Gear for Level 2 Cleric

[Balthe Synder]

I am currently running the prologue to a PbP adventure and when I turn it over all characters will be level 2, and then I will be bringing in my Cleric of Besmara.

I have never played a cleric before and am looking for advice on my gear. It is a homebrew AP that will have a lot of Sailing happening so that is the reason for the light armor. I intend to use my domain power to do damage as I can (though it is non lethal) and keep the Heavy Crossbow loaded for the occasional pot shot to open combat.

But beyond that what should I spend the rest of my money on? Or just save it for something better. The not quite completed character info and gear is listed in this profile

[Elamdri]

It's kinda hard to tell you what to get without knowing what the character concept is going to be.

What are your domains?
Are you planning on being a healer/support or combat cleric?
What are your stats?

If anything, you should get a masterwork rapier, since it's your deity's favored weapon and rapiers are awesome.

[GM Hands of Fate]

What kind of cleric you are going to play is vital information. If you play the medic cleric, that will be different than a protection or war cleric. Figure out your role...medic, combat, etc...and your gear should follow.

[Balthe Synder]

domains are weather and trickery

concept is in this profile as is the crunch.

But the basics are that he is a drunken priest. Was a sailor that had a conversion, and at adventures start spends most of his time in the pub. He is foremost a healer, having taken slective and extra channel as his first feats

thanks for helping

[sunbeam]

The way you are set up, you definitely can't melee. You don't really have the money to buy much in the way of making you more survivable.

You don't get another feat until 3rd level.

Hmmm buy a wand of cure light wounds. You only need 200 gold or so to get one. Memorize buff spells for your party. Heal them when they are done fighting.

I can't see you really doing much until you hit 5th level or so. If you take Sacred Summons at 3rd level you can be a lot more useful in combats. I think I might go that route in your shoes, since you don't want to go the melee route.

[A highly regarded expert]

Well, you can melee, with average strength and the cleric's BAB. It's just not your first choice.

Still, get 2 melee weapons. In the water, you want a piercing weapon so you can do normal damage. If you can afford a rapier, that would do, or maybe a spear or a morningstar.

Daggers are easy to carry, and can be used to cut ropes and such. Clubs are free. You aren't interested in melee, but it happens on ships, and you don't have limitless magic. Sometimes, a summoned monster might appear next to you, or you can move and give the rogue a flank so he can drop a foe quickly.

If nothing else, you want a weapon in hand in case you get an attack of opportunity.

[sunbeam]

He has a 10 strength, wears studded leather with a buckler, for a total of AC 15, with 15 hit points.

Besmara's favored weapon is the rapier, that is piercing so he could use that.

I think it would be a mistake for him ever to get into melee range. Additionally his dex is bad, so with 1 bab he isn't going to hit anything very often. With no rapid reload, reloading that heavy crossbow is a full round action. I doubt unless he stands way back he gets more than one shot a combat with that thing.

He looks like he is aiming to be a buffer or healer, but those domains really aren't very good for doing that.

He'll get more useful spells later on, but right now I'm kind of bumfuddled about what to do with any of that at his level, with the kind of items he'd be able to get. His save dc won't be too bad, maybe he could use command. But if you go that way the spell focus feats are really kind of essential.

Lots of ways he could go later on, but it definitely looks like this build will take a while to get going.

[blackbloodtroll]

A Consecrated weapon(Rapier).
A Net.
A Sanctified shield(Darkwood Quickdraw Light or Darkwood Heavy).

[A highly regarded expert]

sunbeam wrote:

I think it would be a mistake for him ever to get into melee range. Additionally his dex is bad, so with 1 bab he isn't going to hit anything very often.

12 dex isn't bad. 8 dex is bad.

Anyway, I agree that he should stay out of melee. That doesn't mean it won't find him.

[Balthe Synder]

I will try to stay out of melee. Yes the domains are not ideal for healing, it is flavor.

the heavy xbow would be used once in combat if at all. I figure if I am shooting something once might as well make it count.

I have not heard of consecrated weapons. Will look that up. Also had not thought of summoning but that miggt be smart.

thank you all for ideas so far. Please don't stop!

[sunbeam]

People think of summons as a Master Summoner thing, which I guess is appropriate because they are probably the best at it.

But besides them, Clerics are probably the best at it, thanks to Sacred Summons.

While that feat is great, you can still summon something else as a full round action if needed.

But if you are willing to go down the Spell Focus:Conjuration, Augment Summoning, and Superior Summons path you can make a career out of playing Pokemaster.

[Balthe Synder]

I think I might do the sacred summons...if there are good CN things to summon.

what is a consecrated rapier. I wad not able to find that on d20.

no need to buy the wand now. There will be one already in the party

[blackbloodtroll]

Find the Consecrated Weapon and other Channel Foci here.

Having a weapon(or shield) that is also a Holy Symbol is nice.

[sunbeam]

As a Cleric of Besmara, you have a "Chaotic" aura, not a "Chaotic Neutral" aura. So you should be able to summon anything with the subtype Chaotic.