Cleric Ability Score Suggestions Wanted

[ChuckSC6568]

25 point build. He'll either be human or half-orc, so there's the + 2 to deal with. I would very much appreciate suggestions on how to place the stats for both a melee build and a caster build. I think I MAY have it down ok for a caster build...

Str 12
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 11
Wis 18 (includes the +2 racial)
Cha 15

If you think this needs tweaking for a caster cleric, please let me know, and how you'd suggest going about it. Melee builds...I just can't make up my mind how to place them for an effective melee cleric. Any help you could give me will be very much appreciated. Only one other time have I played a character that wasn't a fighter or barbarian (All D&D. I'm new to Pathfinder). I just felt it was time to branch out a bit and I want to get it right. I'd ask for help with the feats as well, but my GM has his own home brew pantheon of gods and has yet to tell me what their domains are (I expect that to be done tomorrow when we actually get together). Thanks in advance!

[calagnar]

Casting cleric.
Str 10
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 17+2racial= 19 (+1 at all levels = 24 at level 20.)
Cha 14

Feet suggestions. Spell focus, Greater Spell focus, Spell Penatration, Greater Spell Penatration, Exta Channel, Slective Channel, Intensfied Spell, Empower Spell.

Melee Cleric. It's important to know this rule.
Permanent Bonuses: Ability bonuses with a duration
greater than 1 day actually increase the relevant ability score after 24 hours. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause you to gain skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. These bonuses should be noted separately in case they are removed.
Now with a starting Wis of 13. You get 13+6enchantment bouns= Wis 19. Thes will let you cast level 9 spells. Just don't expect to cast attack spells.

Str 17+2 Racial=19 (+1 at all levels = 24 at level 20)
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 14
Cha 12

Feets suggestions.Level 1 any pole arm with reach or Level 3 Exotic Weapon Fauchard, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Grater Bull Rush, Bull Rush Strike, and Furious Focus.

Reach weapon will let you place your self behind the fighter. You take a -2 to hit for soft cover. This will let you to use the Fighter as a shield and cast spells. With out needing concentration checks most of the time. Reach combinded with great cleave alows you to hit alot more targets. The front rank with a reach weapon is 5 targets. And with 5ft hall you can bring to weapons on one target. Now you will want a back up weapon just incase some one gets close.

My top domain picks. Air, Charm, Fire, Glory(Heroism Subdomain), Healing(Restoration Subdomain), Liberation, Nobility, Protection(Defense Subdomain), Travel, Water, and Weather.

And yes I know I can't spell.

[james maissen]

calagnar wrote:

Casting cleric.

Str 10
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 17+2racial= 19 (+1 at all levels = 24 at level 20.)
Cha 14

What skills are you envisioning here?

Would you pay 4 creation points to get 1 skill rank/level?

Consider what lowering the INT down might give, and see if its worth it. It might be, or it might not be. But you shouldn't get focused on a 10 as a 'low score' or the like here.

Personally I would also include Heavy armor proficiency as a thought for the build.

To the OP: Pick one stat that you will bump every 4 levels. Only one. And initially purchase that as high as you figure that you can get away with it.

Likewise plan the PC out for all the levels that you envision playing them. This plan might change in the future, but it is very important to have this plan laid out ahead of time so that there is a default path. Alterations then just deviate from this path rather than painting oneself into a corner and having to blaze a trail in the wilderness.

If I can ask the OP: why human/half-orc? What do you have in mind, and what is in the air?

-James

[calagnar]

james maissen wrote:

calagnar wrote:

Casting cleric.

Str 10
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 17+2racial= 19 (+1 at all levels = 24 at level 20.)
Cha 14

What skills are you envisioning here?

Would you pay 4 creation points to get 1 skill rank/level?

Consider what lowering the INT down might give, and see if its worth it. It might be, or it might not be. But you shouldn't get focused on a 10 as a 'low score' or the like here.

Personally I would also include Heavy armor proficiency as a thought for the build.

To the OP: Pick one stat that you will bump every 4 levels. Only one. And initially purchase that as high as you figure that you can get away with it.

Likewise plan the PC out for all the levels that you envision playing them. This plan might change in the future, but it is very important to have this plan laid out ahead of time so that there is a default path. Alterations then just deviate from this path rather than painting oneself into a corner and having to blaze a trail in the wilderness.

If I can ask the OP: why human/half-orc? What do you have in mind, and what is in the air?

-James

4 creation points from Int = Int of 7 mod -2

Skill points per level 2+1-2=1 skill point per level.

What do you put the points in that will realy help you ? You could drop your str more as a caster. All this gets you realy is a starting Cha of 16 so it adds one channel energy. With a 25 point buy its easy to make a charter. With out haven Dump stats. If thes was a 20 or 15 point buy changes things.
Feets. Heavy Armor is only Full plate AC 9. Breast Plate is AC 6. Thats good up till around level 7. This is when there to hit bounes excides your ability to add on AC. For a caster its a wasted feet IMO.

Caster
20 points
Str 8
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 9
Wis 17 +2= 19
Cha 14

15 points
Str 7
Dex 8
Con 14
Int 8
Wis 17+2=19
Cha 14

[james maissen]

calagnar wrote:

4 creation points from Int = Int of 7 mod -2
Skill points per level 2+1-2=1 skill point per level.

Actually, the racial skill bonus for human adds on afterward.

So you would have 2-2 =0, min 1 plus the 1 for human so 2 skill ranks/level.

And I guess I find that the appearance of AC can be just as useful as a real AC. At higher levels the monsters won't get all that many rounds to figure out who's the easiest to hit. If the cleric looks like a tank and doesn't get attacked this can be a win in and of itself.

Also 3 points of AC for a feat is a reasonable investment. Sure in the mid levels monster attack roll is going to outstrip PC armor class, but it comes back afterward that.

As to the choices, I'm just saying that because they measure from a 10 base most people don't like to lower it. If the point buy were the same essentially but instead of say 25points, you had 49 but had to buy from a 7 then I think that people might build differently. Likewise the fact that the modifiers are +0 at a 10 tends to influence people beyond the actual effect of those modifiers.

-James

[ChuckSC6568]

I've noticed that almost every cleric build I've seen on these messageboards has a Charisma of 14. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to have one as high as possible for channeling?

[Phneri]

ChuckSC6568 wrote:

25 point build. He'll either be human or half-orc, so there's the + 2 to deal with. I would very much appreciate suggestions on how to place the stats for both a melee build and a caster build. I think I MAY have it down ok for a caster build...

Str 12
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 11
Wis 18 (includes the +2 racial)
Cha 15

If you think this needs tweaking for a caster cleric, please let me know, and how you'd suggest going about it. Melee builds...I just can't make up my mind how to place them for an effective melee cleric. Any help you could give me will be very much appreciated. Only one other time have I played a character that wasn't a fighter or barbarian (All D&D. I'm new to Pathfinder). I just felt it was time to branch out a bit and I want to get it right. I'd ask for help with the feats as well, but my GM has his own home brew pantheon of gods and has yet to tell me what their domains are (I expect that to be done tomorrow when we actually get together). Thanks in advance!

I think you've overspreading for your purposes.

Human cleric gives you 2 feats at first level, so let's go with that.

16 str (10 points)
10 dex
14 con (5 points)
10 int
18 wisdom (10 points +2 human racial)
10 cha

Yes, that dumps your channel ability significantly until you can start affording +X stat items, but 3x per day is still pretty alright, and channel is significantly more useful to heal with than harm, so the save is less of an issue.

Your dude now has enough strength to cover heavier armor, he can smack stuff with a mace real good, and maintains plenty of wisdom to make with the spellcasting. Drop toughness for your bonus feat and you're rocking 14 hp at level 1.

[calagnar]

ChuckSC6568 wrote:

I've noticed that almost every cleric build I've seen on these messageboards has a Charisma of 14. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to have one as high as possible for channeling?

yes and no. It's good. Not good enough to lower your HP, or spell casting for. So it's the 3rd stat I look at for clerics. 5 points in a build is not to much of a cost. It's 10 points of a build to get to 16. That is more then its worth for +1.

Me personly if I was making a divine melee caster. It wold look more like this. Improve my abilitys by limiting what I need.
Orical mystery battle Human
25 point buy
Str 17+2=19
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 14
Level 1
Bardiche 1d8 1d10 19–20/x2 brace, reach,
To Hit +4 (-2soft cover) Damage +6
Level 8 ( no magic items )
Fauchard 1d8 1d10 15-20/x2 reach, trip
To Hit +12 (-2soft cover) Damage + 7
CMB Trip +16 (level 8 + Str Mod 5 + Weapon Focus 1 + Improved Trip 2 )

Feets
Human: Extra Revelation Warsight
1 : Improved Initive
3 : Exotic Weapon Fauchard
5 : Power Attack
7 : Cleave
9 : Great Cleave
11: Extra Revelation Manuver Master Dirty Trick

Revelations
1 : Skill at arms
3 : Weapon Master Fauchard
7 : Manuver Master Trip
11: Manuver Master Sunder