Da way to Smite Undeads with Channel Smite !!

[Metux]

Hey guys, i created a "great" build around channel smite, and i wanna share it with you. You guys might also know other ways to improve this build.
This character is really focused against undead and its part of his background and role.
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So here is the most important thing in this build:
Favored class bonus :
Cleric Add +1 to the caster level of any channeling feat used to affect undead.
You got 2 ways to get it AFAIK : being Dhampir or Racial heritage(Dhampir) from human.

Caracts:
We ll take the Moroi-born variant so we get +2 str / +2 cha / -2con:
It also allows to get rid of light sensibility by getting -1 save vs positive channel. And you swap 3 detect undeads per day with 3 obscuring mists(you can get detect undead at will with a dip in paladin or cast it as 1st level spellif you really want it back).
You also get Darkvision and low light vision!
Plus, you can get the alternative racial trait vampiric empathy to speak with bats, wolves, and rats: quite fluffy.

with 20 points buy i would go with something like that:
Str: 14+2
Dex: 12
Con: 14-2
Int: 8
Wis: 14
Cha: 14+2

Traits are also really important:
Cleansing light:Religion:Sarenrae : reroll every 1 on every channel dice to hurt undead
Child of wati : region : allows dipping in one class like paladin to get smite evil, heavy armor and detect undead with oath vs undead or more damage vs Undead Evil with Undead scourge archetype. (can also dip ranger to get favored enemy or inquisitor with kinslayer(dhampir) or other archetypes...
Sacred conduit : faith : +1 DC (you can also swap it for +1 channel/day)

Domains:

Glory(heroism):

• +2 DC for channel vs undead
  
• 1st level power to increase Cha base skills and tests (works with channel if im right?)
  
• 5th: heroism spell as 3rd level spell(which is not in cleric spell list).
  
• 8th level : you got a swift action heroism aura.
  

Sun

• +1 damage per level when channeling to hurt undead
  
• no bonus save vs channel for undead (ex :bloody template gives +4)
  
• 30ft Aura : 1rd /level, 1dmg undead/level, +daylight effect
  

I took glory for the extra DC because you really don't want them to halve your channel smite damage, and for the extra buffs.
Channel at lv 1(Cleric)
So at lv 1 we got:
(i take +1 DC trait instead of +1 use/day)

Positive channel(effective lv 1): 6/day
1D6+1, reroll 1, DC = 10+0(lv)+3(cha)+2(domain)+1(trait)= 16

Channel smite(effective lv 1+1(fcb)): 6/day
1D6+2, reroll 1, DC= 10+1+3+2+1= 17.

At lv 1 its not great, but its only the first level, now every level taken in Cleric will add 1D6+1 additionnal damage:

Channel at lv 2(Cleric 2)
Channel positive raises normally...

Channel smite(effective lv 4: 2+2(fcb)): 6/day
2D6+4, reroll 1, DC = 10+2+3+2+1= 18.

Channel at lv 2(Cleric 1 / Paladin 1)
This build also get you a level of 3 for channel thanks to Child of wati:
Channel smite(effective lv 3: 2+1(fcb)): 6/day
2D6+3, reroll 1, DC = 10+1+3+2+1= 18.
You then get also a smite eveil at +1 dmg / +3 hit against a BBEG so you wont miss your channel smites next rounds.
You can also get Ranger instead of paladin to get disable device with trapper to get disable device and favored ennemy Undead to always get +2/+2 but you won't get heavy armor profeciency and its not scalable like smite evil (the attack bonus increases with Cha). Disable device is good because you got darkvision and low light vision, and undeads are usually underground :). It makes quite a fluffy character to play!
There is also the possibility to dip with inquisitor so you dont lose anything (+1 channel via trait, and domain powers adds with inquisitors, the only lost is the level requires to get spell domains that doesnt add).

Channel at lv 3(Cleric 2 / AnDip 1)

Channel smite(effective lv 5: 3+2(fcb)): 6/day
3D6+4, reroll 1, DC = 10+1+3+2+1= 19.

Additionnal weapon damage at lv 3
With a 2 handed scimitar:
BB0 = +2( or +1 if the dip doesnt grant +1 bba)
With just 16 strength and without ANY BONUS (you ll plenty, you are a cleric!)
2-H Scimitar +5, 2D6+4 18/20, +3D6+4 vs undead.
If you go power attack with your 3rd lv feat: -1att +3 dmg
If you took smite evil :+3att +1dmg(+2dmg if Undead scourge).

And you stay also a full caster -1, but you can also stay full cleric and be effective too :).
The most efficiant build at higher level might be to go vital strike to maximize a single heavy blow i guess. W/e improves single attacks actually...

I don't know many ways to increase weapons size, but at lv 10 for example, if you manage to get something like 4D6 base damage, with vital strike and channel smite, you ll do 4D6+(lots of bonus at this level)+4D6(vital strike)+10D6+19(with channel smite).

We could also imagine specialized spirited chargers with channel smite :).
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This the positive channel version with channel smite feat, but you can also go with the command undead and abuse the favored class bonus (because the fcb is only against undead. You can create the most powerful necromancar i know so far :)
(I might post this build later).

The favored class bonus also applies to other channel feats used against undeads like turn undead for example(it raises the DC quickly).
Feel free to share any idea / advice to improve this character. He's really optimized against undead, and i especially created this character for a carrion crown game :).

Metux

[Metux]

Any advice on feat progression? Since there is only 1 feat needed for this build: Channel smite.

There is greater channel smite later that holds the channel if you miss your attack, (yeah its tough, its an all or nothing strategy...)

Improved channel and extra channel might be needed, but the DC is already improving 1 per level. Extra use can be good i guess especially if you are unlucky and miss a lot.
That's why is good to get fate's favored to improve divine favor.

I wonder if there is some way to get multiple channel smite per turn?
How to get 2 swift action? With the monk timestop ability?

Is there some way to get favored ennemy : undead without loosing channel || domain progression || spell? (feats? items? PrC?)

I have found the Soul Warder that grants a new channel pool that scales with your cleric level.
This means that with 1 dip, you got another pool, exactly the same as the original one but dedicated to hurt undead. Pretty straigth forward imo.

For example if you get Cleric 5, Soul Warden 1 you get:
Channel positive(cleric): 3D6 , 3+cha/day
Channel damage(S.Warden): 3D6 , 3+cha/day
Channel smite(cleric pool):6D6+11(lv11: 5(base) +1(trait)+5fcb))
Channel smite(S.W pool):6D6+12(lv12: 5(base)+1(trait)+5(fcb)+1(S.W)

The prestise class is quite good, and really flavorfull to this build. It also allows you to cast spells with your channel pool! And for limited known spells, they also add them to their spell list!
But you loose the favored class bonus and domain power / spell progression.

There is also the dip in Life oracle to get a 1+cha positive. But it doesnt scales alone i guess.

Metux

[Imbicatus]

Why not go wisdom primary? Since the build is focused on Channel Smite, it's easy to fit in Guided Hand, allowing your WIS to be higher for spells so you wont be a one-trick pony, while still being able to hit things on or out of channel smite.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Hmmmm, this makes me want to make a couple of clerics. One is an aasimar cleric of Sarenrae with the Glory and Sun domains to be an undead wrecker, and the other a tiefling who channels negative energy and is a living creature wrecker. Both would have Channel Smite and Guided hand.

Now I just need to find a deity with the Glory domain for the negative energy channeler that I have the source for.

[darkwarriorkarg]

Nergal and one of the devil lords, I think

[Imbicatus]

General Susumu and Gorum both allow negative channels and the Glory Domain.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Gorum is neutral? I could have sworn he was NG. Huh, that's interesting.

Edit: Oh, duh, there I go getting GOrum and Torag confused again. Don't know how I manage to do that all the time.

Also, Gorum is going to be great for this. Heroism and Tactics domains will be awesome together I think. I'll take Channel Smite at 1 and Guided Hand at 3. I'll just have to be a casting cleric until level 3 because I don't plan on boosting my Str all that high, so I'll be terribly miss-prone until then.

[Major_Blackhart]

One thing you might want to look at is the Holy Vindicator prestige class. That class is built for Channel Smite and damage.

[Metux]

I didn't go guided hand because i had weird rolls, plus i could get guided hand only at lv 3. Plus

But it's a good idea i guess, you can get rid of str if your god's weapons is melee or dex if ranged.

I looked at Holy vindicator, i prefer Soul warden much more!

I m looking at a feat chain : blessing equipment from the undead slayers handbook. But there is two things :
- 1 round per D6 of channel is really LOW!
- Standard action to activate, so you already loose 1 round if you dont get an AoO.
- It costs a lots channel to activate, but you can lower it with the improved versions.

But the properties are really good.
Any idea to optmize that? Or any other feat choices?

[Metux]

bump :)

[Metux]

Hey there , i'm back with a new idea to optimize my loved dhampir cleric of Sarenrae undead killer :D

I was talking about Bless equipment and the chain feat and just noticed something awesome with my build:

Quote:

This blessing lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of damage dice you are capable of dealing or healing with your channel energy ability (for example, the blessing of a cleric capable of channeling 3d6 points of damage would last for 3 rounds), during which time the item is treated as though it possessed the selected special ability. If the piece of equipment belongs to an unwilling creature, that creature may attempt a Will save to prevent the blessing, as if attempting a saving throw against your channel energy ability (so bonuses from channel resistance and similar effects apply); if the creature succeeds at its save, the channeled energy is expended to no effect.

This means that, since we get 1D6 of damage per level thanks to the FCB of dhampirs with channel smite. Channel smite, is a channel energy ability, which means we should be able to use the number of dices for damage purpose for the duration of this feat !

What do you think?:D
Plus the bane ability will allow us to get +2 enhancement bonus to our weapon in addition of the +2D6 to a type of creature you choose each time you use channels. Doing us less dependant to face undead to shine!

Ok if this works, this character is one of my favourite.

[Ellioti]

the dhampir FCB actually does nothing at all. It says +1 to caster level, but Channel Energy class feature is completely independent of any caster level. The term caster level is never mentioned.

[Glord Funkelhand]

Just wanted to point out, that you have two religion traits.

[Hazrond]

Glord Funkelhand wrote:

Just wanted to point out, that you have two religion traits.

not from what i see (maybe you misread region (which SHOULD be regional) as religion?)