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Tyger
2009-10-11, 05:20 PM
I have this concept for a raging, blood crazed cleric, the kind that worships his spirit totem while covered in the blood of his enemies... But can it be done realistically in 3.5??

We're starting at level 2, 32 point build. Sourcebooks are pretty much anything 3.5 and WotC printed. Spells are limited to PHB, PHB II and the SpC - in other words, not all that limited.

One houserule that is important is the fact that we all get a free NPC level, all the benefits of it, none of the negatives. We create level 2 characters, and simply add on a level of NPC. It does not count towards our actual level, doesn't penalize anything, doesn't cost anything.

Thoughts on this? Am I crazy? MAD would be pretty nasty here, wouldn't it?

SoD
2009-10-11, 05:27 PM
Play a Cleric of Gruumsh/Barbarian. Take a level of Warrior for your NPC, to pick up the extra BAB. Take the strength domain.

Throw a heap into STR and CON, don't worry about DEX, because your heavy clerical armour will make up for that.

Throw a decent amount into WIS, but you'll primarily be using buff spells (enlarge person, etc.) on yourself.

A raging, enlarged, Orc with a greatsword...now that's scary.

deuxhero
2009-10-11, 05:41 PM
See if you can get Rage on your spell list (I can easily see a custom domain with it), go straight cleric and call yourself a Barbarian.

PinkysBrain
2009-10-11, 05:41 PM
Thoughts on this? Am I crazy? MAD would be pretty nasty here, wouldn't it?
MAD is not the problem ... the problem is that there are no dual progression prestige classes or feats for the combination (which in D&D generally means it won't work well). Combined with the fact that you can't cast while raging and barbarian is one of the original martial classes (ie. not all that good) and you end up with something which doesn't work particularly well.

Anyway ... the most playable would be warrior for your NPC class, a one level dip as a Lion Totem barbarian (complete champion) and then pure cleric all the way for the rest of your career.

Foryn Gilnith
2009-10-11, 05:48 PM
I second these suggestions. Go cleric until level 6, then grab Barbarian 1 for Pounce with your new iterative attack. Flavor yourself as a barbarian savage all the way, and pretend all your hits are because of rage-induced strength, and all your misses are from rage-induced impatience/inaccuracy. :)

Faleldir
2009-10-11, 05:53 PM
You can cast while Raging, but that requires the Book Of Not Poison, which I wouldn't blame your DM for banning.

sombrastewart
2009-10-11, 06:03 PM
For what it's worth, I did this with a Goliath, with the barbarian racial substitution levels. He gets big when he goes off, and it works pretty well, or has so far, at least. Then again, we started at pretty high levels.

deuxhero
2009-10-11, 06:05 PM
"Book of not-poison"?

TheLogman
2009-10-11, 06:10 PM
He means the Book of Exalted Deeds, because it has a few substances in it that are exactly like poisons, except they don't hurt good people. Which apparently makes them okay for good people to use willy-nilly.

Yeah, you have to take Righteous Wrath, from the Book of Exalted Deeds, it doesn't actually give you spellcasting, it just grants "clarity of mind unusual among barbarians", which gives you the ability to deal nonleathal damage, stop attacks to show mercy, and distinguish friend from foe (And the ability to affect evil creatures with the shaken condition when you hit them).

Then you have to take champion of Gwynharwyf (actual spelling), and advance to at least second level in that (Which is what grants you the raging spellcasting). It does grant some small divine spells, but nothing like advancement in cleric. It also gives a small amount of Barbarian progression, but nothing fancy. And a smite attack, some DR, and energy resistance.

PinkysBrain
2009-10-11, 06:14 PM
Also it explicitly only allows you to cast spells from the spellcasting of Champion of Gwynharwyf while raging and not from other spellcasting classes.

Mongoose87
2009-10-11, 06:15 PM
Convince your DM to let you use a hombrewed full divine caster version of the Complete Warrior PRC "Rage Mage."

paddyfool
2009-10-11, 06:16 PM
An alternative would be to start out as a Barbarian, but build towards the Champion of Gwynharwyf Prc from BoED, which basically makes you into a sort of Barbarian/Paladin hibrid. Could be fun, albeit not terribly powerful (tier 4, perhaps). Alternatively, there's Druidic Avenger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#druidVariantDruidicAve nger) (considerably less powerful than a standard druid - maybe tier 2).

EDIT: Too, too slow. The shame, it burns...

PinkysBrain
2009-10-11, 06:17 PM
If you adapt rage mage houserule that you simply get spellrage each time you rage as well ... a little resource management is fine, but having a single use per day of a character defining combat mechanic is stupid (it's stupid for the normal barbarian as well).

Gnaeus
2009-10-11, 06:23 PM
Druidic Avenger isn't THAT bad. Dropping animal companion and spontaneous summon for fast movement and rage is clearly a nerf, but it doesn't slow down the awesome that is Dzilla with 9th level casting from a list that grows with every splatbook. It is still tier 1.

paddyfool
2009-10-11, 06:26 PM
Oh yeah... I somehow thought it lost Wildshape as well, but clearly that would be the crazy talking. Time I went to bed. (It's now Monday here...)

Emy
2009-10-11, 08:14 PM
Runescarred Berserkers technically cast divine spells. They can also do it in antimagic fields.

They don't have that clerical flavor, though.

Anyway, with a simple Barbarian 1/Cleric X, you can't cast while raging, but there's nothing that would stop you from using mostly long-lasting buffs, with the occasional utility spells outside of battle.

Of course, you could also simply use barbarian without any cleric levels, and just flavor your character as a priest. His frenzy comes from his spirit totem. He prays often. He's covered with holy symbols, painted in blood.

Maybe Barbarian 1/Cloistered Cleric 1, continuing with more barbarian levels. Warrior as the NPC freebie.

Class features:
Strength devotion (traded from domain): You aren't just able to get really mad at things; you can also channel the will of the power of your spirit totem and cut things really well. Do you need to go through a wall? Let out a roar and cut that wall to bits!
Knowledge devotion (traded from domain): General knowledge isn't important for a barbarian of the wilds, but your spirit totem teaches that there is also the knowledge of how to kill things better. You've studied this knowledge, and use it every chance you get.
Time domain: Your spirit totem teaches that a warrior should be ready to leap into battle at any time. Hitting first can often mean hitting last.

Feats:
Power Attack: As is stereotypical of barbarians, your wild swings inflict a lot of damage.
Extra Rage: You should always be ready for battle. That means being able to work yourself into a fury more than once per day.