|
I'm looking at building a Cleric of Feronia, the goddess has some interesting lore behind her as both an ex-wife of Dispater and mother of Ragathiel. I'm liking how divine prepared casters can get access to the entire list of spells for their class without cumbersome spellbook/familiar mechanics, despite how prepared casters have turned me off in the past. Her weapon proficiency, domains and portfolio are all things that intrigue me.
Here's what I'm thinking for Level 1
Race: Human
Alignment: True Neutral
Domains: Fire and Liberation
STR: 16
DEX: 12
CON: 14
INT: 7
WIS: 16
CHA: 12
Feats: Versatile Channel, Channel Ray
Their equipment would be a bastard sword and a buckler, allowing my character to freely switch between spellcasting, two-handing the bastard sword, and gaining an Shield bonus to AC from the buckler. His third level feat would go into Heavy Armor Proficiency to further increase his AC.
I decided to go with Channel Ray rather than Selective Channel because it Channel Ray allows me to single out a target for healing/damaging without the need for a high charisma to make sure I don't damage/heal allies/enemies at inopportune moments, allowing a slightly higher strength. 5th Level would have Power attack and and then Extra Channel at 7th.
For skills, I get the minimum 1 per level + human skilled racial trait + Favored Class Bonus, for 3 points total, spread between Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and likely a few flavor skills that fit thematically.
Any glaring details I'm missing that will give him a crippling weakness? And any recommendations for traits? Personality wise he's very self-assured of his masculinity, and outside of battle prides himself on his ability to live up to the fertility aspect of his goddess' portfolio, while also wanting to ensure he's still a positive (in his eyes) influence, however distant, as a father to all the wild oats he's sewn over the years.
|
Actually not doing a terribly great job by his kids despite, or perhaps because, of his efforts might make for an interesting approach.
Or he might be too eager to jump into doomed or otherwise unhealthy relationships in the heat of the moment, as a sort of reflection of Feronia's most famous one. Or he might be too willing to turn a blind eye when it comes to his loved ones' faults until things boil over, either being too doting or too laid back when it comes to those closest to him.
He could be someone who is well meaning but blind to the full consequences of his actions. Maybe his ignorance is willful, maybe not. Maybe someone will point it out to him, maybe he'll acknowledge it and try to change, maybe it'll take something blowing up and proving to be very much "not okay, Dad" before it sinks in.
Edit-D'oh! Misread that as asking for a glaring weakness. ;)
|
|
I have yet to see Legend of Korra, though I have seen The Last Avatar's first series.
And it's fine, character weaknesses are helpful in their own way, but at present mechanical weaknesses are my central concern.
Building on what you've said though, I'd say there's a touch of willful ignorance to the consequences, not realizing that he could very much have a large family without a large number of partners.
I'm not quite certain how one would go about the "not doing a terribly great job by his kids despite, or perhaps because, of his efforts might make for an interesting approach" part of your suggestion. Could you elaborate?
|
Channel Ray is a bad idea with this character. With 12 Dex your Ray Attacks are going to miss often and if you miss with a Channel Ray you've expended a daily channel. As a Human, you're better off making Str your +2 racial boost, dropping Wis to 15, and spending the 3 points gained to up Charisma to 14. Take Selective Channel and you can exclude 2 enemies when healing. No need to exclude allies when channeling to harm since it only affects undead.
I'd drop the idea of either 2handed or using a buckler. Buckler is nice in that it lets you use that hand to cast spells....but if you 2hand with a buckler you're eating a -1 to attack and losing your AC from the buckler. The last thing you want on a 3/4 BAB class is more penalties to hit. If you're set on going into melee and using a sword, grab Power Attack at 7th level and get Vital Strike at 9th. Buy a Scabbard of Vigor (or a couple) to get some extra +hit & +dmg when needed.
Your could also check with your GM if using a Light Quickdraw shield and having the Quick Draw feat if that would allow you to put up your shield, 2hand with the sword, and then re-equip your shield. I know most GM's in PFS allow this so maybe it'll work for you?
|
|
Ah, missed that detail on a buckler imposing a penalty like that. However I think you're missing a few things:
1. I'm going to be taking Versatile Channel, which means I'll be able to Channel both Positive and Negative energy as the situation allows. Channel Ray doesn't need an attack roll to hit a willing target.
2. Don't forget that as a ray, it's going against touch AC.
But I suppose that with the fire domain power I can simply use its power for ranged attacks to harm individual foes without expending a feat. That said, the group I usually play with is pretty good with focusing their attacks to take out enemies one at a time, so selective healing to exclude just the enemies who have already been harmed is viable.
Although with wisdom reduced to 15, I think at that point I'd be better off going with the Catastrophe domain, one of Feronia's subdomains.
I'll just not bother with the shield I'll likely have better things to spend my action economy on.
|
|
My belief is that you found something that you deeply appreciate and anticipate playing and got overwhelmed with the choices that it brought to you. If you would so kind as to post what your highest priorities are we will help make the mechanics more smooth.edit/ps: see if you can get magda in here to give his/her perspective as that individual is usually spot on when it comes to clerics.
To summarize what I want mechanically, I want a character that is proficient in melee, and when they aren't able to engage the enemy in melee with one move action, will spend their standard action doing something to A) Harm enemies at range, or B) Prepare/Help themselves and allies through buffing, in that order of preference. Basically I don't want to spend a turn taking two move actions.
I intend to take Spontaneous casting of Cure Spells, and therefore channelling positive energy, which means my negative channel will be reduced (Only just caught that detail on another read-through, thank you for pointing that out). However, even adding a 1d6 to the damage will be useful for boosting their static/average damage. I think I'll swap Versatile Channel with Channel Smite, and pick up Versatile Channel at Level 3.
How's this for an ability array instead?
STR: 16
DEX: 12
CON: 12
INT: 7
WIS: 14
CHA: 16
If I went with Guided hand, what kind of stat array would you recommend? I still want to be able to haul around in heavy armor and two-hand a bastard sword, so reducing strength can only go as far as 14.
I don't think I want to take the Crusader Archetype, even with the feats it can grant, because it kind of grates against the theme of the character, and the reduced spell casting further limits their options for standard actions in combat. Feronia doesn't strike me as a crusading goddess.
|
|
Actually, Warpriest does get channeling. They should just never use it as Fervor is 50 times better.
normally true, but channeling scourge feat allows inquisitor levels to count as cleric levels on the condition that your channeling negative energy. not as good as being straight cleric but it might be more appropriate depending on the vision of the OP.The channeling however would only be as good as the dip. Hardly worth dipping one measly level of cleric.but would lose channeling. though inquisitor with a dip of cleric could work I admit. up to the OP.How in love with the Cleric class are you?
If you are just going that route because you want a deity worshiper, you could go warpriest. Might fit the concept and direction you want a little better.
Do Warpriests have an equivalent feat for their Fervor as the Cleric's Versatile Channeller?
Have you thought about being a reach cleric? Shift your stats to something like:
STR: 16
DEX: 14
CON: 13
INT: 09
WIS: 13
CHA: 14
Pick where you want your +2 to go (probably Strength), then use your 4th & 8th level bumps to increase Wisdom and Constitution. Everything else into Strength.
Benefit - you cast on your turn & use reach AoEs to get attacks on multiple opponent on their turn. If you focus on positioning yourself for reach control of the battlefield, you'll make up for the fact that your 3/4 BaB doesn't give you iteratives as quickly as full BaB characters, because you'll be focusing on AoEs. This type of a build has good action economy and excels when facing multiple opponents, but you're not going to get a single large damage attack - leave that for the two-handed full BaB characters. If you're interested, take a look at Brewer's Guide to Reach Clerics - it's a pretty good guide.
|
|
While the Reach Cleric, and it's capitalization on the 3/4 BAB is good, I'd rather get the most out of Feronia's favored weapon, the Bastard Sword, as a cleric.
I've been letting the Crusader Archetype stew, and if I went with the Protection domain, I'd be okay with the powers and spell selection it grants.
I'm thinking Crusader Archetype, Protection Domain
STR: 16
DEX: 12
CON: 12
INT: 7
WIS: 14
CHA: 14
And now I'm trying to decide between putting my +2 from being human in CHA or STR, and where I'd put my 4th and 8th level advancements.
If I went for 16 CHA my channelling would be more useful and plentiful, but if I bumped strength up to 18, I think I could wait until I got a headband that boosted WIS and CHA before grabbing a Strength Belt. I'd likely put my 4th and 8th advancements to ability scores wherever I didn't put my human bonus. Crusader Archetype obviously leans to melee, So I think 18 strength is the better idea.
A flame or heavens oracle might be up your ally. Flame makes for a very good mobile melee combatant with tons of blasting potential. Heaven's gives you access to a bunch of ray spells, including Color Spray. Heavens works better as a range build.
If you want channeling, you could go duel-cursed to take Life mystery. But, your casting would suffer.
|
|
Woah, hold up on that stat array. Last time I checked this thread you had a 14 in Con. If you plan on going into melee with that Bastard Sword you need to bring that Con back up. 12 is a dangerous place to be.
Human
Traits: Fate's Favored, Exalted of Society (or whatever else you may want)
stats: str16 (with +2 racial bonus added), dex12, con14, int7, wis15, cha14.
Essentially if you're not capitalizing on Wisdom then you can let it fall behind as long as it'll be enough to cast your higher level spells when you get them. Str doesn't have to be insanely high because you have Divine Favor and similar buff spells that boost your hit/dmg (fate's favored trait will also help). If you don't want to Selective Channel then you may as well drop Charisma to 12 and spend the 3 points on Dex to up it to 14. Because you're not focusing on Charisma as your main stat the enemies will succeed their save vs your negative channeling 90% of the time with or without Channel Ray. Negative Channeling is pretty worthless unless you're making it a 17 on creation and bumping it to 18 at 4th level, otherwise expect to do half damage anytime you channel.
Btw, 90% of the time channeling negative energy regularly is the best option. You don't have to try and hit them (-4 if they are in melee, -4 if they have cover) as you would with Channel Ray. Also, Channel Ray targets only 1 whereas regularly channeling hits all enemies automatically. Channel Ray is a means for boosting your decent/high channel DC vs 1 target to make sure they don't succeed their DC check to halve damage.
Hope this helps.
|
|
What you seek is very practical and doable, just will not be near optimal. Crusader is the safest and easiest path to being a bastard sword swinging engine of death but that's out. Evangelist would be my second choice but the diminished channeling dice and light armor is risky for a versatile channeler.
So you need ecclisitheurge or vanilla cleric based off liberation and protection domains. Always highest priority to of your domain slots to spells that you cant normally cast especially with ecclisitheurge.
Ecclisitheurge on the surface may look like its soft and squishy but look up a few threads on how sorcerers have 40+ AC as your going to be doing the same thing. This route practically requires channel smite and guided hand though as you need high wisdom to cast enough of those self buffs. The side effect is that you need only 13 strength for power attack and even that is debatable with channel smite being around.
Now if you go vanilla then you have to go the strength route and 18 is the magic number because of the heavy armor and weight. 16(18),12,14,7,14,12 is the way to go statwise.
Well having let myself think on it, I'm not completely willing to count Crusader out completely, and I'm also willing to let Ecclesitheurge have a shot. What do these guides for high AC as a caster typically entail? I searched and couldn't find anything.
|
|
Of course, talking all about this, I'm beginning to get fed up with the Cleric's MADness, and centering what I want most:
- Charming, they have a charisma score that makes their background believable, and so something that feeds off of Charisma is preferable.
- Battlefield Control: I want spells that make it hurt for the enemy to continue standing where they're standing. I want to bunch them in a group so I can then either clobber them with a spell or start cutting through them in melee.
- A touch of a natural theme, to go with the goddess of this character.
- Immensely preferable that they have high AC.
|
|
Here's an old build that I had written out for a versatile channeler that was melee focused also.
Class – Cleric
Race – Human
Alignment - Neutral
Aura: Channel Evil
Traits -
* Reactionary [combat]
* Fate’s Favored [faith]
Stats -
Str: 15
Dex: 10
Con: 14
Int: 7
Wis: 14
Cha: 17 (+2 added)
7,0,5,-4,5,7
1) Cleric 1: Bab +1, Fey Foundling (Human), Selective Channel (lvl 1), Heavy Armor Proficiency (Crusader), +1sp
2) Cleric 2: Bab +2, +1sp
3) Cleric 3: Bab +2, Versatile Channeler (lvl 3), +1sp
4) Cleric 4: Bab +3, +1 Cha, +1sp
5) Cleric 5: Bab +4, Divine Protection (lvl 5), Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword (Crusader), +1sp
6) Cleric 6: Bab +5, +1sp
7) Cleric 7: Bab +5, Reactive Healing (lvl 7), +1sp
8) Cleric 8: Bab +6/+1, +1 Str, +1sp
9) Cleric 9: Bab +7/+2, Quick Channel (lvl 9), +1sp
10) Cleric 10: Bab +8/+3, +1sp
11) Cleric 11: Bab +8/+3, Divine Interference (lvl 11), YourChoiceButI'dTakeGreaterWeaponFocus (Crusader), +1sp
Gear:
Circlet of Persuasion – head slot
Phylactery of negative channeling – headband slot
Ioun stone for a +2 wisdom
Rod of Splendor +4 Charisma bonus
10th Level you can choose from Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, or Improved Critical. My advise is Greater Weapon Focus. You can pickup Improved Critical at level 13 and it's better to hit more often with GWF than getting +2dmg with WSpec. To increase damage just put an enchantment on your bastard sword that'll work against most creatures you encounter for extra damage (bane, electricity, etc.)
Divine Protection is banned in PFS but in a Homegame you'll get a ton out of it as it'll add a +4 to all saves on top of your already high saves. You can tank Dex since you'll be wearing Heavy Armor, and even though it sucks to have 10dex it helps you be less MAD with your stats.
Reactive Healing works when a creature downs you as it'll use 1 channel to heal only you immediately and your Fey Foundling will add a ton of extra hp back in addition to the damage healed. Divine Interference is what every Cleric should get at 11th level.
You can change the Reactionary trait to some kind of social trait that helps be more "charming". The dex drop, thanks to Heavy Armor, allows you to be less MAD. Otherwise you're going to have to play an Oracle or Warpriest to help lower the MAD issues because you have to tank Charisma or Wis (Wis has to stay just above the curve of new spells you gain so you can cast your highest spells.)
Of course, talking all about this, I'm beginning to get fed up with the Cleric's MADness, and centering what I want most:
- Charming, they have a charisma score that makes their background believable, and so something that feeds off of Charisma is preferable.
- Battlefield Control: I want spells that make it hurt for the enemy to continue standing where they're standing. I want to bunch them in a group so I can then either clobber them with a spell or start cutting through them in melee.
- A touch of a natural theme, to go with the goddess of this character.
- Immensely preferable that they have high AC.
Nature oracle can get Cha to AC, high Charisma, nature theme, and access to full spellcasting for control.
|
|
Nature oracle can get Cha to AC, high Charisma, nature theme, and access to full spellcasting for control.Of course, talking all about this, I'm beginning to get fed up with the Cleric's MADness, and centering what I want most:
- Charming, they have a charisma score that makes their background believable, and so something that feeds off of Charisma is preferable.
- Battlefield Control: I want spells that make it hurt for the enemy to continue standing where they're standing. I want to bunch them in a group so I can then either clobber them with a spell or start cutting through them in melee.
- A touch of a natural theme, to go with the goddess of this character.
- Immensely preferable that they have high AC.
He wants to versatile channel. Nature Oracle doesn't do that.
|
|
I think I'm going to go with Kysune's stat array on a Crusader Cleric, start off with negative energy channel. My to-hit with the Bastard Sword won't be the best but access to the bonus weapon focus feats will help with that, and I'll be able to channel negative energy while excluding 3 (and eventually 4) of my allies. The 4th level stat advancement would go into strength, and magic item purchases would include a Belt of Giant Strength +2 and a Headband of Mental Prowess (+2 WIS and CHA) in that order. The 8th level ability score advancement would be in charisma.
|
|
I think I'm going to go with Kysune's stat array on a Crusader Cleric, start off with negative energy channel. My to-hit with the Bastard Sword won't be the best but access to the bonus weapon focus feats will help with that, and I'll be able to channel negative energy while excluding 3 (and eventually 4) of my allies. The 4th level stat advancement would go into strength, and magic item purchases would include a Belt of Giant Strength +2 and a Headband of Mental Prowess (+2 WIS and CHA) in that order. The 8th level ability score advancement would be in charisma.
With the Fate's Favored trait and Divine Favor spell you'll be rocking an extra +2atk/+2dmg that'll also increase as you get higher Caster Level. Hope you enjoy your unholy warrior in your campaign. :)
I world suggest going normal cleric and take a dip level in fighter to get the heavy armor prof. Crusader reduces your spell casting and that is the clerics best ability, imho.
You can take weapon focus as your fighter bonus feat to make up for your 3/4 cleric BAB.
|
|
I world suggest going normal cleric and take a dip level in fighter to get the heavy armor prof. Crusader reduces your spell casting and that is the clerics best ability, imho.
You can take weapon focus as your fighter bonus feat to make up for your 3/4 cleric BAB.
Since your Wisdom is not primary he has a point. You won't gain the bonus spell slot for having high Wisdom after like 3-4th spell level so you'll essentially be as if you were a level behind. Fighter will give you Heavy Armor Proficiency and you can pickup 2 domains instead of 1. I'd highly consider it unless you just want to stay "pure".
I also suggest you take Channel Smite instead of Channeling Ray. Channeling to heal in combat usually isn't the best way to heal unless your GM goes for the TPKs. Healing out of combat is much more effective. Besides, at lower levels, your spells should be sufficient to heal most/all damage.
Channel Smite lets you add your channel damage to a single melee attack. With Channel Ray, you still need to hit the willing target with the ray, they just ignore the save. That means you need Point Blank and Precise Shot. Even with a fighter dip, the cleric doesn't have that many feats.
For a channel focused build, I would recommend this for levels 1-5.
1 - Cleric, Channel Smite, Improved Channel (+2 channel DC), channel negative energy
2 - Fighter level, WF (favored Weapon), armor proficiencies
3 - back to cleric, Versatile Channel
4 - cleric
5 - cleric, Extra Channel
Also, channel smite opens up guided hand, which can be a big boost depending on your attributes.
That is very true. But, I think his WIS will be too low for it to be of any use.