Cleric/Radiant Servant (3.5)

[Zach J.]

So I'm working on a cleric for a game that starts tomorrow. The party consists of a CN halfling rogue (DMPC), a halfling scout, a CG crusader of Trithereon and a sorcerer or wizard. That leaves me. The DMPC is actually a remade version of a character she played in an old game so I thought I'd remake the cleric I played in said game. He goes by Nazim and was a Radiant Servant of Pelor before having his alignment magically changed.

His original feats were something like... Augment Healing, Divine Metamagic (Reach Spell), Extra Turning, Extra Turning, Reach Spell.

He healed very well,but it wound up being a little boring.

I'm now thinking of taking Extend Spell, Extra Turning, Persistent Spell and Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell). I know that DMM can get rather cheesy, but I'd be using it to persist group buffs, spells like Mass Lesser Vigor, Prayer and Magic Circle Against Evil. If the DM allows me to buy a Nightstick I'll only use one.

Should I just take Extra Turning a many times as possible? I had considered taking the feat Sacred Healing from Complete Divine so I have an easy way to heal the other characters until I can Persist Mass Lesser Vigor. Or maybe that Healing Touch reserve feat. Thoughts?

[nedz]

Burning feats on healing options which you are going to obsolete by about level 5-6 seems wasteful, unless feat re-training is an option.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Be sure to save some Turn Undead uses for those amazing Greater Turnings, which you have to spend a normal use of Turn Undead to activate. A Radiant Servant isn't as much a healer as he is a destroyer of all things undead.

Try to include Morninglord (of Lathander, FR's Pelor) from PGtF. The ideal build would be (Cloistered) Cleric 5/ Morninglord 1/ Radiant Servant 5/ Morninglord 9, unless you want to include some Paragnostic Apostle in CC.

For items, try to pick up a Rod of Defiance (MIC), Ephod of Authority (MIC), Phylactery of Undead Turning or Circlet of Persuasion (DMG), Scepter of the Netherworld (MIC/LM), Talisman of Undead Mastery (MIC), Radiant Sphere (MIC), Reliquary Holy Symbol (MIC), Night Stick (LM), and a standard Strand of Prayer Beads that's had the Bead of Smiting removed, which costs 9,000 gp per DMG pricing. Undead opponents won't stand a chance.

If you want to overdo the Cleric of Light shtick, make your character an Illumian from Races of Destiny with the Bright Sigil feat in that same book and the Swift Concentration skill trick in CS. Morninglord doubles the area of spells you cast with the light descriptor (assuming it would also apply to Bright Sigil, its effect is that of of a Daylight spell you cast), and Radiant Servant also doubles the area of your spells with the light descriptor, plus it Heightens them by one level. Anything that would be doubled twice is instead tripled, so you would be walking around with an all-day beacon of 180 ft. radius bright illumination and another 180 ft. dim illumination, for no cost but a swift action to concentrate on it every round. I'd probably go with Hoovaul, since Vaul applies to turning checks anyway.

Be sure to cast (Lesser Rod of Extended) (Greater) Luminous Armor from BoED every day, and put (Lesser Rod of Extended) Magic Vestment on it as well. Note that you only need a good alignment to cast sanctified spells, while it does imply that you need to be exalted it never outright says it. Your low level party buffs should also include Elation, another sanctified spell.

[Zach J.]

Burning feats on healing options which you are going to obsolete by about level 5-6 seems wasteful, unless feat re-training is an option.

Yeah, that makes sense. So I should be good to go as long as I take the feats required for DMM: Persist and take Extra Turning a much as possible?

[Zach J.]

Eh, I've been thinking it over and I've got to nix DMM: Persist. I doubt I'd allow it if I wax running and I won't take a feat I wouldn't allow myself.

Becoming a Radiant Servant of Pelor makes you better at what I think of as the quintessential skills of a "classic" cleric: healing and destroying the undead. So what can I do to make my cleric better if I want to focus on THOSE aspects and LIMIT myself to the PHB and the Complete series? I also don't want to have to wait until 12th level or so to see the effects of my feats. If I take a feat at first level then I want to be able to use it.

If it helps, here are Nazim's stats

NG Human Cleric (Middle-Aged)
Str 13, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 16

Concentration +5, Heal + 7, Knowledge: Religion +5, Spellcraft +5

I have to take Extra Turning before I hit level 7. I was thinking of taking Divine Spell Power as my 9th level feat. Has anone else used this and if so do you recommend it?
I'm most interested in the feats I'd have to take before and just after becoming a Radiant Servant. I doubt the game will last until level 10, but I'd like to have a plan just in case.

Maybe...
1 Divine Vigor, Empower Turning
3 Extra Turning
6 Reach Spell
9 DMM: Reach Spell
12 Divine Spell Power
15 Extra Turning

EDIT: Biffoniacus, I appreciate the suggestions, but I doubt this will be an undead heavy campaign as two our party members (the rogue and the scout) can't do much against them and one of those characters is a dmpc. I like having some ability to fight the undead, but I don't want it to be the sole purpose of my character.