TWF cleric build

[Warrnan]

I'm playing a campaign where I want to grab a level of Lion totem Barbarian for pounce and then straight cleric/clericy-pcr. We are getting an extra feat per level to reflect that we have only a two man adventuring party. Retraining is allowed. How would you play this melee oriented water cleric to survive the first 5 levels? I know TWF is unoptimal but it is a flavor thing. I'm taking whirling frenzy too. Basically I want someone who hits hard and fast and who is buffed out the wahzoo. How would you spend the extra 5 feats is mainly what I'm wondering.
(All 3.5 material allowed excluding psionics, ToB, and ToM, thanks!)

Thanks in advance for your advice! Hope everyone has a epic weekend!

[docnessuno]

I'm playing a campaign where I want to grab a level of Lion totem Barbarian for pounce and then straight cleric/clericy-pcr. We are getting an extra feat per level to reflect that we have only a two man adventuring party. Retraining is allowed. How would you play this melee oriented water cleric to survive the first 5 levels? I know TWF is unoptimal but it is a flavor thing. I'm taking whirling frenzy too. Basically I want someone who hits hard and fast and who is buffed out the wahzoo. How would you spend the extra 5 feats is mainly what I'm wondering.


Thanks in advance for your advice! Hope everyone has a epic weekend!

Option A: Charge focus
Two-weapon fighting
Power attack
Battle Jump
Leap attack
Improved Bull Rush
Open feat (Double slice if PF stuff is allowed)
Later on: Shock trooper @ BaB 6

Option B: Buff focus:
Two-weapon fighting
Extend spell
Persistent spell
Divine metamagic (Peristent spell)
Extra turning
Extra turning
Extra turning (Reserves of Strenght if Dragonlance stuff is allowed and you already have 14+ turn undead)
Later on: Elder Giant Magic, Extra turning, Extra turning, Extra turning, Extra turning, Power attack, Extra turning, Extra turning, Extra turning, etc...
One more Extra turning if you have the Planning domain.

[eggs]

Option C: Fear focus
1: Two-Weapon Fighting
1 (Human): Dreadful Wrath
12 (Domain): Animal Devotion
2: Extra Rage
3: Intimidating Rage
4: Immediate Rage
5: Imperious Command

Buff up with spells and Animal Devotion, engage in melee to debuff opponents, and if somebody starts doing anything you don't like, lock them down with Intimidation+Imperious Command+Never Outnumbered before they can cast that nasty spell or make that charge against your allies.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Holy Warrior reserve feat once you get 4th level spells is awesome for TWFighters, preferably getting spontaneous casting fo the War Domain so you get the bonus as long as you have 1 spell left.

It might be useful to dip a level of Prestige Ranger, there are several useful ranger spells that help TWF, that would mean you would need the animal domain; but IIRC it has Shapechange so it isn't that bad.

[Warrnan]

Ok great ideas. I believe I am more or less running with "option B" idea. My party member is Goliath dual wielding large swords a lion totem barbarian with some fighter levels. Basically I plan on using imbued healing just for buffing with the level 2 Spc spell stabilize. As a swift action giving us both +2 damage from str domain and next round +1 to hit from war domain. The 2 hp we both restore are an after thought.

Later I'll retrain imbued healing for another extra turning and just provide aoe melee buffs for both of us. My water orc has a 12 Cha so only starting off with 4 turn attempts.

My roleplaying theme is that he is the tribe's war-shaman. Strength, War, air, earth, fire, water or similar things would be possible domains. I think str and war for now are my choice. Leveling cleric1/barbarian1/clericX.

Feats by level 1. TWF and imbue healing 2. Extra rage 3. Power attack, cleave 4. Extend spell 5. Ddm:extend 6. Persistent spell, retrain ddm:extend for ddm: persist, extra turning 7. Imp. TWF 8. Combat reflexes 9. Holy warrior

Water Orc cleric1/whirling frenzy lion totem barbarian1/cleric7
Str 20 dex 17 con 14 int 6 (lol) wis 14 Cha12.
Ill be buffing up stats to allow higher than 4th level spells but ill never cast a spell that allows a saving throw with such a horrible wis. haha

Thanks again everyone for all the ideas!

[Kaeso]

Just a small side note: isn't a TWF cleric unable to cast spells? You need at least one free hand to cast spells and you can't use the "moving your hand away from your weapoin is a free action" trick THF clerics use.

[ThiagoMartell]

Just a small side note: isn't a TWF cleric unable to cast spells? You need at least one free hand to cast spells and you can't use the "moving your hand away from your weapoin is a free action" trick THF clerics use.

Use a double weapon or take the Somatic Weaponry feat or use the clawed gauntlets the Cult of the Dragon uses. Or even use armor spikes as your off-hand weapon.

Go into Ordained Champion, it should help.

[mattie_p]

If he is going route "B" with DMM persist then does most of his spellcasting once a day.

EDIT: but not with that low CHA and only one extra turning feat. You'll only persist one spell a day with the build you have, make it a good spell. I'd use your every-level bonus feat on extra turning, and use the regular feats for your other feats such as TWF tree.

[docnessuno]

Also, increasing your caster level (Reserves of Strenght feat, elder giant Magic feat, Items) can do wonders to turn +1/+2 buffs to +3/+4/+5 ones.

[Warrnan]

Interesting house rule we have: anyone who rolls a nat1 provokes an aoo from melee enemies. basically your attack is so clumsy that you leave yourself wide open. This makes power attack cleave combat reflexes a great use. Enemy rolls a nat1? Kill him and cleave his buddy!! Haha.

But I could see the extra turns making a better investment. combat reflexes, PA, cleave, imbued healing retrained or forgone for 2 more persistent buffs.

I will use a "claw" weapon on one hand to cast with. Off hand light because it fits the lion totem RP. Battle axe main hand. Thanks for bringing up the "need free hand for casting". I totally forgot! That's a big deal!

Suggestions for martial or simple gauntlet weapons? Obvious answer is spiked guantlet but I'm sure there is something better from a splat book. Thanks!

[docnessuno]

Spiked Mithral Gauntlet shield from RoS. It's an exotic shield, but if you get a mithral one the ACP will be 0 so you can use it without penality.
As a weapon it should be just a martial weapon, so you are proficient thanks to the barbarian level. And you gain AC when you are not full-round attacking to boot.

[Warrnan]

After googling and googling I have been unable to find a suitable "clawed bracer" weapon to work with. I'll be proficient in martial weapons so something not exotic and light or one handed would be perfect. Something like this

Light Martial upgrade to spiked gauntlet:
1d6 20x2
One handed martial upgrade to spiked gauntlet:
1d6 19-20x2
1d8 20x2

Anyone familiar with weapons like these theoretical ideas? If you know a source that would be greatly appreciated. Just need it to leave my orc's hand free for casting. Thanks!