Build advice needed: Gnome Cleric/Incarnate

[Zombimode]

My character was planned as an Azurin Cleric/Incarnate* of LAW going (of course) Sapphire Hierarch.
The plan was to use Dissolving Spittle or Lightning Gloves as the main form of attack supported by some spells and Law Devotion during the early levels, and to begin to rely more on spells as the levels increase while using Soulmelds to buff and to expand utility (Air Sandals etc.). Despite non-optimal combat stats (Str 12, and a Wizard's worth of BaB), between Soulmelds, Spells (especially later on with Divine Might), Law Devotion and some efficient damage enhancers like a collision weapon and an energy assault crystal I would've made an at least decent part-time melee character.

The goal wasn't to play the most optimal character, but I figured I would be able to pull my weight. And yes, the first sessions went pretty well. Between a potentially very high AC, good HP, great Will and Fort saves, and more or less irresistible 2d6 acid ranged touch attack in addition to cleric spells put up a good show.
But, alas, the Oger boss in the Forge of Fury adventure taught me a lesson not to stay in melee reach of a high damage attacker while being left with 4 HP. But the price was my characters life.

But since my character was well-liked and my GM got hooked on the Reincarnation idea once I brought it up (having recently re-read Saphs Seven Kingdoms campaign the concept was highly present in my mind), my fellow party members scraped together the 1000 gp and hired a Druid that was conveniently residing in the next town.

Now, Azurin isn't on the table, I prepared myself to make some adjustments to my planned build. Dwarf or Orc would let my carry on as planned, more or less. The RHD options (Bugbear, Gnoll, Lizardman) would led me to abandon the caster route and focus more on a melee role. Even for the Elf with its nasty Con penalty I though of using the racial weapon proficiency, Zen Archery, Sighting Gloves and spells to become so kind of Cleric Archer.
But... I was reborn as a Gnome...

*yeah, I know that Azurins can't technically become Incarnates, but my group usually ignores alignment, especially stupid cases like the Azurins restrictions

tldr version: my Azurin Cleric 2/Incarnate 1 got killed and was reincarnated as a Gnome

Strength penalty and small size will make it harder to fulfill the part time melee role (also considering a less impressive Righteous Might later on...). The con bonus is nice, but the other racial abilities are situational at best.

My current plan is to proceed with my original build, albeit less effective (losing the extra Essentia point hurts).
But I'm not well versed in Gnome-character building since it is a race I'm not typically interested in.

Any advice or ideas are welcome :smallsmile:

I just got my 3rd level back, so now is the best time to think about what to do with my (new) life.

The build so far:

Gnome Cleric (Law, Purification; positive energy channeling) 1 / Incarnate 1 (LAW)
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10
Feats: Law Devotion, Expanded Soulmeld Capacity (currently useless)

For my level 3 advancement, if I stay true to the original plan, I would take the next Cleric level and Practiced Spellcaster.

Party composition:
Spirit Shaman 4 (player is rather inexperienced)
Archery Ranger 3 (player is VERY inexperienced, so I don't expect much in terms of optimization)

[RoyVG]

I would suggest waiting with taking Practiced Spellcaster until a little later, your caster level increases by 2 when you take it now but I feel you don't get that much mileage out of it at this level. Bonus Essentia for example will give you 2 more essentia to play around with, which might be more beneficial. It also reduces the number of Incarnate levels you need to have to go into Sapphire Hierarch. Around that level, Practiced Spellcaster will give you more power in return immediately.

[Zombimode]

I would suggest waiting with taking Practiced Spellcaster until a little later, your caster level increases by 2 when you take it now but I feel you don't get that much mileage out of it at this level. Bonus Essentia for example will give you 2 more essentia to play around with, which might be more beneficial. It also reduces the number of Incarnate levels you need to have to go into Sapphire Hierarch. Around that level, Practiced Spellcaster will give you more power in return immediately.

Hm, Bonus Essentia has character level 6 as a requirement, though. I'll want to pick up Practiced Spellcaster anyway at some point and I don't know what else to do with my 3rd level feat.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Wait, why can't an azurin become an incarnate? I never encountered this before.

[Zombimode]

All Incarnates need both a neutral and an non-neutral component in their alignment. That leaves the possible Incarnate alignments at Neutral Good, Neutral Evil, Lawful Neutral and Chaotic Neutral.

Azurin can't have a neutral component in their alignments.

[ZamielVanWeber]

All Incarnates need both a neutral and an non-neutral component in their alignment. That leaves the possible Incarnate alignments at Neutral Good, Neutral Evil, Lawful Neutral and Chaotic Neutral.

Azurin can't have a neutral component in their alignments.

What? I am looking at the rules for them right now and that is not in there. Did they errata it?

[Zombimode]

What? I am looking at the rules for them right now and that is not in there. Did they errata it?

No, its right there in MoI.

For Azurin, check page 8, under "Alignment".
For Incarante, check page 20, under "Alignment".

[ZamielVanWeber]

No, its right there in MoI.

For Azurin, check page 8, under "Alignment".
For Incarante, check page 20, under "Alignment".

That is the fluff section. Anything after the favored class line has no rules bearing.

[Zaq]

Regarding azurin alignment, remember that "True Neutral" isn't actually a game term. What we call TN, the books just call "neutral." So the clause about how "azurin are never neutral" can easily be interpreted to mean "azurin are never TN," not "azurin cannot have a neutral component in their alignment."

Of course, the fact that your group ignores that bit (as well they should) makes it a moot point, but it's worth mentioning.

As for what you should do . . . well, you're going to be a little bit worse in melee, but after a few levels, that's not likely to matter much. You didn't lose anything in the to-hit department, since the loss of STR is balanced by the size bonus. You lose an average of 1 point of damage from dropping a weapon die size, and you lose another point from losing 2 STR . . . are you really going to abandon your original character concept because it deals an average of 2 less damage than you expected? I mean sure, it's disappointing, but I don't see the loss of 2 damage as being a dealbreaker for your character concept.

It's also worth remembering that your Lightning Gauntlets don't care what size you are and don't care what your STR is, so they're going to be just as effective as they were before you got gnome'd.

I say you should just carry on with your original plan. It's not going to be exactly like you anticipated, but I don't think it's so different as to be unworkable by any means. You might be tempted to take your next level of Incarnate sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than to make Expanded Soulmeld Capacity do something, but it shouldn't make a huge difference in the long run.

[Zombimode]

I say you should just carry on with your original plan. It's not going to be exactly like you anticipated, but I don't think it's so different as to be unworkable by any means. You might be tempted to take your next level of Incarnate sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than to make Expanded Soulmeld Capacity do something, but it shouldn't make a huge difference in the long run.

Well, its worth a consideration. But I'm also itching to get 2nd level spells, so I will probably stick with Cleric for level 3 and 4, taking the second Incarnate level at 5 before qualifying for Sapphire Hierarch at level 6.
But thanks for the advice to stick with the original plan :smallsmile:

[Troacctid]

I would see if I could retrain the Purification domain to the Incarnum domain. It gives an extra point of essentia as part of the domain ability, which allows you to qualify for Sapphire Hierarch more easily.

[Kantolin]

You lose an average of 1 point of damage from dropping a weapon die size, and you lose another point from losing 2 STR

Plus, you get a tasty +2con, which is good for a frontliner, and your AC goes up by one from size. Your soulmelds or spells can easily counter the movement decrease. You can use soulmelds with your new +4 from size to sneak more effectively, if that's your thing. Races of stone lets you trade your hooked hammer proficiency for another option (which may not help much in this specific case; I don't think heirarchs get martial weapons).

Your soulmelds don't care, your spells don't care. In fact both get very slightly better - you get a +1 to hit with ranged touch attacks.

So... yeah, you're still in good shape.

[Zombimode]

I would see if I could retrain the Purification domain to the Incarnum domain. It gives an extra point of essentia as part of the domain ability, which allows you to qualify for Sapphire Hierarch more easily.

Holy crap, I won't qualify for Sapphire Hierarch at level 6 without the Azurins extra essentia. I haven't considered that.
My domains are there to stay, so I have to take a feats now at level 3 that provides a point of essentia.
I'm torn between Incarnum Spellshaping and Soulsight. Soulsight looks useful, but I can't tell if its too much of a hassle to use in actual play.

[Troacctid]

Incarnum feats aren't usually worth investing essentia into (compared to soulmelds) so you're pretty much just taking it for the extra point of essentia. That makes Incarnum Spellshaping the more attractive option, since you don't need to invest in it to get the benefit.

The only one you could take that would actually be worth putting essentia into would be Midnight Metamagic, which is a legitimately powerful effect, but you don't have any metamagic feats, so it's off the table. Alternately, some builds take Midnight Dodge in order to meet a prerequisite for some other feat or prestige class that requires Dodge, but that's probably not applicable here.