I'm starting a new Rise of the Runelords game over on Roll20 as the GM, but as I only have three players, I figured they could use a DMPC. I asked them what I should bring to help them out, and they decided that I should make a cleric, bring a greatsword, and SMASH FACE! So here it goes:
Ancrym Ironmonger is a Shoanti that became a devout worshipper Gorum, god of battle. His goal is to become strong enough to lead his Shoanti brethren in a war to drive out the Chelish colonists. In his quest to grow strong, he takes work as a guard for a Varisian caravan that happens to be heading to Sandpoint for the Swallowtail Festival because big parties bring big money, and he figures he can find some more work in the town.
My main goal is to serve as the party's strongman. He can support them before the fight and after the fight, but once battle is joined, his goal is the letting of blood. The rest of the party are a half orc Dragonblood Chymist Alchemist, a human Gunsmoke Mystic from POW, and a standard half elf witch.
Ancrym Ironmonger
Male Human Cleric of Gorum
CN Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Perception +2
Defenses
AC 18 (6 armor, 2 dex)
HP 11
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4
Offenses
Speed 30ft
Melee Greatsword +3 (2d6+4)
Spells CL 1 DC12
1 (2/day+1 Domain)
0 (3/day)
Statistics
Str 17, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Attack 0; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Heavy Armor Proficiency, Combat Casting
Skills Knowledge (religion) +3, Spellcraft +3
Traits Strong Hearted (+1 Will vs Fear; +2 vs Intimidate), Latent Psion (+1 save vs mind effecting)
Languages Common
Special
Skilled +1 skill point vs level
Channel Energy-Standard Action; 2/day; heal all living creatures within 30ft for 1d6 health.
Aura of Chaos-Faint aura of chaos
Strength Surge-Standard Action; 5/day; give an ally a +1 to attacks, Strength skills, and Strength checks
Touch of Chaos-Standard Action 5/day; Touch Attack; Target must roll twice for all d20 rolls and take the worse result.
I'm going to be picking up a Wand of Cure Light Wounds as soon as possible to share healing duties with the witch. The alchemist is going to be a frontliner once his natural attacks come online, but I'll be the main frontliner for the first level. The gunsmoke mystic will be our ranged combatant.
Here's what I have so far for feat progression
3rd-Deific Obedience
5th Power Attack
7th Ironmaster
9th Furious Focus
These are subject to change if I think Power Attack will make me miss too much. If it looks like my first attack is the only one that reasonably connects, I can go for the Vital Strike line, but I'm not quite sure how this is going to play out. Any suggestions will be welcome.
If you are going down the Vital Strike line, consider Divine Fighting Technique (Gorum). You can trade away one of your 1st level domain powers for it if you don't want to spend a feat on it. Let's you Vital Strike on a charge attack.
Personally, I'd suggest NOT taking heavy armor proficiency or combat casting. Stick with medium armor until higher levels and don't cast spells in Melee range. As a cleric, you have numerous options to increase your AC via spells (Ironskin, for example). Perhaps take the Rage Domain (Gorum) and get the furious enchantment for your sword to take advantage of the rage. Multiclass for one level of Fighter @ Level 9 for the bonus feats and armor proficiencies. I also suggest getting power attack/furious focus ASAP.
Just my two cents:
1) Power Attack, Divine Fighting Tech (Gorum)*
3) Furious Focus
5) Deification Obedience
7) Ironbound Master
9) Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (Greatsword) [Fighter Feat]
*=Or feat of choice if you trade away domain power
Keep your Chaos domain (as you can use a Conductive Weapon enchant to deliver its effects later on) and pick up the Rage domain, trading away the 1st level domain power, or keep it.
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I agree with Meirril. Either lose the GMPC entirely, else make it a wallflower. GMPC may seem like a good idea (what harm can it do ...) but it probably won't work out well. I've never seen a GMPC contribute to group fun.
On the other hand, a GMPC might give the group better survivability, which seems to be your concern. So maybe it's a good idea in this case. Maybe. Here are some thoughts:
* Consider making your GMPC an animal, so they can't ask it for advice. Combat stats can easily be similar to your Greatsword Cleric.
* One of your players could provide the exact same combat function with a pet. Then you would not need to manage the GMPC plus the rest of the world. Delegate.
* Consider having your three players build a team, rather than each player building a PC in a vacuum and combining them. A purpose-built team of three won't need a GMPC.
* Consider helping your three players create a balanced party[The Forge of Combat, where Sun Tzu meets Pathfinder]. In the long run, this will help them succeed way more than a GMPC. Get the players thinking about this during character creation.
* I've seen the presence of a GMPC cleric actually make things harder for a small group. The presence of a GMPC healbot encourages players to be lazy and sloppy about tactics. Groups end up taking a lot of damage they could have avoided. Why bother to avoid taking damage when there's a healbot safety net? Take away the safety net and players tend to be more alert ...
* It's totally possible for three PCs to cover all the bases and be quite effective.
* Consider playing foes as is in RotRL, instead of making them harder. Most full-size parties in RotRL need the foes increased in power or numbers or it's too easy.
* Consider making some encounters slightly easier, if they are having trouble.
* Your GMPC will often be in position to determine team tactics. This will happen every time the GMPC wins initiative. Not good. You, as GM, should not be determining PC party tactics. Avoid this.
With a mutagen-swigging, dragon-flavored Wolverine in the party, I don't think they're going to need much help in the melee department. If you GMnpc a healer, make them a fairly prosaic touch-attacker or reach-cleric build who doesn't try to one-up anyone else's schtick. E.g., a halfling animal-domain cleric with Selective Channeling, Boon Companion, and Improved Initiative by 5th; start him off with a single level of Fighter(dragoon).
I'm currently playing in a group with 4 people (that makes 3 players and a GM). We've managed for the last year or so without a 4th member of the party, and we've never felt like we needed one.
I suggest making the GMnpc, and then have him rush in and get himself killed in the first session to show the PCs that death is possible ... actually, make that the second session so they all know him as a character first.