Question wrt Herald caller archetype stacking

[Wicky1976]

I would like to make a reach cleric.

My idea would be to start as vanilla (ie un-archetyped cleric) for level 1
(get 2 good domain abilities and the medium armour profiency)
for level 2-4 go herald caller to gain the augment summoning and spell focus conjuration and 4 levels with more skill ranks and then go back to the vanilla cleric.

bab, channel, saves spells per day all stay the same, the only important thing that I would loose would be the domain spell on my highest spell known that one would always have to come from the primary domain.

As I read it, it doesn't matter that I only take herald caller for 4 levels; even on higher levels I would be able to continue to swap the spells for summons, continue to be able to talk to them continue to be able to channel them. I am not really that interested in being able get bonuses to cast summons defensively and the superior summoning for having to invest 4 more levels in it seems slim pickings. The goodness seems level front loaded or am I missing something major?

[Kalindlara]

The issue is, you can't switch between archetyped and non-archetyped from level to level. If you're a Herald Caller, all your cleric levels have to be Herald Caller cleric levels.

[Melkiador]

You cannot turn archetypes off and on. You either are or are not a herald caller cleric.

[Wicky1976]

I missed that Kalindlara and Melkiador.. so much stuff to learn.. where is that rule ?

[Create Mr. Pitt]

Yeah it's unfortunate. Herald Caller is sooooo close to being awesome, but it forces you to give up too much. If it took a domain or medium armor proficiency it'd be great, but both is too much to make it a great archetype.

Clerics generally were nerfed just a tad too much in PF. All clerics should get 4 + INT skills and the herald caller needs more than the two free feats if the archetype is going to take a domain and armor proficiency. It's a shame I'd give up channeling in a second for herald caller.

[Kalindlara]

Wicky1976 wrote:

I missed that Kalindlara and Melkiador.. so much stuff to learn.. where is that rule ?

From the Advanced Player's Guide. ^_^

Advanced Player's Guide wrote:

Most of the options presented on the following pages include a host of alternate class features. When a character selects a class, he must choose to use the standard class features found in the Core Rulebook or those listed in one of the archetypes presented here. Each alternate class feature replaces a specific class feature from its parent class. For example, the elemental fist class feature of the monk of the four winds replaces the stunning fist class feature of the monk. When an archetype includes multiple class features, a character must take all of them—often blocking the character from ever gaining certain familiar class features, but replacing them with equally powerful options. All of the other class features found in the core class and not mentioned among the alternate class features remain unchanged and are acquired normally when the character reaches the appropriate level (unless noted otherwise). A character who takes an alternate class feature does not count as having the class feature that was replaced when meeting any requirements or prerequisites.