You can have clerics without deity just choosing their domains for their beliefs.
Would they also choose the "deity's" favored weapon or would just no favored weapon be available to them?
I'm asking because I think about a katana flurrying samurai with the crusaders flurry feat.
That let's you use your deity's favored weapon for flurry. I don't like the domains of the only non evil katana deity to much.
+1. A cleric with no deity exchanges favored weapon proficiency for the freedom to choose domains that match their philosophy. (Offer not valid in PFS or other strict canon Golarion settings where clerics must worship a deity because JJ said so.)
A third option if you're stuck in strict canon Golarion is to make up a family or house deity--for example, the Vudrani have thousands of undefined deities one could choose from. Have your cake and eat it too! (Offer not valid in PFS because imagination is the enemy.)
Ok, makes sense and is as expected.
Fortunately I don't have to deal with PFS :-)
Still we have one player whose a but reluctant when it comes to house rules.
Edit, thanks of course ;-)
A cleric with no deity exchanges favored weapon proficiency for the freedom to choose domains that match their philosophy
Not strictly true. The two things are not connected. Clerics get the proficiency in the favored weapon of their deity, if they don't have a deity they don't get it, but it isn't a 'trade' exactly. A cleric with an archetype that didn't alter domains, but did remove the favored weapon proficiency could still choose to not worship a particular deity and thus choose two domains without 'trading' anything away.
(Offer not valid in PFS or other strict canon Golarion settings where clerics must worship a deity because JJ said so.)
To be fair, the ability to choose your own domains is expressly noted as being subject to GM approval. The offer may not not be valid in a lot of other situations than those you note.
I have run many a campaign where clerics had to worship a defined list of deities and the choose your domain wasn't allowed. I have also allowed it. This is going to vary from campaign to campaign. I also might in theory decide that X and Y domain together weren't allowed for one reason or another.
Shizuru has awesome non-level-dependent Domains. Honor for Honor Bound to reroll failed saves vs. Enchantment effects? Holy hell yes. Gentle Rest from Repose for a no-save Staggered effect with a touch, a Domain Strike or a Conductive weapon? Indecently good combat debuff.
Anyhow, as mentioned, Separatist lets you pick one free Domain, or the Crusader Cleric Archetype lets you ditch one Domain for free Weapon Focus.
For a katana-flurry "Samurai", also consider 4 levels of Sacred Fist of Shizuru - it grants Channel Energy, Flurry of Blows, WIS AC +1, and swift-action Divine Favor on self that can be made +3 attack and damage with traits. Or even just pure Sacred Fist of Shizuru; ironically, Sacred Fist is a far deadlier class with a weapon than unarmed, and a Sacred Fist of Shizuru can use the Glory blessing for powerful defense.
For a katana-flurry "Samurai", also consider 4 levels of Sacred Fist of Shizuru - it grants Channel Energy, Flurry of Blows, WIS AC +1, and swift-action Divine Favor on self that can be made +3 attack and damage with traits. Or even just pure Sacred Fist of Shizuru; ironically, Sacred Fist is a far deadlier class with a weapon than unarmed, and a Sacred Fist of Shizuru can use the Glory blessing for powerful defense.
As far as I can tell, a Sacred Fist of Shizuru isn't proficient in the Katana and couldn't flurry with it even if they were. Not following how they're more deadly with weapons in a general sense either. Is there something I'm missing?
For a katana-flurry "Samurai", also consider 4 levels of Sacred Fist of Shizuru - it grants Channel Energy, Flurry of Blows, WIS AC +1, and swift-action Divine Favor on self that can be made +3 attack and damage with traits. Or even just pure Sacred Fist of Shizuru; ironically, Sacred Fist is a far deadlier class with a weapon than unarmed, and a Sacred Fist of Shizuru can use the Glory blessing for powerful defense.As far as I can tell, a Sacred Fist of Shizuru isn't proficient in the Katana and couldn't flurry with it even if they were. Not following how they're more deadly with weapons in a general sense either. Is there something I'm missing?
Weapon Proficiency: Katana solves the proficiency problem; Crusader's Flurry solves the Flurry problem.
Flurry of Blows with a weapon in two hands tends to way out-do flurry with unarmed strikes on any character, since a weapon in two hands gains two-handed Power Attack, is much cheaper to enchant, and generally has better stats (except for dice at high levels). Monks have some special things that help compensate for the weaknesses of unarmed strikes, though two-handing a weapon is still often the optimal way to go with even a Monk. Sacred Fist, however, gets none of the Monk unarmed strike tricks other than the dice. On the other hand, Sacred Fist flurry with a greatsword or a katana (or just a temple sword or 9-ring to save feats) is brutal. Hell, you can make a Sacred Fist of Magdh and flurry a scythe, and watch the GM get constantly nervous about the odds of a x4 critical hit when you've got a half dozen attacks.
Shizuru has awesome non-level-dependent Domains. Honor for Honor Bound to reroll failed saves vs. Enchantment effects? Holy hell yes. Gentle Rest from Repose for a no-save Staggered effect with a touch, a Domain Strike or a Conductive weapon? Indecently good combat debuff.
Anyhow, as mentioned, Separatist lets you pick one free Domain, or the Crusader Cleric Archetype lets you ditch one Domain for free Weapon Focus.
For a katana-flurry "Samurai", also consider 4 levels of Sacred Fist of Shizuru - it grants Channel Energy, Flurry of Blows, WIS AC +1, and swift-action Divine Favor on self that can be made +3 attack and damage with traits. Or even just pure Sacred Fist of Shizuru; ironically, Sacred Fist is a far deadlier class with a weapon than unarmed, and a Sacred Fist of Shizuru can use the Glory blessing for powerful defense.
These domain powers actually are very good, so many will save rerolls :-)
Is must have missed them due to thinking to much along the lines of Ac defense (Shelyn gives you shield) or Mobility (Desna gives you agile feet and freedom of movement). Of course those were for bladed brush and shhoting star builds.