So I may be making a "cameo/guest" appearance in my friends game soon and I'm looking at making a Cleric (possibly going into Holy Vindicator if levels allow it) that has taken it upon himself to stop supernatural beings from influencing the lives of people on the material plane. The character is loosely based off John Constantine only he's not doing it for the greater good of humanity or to get out of the matrix... I mean to buy his way into heaven (if you've only seen the movie Constantine).
Anyway, the few issues I'm having are deciding on a race, feats, and a second domain. I know my first domain is going to be Knowledge (or one of it's subdomains) but I'm unsure about the other as there aren't really any that I recall that help me with banishing outsiders (I've only played one Cleric since 3.5 and he was a "scourge of the undead" so I could be wrong). I was looking at possibly Trickery but I'm not sure on that. Anyway, any helpful input would be appreciated, thanks in advanced.
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i would say constantine is an inquisitor over a cleric.
but i would say human, fetas... hmm i would have to really think about that, second domain i would choose good. im assuming you're doing a NG or CG alignment?
but yeah you would want to look over the spell list available to the inquisitor if you wanted to play a constantine type character.
oh i thought of a good feat chain, firearm profeciency. or if you play on a strictly fantasy medievel table then a repeating cross bow with all of the cross bow feats. then improved improvised weapon and smack people upside the head with your holy symbole.
You might want to consider Inquisitor class instead of Cleric. Inquisitor has more of a monster hunter/exorcist/smartass vibe than regular Cleric.
I had thought about the Inquisitor but I honestly think the Cleric is better at getting rid of extra-planar beings. That could just be me though, I might take another look and see if there's an Inquisitor build I like more.
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dismissal, this is available at level 10. not to say that's great, but its what you want this character for. also having access to this list gives you pretty good access to making wands, potions, and scrolls.
imo, an inquisitor can do what a cleric can do (not very well), but a cleric cant do what an inquisitor can do. unless you want to be a heavy caster, or the main group healer i would play an inquisitor.
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I'd go Oracle over either Cleric or Inquisitor, actually. It's Charisma based (very appropriate for John) and can specialize in anti-extraplanar effects, and need not fudge on where it's getting its powers from.
In terms of Mystery, I'd probably go Heavens, Lore, Outer Rifts (for irony...might actually explain a few things), or Spellscar.
I'd also figure out some way to get Bluff as a class skill (either a Trait or the Cosmopolitan Feat) and max that out. Any John Constantine inspired character needs to be a hell of a con-man when he wants to be.
I'd also figure out some way to get Bluff as a class skill (either a Trait or the Cosmopolitan Feat) and max that out. Any John Constantine inspired character needs to be a hell of a con-man when he wants to be.
That's why I was looking at the Trickery domain actually. The Inquisitor does have some nice abilities as well as more skill points (which I like). The Oracle is an interesting idea as well, but I'm not exactly sure what my mystery would be, Lore would kind of make sense. Also, I should probably mention that we are limited to Bestiary 1-3, the Core Rulebook, the Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Magic, and Ultimate Combat.
Deadmanwalking is spot on with the oracle route, although to really capture the spirit of the character you need to include some arcane. Haunted Lore Oracle 4/ Infernal Sorc 4/ Mystic Theurge. If you have a cool DM you could work out a fun specific contract with a contract Devil either during play or as part of your backstory. Make sure to focus on subtle spells, except when summoning or banishing. You'll mostly focus on enchantment and conjuration.
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Deadmanwalking is spot on with the oracle route, although to really capture the spirit of the character you need to include some arcane. Haunted Lore Oracle 4/ Infernal Sorc 4/ Mystic Theurge. If you have a cool DM you could work out a fun specific contract with a contract Devil either during play or as part of your backstory. Make sure to focus on subtle spells, except when summoning or banishing. You'll mostly focus on enchantment and conjuration.
I honestly think a little UMD (an actual Class skill for a Spellscar Oracle) can more than sufficiently represent the Arcane component of Joh's capabilities.
I do agree with Haunted as his Curse, though. As well as the likely particular focuses of the character.
To be honest I peg John Constantine for a rogue or a bard. All of the magic he does or knows is based on tricks or faking his way through it.
It is just tricks, until it comes down to actually summoning or communing with outsiders.
My mind went to inquisitor personally. More skills, less spells, but the ability to use magic stuff made for and by clerics.
Inquisitor with Black Powder Inquisition / Sorcerer with with Abyssal Bloodline
Not optimized by any means, but cool as hell.
After further contemplation, I've reached the conclusion that nothing represents Constantine better than this:
Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) / Sorcerer w/ Infernal Bloodline
This build allows his Charisma to be appropriately high, be optimized, and have grit. And John Constantine just screams grit.
After further contemplation, I've reached the conclusion that nothing represents Constantine better than this:
Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) / Sorcerer w/ Infernal Bloodline
This build allows his Charisma to be appropriately high, be optimized, and have grit. And John Constantine just screams grit.
I like this.... quite a bit
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After further contemplation, I've reached the conclusion that nothing represents Constantine better than this:
Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) / Sorcerer w/ Infernal Bloodline
This build allows his Charisma to be appropriately high, be optimized, and have grit. And John Constantine just screams grit.
John really doesn't shoot people that often. Heck, he beats the shit out of people more often than he shoots them...but I wouldn't make him a Martial Artist Monk either (despite the appropriateness of a few abilities it has). He screams 'grit' in the actual definition, not the in-game one.
John's a trickster and confidence man, more than anything. His magical tricks are mostly just that...tricks. Good tricks sometimes, but tricks nonetheless. At least until, as Halfling Barbarian notes, it comes down to summoning, dismissing, or binding things.
Bard would definitely work, as would Inquisitor, and as would some dabbling in Rogue, or possibly some Infernal Sorcerer, all pretty close to as well as an Oracle.
But, and this is important, the character idea the OP requested started out as a Cleric. Going from the basis of having those kind of abilities, Oracle seems perfect, IMO. Outer Rifts seems particularly appropriate, looking at it.
Unfortunately the Outer Rifts mystery is from Inner Sea Magic and the DM has limited us to the books I listed above. The reason I had looked at the Cleric before was because I was looking at working my way into the Holy Vindicator (like I said, this is loosely based on John not necessarily playing him to a T) and seeing as I'd have to have Alignment Channel I'd probably be using that quite a bit to harm outsiders that we encounter.
What I imagine is going to happen is my character will be used to help further the plot of the Demon Hunter (an Inquisitor), Paladin, and Sanctified Rogue in the group by helping them find and dispose of a demon or devil but shortly afterwards send an angel back because the character is opposed to all outsiders intervening with beings on the material plane.
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Unfortunately the Outer Rifts mystery is from Inner Sea Magic and the DM has limited us to the books I listed above. The reason I had looked at the Cleric before was because I was looking at working my way into the Holy Vindicator (like I said, this is loosely based on John not necessarily playing him to a T) and seeing as I'd have to have Alignment Channel I'd probably be using that quite a bit to harm outsiders that we encounter.
Hmmm.
Lore or Heavens Oracle stil works fine, though. Getting Channel Energy on an Oracle pretty much requires Life Mystery though. Still, that'd potentially work, and probably still be more appropriate than Cleric, IMO.
I don't necessarily need to get into Holy Vindicator, or even have Channel Energy, I was just thinking it could potentially work. I will admit I'm a bigger fan of spontaneous casting so Oracle might be the route I go. Depending on the level I may do an Exorcist Inquisitor though.