[PF] Making a melee cleric

[tricktroller]

Hey guys,
So the DM I am playing under is allowing kobold press materials so I am playing an ascetic cleric with the heirloom weapon trait and finding haleen trait(might change this trait if I can find something else that works, this trait seems a little borked to me, but I'll take any advantage I can get.). So I will be unarmored wielding a greatsword. I am a halfling so it will be a small greatsword but for flavor its a lot of fun as well as being pretty freaking powerful.

So at first level My feats are toughness and opening volley. I am taking the travel and magic domain.

My stats are
str 14-> 18 with Mind is body
dex 20
con 16
int 12
wis 18
cha 14

Really I am just looking for feats and spells to take as a melee cleric. I will launch my sword first turn using the magic domain which will give me a +4 bonuses on my next melee attack on the next turn which will probably be a charge so I will be swinging at +13.

I get toughness for free at first level and then I have a large list of feats I get to pick from every even level. Most of them are skill or save bonuses but that's cool with me.

So any help would be awesome I am not normally a pathfinder player and I am still a bit confused on everything.

[Spore]

Which level is targetted?

Having so much Dex is quite odd for a Cleric. I know you NEED the AC but if you're wielding a twohanded weapon, you should focus on your damage. What is dead cannot hurt you!

Attributes should be: Wis > Str > Con > Dex > Cha > Int

So in your case:
Str 16 -> 21
Dex 16
Con 16
Int 12
Wis 20
Cha 14

(1) Power Attack
(1*) Toughness
(2*) Improved Initiative
(3) Furious Focus
(4*) Dodge
(5) Mobility
(6*) Spring Attack
(7) Weapon Focus (Temple Sword? Quarterstaff?)
(8*) Combat Casting
(9) Craft Feat (Wondrous Items)
(10*) Defensive Combat Training

You cannot wield a greatsword since Ascetics aren't proficient with their deity's favored weapon. Either ask for DM permission or choose the Temple Sword for a crit build or the Spear.

[tricktroller]

How do you get to 20 wisdom? I rolled 18,18.16,16,12,12 for my stats.

I am using a greatsword through the heirloom weapon trait and it has been oked by the dm.

[avr]

I don't know that I'd go down the spring attack line, not least because neither Spring Attack nor Mobility appears on the ascetics bonus feat list. It's not worth two open feats and one restricted bonus feat for the spring attack line. Power Attack requires +1 BAB which you won't have at 1st level.

Nimble Moves and Lunge are both bonus feats worth getting. Blind Fighting may be worthwhile from that list too. The halfling Risky Striker feat is a decent open feat. Lets see, maybe

1: Improved Initiative
1B: Toughness
2B: Nimble Moves
3: Power Attack
4B: Blind Fighting
5: Risky Striker
6B: Defensive Combat Training or Great Fortitude or Lightning Reflexes
7: Furious Focus
8B: Lunge
9: Craft Wondrous Item
10B: Defensive Combat Training or Great Fortitude or Lightning Reflexes

IMO, of course. Where I listed options it depends what your DM likes to use - combat maneuvers, fort save effects or reflex save effects. Tripping/grappling, death magic/poison, or elemental blasting magic most commonly.

[YASD]

Have you considered a reach cleric?

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2p68o?New-Class-Guide-Reach-Cleric

It would let you turn your high dex into more attacks.

[tricktroller]

Acrobatics, Agile Maneuvers, Alertness, Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Endurance, Fleet, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Nimble Moves, Run, Self-Sufficient, Skill Focus, and Toughness.

feats for bonus feats of ascetic. I would like to keep away from taking any feats in open slots that can be taken in bonus slots.

I really do like opening volley, is there a reason no one else seems to?

Whenever you deal damage with a ranged attack, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on the next melee attack roll you make against the opponent. This attack must occur before the end of your next turn.

I have a +7 to hit I think with ranged attacks or possibly a +8 if I use dex for the magic domain's ability.

[tricktroller]

so what reach weapon should I use instead of the greatsword if I went reach cleric? Spiked chain? I really am a bit lost on pathfinder. especially since I rarely play Small characters.

[Pex]

Power Attack is good, but you can't take it at 1st level since your BAB is +0. That has to wait until 3rd level. Power Attack is the goto feat for warriors. Everyone is so used to taking it at 1st level you tend to forget warriors can take it then because they have the BAB +1 requirement.

You almost need Furious Focus at 5th level. At 2/3 BAB the Power Attack penalty will hurt unless you can rack up those bonuses. You will still take the Power Attack penalty on AoO and secondary attacks, but getting that first hit is important, especially on rounds you have to move and only getting one attack anyway.

However, it's not necessary to go the Power Attack route. With a high strength and spell buffs you can still do decent damage with a one-handed weapon and use a shield for the AC. Dedicated warrior classes might out-damage you, but that's a feature. You just need to be decent enough and still have spellpower for other things.

[YASD]

so what reach weapon should I use instead of the greatsword if I went reach cleric? Spiked chain? I really am a bit lost on pathfinder. especially since I rarely play Small characters.

Essentially you take a reach weapon and stop just outside of melee range (15-20' away) and cast. When you get charged (or they just try to move past you), you get a bunch of attacks of opportunity using combat reflexes.

Second round, you use acrobatics to tumble back 10' (given slower halfling movement) and then cast another spell. When the foes close, they eat another round of attacks of opportunity.

Repeat as desired. You won't get the mileage out of enlarge person (going from small to medium), but small as far as I know, a reach weapon is still a reach weapon for small characters.

[tricktroller]

actually I am taking fleet of foot for +10 feet from halfling racial and get another +10 from travel domain so I can tumble 20.

do you guys think a dwarven longaxe? I would like to do at minimum a d10. I like the idea of the mighy sword that does 2d6 as a small weapon but it isn't reach.

My biggest problem with reach is that I can't attack adjacent targets which isn't a big deal I suppose but I have always liked using non reach weapons in the past. Is there a different way of going about it?

[tricktroller]

Hah ok so apparently we are playing humans instead now.