Cleric of God of Death

[Balor01]

Hey guys. I am a DM, used to mostly low-lvl campaigns and will be DM-ing a campaign where a lot of opponent NPCs will be clerics of death cult. I am not so clear on how to build these clerics, in despite checking out Cleric handbook. There are just too many choices.

What I would ask of you are two feat lists:


- Core feat list for cleric of death

- Noncore feat list for cleric of death

Around this I can build something. The list may reach from lvl 1 to 20, but max level clerics that will appear will probably be 10.

Optimization and advice how to (ab)use these feats is appreciated.

ALSO: Please take into account clerics will mostly have no prep time or will be surprized often. Only spells they may have on prior to combat is those they cast at the start of every day.

ALSO nr.2: Take into account these clerics will have little spending money. They will have hard time leaning on item-granted powers.

thanks

[docnessuno]

General cleric advice, unrelated to the Death theme:

Extend spell is a very useful feat. With that you can assume any hours/level buff cast at CL 8+ is active on the cleric unlss he is surprised while sleeping. If the cleric is willing to devote 2 spell slots for said buff he cousd do the same at CL 8 without extend spell or at CL 4 with it. As a side note, a lesser rod of metamagic extend (3/day extend a spell of lvl 1-3 for free) is worth just 3.000 gp, so a good option even if on a budget.
Persistent spell is even better (24 hours duration regardless of the original one), but considering the level range you suggested then only way it could be used effectivly is with Divine metamagic and extra turning (granting 1 persistent spell/day for a 4 feat investment) This can be further improved with items granting additional turn undeads, but given their lack of funds it's probably not the best way.

Another good option for buffing is increasing the cleric caster level, this will both increase the potency of many buffs (Magic vestment and Greater magic weapon for example), and increase their duration. The Elder Giant Magic feat (Secrets of Xen'drik) can increase CL up to +3 by increasing the cast time (not a problem when buffing in the morning), and the Reserves of Strength feat (Dragonlance campaign setting) can do the same in exhange for a small stun aafter the cast is complete (again, not a problem when buffing).
With both feat even a lvl6 cleric can cast CL 12 buffs, granting signigicant bonuses and longer durations.

[Slipperychicken]

I'd like to ask what you want these Clerics to do first, as there are a hundred ways to build a Cleric, any many archetypes to fill with them. And many of these archetypes can be better filled with non-clerics too. Would you like:

Bookish, dark-robed squishy priests (like real life monks), who blast the PCs with black energy?

Plate-armored unholy knights whose dark magic gives them strength?

Vile necromancers, who flood the field with undead minions?

Black-dressed archers, the power of whose devotion and magic guides their arrows?

[Balor01]

Thanks for answer docnessuno, but for my needs you aim a bit high. Thatswhy I asked for a list. I know these things are strong, but what about low lvls? Lvl 2, 4, 6?

@Slipperychicken

Excellent questions. Didint really think about it.

Could it be that these clerics would be ... sort of lock down controllers? Not doing damage, but messing with PCs? Like: Cause fear, Command, Hold person, Bestow curse, Blindness/deafness ... etc.

Plate-armored unholy knights whose dark magic gives them strength - this also sounds ... interesting. But keep in mind it should work at low lvls (2, 4, 6)

[almightycoma]

try malign spell focus (+2 DC's of evil spells) & corrupt spell (adds evil descriptor for +1 metamagic cost) from BoVD
Or since your trying to mess with their heads try fear stacking start with fearsome necromancy from CM it makes targets of your necromancy spells shaken for 1 round with no save BUT doesn't add to existing fear stacks

[Balor01]

In despite of all the replies I still lack feat list. Anyone? Please?

[Gwendol]

Clerics are almost as much defined by their domains as feats (if not more), which is why you get these suggestions.

For caster clerics: dreadful wrath (intimidation effect when casting Bane for example), extend spell, divine metamagic
For melee clerics: power attack, divine vigor, extend spell divine metamagic

[Balor01]

@Gwendol
I see.

In this case domains would be: Death and ... any other.

[Ravens_cry]

I like pairing the Death Domain with the Healing domain, but I like playing my Death god worshippers being more like the followers of a particular perky goth or someone WHO TALKS LIKE THIS rather than murder crazed loonies.