3.5 Cleric. Requesting experts!

[BigHeadGuy69]

We are in 3.5 Core. PHB Only. Simple stuff.

Adoven the Cleric
Male Human Cleric 11
Lawful Neutral


Strength 14 (+2)
Dexterity 15 (+2)
Constitution 16 (+3)
Intelligence 16 (+3)
Wisdom 16 (+3)
Charisma 13 (+1)
Size: Medium
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 220 lb
Skin: Tan
Eyes: Dark Brown
Hair: Light Brown Straight; Average Beard
Domains: Healing Sun

Energy: Positive [Healing / Turns Undead]

Total Hit Points: 81

Speed: 20 feet [armor]

Armor Class: 19 = 10 +5 [chainmail] +2 [heavy wooden] +2 [dexterity]

Touch AC: 12
Flat-footed: 17
Initiative modifier: +6 = +2 [dexterity] +4 [improved initiative]
Fortitude save: +10 = 7 +3 [constitution]
Reflex save: +5 = 3 [base] +2 [dexterity]
Will save: +10 = 7 [base] +3 [wisdom]
Attack (handheld): +10/+5 = 8 [base] +2 [strength]
Attack (unarmed): +10/+5 = 8 [base] +2 [strength]
Attack (missile): +10/+5 = 8 [base] +2 [dexterity]
Grapple check: +10/+5 = 8 [base] +2 [strength]
Light load: 58 lb. or less
Medium load: 59-116 lb.
Heavy load:117-175 lb.
Lift over head: 175 lb.
Lift off ground: 350 lb.
Push or drag: 875 lb.

Languages: Common
Light Mace [1d6, crit x2, 1 lb, light, bludgeoning]
Club [1d6, crit x2, range incr. 10 ft., 3 lb, one-handed, bludgeoning]
Heavy Mace [1d8, crit x2, 8 lb., one-handed, bludgeoning]
Morningstar [1d8, crit x2, 6 lb, one-handed, bludgeoning]

Chain mail [medium; +5 AC; max dex +2; check penalty -5; 40 lb.]

Heavy Wooden Shield [+2 AC; check penalty -1; hardness 5; hp 15; 10 lb.]

Feats:

Combat Casting
Improved Initiative
Endurance
Extend Spell
Weapon Focus
Traits:

Skills:
Concentration +14
Diplomacy +14
Heal +14
Knowledge Religion +10
Knowledge Planes +4
Profession +14( I think this one is wrong as well)
Spellcraft +14



Know Religion >=5 ranks gives +2 on turn/rebuke the undead.

Zero-level Cleric spells: 6 per day
First-level Cleric spells: 6 (5+1) per day +1 from a domain:
Second-level Cleric spells: 5 (4+1) per day +1 from a domain:
Third-level Cleric spells: 5 (4+1) per day +1 from a domain:
Fourth-level Cleric spells: 3 per day +1 from a domain:
Fifth-level Cleric spells: 2 per day +1 from a domain:
Sixth-level Cleric spells: 1 per day +1 from a domain:


Human:
Extra feat at first level (already included)
Four extra skill points at first level (already included)
One extra skill point at each additional level (already included)
Cleric:
Alignment Aura

Spontaneous Casting (heal)

Turn Undead (4x/day)

High wisdom gains bonus spells daily

Domain choices give additional abilities


Adoven the Cleric's Equipment:
69 lb
5 lb
2 lb
_____
76 lb Weapons / Armor / Shield (from above)
Climber's kit
Spell component pouch


So I have about a dozen sessions (12 6+ hour sitdown and play all night) of DnD Experience Total in life(IRL)

The campaign we are is NOT a very Technical campaign. not alot of enemy traps/spells/big enemies.

My DM has already allowed me to change my character a number of times. [B]So, this is NOT a request to inform me what I SHOULD have taken. Im asking for guidance/advice about what I already HAVE.

I am the Healer/Buffer/Diplomat/Spellcraft guy.

I have never engaged in Melee. I realize my character COULD have been good at it, but again see above and above that.

I want to do MORE with what I do HAVE.

But I have not the technical expertise/experience or knowledge.

I'll present some of my questions/concerns. These are the topics that I WOULD like advice on. Im new to DnD, not forum websites.

Some insight: Castle with Zombies, Vampires and Werewolves. DM said there is a Head Vamp somewhere. we are currently engaged in combat with 10+ Large Werewolves. We have them bottlenecked in a hallway where they can only engage us one at a time, but must cross a Blade Barrier. We are lighting them up with spells from down the hall. I am currently buffing the party with Prayer/Bless. I am currently buffed with Righteous Might/Magic Vestment.

My roles has been delegated mostly to use Prayer/Bless. By the 3rd round(my 3rd turn?) the combat is generally over with the Fighter and Wizard we have.

My Goal is to at least APPEAR to know what im doing. Even if thats initially just going thru the actions. I understand "dont be a one trick pony" but at this point in the game I am, and that IS FINE with ME.

My personal FAQs that require addressing:
How/when do I prepare spells?

What spells should I prepare?(given our setting)

What spells are good to prepare on a typical traveling day, assuming random encounters(Bandits to Dragons)

If I were to obtain a Wand that heals, what kind of wand would be ideal?(Lesser Vigor?)

Can I even use a Wand?

I have the Healing Domain so I BELIEVE I cast Healing Spells at +1 Caster level(?).

In battle, assuming my comrades take ~20 points of damage when they ARE hit, what Heal(Cure?) spell should be my go to?(that way im not fumbling with the PHB trying to decipher lesser wounds, mod.wounds, crit.wounds, etc)

What types of actions are considered a Free Action and what should I be doing with them?(before/during combat)

My DM has allowed me to take Extend Spell. What buff spells are best utilized under this? What spells are good under this in general?

I have NO idea what skills to use in a given situation(roll to "insert skill") Given our setting what SHOULD I be rolling for? how do I claim/word that I am rolling to check for "insert given skill"?


Again, I am content in my role in the party. My goal is to be comfortable IN it. There lies the difference.


Any advice/comments/answers are GREATLY appreciated. Just go easy. I dont know all the technical jargon. Nor would I know if you were insulting me with it.

Only PHB by the way. No tech savvy stuff with Spell Compendium, etc.

THANKS IN ADVANCE. :)

[shaikujin]

My personal FAQs that require addressing:
How/when do I prepare spells?

What spells should I prepare?(given our setting)

What spells are good to prepare on a typical traveling day, assuming random encounters(Bandits to Dragons)

If I were to obtain a Wand that heals, what kind of wand would be ideal?(Lesser Vigor?)

Can I even use a Wand?

I have the Healing Domain so I BELIEVE I cast Healing Spells at +1 Caster level(?).

In battle, assuming my comrades take ~20 points of damage when they ARE hit, what Heal(Cure?) spell should be my go to?(that way im not fumbling with the PHB trying to decipher lesser wounds, mod.wounds, crit.wounds, etc)

What types of actions are considered a Free Action and what should I be doing with them?(before/during combat)

My DM has allowed me to take Extend Spell. What buff spells are best utilized under this? What spells are good under this in general?

I have NO idea what skills to use in a given situation(roll to "insert skill") Given our setting what SHOULD I be rolling for? how do I claim/word that I am rolling to check for "insert given skill"?



You don't have to list out height/weight, encumbrance load, skin/eye color etc when posting your build :D

But you don't seem to have much in terms of magic items for a level 11 character? Or equipment commensurate with the recommended level 11 WBL (wealth by level).
Low wealth game or is DM not giving loot? Monster CRs are balanced according to a character's expected WBL. If you are not getting the WBL that WOTC's monster design expects you to be, you are at a disadvantage.


First off, the cleric handbook should help you with some of the questions:
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1238.0


1) For spell preparation, Clerics chose a specific time of the day to pray for spells. This takes 1 hour, and refreshes your spell slots.
Source:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/divineSpells.htm#preparingDivineSpells

For the time of day, my DM allows us to get away with "after waking up" and "before sleeping". I personally like to choose 1 hour before sleeping so that I can have a full complement of spells if we get ambushed while sleeping.

Note, like wizards, you can leave some slots empty and spend a proportionate amount of time (minumum 15 mins) praying to fill these slots with spells. This is useful for versatility reasons (eg, you don't want to waste a slot for situational spells like neutralize poison everyday, but it's handy if you can prep it whenever you like if a party member does gets poisoned. Tongues/Zone of Truth when you are planning to ask around for info).


2) For Typical spells, depends on your game. You seem to be in a undead heavy game, so go through list of spells in Core and see if any of the spells would have been helpful in your previous encounters so far. I refer to the SRD as a quick cheat sheet:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/clericSpells.htm

Since you can spontaneously convert any prepared slot into cure spells, you don't need to choose these spells.
Other good candidates spells to prep are those that gives you versatility (I like devoting at least 1 slot per level to the different line of Summon Monster spells), buffs that benefits multiple members (protection from x, magic circle against x), lasts a long time (greater magic weapon) etc


3) Lesser Vigor is acknowledged to be the best value for money for out of combat healing, so it's definitely a good choice to save your spell slots.


4) it's a cleric spell, so you can use a wand of it. However, is your DM cool with that spell? (It's not in Core, but rather Complete Divine and Spell Compendium)


5) Yes, healing spells that you cast yourself are at +1 caster level. But it only applies to spells you cast. Wands have their own built-in CL when they are created (this also determines the cost of the wand), this is the CL being used when you cast from a wand. Any increase to your CL does not affect the Wand's CL unless it explicitly says so.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel


6) Cheatsheet:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/clericDomains.htm#healingDomainSpells

Your CL is 11, with +1 for Healing domain so:
1 - Cure Light Wounds: Cures 1d8 +5 (btwn 6 - 13 hp, average 9.5)
2 - Cure Moderate Wounds: Cures 2d8 +10 (btwn 12 - 26 hp, avg 19)
3 - Cure Serious Wounds: Cures 3d8 +12 (btwn 15 - 36 hp, avg 25.5)
4 - Cure Critical Wounds: Cures 4d8 +12 (btwn 16 - 44 hp, avg 30)
5 - Cure Light Wounds, Mass: Cures 1d8 +12 for up to 12 creatures (btwn 6 - 13 hp, avg 9.5)
6 - Heal: Cures 120

So on average, for healing someone that has taken only 20 damage, anything above Cure Moderate Wounds would be a wasting some of the potential.
Or, if you tend to have good luck with the dice, and it's not life threatening, use Cure Light Wounds and make up the remainder out of combat using your wand of lesser vigor.


7) List of free actions:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#freeActions

Free actions are mostly minor actions that you can take as part of another action. Some skills don't take any actions to use either. As a straight cleric, there's normally no special benefit to taking them before or after combat. Though some can be using while in combat (such as falling prone). The more useful ones are those people intentionally build around, such using free actions to quick draw gnome razors and applying Iaijutsu damage (neither the gnome razor or Iaijutsu focus are in Core).


8) This is a complex question, you'll have to read through the skills to see what they do. Most of the time, if you need to roll for a skill check, your DM will inform you.
Possible things that you might want to initiate without DM prompting are:
Listen, Spot, Search when you expect enemies to be nearby, or want to search for a suspected hidden item.
Hide, Move Silently, Sleight of hand to be sneaky.
Sense motive if you suspect someone to be lying to you or luring you into a trap
Diplomacy, Intimidate on NPCs

[daremetoidareyo]

Welcome to the playground.

I would start with checking out this here handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=420.0). Sun domain is going to be helpful if you are in the undead story arc. It is kinda hard to mess up a cleric, even with taking the healing domain :p.

So, if I'm understanding correctly, you are looking for guidance on skills and items? Or are you looking for help on spell choice?

As far as not being in melee, that just means that you are doing your job as buffer/debuffer well. I wouldn't worry too much about not attacking and getting hit as much as others.


As far as skills go, you're doing fine. I don't see any magic items listed, so I'm going to assume that your DM is running a tight ship and keeping ya'll a little poor. No worries there, you can cast 4th and 5th level spells.

When you are in town and safe, I would have your guy sit down and start making some scrolls. You want to put those spells that you only need in weird semi-rare occassions on your utility belt. Here are some examples.

that bad boy has a 24 hour casting time, but when it's on a scroll, all you got's to do is read it. I would combine it with deathward when dealing with vampires (hallow is a grab bag of effects). Since you're playing core only, scrolls are probably spell completion items instead of what the rules compendium contains. So, yes, you can subvert the casting time of hallow in a situation where there is no Rule Compendium at the table and you're not getting too far away from core:

Detect XXXXX (undead, chaos etc)

Invisibility purge: don't need it often, but sometimes its nice when you're tired of carrying that sack of flour around.

Remove curse: lycanthropy and mummies

Dimensional anchor: uses up a high level slot, and when you want something that jaunts about dead, you need to pin his shadow to the floor so your allies can stuff his head with pain and holy wafers.

True seeing: It'll be helpful.

Status, zone of truth, etc. Utility spells.


You should prepare spells that boost your allies and cover the weaknesses of your team: I would definitely prepare Restoration and few blessings or whatnot.

Summon monster 4 has lantern archon on it which constantly streams protection from evil. Or alternatively, summon a howler to bash the face of a single opponent through quill attacks every turn. I would use summon monster 3 to summon 1d3 celestial riding dogs to flank with your front line. Read up on summons here: http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1131936

Besides those you should stock a few healing bits, a mass bear's strength if no one on your team has enhancement bonuses to str through magic items already.

Planar ally is a spell that you should cast when you have figured out who the big bad evil guy is, but you don't have the fire power or knowledge to snap his neck yet. Pour over the monster manuals outsiders, particularly eladrin, djinn, elementals, and archons to get a sense of those creatures abilities. Actually, you're Lawful neutral, so also look up the modrons and inevitables. Then you can use them to 1. develop a plan, 2. help implement a plan, 3. help fight. The key to diplomancing these guys is spending some money and making your goals seem similar to theirs.

Use the 4th level spell Divination to get the names of a few allies of the following types so that you can specifically request them when you use a planar ally spell.

Planar allies:
Efreeti - Wishes, dude, wishes. They gonna cost ya though. Efreetis are little gifts that you give the DM to bone you as subversively as he can. Wish for things, and when you do, make sure you word it in such a way that there is a guarantee that those things did not have an owner before you received them.
Myrmiarch Formian - DC 20 fort save poison that does 2d6 dex damage, (good for dragon handling if you buff up her AC so she can get the dragon to fail a saving throw) + Greater teleport! + dominate monster
Zelekhut - can use these spells: mark of justice and geas
Invisible Stalker - does just that, and does it well. Get one of these when you want a bad guy followed.
Salamander - When you want a blacksmith to craft for you then set a town on fire

Lesser planar allies:
2 Ravids: when you want to deal with animated junk fighting for you. These guys are good for combatting the undead. They're a little dumb, so bargaining to get them to help you deal with vampires may be a challenge.
2 Xorn: when you want to bring a building down by undermining the foundation.
1 acheirei: decent 6HD combatant with spell resistance. Good for guarding stuff against low level threats.



I would always prepare an augury spell for a second level slot, If you don't spontaneously convert it to a heal during the day, use it to ask a question of the DM about what spells to prepare for tomorrow. "Is it a good idea not to prepare spells specifically to deal with the undead?"

Edit: their/they're & ninja'ed

[ZamielVanWeber]

Fair warning: you are dangerously close to not being able to cast 8th and 9th level spells and you will barely make 7th. Talk to your DM about getting a peri apt of wisdom +2.
You gear seems awfully low for such a high level character. Here is a list of items you might want to invest in at the next magic mart (no shame in sticking to the cheap ones). http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items

[BigHeadGuy69]

Got about 21000gp

I've been playing the past 12 Saturdays.

My group has been playing the past 52+ Saturdays.

So they have magical items and such. I do not.

We havent been to a town where we can go shopping for things we want, only bare necessities.


Thank you guys for the overwhelming responses!

Any more advice, however redundant is still appreciated.

[shaikujin]

Ahh, I see.

Just for reference, recommended WBL for level 11 is 66,000. If a character starts at level 11, it's recommended that he gets 66k gp worth of equipment. But your DM will probably award enough loot to get you there before reaching town.

Until you reach town however, I suspect you'll need to deal with the remaining undead and the head vampire. See if you can temporarily borrow some of the stuff the other part members are not using (spare magic armor, weapons, rings, things that boosts Wisdom etc).

Scribe scrolls for them to trade for other items if they are willing.

If you don't mind becoming a werewolf, intentionally being bit might be useful.

[Janthkin]

Some insight: Castle with Zombies, Vampires and Werewolves. DM said there is a Head Vamp somewhere. we are currently engaged in combat with 10+ Large Werewolves. We have them bottlenecked in a hallway where they can only engage us one at a time, but must cross a Blade Barrier. We are lighting them up with spells from down the hall. I am currently buffing the party with Prayer/Bless. I am currently buffed with Righteous Might/Magic Vestment. Good start. Remember, too, that you can buff both a shield AND armor with Magic Vestment. Also, Greater Magic Weapon is good for you & other party members, too. Both get better at level 12, when they become +3 spells.


What spells should I prepare?(given our setting)
Level 0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Mending, Purify Food & Drink
Level 1: Bless, Detect Evil, Divine Favor, Obscuring Mist (great spell for "oh crap, we just got ambushed"), Protection from Evil (read this spell, and note it's effects on mind-controlling effects; it's essential when Vampire-hunting), Remove Fear, Shield of Faith (since you don't have a Ring of Protection yet).
Level 2: Silence, Hold Person, Divine Insight, Augury, Remove Paralysis if you're seeing Wights or the like, Restoration (Lesser), Hide from Undead (if you're encountering lots of zombies and you don't want to waste resources fighting them).
Level 3: Magic Vestment (multiple times), Magic Circle Against Evil (for the same reasons as Prot. from Evil), Daylight (esp. against Vampires), Dispel Magic.
Level 4: Divine Power(!), Magic Weapon (Greater), Freedom of Movement, Restoration
Level 5: Righteous Might, Dispel Evil, True Seeing.
Level 6: Blade Barrier, Heal, Heroes' Feast.


What spells are good to prepare on a typical traveling day, assuming random encounters(Bandits to Dragons)Similar list, but you can drop situational spells like Remove Paralysis and most of the Restoration effects. You can add in general-purpose buffs like Bull's Strength or Cat's Grace (both level 2 spells). Endure Elements is a great level 1 spell for the all-purpose adventuring spell list; cast it every morning.


If I were to obtain a Wand that heals, what kind of wand would be ideal?(Lesser Vigor?)Let the party buy the wands for healing. Lesser Vigor is the most GP-efficient option, if you can access the Spell Compendium; otherwise, stick with Cure Lesser Wounds.


Can I even use a Wand?You can use Wands of any spell that appears on the Cleric spell list.


In battle, assuming my comrades take ~20 points of damage when they ARE hit, what Heal(Cure?) spell should be my go to?(that way im not fumbling with the PHB trying to decipher lesser wounds, mod.wounds, crit.wounds, etc)Ideally, at level 11, you shouldn't be spending actions in-combat to cure 20 HP; spend your action casting a spell that will bring the battle closer to being over, or hit something with a stick. If someone is down 40 or so, Cure Critical; if they are near-death, you might consider a Heal; if the party is hit by an area of effect spell, you could consider Mass Cure Light Wounds (which is what you get if you spontaneously cast a Level 5 spell).


My DM has allowed me to take Extend Spell. What buff spells are best utilized under this? What spells are good under this in general?Anything with a long-ish duration, such as Magic Vestments or (Greater) Magic Weapon benefits; at level 11-12, one cast lasts the whole day now. Ideally, you'd want a Metamagic Rod of Extend Spell instead, as that would let you skip the cost of the feat. Spells that last for 10 minutes/level, such as Resist Energy, Protection from Energy, or Daylight, can be Extended to cover a good portion of the active adventuring day. Sounds like your encounters aren't lasting long enough to worry about extending in-combat effects.


I have NO idea what skills to use in a given situation(roll to "insert skill") Given our setting what SHOULD I be rolling for? how do I claim/word that I am rolling to check for "insert given skill"?First: stop putting points into the Heal skill. You solve your problems with magic; you don't need the mundane equivalent.
DO spend points on Knowledge (Religion): you can make Knowledge (Religion) checks to identify undead, and learn about any special attacks, properties, or vulnerabilities they may have.


Again, I am content in my role in the party. My goal is to be comfortable IN it. There lies the difference. Clerics, like druids, are nice in that as your mastery of the system improves, the character improves just through picking the right spells. And in the mean time, you are resilient enough to survive the learning curve.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Ideally, at level 11, you shouldn't be spending actions in-combat to cure 20 HP; spend your action casting a spell that will bring the battle closer to being over, or hit something with a stick. If someone is down 40 or so, Cure Critical; if they are near-death, you might consider a Heal; if the party is hit by an area of effect spell, you could consider Mass Cure Light Wounds (which is what you get if you spontaneously cast a Level 5 spell).

By 11th level the entire cure line is pretty much worthless beyond "burning my last few spell slots at the end of the day." Heal is still pretty solid in my experience since most CR 11 monsters are not equipped to deal 110 damage with a round or two reliably.


First: stop putting points into the Heal skill. You solve your problems with magic; you don't need the mundane equivalent.
DO spend points on Knowledge (Religion): you can make Knowledge (Religion) checks to identify undead, and learn about any special attacks, properties, or vulnerabilities they may have.

Knowledges in general are a good investment. If you find yourself with skillpoints to spare (and you do have a nice Int), putting some cross class ranks in knowledges can be a good idea. If your DM runs Knowledges strictly as listed, don't. The DC's are extremely arbitrary and eventually get massive. However, literally every DM I have ever had were a lot more flexible. Find out how yours does it and proceed accordingly.

[BigHeadGuy69]

The following is based on many assumptions and my DMs discretion.

I want to learn a (single) useful spell that I can extend in combat that is more effective if I Extend it.

I want it to be outside of my class.

Example: I obtain the Materials to perform Miracle. My DM allows it, thus far. I learn a Druid Spell-Creeping Cold.
Now I have a somewhat useful combat spell that I may Extend.

OUTSIDE of my class, assuming I COULD cast it, what OTHER spells might be worth performing a Miracle for?

Again, assuming my DM allows it etc, etc, etc

[ZamielVanWeber]

If your DM lets miracle duplicate psionic powers, a lot. If not, still plenty. Black Tentacles (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/blackTentacles.htm) is a good one.

[Darrin]

Spell Advice

1st (6+1):

2x Bless. Will probably be your first spell in combat, unless you feel like burning off a prayer. You may want to prepare it multiple times.

Magic Stone. The stones can be thrown either by hand or by sling, and this spell does extra damage against undead (2d6+2).

Protection from Evil. At this level, you're more interested in the immunity to charm/enchantment effects and the protection from summoned creatures. If you're running into intelligent undead, or get any whiff of vampires, then you may need to load up on this one.

Shield of Faith. Right now, this is a +3 deflection bonus, but will be going up to +4 when you get another level.

Summon Monster I. So many dead monkeys... they have hands, so they can manipulate objects, and make excellent trapfinders, magic item testers, bridge-crossers, etc.

Endure Elements (Domain). Not immediately important, but nice to have when you need it.

Wish List: Ray of Hope (Book of Exalted Deeds), Ice Slick (Frostburn), Conjure Ice Beast I (Frostburn), Blade of Blood (PHBII).

2nd (5+1):

Bull's Strength. Good buff to drop on your biggest meatbag, lets him hit harder and more often.

Lesser Restoration. Restores ability damage, and several undead do ability damage.

Shatter. Requires some creativity to get the most out of it, but can be a life-saver if you're clever with it. Think belt buckles, lanterns, and ceiling beams. The war was lost because of a horse, the horse was lost because of a shoe, the shoe was lost because of a nail, that sort of thing.

2x Spiritual Weapon. My favorite go-to spell for 2nd level, and a great "2nd round of combat" spell. It's fire-and-forget, force damage so it hurts incorporeal, and bypasses DR.

Heat Metal (Domain). Kinda hard to use this one on werewolves/zombies/vampires, but if you see anyone wearing metal armor, set the oven to "broil".

Wish List: Guidance of the Avatar (web archive (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a)), Close Wounds (Spell Compendium), Cloud of Knives (PHBII), Elation (Book of Exalted Deeds).

3rd (5+1):

Dispel Magic. Always useful.

Magic Circle Against Evil.

Magic Vestment. Currently a +2, about to go up to +3. Lasts 11 hours, so a great buff to cast on the party tank at the start of the day.

Stone Shape. Inside a castle, you can create new doors, pits, and walls.

2x Searing Light (Domain). You can haz lazerz. The go-to spell for blasting undead.

Wish List: Bladebane (Unapproachable East), Conjure Ice Beast III (Frostburn).

4th (3+1):

Freedom of Movement. Way too useful.

Greater Magic Weapon. Another long-lasting buff, only +2 right now but will be +3 next level.

Restoration. If you run into vampires, you'll probably need this. Prepping death ward could also help. You can use divination spells to determine what you're going to run into that day: "Would preparing restoration be a good idea today?" or "Are we going to encounter any vampires today?" If you're not running into level-draining undead, consider prepping greater magic weapon or lesser planar ally instead.

Fire Shield (Domain). If werewolves/zombies get too close, the fire damage will bypass their DR.

Wish List: Moon Bolt (Spell Compendium), Sheltered Vitality (Spell Compendium).

5th (2+1):

Break Enchantment. Also counters most transmutation effects.

Raise Dead. On your feet, soldier!

Flame Strike (Domain). Keep an eye out for "clumps" of monsters so you can BBQ multiple targets at once.

Wish List: Revivify (Spell Compendium).

6th (1+1):

Blade Barrier. It slices, it dices, it even makes Julienne fries!

Heal (Domain). Finally, something other than cure spells!

[DrMartin]

if you run into a lot of undead, disrupting weapon (5th level spell) on your fighter's stick can be oddly effective.

[jiriku]

Once you are 12th level, miracle-->control winds in an area of strong wind creates a tornado. This is an extremely niche application, but when the right situation for it comes up, you can wipe out whole armies with it. It's a useful tool to keep in your bag of tricks for that one situation you'll someday encounter where it works.

Miracle-->greater teleport is also an option that, when you need it, it's a complete game-changer.
Miracle -->greater arcane sight lets you know exactly what buff spells are on an opponent. When facing an enemy spellcaster who has many precast buffs at the beginning of the combat, GAS can save you a lot of trouble ("Don't cast flesh to stone, he's got spell turning on him!").
Miracle-->disintigrate is highly effective against undead, because with no Con score they typically have terrible Fort saves.

Thinking about buffing, at levels 11+, the best buffs to cast are those that last long enough to be cast before you enter a dangerous area. Here are some of my favorites (many mentioned before, but I like them too)

heroes' feast
freedom of movement
extended death ward
resist energy / protection from energy

Depending on your wizard's choice of spells, freedom of movement and protection from energy could be especially useful, allowing the wizard to cast spells like fireball and solid fog right on top of his allies with little or no inconvenience to them.

[BigHeadGuy69]

Can I cast Heat Metal on an already cast (friendly) Blade Barrier?

[jiriku]

No. The blades are made of pure force, not metal. But that's a clever idea, I like the direction you're thinking in.

[BigHeadGuy69]

So (much) later tonight is our session. Heres what I've come up with:

Cantrips: 6 per day(from what I understand cantrips are the level-0 spells, altho I maybe using the term incorrectly)
-Guidance +1 on 1 attack roll, save or check
-Light Item shines like a torch 20-ft glow
-Purify Food and Drink Purifies 1 cu ft/lvl of food or water
-Resistance Target gains +1 on saves
-Detect Magic Detects spells and magic items
-Create Water

First-level Cleric spells: 6 (5+1) per day +1 from a domain:
-Magic Stone
-Protection from Evil
-Bless
-Divine Favor
-Shield of Faith
Domain: Cure Light Wounds 1d8+1/lvl

Second-level Cleric spells: 5 (4+1) per day +1 from a domain:
Aid
Augury
Hold Person
Spiritual Weapon
Shield Other
Domain: Cure Moderate Wounds

Third-level Cleric spells: 5 (4+1) per day +1 from a domain:
Magic Vestment
Prayer
Dispel Magic
Daylight

Domain: Searing Light

[B]Fourth-level Cleric spells: 3 per day +1 from a domain:
Restoration
Divine Power

Domain: Fire Shield

[B]Fifth-level Cleric spells: 2 per day +1 from a domain:
Flame Strike
Righteous Might
Domain: Flame Strike

Sixth-level Cleric spells: 1 per day +1 from a domain:
[Blank]

Domain: HEAL


Also, from what I read/understand(Im probably wrong), I can INTENTIONALLY leave some slots blank so that I may cast any spell from that level?

Or did I get that wrong?

Also also, I chose my spells based on fighting the 10 Large Werewolves, more vamp fledglings and then the head vamp.

[DrMartin]

you can leave slots open and meditate during the day to fill them in on the fly. Check with your DM to know how long that would take: in the phb under "preparing wizards spells" there's a paragraph saying that it takes a proportional amount of time based on how many spells you are preparing, from a maximum of 1 hour (the time it takes to prepare your complete allotment of spells) to a minimum of 15 minutes. Under "preparing divine spells" it says that clerics (actually, divine casters in general) can leave slots open for the day but there is no mention of the time needed to fill in this slots. It's quite clear I think that the mechanics at work here should be the same but just ask your DM if he allows you to use the rules for wizards, so that a single spell or a couple of spell would only take 15 minutes to memorize.

(it's all on page 177-179 of the player's handbook)

[jiriku]

As DRMartin says, you can leave the slots empty, then take 15 minutes later in the day to fill them. I used to do this often with my wizard, but honestly, it never helped me. To really take advantage of it, you need some kind of sophisticated scouting protocol in your party where you can see what's ahead, come up with a plan for dealing with it, then take 15 minutes to prepare spells before engaging. in practice, I find that most parties can't or don't want to operate that way, and that many situations don't permit it anyhow.

For your list of prepared spells, I'd make the following suggestions:

Level 0: Guidance is almost worthless at your level. Replace with a second memorized instance of detect magic, light, or resistance. Does everyone in your party already have a resistance bonus to saving throws from cloaks of resistance? If so, then resistance is worthless as well.
Level 1: Magic stone is also a dud. I know this spell does double damage against undead, but an 11th level character has better options than to maybe do an average of 9 points of damage per hit. Replace with a second memorized instance of bless, protection from evil, or shield of faith.
Level 2: Shield other has its uses, but you might get more mileage out of silence, which can shut down enemy spellcasters, facilitate an ambush, or allow the fighter to bash down a door without alerting everyone within earshot.
Level 3: MAGIC CIRCLE AGAINST EVIL. It defends, it blocks charms and compulsions. It lasts a long time. Great spell in your current situations. Another searing light , prayer, or magic vestment would be a good choice for that empty slot.
Level 4: Extended magic circle against evil for hours of protection, death ward or summon monster IV (summon a lantern archon for a free magic circle against evil and at-will aid or a celestial lion for melee support) for that empty slot
Level 5: If most encounters are ending in 2-3 rounds, I wouldn't bother with righteous might. Instead, consider extended death ward or summon monster V (for 1d3 lantern archons or 1 slightly more durable hound archon with the same abilities), or a second instance of flame strike.
Level 6: For that empty spell slot, antilife shell would shut down melee-oriented werewolves, while summon monster VI for a bralani eladrain in whirlwind form provides a flying support caster with at-will wind wall, which is great against archers (alternately, the celestial dire lion is no slouch in melee combat). An extended true seeing will reveal the true forms of whatever you see, which is useful for revealing werewolves or vampires who are hanging out in wolf or bat form. A second instance of heal will almost certainly be useful at any time.

[bean illus]

Scrolls, scrolls, scrolls, scrolls, scrolls.

The power of scrolls to your party is huge. Try to get really good at it. Simple little things like Greater Magic Weapon (Extend Spell) cast on more than one of your party will change the outcome of an encounter. Make your party members pay a share of the scroll cost.

[Endarire]

You can use any staff or wand spell if that spell is on your Cleric spell list or any of your domain lists. (If you're a multiclassed caster, you can cast a spell from a staff or wand if the spell is on any of your class spell lists or domain lists.)

[shaikujin]

Also, from what I read/understand(Im probably wrong), I can INTENTIONALLY leave some slots blank so that I may cast any spell from that level?

Or did I get that wrong?

Also also, I chose my spells based on fighting the 10 Large Werewolves, more vamp fledglings and then the head vamp.

I'm probably a bit late, but a couple of notes:

1) As per my link earlier, leaving a couple of slots empty allows you the flexibility to prepare a spell in that slot later in the day. But this takes at least 15 mins of prayer/meditation. Not do-able while in combat. It's good for those times where you are given a bit of time to prepare for a situation. (eg you are hiding in the back room to wait for the BBEG's guards to leave the BBEG, so you can prep undeath to death or you come across a chasm so you can prep wall of stone etc).

2) You can prepare more than 1 copy of the same spell and don't have to prepare a different spell in each slot.

3) Because you are 1 CL shy of CL12 (which boosts some spells from a +2 bonus to a +3 bonus), Death Knell might actually be useful.

From you games so far, how many combat encounters are you going through before getting a chance to rest and regain spells? Knowing that will let us better recommend spells to extend.

[Vhaidara]

Just chiming in, you have weapon proficiency (mace), but clerics have proficiency with all simple weapons, which includes both light and heavy maces.

[BigHeadGuy69]

Edited my Feats

Improved Initiative
Endurance
Extend Spell
Weapon Focus
Combat Casting

[BigHeadGuy69]

What are some average(not OP) items that one should obtain?

Cloak of Resistance?
Rings and such?

I've seen this:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items



But maybe my DM wont be too keen on being THAT specific.

Are there any average items that a tight-ship DM might approve for a vendor to sell, in town?

And Im aware I need a Periapt of Wisdom to be able to cast 8th and 9th spells(when I get to that point)

Anything else im in danger of losing if I don't obtain an item that allows me to do 'xyz'?

[jiriku]

The list that you linked is pretty authoritative, but I find that i practice, DM style influences which of those you really need. For example, if the DM doesn't like to use spellcasting or flying opponents, then dispelling or flight may be less essential.

I do strongly recommend an item that grants a resistance bonus to saves. Over and over again in my campaigns, I have seen PCs killed either directly or indirectly by the consequences of a failed saving throw. Saving throw bonuses save lives. Note, however, that if you keep magic circle against evil up all day, then you and everyone near you is getting a +2 resistance bonus to saves, which makes save-boosting item less important.

My opinion of the "secret best items" for clerics in the DMG includes:

ring of counterspells, 4,000 gp, to protect your buffs from dispel magic
lesser metamagic rod of extend, 3,000 gp (or metamagic rod of extend, 11,000 gp). This effectively grants you 3 extra 1st-3rd level spells (or 3 extra 4th-6th level spells) per day because you can get away with casting a buff spell once instead of twice.
wand of cure light wounds, 750 gp. This wand will heal an average of 275 points of damage before it is exhausted. That's an incredibly efficient use of your money and will save you many, many higher-level spell slots that would otherwise have been spent healing up hit point damage between fights.
1st level pearl of power, 1,000 gp (or 2nd level pearl of power, 4,000 gp). If you expect to cast a 1st level (or 2nd level) spell more than once per day, pearls of power are basically bonus extra spell slots for you, and they're very very economical. If you use a pearl to recover a spell that's been extended by your lesser rod of extend, the spell is still extended when you recover it, so for 2,000 gp you've essentially quadrupled the duration of the spell in that spell slot every day for the rest of your adventuring career.
The bead of karma from the strand of prayer beads, 20,000 gp. The other beads are ok but not that great. However, if you use the bead of karma right before you cast all of your longest-duration buffs at the beginning of the day, those spells last an extra 40 minutes or 4 hours (or 80 minutes or 8 hours if extended), they're 20% harder to dispel, and for the ones that offer a numerical benefit that scales with caster level, you'll get that benefit as if you were four levels higher.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

As you look around the internet, you'll see lots of stuff about save-or-die, save-or-lose and similar spells. It's important to make sure you and your party are as resistant as possible to these. But don't forget about the classic 1d6/CL Ref save for half spells. If you look through some gameplay diaries - Saph's run of Red Hand of Doom is a good one - you'll find that blasting isn't as bad a tactic for the DM as it is for the players, and it's worth keeping in mind.