I'm creating a character for a level 7 home game. My character concept started with "How much fun can I wring out of Holy Vindicator?" Said concept morphed into "How BA of a DPR/tank can I make out of HV?" (other confirmed party members include an arcane archer , invulnerable-rage barbarian, and a ftr2/clr5)
Current Build:
Str 19 [16 + 2 race + 1 ability boost]
Dex 14 [solely for AC bonus]
Con 14 [added HP for tanking]
Int 10 [avoiding skill pt loss]
Wis 14 [can't cast 5th level spells until lvl16 anyway]
Cha 10 [avoiding channel energy losses]
class levels:
1 Clr1: Destruction & Ferocity domains
2-6 Ftr1-5: Two-handed fighter variant class: ditches bravery, armor training for better power attacks
7 Vindicator1
equipment: spiked mithral plate, greatsword
feats (3 fighter, 1 human, 4 character):
power attack, cleave, shield of swings
weapon focus greatsword
extra channel, warrior priest(UM), align channel, weapon specialization
(projected) CL9 feat: imp crit
(projected) CL11 feat: quick channel
standard procedure should be
rd1: buff self
rd2+: break things
after: channels, etc for party
I'm keenly aware that I lose 5 levels of cleric casting ability up front and 1/4 levels from 7 up. This character is a tank with a little divine extra up his bracers. My target is to be a better fighter in every way than a paladin of the same level.
Can I do anything else to boost DPR and survivability?
Your domains will give you all of +1 to damage. Travel and darkness might serve you better, netting blind fight and -10 move speed.
The ferocity subdomain of strength gives me the other-wise inaccessible Enlarge Person, 1/day. That's a small price for a bonus feat and nearly-doubled speed (30ft(mithral plate)+10ft(domain)+10ft(longstrider) = 100ft charge or 300ft run?).
I really enjoy Darkness because you can drop an obscuring mist, and fight in it due to blind-fight.
But if you have a 15 minute workday, once per day enlarge might be better.