They all require a BAB of 15 or higher, which you won't achieve until level 20, and you don't get any more feats after level 19 unless you go into epic levels.
So your plan of stunning a target will never come to pass unless you give up 3 levels of cleric (to reach +15 BAB in time to take your 19th level feat as Stunning Critical, you would need to take something like fighter or paladin, etc., for your 17th, 18th, and 19th levels). Alternatively, after reaching level 19 of cleric, you could take 1 level of fighter at level 20 and get Stunning Critical as your fighter bonus feat.
Or just go into epic levels - your BAB won't ever go up according to the 3.0 Epic rules in the Epic Level Handbook (has anyone published any official epic rules since then?) but you will get more feats and your 15 BAB will be exactly enough to qualify you for Stunning Critical. Of course, there is a whole myriad of epic feats that open up to you in those wpic levels that make Stunning Critical look like child's play...
and your 15 BAB will be exactly enough to qualify you for Stunning Critical...
I thought Stunning was BAB 17 (no time to check)
I had not checked the feats.pdf and looked at stunning critical. You are right it has a prerequiuste of BAB +17 which my character can not reach until epic levels. Guess I will have to rethink the feats again.
Still looking forward to getting the PFRPG in hand and converting my character. I have seen a 2nd level cleric (knowledge and healing) played and she was amazing between converting spells and channel positive energy in keeping the party going. The party was over their heads and we used every spell she and the bard had for healing and succeded.
Doug
The reason for improved critical over keen is due to blessed weapon. ... The factor is is I would like to have access to the high level critical feats when the character advances. Being able to stun a target even if only for one round is a huge advantage.
Bless Weapon is nice - I hadn't noticed that it could be used by anyone other than the caster (was thinking of Holy Sword).
However, only one critical feat has a prerequisite of Improved Critical - Powerful Critical. All the rest only have Critical Focus as a prereq (plus BAB).
since when we transition I will loss access to the Augment Healing feat.The big one is hero’s feast no longer making you immune to poisons. The game master based the world on the worst aspects of the Roman empire and poison use is routine and a common threat. The party my cleric belongs to are considered enemies to the empire and the assassination attempts have added up into the millions of gold pieces in black lotus dust. The sneak peak by James, XXX poison, is already being incorporated. I fully expect my spell load out to include lots of neutralize poisons and one of my 0 level spells will be detect poison.
PF is backwards compatible. No one is coming to your house to take your Complete Divine book from you. Feel free to keep Augment Healing.
This is precisely why this change needs to be made. Immunity breeds contempt. Poison is supposed to be scary. The idea of a world where poison is common among the upper classes isn't compatible with a game where an upper mid level spells makes you completely immune.
On the other hand, most heal is suppossed to be through Channel Energy now, right? So how does Augment Healing work with Channel Energy?
I do not suspect Augment Healing will work with Channel Energy since it did not in Living Arcanis. The gaming group I play with will conform to Pathfinder Society rules so our house game is not too different from what we see in game days and conventions. I do not expect PFS to allow any WotC splat books.
Doug