How best to play and build a party-friendly divine caster? [3.5]

[Fortuna]

The title says essentially everything. I would like to get some idea of how to play and build a level 20 divine caster whose primary tactic is making his buddies look awesome. Tier 1 classes are banned, but spontaneous cleric and favoured soul are both on the table. Wealth by level is standard. I welcome any help. :smallsmile:

[flare'90]

Well', you could go with DMM: Persist, using party buffs like Vigorous Circle/Mass Lesser Vigor, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful and so on (assuming spontaneous cleric gets turn undead, or with a 1 level dip in Sacred Exorcist).

See if domain spells are added to your known spell list: if they are consider 1 or 6 levels in Contemplative for 1-2 domains added. You could also use Sovereign Speaker to add up to 10 domains, but it's Eberron so might not be available.

With domains you can get a lot of arcane-exclusive party buffs, such as Haste (from the Time domain) or maybe Mass Snake Swifteness.

[Fortuna]

For clarification purposes - I am the DM, and this character is a DMPC (I have cleared it with the players, and feel I know what I'm doing - I know from experience that a statement like this often attracts comment). I would not permit one of my players to use DMM: Persist with multiple turning pools, and without multiple turning pools it's very difficult to get more than one or two spells persisted per day.

The ruling which I use is that if you have access to more than two domains you select two domain spells to add to your list at each spell level, and can take further domain spells as normal spells known.

EDIT: I should note that I am not married to the idea of a divine caster, but it's the only non-Charisma based way I can see to play a support character. If other methods suggest themselves, I'd be interested to hear those too.

[Chilingsworth]

Well, I'd start by focusing on group buff spells and mulit-target debuff spells.

Also, if you can get access to domains, get the time and travel domains.

[Fortuna]

Well, I'd start by focusing on group buff spells and mulit-target debuff spells.

Also, if you can get access to domains, get the time and travel domains.

Hiya, Chill.

Thanks for the advice. I'd be interested to know specific examples of spells that serve this purpose well, particularly high-level spells.

[Chilingsworth]

Hiya, Chill.

Thanks for the advice. I'd be interested to know specific examples of spells that serve this purpose well, particularly high-level spells.

Well, spells my irl group's cleric casts to help the party (party level: 18):

Mass Conviction (SpC), Mass Shield of Faith (SpC), Mass Deathward (SpC), Mass Spell Resistance (SpC), Heroes' Feast (Core), Haste (from time domain.), of course the occasional Heal and Mass Heal can come in handy, too. The travel domain would also allow access to teleportation magic.

[Fortuna]

*wince*

Lots of Spell Compendium stuff there, which requires me to work through second-hand sources rather than referring to the SRD. Are there any other notable core spells that assist with this sort of thing?

[Chilingsworth]

*wince*

Lots of Spell Compendium stuff there, which requires me to work through second-hand sources rather than referring to the SRD. Are there any other notable core spells that assist with this sort of thing?

as far as high level stuff? Not that I can think of. Incidentally, wizard's is issuing a reprint of the spell compendium. Amazon is taking preorders now, and it will be released in july.

EDIT:

Well, there's the usual caster "I win" buttons from core: the planar ally line, summon monster line, gate, miracle, and astral projection, but I'm guessing those are too strong for what you have in mind.

EDIT2: Another thing that every party with any brains should apprechiate (but might not bother to provide themselves with) is a source of divinations. augury, scrying, discern location, commune- all are available on the core cleric list.