I have a War Priest with Pharasma / Imot as dieties. Unfortunately, this means both are true neutral and divine lance is useless to me as a spell.
I'm just wondering if there are any decent damage spells or paths to getting one for a cleric. As far as melee goes, I'm mostly fine, but I would love some basic ranged attack that could be used regularly, like a reliable cantrip.
Additionally, I wonder about Chilling Darkness and Searing Light. Both are very good spells, but seem highly bound by their specific elements and are, for example, not great against a plethora of devils. I mean, I can fight a bearded devil and either do cold damage to it, or good damage, but somehow an evil creature with fire resistance got overlooked.
Are there any decent workarounds to help make me at least a little competitive in terms of being able to do some decent ranged attack damage that isn't wholly contingent on specific target characteristics to be effective?
You have Spiritual Weapon at 2nd level.
Unfortunately Clerics of TN deities are a bit limited for now.
Then depending on your ancestry, there is plenty of ways to get innate cantrips or Humans can add 1 cantrips from another tradition.
Daze and if you have reach spell metamagics Chill Touch are your only out-of-the-box ranged spell options in case you are lacking a alignment and proper focus spells. However and as already stated it might be easier and more efficient to grab another cantrip via diverse means (multiclassing or via ancestry feats).
If you are nonhuman you can take Adopted Ancestry and get adapted centric to swap for a non cleric attack centric if you think it is worth the general featctax to get it.
Daze/Forbidding Ward/Shield are useful generally in combat, but aren't really offensive.
If you can spare a class feat. Multiclass into Druid and pick up some of their cantrips Elecric Arc and Ray of Frost are a good start. Even if you never take it any further than the introductory feat. You still get your cantrips. At least your alignment is not a problem here.
Adapted Cantrip is good. It depends on your level and race as to what the best way to go is
There is a whole guide on this Gisher's Guide to Acquiring Common Cantrips
My Cloistered Cleric of Nocticula took Telekinetic Projectile via Adapted Cantrip so she could shoot "loose" daggers at people, still making use of her deities favored weapon despite her terribad physical stats.
Its pretty solid with variable damage types, though if you're not wanting to do something themey Electric Arc is by far the best Cantrip damage out there.
Thanks! This was all exceedingly useful!
Yep, and if you choose a feat or ability that uses the same magic (divine in your case) and same ability score (Wisdom here) then you don't even have to worry about your new cantrip's attacks or saves lagging behind those of your normal cleric spells.
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Yep, and if you choose a feat or ability that uses the same magic (divine in your case) and same ability score (Wisdom here) then you don't even have to worry about your new cantrip's attacks or saves lagging behind those of your normal cleric spells.
One of the reasons Adapted Cantrip is so preferred is that it treats the spell as if it was of your tradition.
If not for that, I think I'd strongly prefer multiclassing.
Yep, and if you choose a feat or ability that uses the same magic (divine in your case) and same ability score (Wisdom here) then you don't even have to worry about your new cantrip's attacks or saves lagging behind those of your normal cleric spells.One of the reasons Adapted Cantrip is so preferred is that it treats the spell as if it was of your tradition.
If not for that, I think I'd strongly prefer multiclassing.
Its a bit messier than that.
Adapted Cantrip means you cast with your main spell casting ability score and proficiency. You are not getting an extra cantrip just swapping one.
Inate Spells such as from Fey Touched Gnome means that you cast with your main spell casting proficiency but with your Charisma ability score. If you don't have a casting class you are just stuck at trained.
From a multiclass archetype you get a different spell casting proficiency and use that instead. So potentially a different ability score, and a proficiency that is 0-2 points behind your main casting proficiency.
Main class casting proficiency is:
Trained at 0
Expert at 7
Master at 15
Legendary at 19
Multiclass casting proficiency is:
Trained at 2
Expert at 12 with a feat
Master at 19 with another feat
Legendary at never
Another option would be to pick up Weapon Familiarity with your ancestry feat if you're an elf, half-elf, halfling or hobgoblin -- they all offer ranged weapons in their list. Provided you invest in your Dexterity and enchant your weapon regularly, you should be able to keep your accuracy with it on par with your spells up until you get expert spellcaster (7th or 11th level, depending on your doctrine); and even then, you'll only be 2 points behind.
The big advantage of ranged weapons over cantrips and spells is the increased range (60+ feet vs the typical 30 feet for spells) and the fact that you can use them with only a single action.
Another option would be to pick up Weapon Familiarity with your ancestry feat if you're an elf, half-elf, halfling or hobgoblin -- they all offer ranged weapons in their list. Provided you invest in your Dexterity and enchant your weapon regularly, you should be able to keep your accuracy with it on par with your spells up until you get expert spellcaster (7th or 11th level, depending on your doctrine); and even then, you'll only be 2 points behind.
The big advantage of ranged weapons over cantrips and spells is the increased range (60+ feet vs the typical 30 feet for spells) and the fact that you can use them with only a single action.
Unfortunately I'm human, so no interesting feats for me where specific weapons are concerned. Also, I have no Dex bonus because I've had to invest in other stats, so won't be seeing any improvement there until level 5, if at all.
But at least that makes it easier to take the adapted line of feats.
Perhaps the upcoming guide with archer archetype will help? Who knows how early you can take those archetypes though..