As we all know, whenever a Cleric wants to channel energy, she has to present her deity's holy/unholy symbol. This is easy enough to do when you're wielding a one-handed weapon, but how about when you're holding a two-handed one?
My current character-in-development is Lawful Evil and worships Zon-Kuthon, meaning he gets proficiency with the spiked chain. Seeing as it's a pretty cool weapon, I figured that I might as well use it, but then it hit me that since the chain is a two-handed weapon, I wouldn't be able to hold it and the symbol at the same time.
Now, the general strategy so far against living enemies would be for me to get close, blast them with negative energy, and then flay them with the chain alongside my party's tanks. What would be the rules involving things like attacks of opportunity, holding the two-handed weapon, and attacking with it be as far as having to present the symbol go?
If you can count the weapon as your holy/unholy symbol, it still takes a standard action to channel energy.
If you can count the weapon as your holy/unholy symbol, it still takes a standard action to channel energy.
Hm, I didn't think about that. Could a deity's favored weapon be considered a symbol of that god? It'd be a nice bypass, but it sounds almost too good to be true.
To the best of my knowledge, you can hold a two handed weapon in one hand. You just can not use it one handed. So holding a quarterstaff or scythe in one hand, and presenting your Holy symbol should still be doable.
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If you can count the weapon as your holy/unholy symbol, it still takes a standard action to channel energy.Hm, I didn't think about that. Could a deity's favored weapon be considered a symbol of that god? It'd be a nice bypass, but it sounds almost too good to be true.
Not as such - it still has to be in the proper image - but there's no reason you can't fasten a holy/unholy symbol to an item appropriate to the deity's nature. I think it would be fitting to Zon-Kuthon, for example, to pay the cost for a holy symbol for a temple craftsman to attach a skull at the midpoint of the chain. Bonus points with the big guy if the chain comes out of your eye-sockets.
Attaching the symbol to the chain, eh? Sounds like a reasonable enough way to get the job done. I like it.
I double checked, and retrieving the symbol would provoke an attack of opportunity, so that seems to be the only sure way of doing it.
Bonus points with the big guy if the chain comes out of your eye-sockets.
Hey, at least my blind-fight feat would be activated by that. I think. But I'll have to disappoint Zon-Kuthon in that regard. XD
I've always been a fan of making the entire front of my shield a holy symbol. It's what the Knights Templar did, and they're the real-world inspiration for the paladin and the armored cleric.
Well, I decided to implement the idea of fusing it to the chain. Figured I might as well make the weapon silver since I had a chunk of average character wealth to spend on weapons anyway.
I took a masterwork spiked chain (325 gp) and had it infused with alchemical silver (+180 gp), and then made it so the symbol is infused with the middle of the chain (+25 gp for the symbol, the cost of it being fused to the weapon should be covered by the leftover 220 gp).
So here I'll be starting out with a fancy weapon that fixes the problem, unless I happen to be missing any rules.
I've always been a fan of making the entire front of my shield a holy symbol. It's what the Knights Templar did, and they're the real-world inspiration for the paladin and the armored cleric.
Not too shabby of an idea! If it weren't for the fact that one of my party members is CE, I would have been a Paladin. I'll keep the idea in mind though!
Why not buy 3 Holy symbols.... One for your neck, one for your weapon, and one to stick/weld to your shield.
...general strategy so far against living enemies would be for me to get close, blast them with negative energy, and then flay them with the chain alongside my party's tanks.
Really quickly, um... I think you need to take the selective channeling feat in order to not fry your tank buddies... that's of course assuming you mind collateral damage (some clerics don't). :-)
...general strategy so far against living enemies would be for me to get close, blast them with negative energy, and then flay them with the chain alongside my party's tanks.Really quickly, um... I think you need to take the selective channeling feat in order to not fry your tank buddies... that's of course assuming you mind collateral damage (some clerics don't). :-)
Ha ha, already have it covered. I'm taking Selective Channeling and Heavy Armor Proficiency at first level, and Improved Channel at third. Not so evil as I'd want to blast my own teammates.
Why not buy 3 Holy symbols.... One for your neck, one for your weapon, and one to stick/weld to your shield.
I suppose the redundancy could help, though would the one on the neck count as being "presented?" Granted, taking it off and holding it up would be a free action instead of standard one since it isn't a stored item, so I suppose it is a way of mitigating the problem. Would take up the neck slot though, I think.
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...general strategy so far against living enemies would be for me to get close, blast them with negative energy, and then flay them with the chain alongside my party's tanks.Really quickly, um... I think you need to take the selective channeling feat in order to not fry your tank buddies... that's of course assuming you mind collateral damage (some clerics don't). :-)Ha ha, already have it covered. I'm taking Selective Channeling and Heavy Armor Proficiency at first level, and Improved Channel at third. Not so evil as I'd want to blast my own teammates.
Why not buy 3 Holy symbols.... One for your neck, one for your weapon, and one to stick/weld to your shield.I suppose the redundancy could help, though would the one on the neck count as being "presented?" Granted, taking it off and holding it up would be a free action instead of standard one since it isn't a stored item, so I suppose it is a way of mitigating the problem. Would take up the neck slot though, I think.
why would you have to take it off?
also it only takes the neck slot if its a magic item. theres nothing stopping you from lookin like Mr T and wearing a hundred gold chains, but you can only get the effects of 1 magic item in that slot.
...general strategy so far against living enemies would be for me to get close, blast them with negative energy, and then flay them with the chain alongside my party's tanks.Really quickly, um... I think you need to take the selective channeling feat in order to not fry your tank buddies... that's of course assuming you mind collateral damage (some clerics don't). :-)Ha ha, already have it covered. I'm taking Selective Channeling and Heavy Armor Proficiency at first level, and Improved Channel at third. Not so evil as I'd want to blast my own teammates.
Why not buy 3 Holy symbols.... One for your neck, one for your weapon, and one to stick/weld to your shield.I suppose the redundancy could help, though would the one on the neck count as being "presented?" Granted, taking it off and holding it up would be a free action instead of standard one since it isn't a stored item, so I suppose it is a way of mitigating the problem. Would take up the neck slot though, I think.why would you have to take it off?
also it only takes the neck slot if its a magic item. theres nothing stopping you from lookin like Mr T and wearing a hundred gold chains, but you can only get the effects of 1 magic item in that slot.
Looks like I can have my greedy Mr. T themed dwarf then. True enough then - I suppose I was interpreting the "present the holy symbol" as being more outward, like she does in the class' artwork in the Core book. In which case, just holding the weapon or showing off the necklace should be enough.
Jes checkin' ;-)
And woohoo heavy armor prof!
Watch out for the medallion my diamonds are wreckless Feels like a MIDGET is hanging from my neckless ...
My games so need to have a giant with diamond and gold dwarfs hangin from his neck. Possibly as a necklace of fireballs
Ah, I literally burst out laughing for some reason.
Well, with that problem solved, I rolled my stats and put together my character. I'd appreciate any critiques anybody might have, and advice on what ability score I should upgrade at 4th Level, or any feats I should use in the future.
For the time being we are sticking with material from the Core Rulebook only, so unfortunately, I can't use anything from the APG.
Lawful Evil Human Cleric of Zon-Kuthon (Level 3)
STR 15
DEX 12
CON 17
INT 12
WIS 19 (Base 17 + 2 from Human)
CHA 17
Domains:
Darkness & Death
Feats:
Blind-Fight (from being a follower of Zon-Kuthon)
Selective Channeling
Heavy Armor Proficiency
Improved Channel
Weapon:
Masterwork Silver Spiked Chain (Unholy Symbol Attached) - melee +2, 2d4+2
Armor:
Masterwork Banded Mail
AC: 18
Touch: 11
FF: 17