Cleric of Pelor build for 3.5

[uglymartini13]

First time playing in a 3.5 group and I am slowly learning after starting off laying 4e. I was asked to be a cleric of Pelor. I need to build it up to at least level 20 possibly level 30.
Domains that I have looked at are Healing, Renewal, Retribution, Knowledge, Purification, and Sun.
I really do not know any feats that I would want to incorporate except fot metamagic feats.
My charcter is mainly is supposed to be healing and buffs then at higher levels be able to pick up things that will allow me to put out some damage.
ANy ideas, recommendations, or builds?

EDIT:Casting is what I would prefer to go towards. I understand that the Healing domain is not exactly the best but the group I am in really needs a healer and buff.

EDIT: Radiant Servant Pelor is going to be incorporated into the build.

EDIT: The DM is allowing me to take 4 domains at 1st level the ones that I am considering at the moment are Sun, Healing, Renewal, and Retribution. Eberron books are allowed. Also I was asked to build a cloistered cleric with the modifications that I can use heavy armor and shields instead of light and my base attack is average instead of poor.

[Telonius]

Radiant Servant of Pelor, from Complete Divine, is THE Prestige Class you're looking for. Requires Sun Domain and Extra Turning, two things you might have been looking to take anyway. There is practically no reason not to take the PrC. Gives awesome bonuses (much better than pure Cleric), no loss of caster level, the whole nine yards. To get the most out of it, take Sun and Healing domains, as a lot of the bonuses are to Healing Domain Spells specifically.

To put out damage, you'll want Divine Metamagic and Persistent Spell as feats.

EDIT: As for leveling, it's an extremely rare game in 3.5 that gets up to Epic. Things get pretty crazy after level 20, and the rule of thumb is that Casters Win in Epic. (Even more than they already did).

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

Check out the "Complete Divine". It has so many options for a cleric. I just recently built a cleric or pelor, (granted I am not sure if it is the 'best' but it gets the job done), I went with a Cloister Cleric (Unearthed Arcana) and the PrC Radiant Servant of Pelor (Complete Divine). Also when choosing Domains look at Devotion feats (Complete champion), You can trade access to a domain for the according devotion feat (or so I am told).

[Keld Denar]

Honestly, I'd jump out of RSoP at 5. It really doesn't offer much of note past that point, and Maximize Spell is a nerf from Empower Spell for most cures. Sure, you get Empower back at 10, but thats 4 deadish levels you have to slog through to get them. Sacred Exorcist has some much nicer class features.

You're best bet would be to build something like thus:
Cleric6/RSoP5/SacEx9
This gives you better class features than straight RSoP, including a permanent Consecrate aura which helps turning AND the use of Divine Spell Power. It has full turning, which can be abused with the spell Turn Anathema from Complete Champion (allows you to turn Evil Outsiders...like Balors). Plus, with a bit of tweaking with your gear, you can actually crank up your turning ability to 11, allowing to to dust powerful liches and vampires without too much effort. Just off the top of my head, double Sacred enchants on shield and armor (A&EG) + Phylactery of Undead Turning (DMG) + Ephod of Authority (MIC) + Rod of Defiance (Libris Mortis) gives +13...

[Paganboy28]

Radiant Servant of Pelor is highly recommended, though the Healing domain is not that great to be honest IMO. You can convert to Cure spells anyway and the healing domain power is not great. +1 level sounds great but with Cure spells that +1 extra healed HP.... woo...

Healing Devotion is better I reckon if you still felt like taking the Healing Domain.

I'd go for are Sun and Purification or Knowledge (though clerics don't get many skill points to make the most of Knowledge domain IMO).

If your DM will allow you could also pick up Glory, Undeath, or Magic.

There are various other sun/light based classes:

Eye of Horus-Re in Player's Guide to Faerun
Master of Radiance in Libris Mortis

Sacred Exorcist could fit as well, though there is always the Hospitalier though I don't like that class.

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=420.0

That link might help your cleric's advancement.

[G3N3R3L GHOST]

The free metamagic from Radiant Servant of Pelor only applies to spells from the healing domain. So you can't really just blow it off like that. My suggestion is to take healing domain coupled with the Alternative Class feature in PHB 2 that lets you spontaneously cast from a domain instead of just curing spells. Pick the healing domain then everything you shoot out of there is maximized and empowered for free. Use divine metamagic to add extra effects to make it more beastly and your fellows players will praise you and bring you mountain dew from the fridge since you have saved thier asses constantly.

[Keld Denar]

Its debatable that that trick works because there is no clear definitition of what consitutes as domain spell WRT spontaneous domain casting. Yea, its a spell from that domain, but its not cast from a domain slot. I'd check with your DM before trying to pull this trick.

Is it overpowered? No. Healing in combat is generally a not-so-good idea, and healing out of combat is best accomplished with a Wand of Lesser Vigor. If you want to be good at healing, this does help a fair bit though.

[jiriku]

Healing domain is pretty lackluster, that's true, but RSOP saves it. Also pick up the Imbued Healing feat from Complete Champion, and that improves it even further as the domain will allow you to imbue your targets with considerable temporary hit points when you heal them. The Augment Healing feat is a must-have for primary healers, else your healing will never keep up with monster damage.

To heal effectively, check the posts in Tyndmyr's thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163082), which pretty exhaustively cover the build components for good healing in 3.5.

[Eldariel]

Radiant Servant of Pelor is highly recommended, though the Healing domain is not that great to be honest IMO. You can convert to Cure spells anyway and the healing domain power is not great. +1 level sounds great but with Cure spells that +1 extra healed HP.... woo...

Healing Domain is a decent choice for "Spontaneous Domain Casting" [Player's Handbook II]; you lose ability to spontaneously cast Cures, but gain ability to spontaneously cast spells from Healing-domain, which notably includes Heal over some silly Mass Cure Medium Wounds, and Mass Heal on level 9 (where you normally don't have anything at all). Regenerate is also better than Mass Cure Serious Wounds, so there. That's healing actually worth casting.

For the record, most of the time you should just use Wand of Lesser Vigor [SC] or Mass Lesser Vigor/Positive Energy Aura persistent with DMM: Persist to take care of healing overtime, and in combat cast combat/buff spells (you can be a great fighter as a Cleric, or you can be a controlling caster; that's your choice).

EDIT: Ninjas :o

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Radiant Servant has been mentioned a few times, but another one to look at is Morninglord (of Lathander) from Player's Guide to Faerun. In that setting Pelor doesn't exist, his counterpart there is Lathander. If you're not playing in that setting, you could still use that prestige class adapted to fit Pelor. You could go something like Cleric 5/ Morninglord 1/ Radiant Servant 5/ Morninglord 9 for your level 20 build.

Once you get into the epic levels, consider taking Practiced Spellcaster at level 18 and get up to four levels of Heirophant. Heirophant adds its class level to your caster level, and you can add your own bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order. That means at level 24 with four levels of Heirophant and Practiced Spellcaster, you would have a caster level of 28. (20 base spellcasting ability, +4 for Practiced Spellcaster up to your character level, then +4 more for Heirophant 4.)

An even cheesier trick would be to get Heighten Spell, Divine Metamagic: Heighten, and Earth Spell from Races of Stone. At level 21 get Improved Heighten Spell so there's no limit to how high a spell level you can heighten something to, and get as many Night Sticks as you can afford. This will allow you to cast a Holy Word, DMM: Heightened to an extraordinarily high level, which will make Earth Spell increase the caster level by an equal amount. You can even get ranks in every Knowledge check relevant to identifying a creature (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Nature, Religion, and Planes), and upon encountering an opponent declare that you're making a Knowledge check to identify it and ask the DC (its always 10 plus the creature's HD). You can then Heighten your Holy Word by just enough so that your caster level is ten higher than the opponent's HD, and it will be automatically killed with no saving throw permitted. You'll only be limited by how many turning attempts you have, which can be in the hundreds since you can gain the benefit of multiple Night Sticks simultaneously. Only good-aligned characters (and Horizon Walkers) would have a chance at surviving your attacks.

[uglymartini13]

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=420.0

That link might help your cleric's advancement.

Yeah I actually started out there and I just am trying to branch out more and see what all is out there because there just is so much for me to go through when this game may be starting within the next month.