Doing something I've never actually tried before. (Build help.)

[Metahuman1]

Hello Playground. First, given that today is the 24th of December, I would like to wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Now, to business.

I have a buddy that's gonna be joining an in person game with me and some other friends. I am not the DM of that game, but the DM is a mutual friend of myself and the new comer.

The Party Stands

Re-Fluffed Hell Fire Warlock (Also does Item Crafting.)

Batman Wizard (Myself.)

Barbarian/Warblade using both the Half Minotuar And Mineral Warrior Templates with LA bought off (via a nice ruling form the DM.) and using Water Orc as the base race.



Now, the new comer has expressed interest in playing a Cleric after I explained that contrary to the implications of the players handbook, it was not a band aid box. And He's enlisted me to help him with the build. He wants to go heavy on buffing himself and the rest of the party and be solid in Melee.

So, I turn to the playground for in-put and advice since I've never done what I feel might be the most appropriate build before. Divine Metamagic: Persist Cleric. Maybe with Divine Metamagic: Chain Spell and a Crusader Dip.

Appreciate the help.

[Black_Zawisza]

Depending on the degree to which he wants to melee or buff, Crusader 1/Cleric 4 or Cleric 1/Crusader 4 are excellent methods of entry into the Ruby Knight Vindicator prestige class (Tome of Battle). Full BAB, full initiator level, 8/10 divine casting, and some pretty nice class features. The seventh level ability allows you to spend turn undead attempts to gain swift actions; that'll help him compete with Batman :smallbiggrin:

[TroubleBrewing]

Cloistered Cleric of Mystra 5/Death Delver 1/Sacred Exorcist 4/Contemplative 10 is a pretty solid DMM build. At 1st level, swap Turn Undead for Destroy Undead (ECR), grab Rebuke Undead from Death Delver, and Turn Undead from Sacred Exorcist. Prioritize Wis>Cha>Con and everything else as a dump stat.

If you don't need a given domain, either swap it for the relevant domain feat, or see if your DM will waive the deity restriction on Ordained Champion, dip 1 level and ditch all the domains you don't want for Fighter bonus feats.

Here's a link to a build I worked up. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219534)

It's got a solid spell list, at least until you have to start worrying about Disjunction or area dispels. Then, you rely on your own Persisted AMF, which the aforementioned build did not incorporate.

[Tvtyrant]

If you can convince the DM both to allow it and to allow it to get the Paladin spell list, the Prestige Paladin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm#prestigePaladin) is an excellent dip for a Cleric. Rhino's Rush (double damage on a charge), Bless Weapon (every threatened crit auto-succeeds), Holy Sword (level 4 spell that makes any weapon a +5 holy weapon and gives you a Magic Circle against Evil), and several spells like Break Enchantment at a lower level for a single level dip that also grants some other benefits, with not caster level loss if you immediately get out.

[TroubleBrewing]

Yeah, Holy Sword is flippin' sweet.

[Ithandor]

Cloistered Cleric of Mystra 5/Death Delver 1/Sacred Exorcist 4/Contemplative 10 is a pretty solid DMM build. At 1st level, swap Turn Undead for Destroy Undead (ECR), grab Rebuke Undead from Death Delver, and Turn Undead from Sacred Exorcist. Prioritize Wis>Cha>Con and everything else as a dump stat.

If you don't need a given domain, either swap it for the relevant domain feat, or see if your DM will waive the deity restriction on Ordained Champion, dip 1 level and ditch all the domains you don't want for Fighter bonus feats.

Here's a link to a build I worked up. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219534)

It's got a solid spell list, at least until you have to start worrying about Disjunction or area dispels. Then, you rely on your own Persisted AMF, which the aforementioned build did not incorporate.

I don't think that build works... you need minimum of level 7 for Sacred Exorcist for 10 ranks in know(planes), and you also need to be able to cast dismissal or dispel evil, which you can't as cleric5/death delver 1, unless I missed something?

[Metahuman1]

Black_Zawisza: I was leaning Ruby Knight Vindicator for this myself, and likely with the 1 lvl dip into Crusader if I can swing it. DM isn't a big fan of Crusader (He's fine enough with Warbaldes and Swordsages, just for some reason he has a dislike of the Crusader. He says he can't put his finger on why though, and would be willing to allow a dip for the martial maneuvers for the holy warrior type character.) DM is friendly to changing fluff to suit a need for character builds.

Grey McBannert: Nice build but I don't think that's quite what the player wants. He wants to use spell casting mostly to buff himself and his allies and then be bad ass in melee. Direct Quote. So I'm attempting to make that work.

Tvtyrant: That's something I had not considered, yeah, a dip would certainly be a worth while investment, thanks for the idea.

Edit: Here's what I'm looking at for a build progression.

Cleric 4/Crusader 1/PrC Paladin 1/ Ruby Knight Vendicator 5/ Cleric 9.

The DM has said the Paladin dip would allow the player to get Access to Paladin spells as a cleric, and that he'd let me swap the 5th and 7th Ruby Knight Vendicator ability's as part of a change to the class to shift it away form Wee Jas, as this is gonna be a Forgotten Realms Game.

What do you guys think?

[Urpriest]

No real need for that Cleric 9 at the end. It should probably be Contemplative or something else decent.

[TroubleBrewing]

Grey McBannert: Nice build but I don't think that's quite what the player wants. He wants to use spell casting mostly to buff himself and his allies and then be bad ass in melee. Direct Quote. So I'm attempting to make that work.

That's.... Exactly what that build does. Exactly. It buffs, it casts spells, and it rocks faces in melee.

All from inside a Persisted AMF.

What about that isn't what he asked for? :smallconfused: