Multiclassing Divine Casters

[subject42]

While I know that the cardinal rule of multiclassing is that "Thou Shalt Not Lose Caster" levels, I really like the idea of using a multiclassed Druid/Cleric to emulate the idea of the ancient Celtic Druids.

Is there any combination of feats, alternate class features, multiclassing, or prestige classes that can make a Druid/Cleric multiclass character work?

[Kylarra]

While I know that the cardinal rule of multiclassing is that "Thou Shalt Not Lose Caster" levels, I really like the idea of using a multiclassed Druid/Cleric to emulate the idea of the ancient Celtic Druids.

Is there any combination of feats, alternate class features, multiclassing, or prestige classes that can make a Druid/Cleric multiclass character work?There's a lot of pointless overlap, is there any particular reason why you don't want to just go full druid 20 or cleric x/PrC instead?

[Foryn Gilnith]

Ya.
Use Contemplative or similar tricks to get domain casting for the druid. You really don't need that much off the cleric list.

[Thurbane]

Maybe refluff Ultimate Magus for divine casters, and then use it for a Spirit Shaman/Cleric?

[Sinfire Titan]

If anything good can be said of WotC's Dual Class advancement policy, it's that they never did a dual-Divine. Paizo did one, but YMMV on that.


Divine Casters do not need that kind of power. Besides, you can get the same effects from an ordinary Cleric via druid prcs (IIRC, its possible to enter Planar Shepherd with a Cleric without templates or racial abuse). You can also go Ur-Priest/Prestige Ranger for a little bit of both worlds, provided you can get Calm Animals.

[JeminiZero]

Is there any combination of feats, alternate class features, multiclassing, or prestige classes that can make a Druid/Cleric multiclass character work?

That really depends on what aspect of ancient celtic druids you want to emulate. If you just want both Cleric and Druid spells, then play an Archivist.

Feat wise, Able Learner lets you but cross class skills at 1 rank per skill point, letting a single class cleric/druid with skill points to spare, buy up a diverse skill set. However, the skill rank cap is still in place, so while he can say... put ranks into open lock, he will never be quite as good as a primary rouge. Splashing a single level of rogue (or ninja) can remove the skill point cap (for open lock at least). Ninja in particular lets him aply Wis bonus to AC when unarmored.

[subject42]

That really depends on what aspect of ancient celtic druids you want to emulate. If you just want both Cleric and Druid spells, then play an Archivist.

Ideally, I'd like to create a character that had strong ties to nature, acceptance in the hierarchy of an "official", rather than personal spiritual path, and a wide and deep knowledge of multiple subjects passed down as part of an oral tradition.

Mechanically, I'd like an educated support character.

Maybe Fochlucan Lyrist would work.

[Kylarra]

Ideally, I'd like to create a character that had strong ties to nature, acceptance in the hierarchy of an "official", rather than personal spiritual path, and a wide and deep knowledge of multiple subjects passed down as part of an oral tradition.

Mechanically, I'd like an educated support character.

Maybe Fochlucan Lyrist would work.Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) of Ehlonna or some similar nature deity would work.

[JeminiZero]

Ideally, I'd like to create a character that had strong ties to nature,


How exactly would you want those ties to manifest? Animal Empathy class feature? Or would beign able to cast nature themed spells suffice. If the former, then some kind of druid is likely necessary. If the latter, then Archivist, or Cleric with the right domains should work as well.



acceptance in the hierarchy of an "official", rather than personal spiritual path


This is purely RP fluff. Just because you are a Samurai, doesn't mean you have any class with Samurai as part of their name (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html).

The flip side is that even if you did have classes with such and such in its name, you might still be rejected by your comrades (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0345.html).



and a wide and deep knowledge of multiple subjects passed down as part of an oral tradition.


Archivist or Cloistered Cleric are great knoweldge monkeys. Druids with the Education feat and sufficiently high skill points can also max out a whole bunch of knowledge skills.


Mechanically, I'd like an educated support character.


Using sheer Knowledge to cow your opponents into submission really calls for Archivist with their Dark Knowledge class feature. although Cloistered/Cleric/ Educated Druid with Knowledge Devotion can also work.

[subject42]

What is the source book for Archivist?

[Frog Dragon]

Heroes of Horror

[Sinfire Titan]

Heroes of Horror

Also available through the Heroes of Horror preview on WotC's website.

[JeminiZero]

Also available through the Heroes of Horror preview on WotC's website.

Handy Link: Archivist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20051007a&page=3)

[Leon]

Archivist - Every Divine Spell is fair game in one neat class

[Fitz10019]

The halfling racial substitution levels for Druid have extra skill points, if that helps.

[Telonius]

The idea sounds a little like the Verdant Lord PrC from 3.0. I don't think it gave dual spellcasting progression though.

From what I understand, the (irl) Druids weren't so much "clerics" in the D&D sense as they were Bards: repositories of their people's legends and stories and songs, sources of wisdom. They did run the ceremonies, but they didn't really have the D&D Cleric abilities. Nothing stopping you from taking a level of Bard to get Bardic Knowledge. If you really, really want it, you can also take a dip in Loremaster after 17(!) levels of Druid.

Green Whisperer from Dragon 311 p70 is a Bard-Druid multiclass that advances both sides.