Hi hive mind, our group has a quandary. One of our group has decided, shock horror to return to D&D 5E, and while we wish him well, this now gives us a bit of a problem in the party balance.
So our current make up
1. main Hitter - Katana wielding chainsaw
2. sneaky b****rd - dual wielding kukri
3. Wizard
4. Cleric, who is more about supporting the team than combat... he's combat shy
5. our departed dwarven axe wielder, near impossible to hit tank.
so our DM has said that as I am the cleric, we should probably rejig him.
So here are the rules:
20 point build
13 level
Focus should be on either being a meatshield with healing and buffing.
Option 1 - Full Cleric, but change his feats, slap some decent armour on him, get rid of the great axe, and give him a big shield and going down the stalwart defender path
Option 2 - A full paladin but going doing the Hospitaler archetype
Option 3 - something else? (suggestions open)
Happy for any advice here.
Cheers
What are the classes and races of everybody else? And general other build things.
Human Invulnerable Rager Barbarians with Superstitious (boosted by favored class bonus) are excellent tanks and powerful anti-casters, but also are rather cookie-cutter ish and will get in the way of your Cleric or Wizard buffing/healing/saving him.
Regular Paladin sans Hospitaler archetype will be fairly difficult to kill. Heavy Armor + Lay on Hands is potent enough by itself. Oath of Vengeance gets you more smites per day, if necessary. Oath against Chaos opens up another 2 alignments that you can smite, increasing it to: LE, NE, CE, CN, CG.
Samurai is built to tank, although it is meant to be katana/wakizashi/nodachi-focused.
Sorry forgot that bit... We are still in shock from the departure...
Fighter/Samurai - HumanSneaky b******rd - Kenku ninja
Cleric - currently half-Orc
Wizard - human
Departed player- dwarf fighter with all his stuff poured into defense
Currently thinking either remodel the half Orc into a paladin or go the full paladin aasimir
Only thing that worries me is the buffing spells for the paladin... Just wondering if full cleric with stalwart defender would be the best fit
From memory
Str 17 (+2 racial)
Con 14
Dex 13
Int 9
Wis 15/19
Cha 14/ 18
He has a head band of mental prowess +4 (wis/Cha)
Great axe +2 but only uses it when he had to... Relied on the main fighters to do the majority of combat
+2 horn armour ( we had a run in with skulks firing armour piercing arrows)
Gm has given blessing to rework current class to be more melee based.
Or go full paladin
Current feats
Power attack, selective channel, extra channel, spell penetration, channeling force - cant remember the others will edit when I get home
I kinda like the current guy, he has survived a number of near death experiences
An option that just occurred to me....while sitting on the train....
Archer cleric... We do lack archery backup...I tried it before but it didn't work out.... Got coup de graced by a mummy paralysis... Who would have figured I'd roll a 1 on a will save as a cleric......
Maybe drop the Str up con and Dex
Crossbow mastery, rapid reload, precise shot?
Thoughts?
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Don't bother with a crossbow. Get a god whose favored weapon is a longbow, or take martial weapon proficiency. Its worth it. Crossbows can't be made composite for the strength bonus to damage.
Con 13, str 14, dex 17, you're good. Can dump cha more actually. Quite a lot more.
You'll want rapid shot, many shot, deadly aim, improved precise shot as soon as you qualify for it.
Lv 1:selective channel
Lv 3:point blank
Lv 5: precise shot
Lv 7:rapid shot
Lv 9: deadly aim
Lv 11: Many shot
I don't think you have the BAB for improved precise shot. Lv 13 feat goes to martial weapon prof longbow.
I second Holy Vindicator, though I'd stay with it instead of just dipping. Makes you a reasonable healer with decent (buffed) melee abilities and high defense.
Start as Life Oracle (7 levels) or Cleric (8 levels for the second domain powers). With your level and access to expensive equipment, I'd say go Cleric because Oracles tend to have much worse saves which sucks at the front lines.
Try someting like a cleric of Iomedae, Tactics and Heroism domains, wielding a longsword (flavor, mostly) and a shield. Get Extra Channel and renew Vindicator's shield between fights, if needed/possible. Don't forget getting Magical Knack and Power Attack and you're good to go. Rest of the build doesn't matter that much. I'd probably go for stuff like Weapon Focus, Improved Critical, Extend and/or Quicken Spell, maybe Shield Focus/Toughness if you think you need even more defense.
It's nothing fancy but it works quite good as a support/healer/melee/tank hybrid.
Thanks everybody appreciate the help
A reach cleric would work.
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A Reach Evangelist Cleric w/ Growth Domain
Traits: Transmuter- (Cat's Grace) and Fate's Favored
Human 20 point buy:
Str: 17, Dex: 13, Con: 14, Int: 8, Wis: 15, Cha: 10
Human @ Level 13
Str: 18, Dex: 14, Con: 14, Int: 8, Wis: 16, Cha: 10
Core Items absolutely needed:
Headband of Wisdom +4 (Needed for casting your highest spells)
+1 Holy Adamantine Long spear (to attach banner to)
Banner of the Ancient Kings (+4 to inspire courage now)
Belt of Str +2 (or Better)
Mithral Chain Shirt (I'm a fan of Extend rod+Magic Vestment)
Lesser rod of Extend
Lesser rod of Reach
Feats:
Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Sacred Summons, Spell focus Conjuration, Augmented summoning, Power attack, Flag Bearer, Quicken Spell
Basically your turn is:
Round 1:
Standard Action: Summon Monster w/ Sacred Summoning
Move: Move into Position for reach tactics and provide flank for your Summoned monster
Swift: Start Inspire Courage
Summoned Creature's Action: (held to after your done buffing)
Full- Round w/ flanking bonus, Inspired courage, Flag Bearer Buffs. (+8 to hit for anything in your radius of Influence. And you can jack it higher with spells like Prayer and Blessing of Fervor.)
As far as being a "Meat Shield" your summons should draw some hits away from you. But your AC should not be too bad considering you have access to Bark-skin, Cat's Grace, Magic Vestment, Shield of Faith/Protection from Evil. You will be surprised how good an AC you will have in light armor.
Appreciate all the great suggestions, even those unhelpful ones from my GM....
I have decided to keep the guy I have now and tweak him, so this is what I came up with.
I dropped a level of cleric and took a level of holy vindicator.
Seben
Half-Orc cleric of Ra (Fire/Heroism domain)
Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 19, Cha 18
Feats:
Power Attack, Selective Channel, Improved Initiative, Heavy Armor proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Extra Channel, Alignment Channel
traits:
Exalted of the Society
Reactionary
Weapons: +2 battle axe
Armour: Full plate +2, Heacy Steel Shield +2
Some other minor magic items
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Channel clerics that are not Hangover clerics make me cry inside. They end up being so bad...yet you squeak by barily and everyone praises the channel build. When it is typically bad play style that make a group depend on someone to play heal b#!~! instead of building a more balanced group and working with better strategy.
Just to note, any Cleric can access Mirror Image by going Separatist and picking up the Trickery:Deception subdomain, which is a whole other level of not getting hit. I know some people would say Heroism/Deception is a very strange and inappropriate combo, but personally I love the yin/yang flavor of it, and it's appropriate for a 'rulership' deity; "He who knows not how to dissimulate, can not rule".
As far as variant channeling goes, Ra has Rulership...