Paladin/CCleric Dipping/PrC Domain Questions

[Kavor]

Evening all,

I've been reading the forums for a week or so now, and finally signed up tonight to run a question by anyone willing to answer.

Currently in a campaign which essentially has all sourcebooks available, subject to DM approval, so keep that in mind with any suggestions.

I will say this is the first time we have been allowed to have more than one prestige or fully utilize class dipping at all, so I'm still learning, and I know this will by no means be "optimized". Character is a Paladin 5/Cloistered Cleric 1/Divine Crusader 1 (tentatively), worshipping Mayaheine. (Bastard Sword favored weapon; Her domains are Good, Law, Nobility, Protection, War)

For the Cloistered Cleric I took the War Domain (granting focus with the Bastard Sword), Law Devotion, and Knowledge Devotion.

I haven't decided which domain to choose with DivCru yet, but the idea is to add Ordained Champion (approved by DM) after it. From the OrdCha page, it seems I either choose War domain with DivCru and OrdCha can add one of the other possible domains, or OrdCha adds War domain to progress with whatever other domain I chose with DivCru at the 9/10 spell level progression? Does the fact that I have War on the Cloistered Cleric negate the fact that War has to be added by OrdCha, i.e. could I have War Domain with CCle not being progressed, Nobility from DivCru, and Good added from OrdCha?

If not and I'm forced to take War domain again at the DivCru spell progression, am I able to use the Combat Feats OrdCha class feature and trade out the domain ability attached to the CCle War domain for a fighter bonus feat, since essentially I'm adding it again and will still have the War domain ability, which seemed to be the intent of that requirement. Would dropping the weapon focus from the CCleric, even if I still retained it, affect anything? (it was this weapon focus that was a prereq for both DivCru and Ord Cha).

Side question- is Knowledge off the table for being added as a spell domain from either of those class level, or does CCle make that possible?

So yeah, after trying to figure all this out, my head hurts. Depending on what answers come out of the above mess, future levels being considered are more Ordained Champion, Grey Guard, Fist of Raziel, and Witch Slayer (No spell progression :smallannoyed: ). Any resolution to the domain issues or recommendations in general are definitely appreciated!! Thanks!!

Kavor

[Kavor]

Update - my DM is ruling that I'm ok to choose another domain with the Ordained level since I technically have the war domain from Cloistered Cleric. Feel free to comment if any evidence this is the wrong call.

So now really my question is just any advice on which domains to take? I've seen rankings of Domain powers, but not of the spells themselves. Will be taking a paladin prestige class to advance the two domains to 9th lvl, using 2h bastard sword, unless someone can point out a valid use of exotic & sword+board that doesn't take every single remaining feat on the way to 20.

Thanks again.

Kavor

[Red Fel]

Travel Domain is a popular choice for the Travel Devotion feat.

Although, if you want a class that makes good use of your 2h sword while still progressing divine spellcasting, you might consider a re-fluffed version of Ruby Knight Vindicator (with Wee Jas conveniently removed). Gives you something more to do with that sword than simply smacking things.

[Kavor]

Awesome, thanks for the domain advice.

I've only skimmed RKV and ToB in general, but have seen several posts about it. What makes this class be near game-breaking?

[Red Fel]

Awesome, thanks for the domain advice.

I've only skimmed RKV and ToB in general, but have seen several posts about it. What makes this class be near game-breaking?

Well, several things make it an excellent class.

1: Like most classes in ToB, RKV is a Martial Adept class. This means that it can perform maneuvers, which are special abilities for melee combat which recharge with every encounter. These are options, something melee desperately needs; for instance, you could add fire damage to an attack, or substitute a Concentration check for a saving throw, or re-roll an attack, or take an extra move action. Lots of useful options, and RKV gives you access to them. Specifically, RKV gives you access to Devoted Spirit (tanking and healing), Shadow Hand (stealthing and ability damage), Stone Dragon (overcoming DR and hardness), and White Raven (totally breaking the action economy) maneuvers.

2: RKV gives you full BAB progression and 8/10 divine spellcasting progression, which is superb if you are a melee-oriented divine caster.

3: RKV has several useful class features, but the most legendary of them - and the one which earned the class the title of "Ruby Knight WINdicator" is Divine Impetus. This allows you to burn one use of Turn Undead to take an extra Swift Action this turn. Any swift action you'd like. Note also that most maneuvers require swift actions to initiate, so this could give you extra uses of your maneuvers, but it can also apply to any other swift action you might use. Further, the RAW of the class places no limit on how many times per turn you can do this (although it might get books thrown at you if you abuse it). Given that you're not always going to be fighting undead, and you might not always use Divine Metamagic, some of your Turn Undead uses may just be sitting around gathering dust. This makes them incredibly functional.

I'd advise taking a second look at the class. If your goal is to be a "swordsman with divine spells" as opposed to "divine caster with a sword," RKV gives you some great options. Even if you're caster first, melee second, it's still useful.

[ZamielVanWeber]

RKV also interacts fun with Paladins: Battle Blessing converts many of your spells to swifts, which RKV lets you cast freely at the cost of a turn attempt.

[Darrin]

I will say this is the first time we have been allowed to have more than one prestige or fully utilize class dipping at all, so I'm still learning, and I know this will by no means be "optimized". Character is a Paladin 5/Cloistered Cleric 1/Divine Crusader 1 (tentatively), worshipping Mayaheine. (Bastard Sword favored weapon; Her domains are Good, Law, Nobility, Protection, War)

For the Cloistered Cleric I took the War Domain (granting focus with the Bastard Sword), Law Devotion, and Knowledge Devotion.


Pedantic Nitpick: Mayaheine grants Martial Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword as a two-handed martial weapon. Same with Kelanen. There are some Forgotten Realms deities that have bastard sword as a favored weapon, but unfortunately the FRCS does not specify (e) or (m).

Also, by RAW, the War domain can only grant Martial Weapon Proficiency, although this is most likely a consequence of there not being any deities with exotic favored weapons when the PHB was printed (providing we don't count Blibdoolpoolp/pincer staff in the MM), and subsequent designers forgetting about the MWP/EWP thing when they created new deities with exotic favored weapons.

In actual practice, I would think you'll find that most groups just ignore the MWP thing and let the War domain grant EWP where appropriate.