Cleric attack spells

[Flame of Anor]

I'm building a character who is sort of like what a paladin would be if the paladin were actually a cleric. Basically, it's because a cleric who emphasizes flavor over optimization is still going to be more powerful than a paladin.

Now, instead of Smite Evil, I've taken Divine Metamagic: Smiting Spell. That means I get to cast a touch spell into my weapon and it goes off when I hit someone with it. Please don't tell me that's unoptimized; I already know that. It's a low-optimization campaign, and I don't want to overshadow everyone else too much or get the good stuff (like DMM) banned.

My question is: what are some good cleric spells to cast into my weapon? The inflict line is classic, of course, and bestow curse would be handy, but what else? Pretty much any official source is okay, even Dragon magazine.

[BowStreetRunner]

I believe Lastai's Caress from BoED would fit your build nicely. It has no save and the ability to leave an evil creature shaken, nauseated, frightened or even cowering.

[Jeff the Green]

Inflict is probably suboptimal, though once you get it harm could be nice. If you can keep blessed sight up, Lastai's caress (both from BoED) would be awesome. Mummify is classy (SoD, plus damage and dehydrated on successful save), if high level.

Another thing, when you run out of turn attempts, blade of pain and fear is awesome. Touch attack 1d6+half CL and Will or frightened, lasts for rounds/level, and you can make iteratives. I've been wanting to play a Dread Necromancer with that spell for a while.

What level are you starting at and where do you expect to end?

[eggs]

L2: Lastai's Caress (BoED)
L3: Shivering Touch (Frost), Bestow Curse, Awaken Sin (SpC)
L4: Poison
L5: Slay Living, Choking Sands (Sand), Plane Shift, Hibernate (Frost)
L6: Mummify (Sand), Harm
L7: Tomb of Light (BoED), Greater Bestow Curse (SpC)

Most of these should be fight-enders if they stick.

[Jeff the Green]

Remember with Lastai's caress, though, that you have to know that the enemy is evil. With just detect evil, that takes three rounds of concentration, which is why I mentioned blessed sight.

[Flame of Anor]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, guys!



What level are you starting at and where do you expect to end?

Started at 1st; currently at 4th; who knows how long this guy'll be around?

Also, could you summarize Blessed Sight? I don't have BoED handy right now.

[Jeff the Green]

It's like detect evil, except that you don't need to concentrate, you see the location of evil auras instantly, it has a range of 120', and it lasts one minute/level. There's a good argument to be made for allowing it to be made permanent with permanency, too, since it's the alignment equivalent of arcane sight.

It is, however, 3rd level, and Lastai's caress is iffy without it (unless, I suppose, you're fighting mostly evil outsiders, but even that's questionable). I can't think of or find any spells you can cast now that will be good as smiting spells. I'd say wait until next level to use the feat.

[Snowbluff]

Flamestrike, Lvl 5.

Ordained Champions are a nice gish for Cleric. They get the ability to swift action and spontaneously their War Spells, including Flame Strike.

[Jeff the Green]

Flamestrike, Lvl 5.

Unfortunately, Smiting Spell only works with touch range spells.

[hymer]

As long as you're discussing cleric spells, I'll just leave this here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13287007&postcount=2
I've found that list very useful.

[Snowbluff]

Unfortunately, Smiting Spell only works with touch range spells.

Yeah, but if you ever need to clear some knolls, this will do it without cutting into your attacks per turn.

Ordained Champion get Channel Spell, which can do the same with a move action rather than a feat and a spell slot what Smiting Spell accomplishes. If you don't have the errata you can channel pretty much any spell this way, as well.

Meteoric Strike, Player's Handbook 2. Swift action to add some damage and AoE to your attack. Nice for smiting, but cost a 5th level slot (yikes!)

[Autopsibiofeeder]

Yeah, but if you ever need to clear some knolls, this will do it without cutting into your attacks per turn.

Ordained Champion get Channel Spell, which can do the same with a move action rather than a feat and a spell slot what Smiting Spell accomplishes. If you don't have the errata you can channel pretty much any spell this way, as well.

Yes, upon reading the OP, I was thinking Ordained Champion. That class fits the concept very well.

[Snowbluff]

Yes, upon reading the OP, I was thinking Ordained Champion. That class fits the concept very well.

Oh yeah! Champion five! =0

That's a fist of Hextor (or Heironeus with a gauntlet on, but we all know he goes bare knuckle when he boxes with the undead!)

[erikun]

Bestow Curse (SRD Clr3), Contagion (SRD Clr3), Poison (SRD Clr4), Slay Living (SRD Clr5), Plane Shift (SRD Clr5), and Harm (SRD Clr6) have immediate and obvious combat potential.

Darkness (SRD Clr2), Daylight (Clr3), Deeper Darkness (SRD Clr3), and Mark of Justice (SRD Clr5) have slightly less obvious combat uses, but are still practical in the right situations.

I could see uses for Status (SRD Clr2), Obscure Object (SRD Clr3), and Hallow/Unhallow (SRD Clr5), but don't think you'd be using them unless you had something planned.

I'm fairly certain that all of these are in the PHB as well, but didn't double check to verify.