The Guarded Cleric build

[numerek]

First and second level sacred flame and bless(as long as there are enough people in the party that it will benefit to be worth while) as much as possible, throw around healing word as needed.

third and forth level add spiritual weapon to the mix.

fourth ASI.

fifth level
Now's where the fun begins, you get to spend every fight(as long as you have spell slots) running all over the place hitting each creature for 3d8+1d8 per spell slot level > 3 (half on save) and then on the ones you really want to go down you hit them with your sacred flame and/or spiritual weapon.

mass healing word as necessary

After that you want full spell slot progression because both spiritual spells increase their ongoing damage when cast with higher spells slots and you will be able to cast them more times per day

Things I like about spiritual guardians vs other area effect spells:
duration
area of effect is not stationary
can potentially hit a creature multiple turns per round (ie my turn, their turn, possibly someone else's also)
Has sculpt/careful spell build in
radiant/necrotic damage(though damage type is set by alignment).
makes creatures pay to attack me(or potentially my friends) in melee
doesn't use action or bonus action after spell is cast


wood elf increases base speed to 35
if you use the elemental evil players supplemental Aarakocra have a 50 flight speed

dwarf if you want heavy armor but low strength

Any +wis > +con > +dex race will help

Of course human variant for a free feat

Most other races don't really affect the build

Trickery domain mirror image domain spell is nice
if you are interested in heavy armor pick one that has it
if you have a good dexterity or strength you could pick one with martial weapon proficiency and use a ranged/thrown weapon instead of sacred flame, I'd recommend against going melee just for mobility reasons.
You can wisdom melee by going nature and picking up shillelagh.
death domain chill touch and it can target two creatures, ignore damage resistance for necrotic damage
Tempest and light gives a reaction trigger



requires 13 charisma
vicious mockery though it goes off charisma
1st longstrider +10 movement can help with spiritual guardians
6th could get 2 spells from 2 different spell lists
6th find steed

6th death domain ignores resistance to necrotic damage
8th knowledge, light add wisdom to cantrip damage, ASI one level sooner
does multiclass suffer the non-metal armor restriction?
other damage cantrip
1st longstrider
2nd land get back some spell slots once per day
wild shape could give a speed boost and could give a boost to concentration save depending on clerics constitution but they all have terrible AC and you wouldn't be able to cast sacred flame
requires 13 charisma
other damage cantrip though it goes off charisma
sorcery points = more spell slots
meta magic - extend duration of spiritual guardians possibly other spells as well
1st shield
3rd twin sacred flame
3rd mirror image
14th fly speed though this is at 19th character level
requires 13 intelligence
other damage cantrip though it goes off intelligence
get back some spell slots once per day
1st find familiar
1st longstrider
1st shield
1st mage armor
3rd mirror image
5th phantom steed
6th transmutation +10 movement speed
6th evocation sacred flame half damage on success
7th fire shield
10th focused conjuration

So as crazy as it may seem I see the most benefit coming from multiclassing into wizard after 5th level.

I'm not going to claim to be an expert on every spell in every list so there may be some good spells that help this build with its concept that I didn't think of.


The below feats would be good to have.

Mobile +10 speed, get out of attacks of opportunity

Resilient Constitution help maintain concentration

shield master less damage means easier maintain concentration

war caster advantage on concentration checks



Athletics/acrobatic counter shove or grapple attempts
Animal handling a mount can improve mobility
religion I find it silly when clerics don't have this skill



Aarakocra
Any non-evil alignment.
8 16 13 13 14 13
speed 25 fly 50
cleric death domain 5/ wizard conjuration 10/ draconic sorcerer 5
equipment studded leather armor + shield, talons good enough on rare times I get attacks of opportunity
when flying isn't an option put on best medium armor I can afford.
skills religion, insight, acrobatics, perception

first thru 3rd as above except chill touch instead of sacred flame most of the time.
4th first ASI resilient con brings it to 14
5th can do 4d8 damage with chill touch, a 1d8+wis damage with spiritual weapon and 3d8 damage with spiritual guardians
6th shield is great since we haven't really been using our reaction, mage armor is better and lighter than light armor, +10 movement speed(longstrider). can regain a 1st level spell slot
7th 4d8 damage with spiritual guardians or 2d8+wis for spiritual weapon. you can drop 10 pound magical tear drops(maximal terminal velocity) from the sky
8thl you get mirror image. can regain a 2nd level spell slot
9th second ASI shield master 5d8 damage with spiritual guardians
10th can regain a 3rd level spell slot
11th 6d8 damage with chill touch you get 6d8 damage with spiritual guardians and 3d8+wis for spiritual weapon. 30 foot teleportation especially good when flight is not available.
12th if your dm has been sending melee flyers after you or you have to fight in melee on the ground flame shield maybe useful, it also has the benefit of providing resistance to fire or cold. can regain a 4th level spell slot
13th 7d8 damage with spiritual guardians. third mobile ASI
14th can regain a 5th level spell slot
15th 8d8 damage with spiritual guardians and 4d8+wis for spiritual weapon. damage can't make you lose concentration on spiritual guardians
16th free mage armor better hps then you have been getting for the last 10 levels.
17th 8d8 damage with chill touch 9d8 damage with spiritual guardians lower level spell slots can become 5th level spell slots
18th extend spell, now that you have high level spell slots and your concentration is unaffected by damage you can spend sorcery point so make that 10 minutes into 80 minutes. Unfortunately spiritual weapon can only be extended to 8 minutes and it only moves 20 feet around so the party would be slowed by it.
19th fourth ASI not sure maybe stats. duration 160 minutes
20th duration 320 minutes

Notes:
I went with resilient con instead of war caster because I could make use of the stat point and the proficiency bonus works on a constitution save not just concentration checks
I know this leaves the character with a weak wisdom score, but ideally most of the damage for this build will come from them taking half damage on save from the spiritual guardian, in that way the increased dc from a higher wisdom is effectively an increased critical range. which works out to about 3.4%(it is slightly greater than 3.3333% because of damage rounding down on success) increase to average damage regardless of the chance of them making the save (unless of course they are at the extremes of can't succeed or can't fail regardless of plus or minus one to the save dc in which cause it doesn't change the damage at all)


Any advice on other options that make this build better at its main goal would be appreciated

[Giant2005]

The Mobility doesn't really help. The damage procs when the enemies enter the area, not when you enter theirs.

[coredump]

The Mobility doesn't really help. The damage procs when the enemies enter the area, not when you enter theirs.It procs whenever the enemy enters the area, it doesn't matter which is moving, the first time the enemy is in the area it takes damage.

This has been confirmed by Crawford.

[Giant2005]

It procs whenever the enemy enters the area, it doesn't matter which is moving, the first time the enemy is in the area it takes damage.

This has been confirmed by Crawford.

If that is how it is being ruled, then you are better off ditching the Cleric aspect and going all out by doing the same thing on a Lore Bard at level 6 and with your other magical secrets spell, taking Find Steed to double the damage.

[coredump]

If that is how it is being ruled, then you are better off ditching the Cleric aspect and going all out by doing the same thing on a Lore Bard at level 6 and with your other magical secrets spell, taking Find Steed to double the damage.

haha... thats pretty funny.

You still have to worry about AoO's and concentration, but still a funny visual.

And Spirit guardians will effect the steed also.

[numerek]

haha... thats pretty funny.

You still have to worry about AoO's and concentration, but still a funny visual.

And Spirit guardians will effect the steed also.

As I mentioned the spell has sculpt/careful built in. So you can choose not to have it effect the steed if that was what you were talking about.

So the bard variant delays the concept one level trade vicious mockery for sacred flame, I'm not sure of an alternative for spiritual weapon until you get more magic secrets at 10th level or you could multi into cleric and pick it up at 9th. And doubles the damage of spiritual guardians to a very respectable 6d8+2d8 per spell slot level > 3. Mounted feat would be good to help mount stay alive. And damage will be less if your mount goes down until you can pick up spiritual weapon or an equivalent alternative.

[coredump]

As I mentioned the spell has sculpt/careful built in. So you can choose not to have it effect the steed if that was what you were talking about.oh that's not a problem. Since it is a SELF spell, when you cast it, it works on you AND your horse.
If you really want the be cheesy, you could claim double damage.

[Maxilian]

oh that's not a problem. Since it is a SELF spell, when you cast it, it works on you AND your horse.
If you really want the be cheesy, you could claim double damage.

I'm pretty sure most DM won't allow it, but by Raw... it works

[numerek]

Fixed some issues and added an example build

[numerek]

Had to change the stats for the build because of the multiclassing. Changed the ASI after doing some calculations on how wisdom effects this builds damage.

[Spacehamster]

This makes me want to make a mounted valor bard with greater steed and sprit guardians as secrets, ride around on Pegasus and tear folks to shreds with spirit guardians. Then remaining 10 as two more bard and 8 hexblade perhaps. Or maybe fiendlock for fire shield.

[KorvinStarmast]

oh that's not a problem. Since it is a SELF spell, when you cast it, it works on you AND your horse.
If you really want the be cheesy, you could claim double damage.Not according to the rules on overlapping magical effects. You get whichever one rolled highest.

Combining Magical Effects

The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don’t combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap. For example, if two clerics cast bless on the same target, that character gains the spell’s benefit only once; he or she doesn’t get to roll two bonus dice. A conservative ruling is that "it's the same spell" but ... I also like the non conservative ruling of "you both have Spirit Guardians up and wreak havoc as long as you can maintain concentration. Sometimes, cheese is the best snack. :smallbiggrin:

[DarkKnightJin]

Not according to the rules on overlapping magical effects. You get whichever one rolled highest.

Combining Magical Effects A conservative ruling is that "it's the same spell" but ... I also like the non conservative ruling of "you both have Spirit Guardians up and wreak havoc as long as you can maintain concentration. Sometimes, cheese is the best snack. :smallbiggrin:

So.. You could get a Found Steed maintaining Concentration on Spirit Guardians, while they can't

[DarkKnightJin]

Not according to the rules on overlapping magical effects. You get whichever one rolled highest.

Combining Magical Effects A conservative ruling is that "it's the same spell" but ... I also like the non conservative ruling of "you both have Spirit Guardians up and wreak havoc as long as you can maintain concentration. Sometimes, cheese is the best snack. :smallbiggrin:

So.. You could get a Found Steed maintaining Concentration on Spirit Guardians, while they can't be directly attack if you snagged Mounted Combatant, while you focus on another Concentration spell?
Even if that one is range Self, you can choose to not have it be cast on your mount as well.

[Crgaston]

Saw this in another thread recently, but if you are evil and your steed is neutral, your SG will do Necrotic damage and steed’s will do radiant.

[numerek]

Not according to the rules on overlapping magical effects. You get whichever one rolled highest.

Combining Magical Effects A conservative ruling is that "it's the same spell" but ... I also like the non conservative ruling of "you both have Spirit Guardians up and wreak havoc as long as you can maintain concentration. Sometimes, cheese is the best snack. :smallbiggrin:

This is interesting so the 6d8 + 2d8/spell slot > 3 is probably out but I guess you could still split up and basically get a larger area effect