A most confusing cleric, can we make it better?

[Renegadeshepherd]

Hello all. We've had a fair number of bad touch cleric threads of late and I figured I'd try my hand in it with the more recent material. This concept/character is made to be a guest NPC in a campaign I'm co-game mastering from 1-20. I've been told by my fellow GM who is head screenwriter that the cleric will be one of two potential final "bosses" to resolve the story. He will be a ecclisitheurge cleric of Azathoth.

With the madness and void domains he shall confuse the masses long enough for them to for them to be destroyed. Supported by his madness variant channeling this leaves 4 different ways me to drive you nuts. Channeling, madness aura at LV 8, void domains power at LV 8, and the confusion spells.

For one on one the strategy is use madness domain LV 1 to debuff and then quickened bestow curse. With magical lineage and its twin persistent spell is a zero increase and quickened bestow is a LV 5 spell. The kicker is when I'm satisfied their saves are crap cast phantasmal killer or suffocation to kill em off ; spells granted by dreamed secrets feat. I hate using so many spells to get one kill but it's very hard to resist.

The meat: 12,12,14,7,14(16),16
Traits:magical lineage and wayang

Human: selective channel
1st: improved channel
3rd: persistent spell (bestow curse)
5th: divine protection
7th: dreamed secrets
9th: quickened spell (bestow curse)
11th: divine interference or improved initiative
13th: bouncing spell?
15) spell perfection

Final note, mirrored images will be a favorite spell of mine because ill Need some protection without my armor.

Any tips or advice on mechanics or roleplay is welcome. Also I'm worried that this character would be too dangerous to a group if they are not prepared to make will saves.
A fighter could be confused into killing the sorcerer right next to him on some bad rolls.
Plus the character has potential for a small army with undead, summons, and void domains planar binding.

HELP!!!

[SanKeshun]

I will call your cleric Tim, because you did not provide a name for me to refer to him by.

Tim is a wayang, which probably means he venerates shadows. A quick Wikipedia search tells me Azathoth is the lord of a pantheon that does not even exist in reality, but in the shadows that lie between them. Here lies the roleplaying inspiration: that in the mindless chaos of a confused character, Tim believes they may know Azathoth's glory. With this as Tim's driving purpose, he will never need an army of undead or summons or anything. All he needs is to call out the city guard. A few bursts of confusion, and he has an army of fourth-level-some fighters on his hands. A little cheating for plot expedience lets you shift the exact percentages of what the guards do while confused to be more problematic for the PCs. At that point, the climactic battle with Tim turns into a deadly game of Where's Waldo as he hides in the terrified crowd. Save the spells and debuffs until the PCs have murdered the random people attacking them. Then Tim's already won. Even if he dies, he has sown chaos, and he has undone the reputation behind a great force for good and law. Then, when the PCs are already low on health and morally shaken, let them begin to fight him.
Furthermore, this helps deal with your 'fighter killing the sorcerer' issue, since the PCs will probably spread out more as they look for Tim.

Not sure if this is the type of roleplaying advice you wanted, but I hope you find it interesting in any case.

[Renegadeshepherd]

I think you may have solved a final confrontation problem sir. Tim finally displaying the power and making the crowds go mad provides good fun. Also would provid a situation where undead would be plentiful.

[Renegadeshepherd]

It occurs to me that maybe a little fluff may be deseriable. The rough idea of the poor guy is similar to Faren in dragon age 2 that he has been haunted by his visions and knowledge of the Dark Tapestry like how an oracle might be. He is a cleric because instead of being truly burdened as an oracle he has resisted the worst of the madness. Now having seen the power he intends to use it and the arc of the story and choices of players will guide him to what end.

Tim is only a young man of 16 and is completely broke at first with nothing but his signature black and white clothes and duster. Though fully human, his look is very elven in nature. Tall, thin, with long brown hair if it were not for his sporadic outbursts he could be normal.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

I recommend swapping the Cha and Wis...make your Wisdom 16+2=18. The Bad touch cleric does need high spell DCs. And you can increase CHA later...not to mention early even into late levels WIll saves are easy enough to target. They can always roll a 1 or really low as well.

Quote:

Human: selective channel

1st: improved channel
3rd: persistent spell (bestow curse)
5th: divine protection
7th: dreamed secrets
9th: quickened spell (bestow curse)
11th: divine interference or improved initiative
13th: bouncing spell?
15) spell perfection

When you pick metamagics you do not need to pick a spell to pair it with you can prepare it with any spell that matches the criteria. But THis is what I suggest:

Human: selective channel
1st: improved channel
3rd: Bouncing Spell or Extend Spell
5th: divine protection
7th: persistent spell
9th: Spell Penetration (this is the levels that SR comes up)
11th: divine interference (if you like being all group support) or Quicken spell like ability: Vision of Madness (if your DM is ok with monster feats)
13th: Quicken Spell
15th: spell perfection

Why I suggest: When it comes to meta Magics and prepared casters it is more ideal to grab meta magics you can use. Taking them too early is the same as taking a dead feat to come online later. My suggestion above takes them in the order of +1 into +2 into +4. TYpically Quicken spell is not worth it on a prepared caster till 13th. At that level it becomes the sweet spot and you will find plenty of use. Taking Quicken spell at 9 you will only be quickening 1st level spells but the trade off will be terrible as 5th level spells are very good as opposed to a quickened 1st level.

Even with the lower CHA +2 divine protection is good. Getting +2 to all 3 saves is still like taking 3 feats in 1...and it will only get better if/when you get a headband with both Cha and Wisdom.

I dislike dreamed secrets as 20 will save can be failed with bad luck. Like my saying above...they can always roll a 1 or really low. So can you. And taking a wisdom Damage is very bad when you come across that bad luck. I do not like Hurting myself when I am having a bad/unlucky night.

Welp those are my suggestion...hope something helped.

[Renegadeshepherd]

@Fruian: Ive been debating the 16 charisma I admit. Its a hard choice as it represents a net difference of +1 to fort and better channeling versus extra spell DC. In the early game the charisma wins out but towards the end wisdom is clearly the winner.

One thing that might change your feat order, because it was buried in a big post, is that Ill be taking magical lineage and wayang as traits for bestow curse. The combo I intend is at level 9 being able to use vision of madness power from my domain to lower the saves and then quicken bestow curse. If successful the combo will give them -8 to attacks and saves while at the same time confusing the victim for up to 3 rounds because of the lv8 void domain power. I admit that isn't a kill but its not far from it when the save or dies spells wont work.

Im probably going to use the human favored class bonus to overcome outsiders SR, is that enough? I hate to take spell penetration but sometimes its necessary I know.

Finally what would you say to reach spell instead of bouncing spell? It occurred to me just a bit ago that Tim could simply use bestow curse as a level 3 with reach to weaken and confuse enemies when level 8 comes along instead of jumping into 2 enemies with bouncing. I do have persistent after all.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Reach spell is a yes...Rods will also be your best friend come later in the game so you can do it more often. I myself Like extend and I still buy the lesser rod.

I understand the level 9 intent and you can most certainly do it. As far as Human favored class I recommend getting a +2 for outsiders but I STILL recommend Spell Penetration as landing Visions of Madness (sp) is the Key debuff in your arsenal. Even if you do not get another spell off they are hurting. It is fun to do. The Group Wizard can also benefit from the debuff come his initiative. Also you will most likely only be quickening Bestow Curse. It will be hard to use for a few more levels on anything else.

Weigh your options on Spell pen tho because you possibly will be fighting more than outsiders with SR.

[Kaboogy]

Why take selective channel and spell penetration? As a villain you'll be fighting the PCs, who usually don't have SR, and you'll probably only be fighting with raised undead, so no need for being selective.
As for the domain powers, I'm a big big fan of quickened spell-like ability. That way you won't need to quicken the bestow curse and use up those high slots.
Anyway, make sure the party isn't too strong on the mental defense side, or you'll make a pretty poor villain. I'd hate to see you unroll Tim just to have the party paladin come up and smack him away.

[Renegadeshepherd]

Kaboogy wrote:

Why take selective channel and spell penetration? As a villain you'll be fighting the PCs, who usually don't have SR, and you'll probably only be fighting with raised undead, so no need for being selective.

As for the domain powers, I'm a big big fan of quickened spell-like ability. That way you won't need to quicken the bestow curse and use up those high slots.
Anyway, make sure the party isn't too strong on the mental defense side, or you'll make a pretty poor villain. I'd hate to see you unroll Tim just to have the party paladin come up and smack him away.

It's true that this was designed for a possible villain but both I and my co-GM agree we want a PC styled character not a monster that is a man. I may even use a variation on the character sometime for myself (though I doubt it). The selective channel is also because of when I summon on top of Tims guest star role.

You mentioned the paladin and his high saves... I think it would be interesting to watch those two go at each other. The highest saves versus the best debuffing, I wonder who wins out.

[Renegadeshepherd]

I will change the racial bonus to wisdom as suggested.

feats 17 quickened mirror images and 19 quickened suffocation.

[Kaboogy]

Again, you don't need to take the quickened feat for each spell. You take it once, and can apply it to all spells known.