Dwarven "Fighter" --wink wink--

[McClintock]

Hello Playgrounders,

We will be starting a new adventure in a few months and I am looking to get started on a new character for it. Here is my concept:

Dwarven "Fighter". This guy is a priest that has been asked to spread the word of "X"... out in the world. He is a wee bit zealous and it is driving the Clan bonkers. He believes because he wields the "Y" of "X" that he is all that and a bag of rock chips. So, to that end he has been trying to get in good with a strong adventuring company with need of a healthy and strong "fighter". (When asked about his magic he is going to say he is favored among his people and his god willingly bestows upon his the powers he needs during battle.)

Actual build:
32pt buy
dwarf race of some sort
cleric spells
no more than 2 base classes
no more than 2 prestiges
I prefer to stay good or at the worst neutral

Books allowed:
all completes
all races
PHB
PHBII
DMG
DMGII
Spell Compendium
ToB
UA
Draconimicron
Exalted

if there is anything I have forgotten just let me know.

[Urpriest]

Well the simplest advice here is going to be using Complete Divine to get Divine Metamagic: Persistent Spell and using it for all-day-long Divine Power and Righteous Might. I would also recommend Ice Axe (Spell Compendium), a cool thematic spell for a dwarf cleric that also packs a real punch, especially with Power Attack.

What level do you start at? It's a little trickier playing this sort of character at lower levels.

[Diovid]

The 4th dwarf cleric sub level and 1 level of Battlesmith might fit the character. Both are from Races of Stone.

Earth Dwarf isn't bad for a melee powerhouse.

Other than that I thought Cleric/Crusader going into Ruby Knight Vindicator was the standard build for cleric fighters.

[danzibr]

Yeah, as Urpriest said, Divine Power and Righteous Might on all the time is... way good (bonuses to Str stack too!), for offense. Depending upon how many you can persist at once, you can get some crazy defenses too. Ice Axe is cool, but with a super high Str is not as good.

[McClintock]

What level do you start at? It's a little trickier playing this sort of character at lower levels.

First Level


Earth Dwarf isn't bad for a melee powerhouse.

Earth Dwarves

Earth dwarves are identical with standard dwarves, except for some differences in racial traits.
Racial Traits

Earth dwarves have the general traits of earth races described above and all dwarf racial traits, with additions and exceptions as noted below.

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: Earth dwarves are physically powerful, but somewhat clumsy in action and speech.
Improved Stonecunning: An earth dwarf's racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework is +4 (instead of +2).
No +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
No +1 racial bonus on attacks against orcs and goblinoids.
+4 racial bonus on Appraise checks and Craft checks that are related to stone or metal items: An earth dwarf has a particularly strong familiarity with objects made of the bones of the earth, hence the higher racial bonus.


Just a question. is it worth no +2 vs spells/spell like?

What does Ice Axe do?

[McClintock]

stupid internet, sorry for double post

[Namfuak]

If you don't mind losing some spellcasting power for flavor, Paladin 4/Crusader 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 10/Paladin +2/Crusader +4 will have you using martial weapons from the get-go and net you natural full BAB (or you could be a cleric with the war domain I suppose, is there anything clerics can't do?).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

What's your starting level?

I'd go either PHB Dwarf or Desert Dwarf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertDwarves), and a fairly basic/standard level build of Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) 5/ Paragnostic Apostle 1/ Divine Oracle 4/ Contemplative 10. Say he visited the Frog God's Fane detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get the feat prerequisite for Divine Oracle without having to spend a feat on it. Replace the Knowledge domain with Knowledge Devotion. Use (Extended) (Greater) Luminous Armor with (Extended) Magic Vestment and the Mind Over Matter trick from Paragnostic Apostle, along with a Darkwood Heavy Shield with (Extended) Magic Vestment. If you worship Moradin, take the Dwarf Cleric 4 substitution level. (If you can't swing 1 base class and 3 prestige classes, just take six Cleric and skip Paragnostic Apostle.)

You'll want Extend, Persist, and DMM: Persist asap, probably also pick up Law Devotion, and maybe even Extra Turning and Craft Rod to make your own Night Sticks and Metamagic Rods of Extend.

With Divine Metamagic: Persistent buffs, hour/level buffs, Evasion and Uncanny Dodge via Divine Oracle, and even more domains and other benefits from Contemplative, he'll definitely be a capable combatant. Get a Reliquary Holy Symbol (MIC) and plenty of Night Sticks (LM) to Persist your buffs, and you can even cast Eagle's Splendor before buffing to get a few more turn uses. Get a standard Strand of Prayer Beads with the Bead of Smiting removed, per DMG pricing it should only cost you 9,000 gp, and use the Bead of Karma before casting your daily buffs. Get plenty of (Lesser) Metamagic Rods of Extend for hour/level buffs. See what your DM thinks about combining Extend and Persist on a spell, and whether it would last 48 hours or if Persist would just override the Extended base duration.

If starting level 13+, get a 6th level Pearl of Power and a standard Metamagic Rod of Extend. Every other day prepare Energy Immunity twice, use the pearl to cast it three times, and use the rod with all three so they last 48 hours. On the days in between prepare Energy Immunity and Superior Resistance each once, cast both and use the pearl to cast Energy Immunity again, and use the rod on those as well so they last 48 hours. For those two items and two 6th level spells each day you'll get total immunity to all five energy types and a +6 Resistance bonus on all your saves.