I think I’ve decided on a Warpriest grabbing Domain Initiate at level 1 and Emblazon Armament at level 2. I’m not entirely sure about the build beyond that, but I have some ideas. The deities in the campaign are largely homebrew, so I’m going to ask if the one I’m leaning toward can have the Gauntlet as their weapon (so I can have a free hand for Grapple, Trip, and Battle Medicine) and the Haste spell on the granted list. I think that sounds really great for an all-rounder and leaves a lot of room for support as well as some decent opportunities for damage.
I’m planning on something like this:
1. Deadly Simplicity, Domain Initiate (Destruction)
2. Champion Dedication
4. Emblazon Armament
6. Divine Weapon
8. Emblazon Energy
10. Replenishment of War
12. Align Armament
14. Extend Armament Alignment
I’m trying to fit Healing Hands in, but it’s a really tight fit. Any suggestions?
I don't think you'll really need healing hands. You look about right for adding some damage while healing.
I don't think you'll really need healing hands. You look about right for adding some damage while healing.
Awesome! Then would you recommend I keep the Champion Dedication just for the armor and skills?
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I don't think you'll really need healing hands. You look about right for adding some damage while healing.Awesome! Then would you recommend I keep the Champion Dedication just for the armor and skills?
Champion gets your Warpriest heavy armor training and the chance for lay on hands a Champion's Reaction, although it would also get you that if you were a cloistered cleric.
Warpriest is fine if Fortitude saves and weapon Strikes are important for your PC. For a longer campaign, cloistered cleric is better.
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I don't think you'll really need healing hands. You look about right for adding some damage while healing.Awesome! Then would you recommend I keep the Champion Dedication just for the armor and skills?Champion gets your Warpriest heavy armor training and the chance for lay on hands a Champion's Reaction, although it would also get you that if you were a cloistered cleric.
Warpriest is fine if Fortitude saves and weapon Strikes are important for your PC. For a longer campaign, cloistered cleric is better.
Oh yeah, I’m definitely aware that Cloistered is miles better as a caster. My thought is mostly that the majority of the divine list is buffs and heals that don’t require saves or attack rolls, so Warpriest can be good still!
I don't think you'll really need healing hands. You look about right for adding some damage while healing.Awesome! Then would you recommend I keep the Champion Dedication just for the armor and skills?
You have a fighter and swashbuckler in the group? Both melee? Champion dedication isn't a bad pick up for that. You want to not be in AoO range just in case when casting. AoOs can disrupt casting, though they are rarer than PF1.
If you can with a ancestry feat, pick up electric arc. That will be a bread and butter cantrip for those early levels.
It takes an action each round to raise a shield. So you often raise a shield and cast electric arc or another cantrip for damage as a cleric. Or if you go bow, you fire a bow or use a ranged weapon and cast a spell.
I usually build support casters with a reach or ranged weapon, then attack from farther away or go shield and cantrip damage for my offensive routine.
I don't think you'll really need healing hands. You look about right for adding some damage while healing.Awesome! Then would you recommend I keep the Champion Dedication just for the armor and skills?You have a fighter and swashbuckler in the group? Both melee? Champion dedication isn't a bad pick up for that. You want to not be in AoO range just in case when casting. AoOs can disrupt casting, though they are rarer than PF1.
If you can with a ancestry feat, pick up electric arc. That will be a bread and butter cantrip for those early levels.
It takes an action each round to raise a shield. So you often raise a shield and cast electric arc or another cantrip for damage as a cleric. Or if you go bow, you fire a bow or use a ranged weapon and cast a spell.
I usually build support casters with a reach or ranged weapon, then attack from farther away or go shield and cantrip damage for my offensive routine.
Nah, the party is currently a sword and board Fighter, a Scoundrel Rogue, a Spell Shot Gunslinger (just changed) and me.
Ahhh I totally forgot that AoOs can disrupt! Thanks for the reminder lol as for Electric Arc, my DM has said that I can pick up a Jolt Coil relatively soon in the city we’re going to be starting in, so I’m going to be taking that and attaching it to my gauntlet.
I’m still partially considering a Cloistered Cleric with Champion dedication instead of the Warpriest and using the same attack routine you mentioned, but I’m not entirely sure. I feel like level 1 would be hell without the armor from Warpriest haha
The Sword and Board fighter would be better off picking up Champion MC. If you all make it to level 10, he can really take advantage of it with Combat Reflexes. He should take a warhammer or a flair while the crit specialization effect is still automatic. He can really control his area with hammer and shield, Champion Paladin MC, AoO, and maybe get knockdown at level 4.
The Sword and Board fighter would be better off picking up Champion MC. If you all make it to level 10, he can really take advantage of it with Combat Reflexes. He should take a warhammer or a flair while the crit specialization effect is still automatic. He can really control his area with hammer and shield, Champion Paladin MC, AoO, and maybe get knockdown at level 4.
The Fighter is pretty set on RPing a sort of pirate character, so she’s intent on a longsword or bastard sword. I think she might like a Champion dedication down the line and it WOULD be awesome with Combat Reflexes. She was originally going to go with a greatsword and take Knockdown, but decided that she wanted the pirate schtick.
The main reason I’m thinking Warpriest over Cloistered is honestly just to be up in melee with the Fighter and keep her buffed and topped off. You think it’s worth doing that with Divine Weapon and the Armament feats?
You want to be melee.
Are you ok using a reach weapon?
I did make a War Priest of Gorum one time that was fairly fun. I used a greatsword and Cry of Destruction. He took some beatings because he hit real hard with a Greatsword and Emblazon Armaments followed sometimes by Cry of Destruction. One big hit, if it lands, cry of Destruction.
Then pick up spells to boost yourself up like heroism and bless can be nice at low level too. You get true strike and enlarge as a Priest of Gorum. Enlarge can be nice for setting up reach. True Strike can be nice if you pick up Channel Smite. Do really brutal channel smites because you as a cleric of a neutral deity, you can use a feat to use your extra heal slots as Harms or Heals. Start off with heals, then get the feat to also get harms. Then you have positive and negative handled for channel smite.
I can't claim it is an optimized build, but it was sure fun. When the party healer is occasionally laying down huge pain with a greatsword, it can be a blast.
Instead of using a shield, just have the shield cantrip for those times you want to some AC.
Give cry of destruction a read for why it can be real fun with a greatsword. It's the starting focus spell for the Destruction Domain.
You want to be melee.
Are you ok using a reach weapon?
I did make a War Priest of Gorum one time that was fairly fun. I used a greatsword and Cry of Destruction. He took some beatings because he hit real hard with a Greatsword and Emblazon Armaments followed sometimes by Cry of Destruction. One big hit, if it lands, cry of Destruction.
Then pick up spells to boost yourself up like heroism and bless can be nice at low level too. You get true strike and enlarge as a Priest of Gorum. Enlarge can be nice for setting up reach. True Strike can be nice if you pick up Channel Smite. Do really brutal channel smites because you as a cleric of a neutral deity, you can use a feat to use your extra heal slots as Harms or Heals. Start off with heals, then get the feat to also get harms. Then you have positive and negative handled for channel smite.
I can't claim it is an optimized build, but it was sure fun. When the party healer is occasionally laying down huge pain with a greatsword, it can be a blast.
Instead of using a shield, just have the shield cantrip for those times you want to some AC.
Give cry of destruction a read for why it can be real fun with a greatsword. It's the starting focus spell for the Destruction Domain.
Very fair point haha
I had been planning on using a gauntlet just to make sure I have a hand free for Battle Medicine, grapples, and trips. I could see swapping to a reach weapon realistically, but I’d have to be ok with losing an action to regrab my weapon afterwards. I think that would realistically be fine. As for the Shield spell instead of a regular shield, I think that could work too. Losing 1 AC in exchange for the better weapon sounds ok
I was looking at a similar path! Emblazon Armaments eventually going to Elemental Armament, possibly Divine Weapon (tho I think I’m fine dropping that for something like Champion’s Reaction). It sounds like a lot of fun, especially using True Strike and a free action with Divine Weapon. I was thinking of going with Ragathiel for Haste to eventually be able to True Strike -> Strike -> Cry of Destruction.
I had thought of taking Versatile Font and Channel Smite, but I wasn’t sure about spending my healing pool on dealing damage instead of keeping the others alive. Then again, it sounds fun as hell
Ragathiel is cool too since you can take Bastard sword which allows you to go one or two handed.
Ragathiel is cool too since you can take Bastard sword which allows you to go one or two handed.
That’s a great point too, I didn’t think of that. The freedom to drop a hand to heal, grapple, or trip and not grab again unless I have the room to breathe and the action to spend. It does mean that I don’t get to have reach though, so it just comes down to which I feel will be more valuable. My DM said that we can play around with our builds for the first few sessions while we get used to the system, so that’s a chance to test
The Sword and Board fighter would be better off picking up Champion MC. If you all make it to level 10, he can really take advantage of it with Combat Reflexes. He should take a warhammer or a flair while the crit specialization effect is still automatic. He can really control his area with hammer and shield, Champion Paladin MC, AoO, and maybe get knockdown at level 4.
Champion is not the only option. Swashbuckler for Riposte also works well especially with Goading Feint.
My DM allowed me to use Ragathiel as my deity, but with the Gnome Hooked Hammer as my weapon which I think is awesome! I’ll be able to cast, make strikes, and trip with my hands full, and I can always drop one hand to use my healing tools.
@Gortle
I brought that idea up to her the other night when we all met up to discuss characters and she’s considering it. She had originally planned on being a Swashbuckler, but decided that the class was a bit complicated for her first in the system. The archetype on a Fighter might be a good compromise for her