Warrior of Sunlight - a Cleric of Day and Friendship

[Spore]

I was invited to a very simple new Pathfinder group under an inexperienced DM so no snazzy new classes or complicated feats. Invigorated by playing Dark Souls I choose to play a Warrior of Sunlight represented in a

Male Human Cleric with the Domains of Day (Sun) and Good (Friendship). Gods will probably not exist until we write them in the setting but I can see a primitive sun cult with an emphasis on supporting each other. Just like you can explain almost all Darksouls covenants without mentioning ANY important characters. Darkmoon Blades become Knight of the Moon, but also Dark Tapestry and Shadows. Other covenants can be boiled down to principles or natural occurances also. Even the important Abyss can be reduced to the thought of an malevolent afterlife.

So far people have pitched in the ideas of: Wizard, Magus and Druid. One player is undecided. I like playing supporting roles but after my third oracle I tend to want to play an actual cleric for once. Plus they seem to be better at fighting outright than Oracles. Now the campaign won't become difficult (I expect a difficulty similar to printed paths) plus the Warpriest is not allowed anyhow. I am not keen on dipping into Fighter or similarly hampering my divine casting and positive channeling.

The weapon of choice will probably be a spear (because the initial concept was Ornstein the Dragon Slayer but I could not find a reliable way to create a divine Lightning Bolt and the Eldritch Scion Magus is both forbidden and the class already taken). So is a Reach Cleric viable with that Domain setup? What would your 25 pb be if you want no dumped stats?

My idea:

Rami the Sun-Born, Human Cleric of Day and Friendship, favored weapon: Sunray, Long Spear:

Str 15 Dex 10 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 16 (+2) Cha 14

Str on 4, 8, 12, Wis afterwards (campaign won't last into the double digits anyway)

Hu: Improved Initiative (buff before the real combat starts)
1: Power Attack
3. Combat Reflexes
5: Toughness
7: Fast Learner (extra HP/skill points)

[Randomthom]

Combat Reflexes pre-requisite of Int 13 so that's out (also, why would you with a dex of 10?)

[Geddy2112]

I second bumping dex to at least a 12. Even in the crappiest heavy armor you can usually add at least +1 dex to AC. Plus initiative and reflex saves. You could drop con to 12 since you have a reach weapon and the ability to heal yourself easily.

So long as your campaign is fighting a lot of evil, the good domain is very strong. Sun domain doubles down on your ability to nuke undead by channeling, and there are some decent blast spells in the domain.

Also, I think its required that you say "PRAISE THE SUN" every time you channel.

[Secret Wizard]

I'd say go Warpriest. Sun and Nobility blessings are rad and very representative.

Another good choice, of course, would be Paladin - it saves you from needing high WIS, which isn't necessary for this concept.

This may sound like a weird combination, but the Dusk Knight and Warrior of the Holy Light archetypes actually combine pretty well to make a holy-empowered Paladin with the ability of illuminating or blinding enemies.

[Honest Tiefling]

Even the important Abyss can be reduced to the thought of an malevolent afterlife.

So the Abyss is reduced to the Abyss? Seems logical.

If the Community/Cooperation domain didn't require Teamwork feats or only heal non-lethal damage, I'd suggest those. Do you know what sort of enemies you might encounter?

[Spore]

So the Abyss is reduced to the Abyss? Seems logical.

Well, the Abyss in DS seemed like an actual PLACE on the material plane where you got dragged if you had no will to fight back.


If the Community/Cooperation domain didn't require Teamwork feats or only heal non-lethal damage, I'd suggest those. Do you know what sort of enemies you might encounter?

Just a slight hint because the setting is most likely a blank canvas at this point. The DM pointed out that dragons are domesticated and no smarter than a Chimera (Int ranging to 6 max) and the world is organized in shards. His earlier concepts included a caster killing inquisition but he has done away with that for the benefit of more class choices.


Also, I think its required that you say "PRAISE THE SUN" every time you channel.

The character was BORN in order to annoy shine on my fellow players with as much incandescence as possible.

[Honest Tiefling]

Well, the Abyss in DS seemed like an actual PLACE on the material plane where you got dragged if you had no will to fight back.

So the previous batch of adventurers failed. Lame! But seems like we need to find more light based spells. A pity that one feat from the Forgotten Realms never made it to Pathfinder. Think you could convince your DM to allow you to take Spell Thematics? That would make every spell a light/sun spell!

[Spore]

So the previous batch of adventurers failed. Lame! But seems like we need to find more light based spells. A pity that one feat from the Forgotten Realms never made it to Pathfinder. Think you could convince your DM to allow you to take Spell Thematics? That would make every spell a light/sun spell!

We basically refluff most spells anyway. Light is a bit iffy since it could create tactical advantages in darker areas and better visibility in areas where we try to be stealthy. We try to avoid overcomplication as much as possible.

[Coidzor]

Combat Reflexes pre-requisite of Int 13 so that's out (also, why would you with a dex of 10?)

I believe that's, Combat Expertise with the Int 13 requirement. Dex 10 + Combat Reflexes (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/combat-reflexes-combat) is a bit meh, though.

I believe by RAW, it means you have no AoOs if your Dex bonus is 0. So to take the feat there's no prereqs, formally, but to practically use it, you need Dex 14+.

[BWR]

I believe that's, Combat Expertise with the Int 13 requirement. Dex 10 + Combat Reflexes (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/combat-reflexes-combat) is a bit meh, though.

I believe by RAW, it means you have no AoOs if your Dex bonus is 0.

"You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round"

Emphasis mine.

[Coidzor]

"You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round"

Emphasis mine.

Well, darn. Been doing that one wrong for a while now, then. Can't believe I missed that part. Ok, so, yeah, you need 13+ to use it, but can take it wherever.

[Spore]

Well, darn. Been doing that one wrong for a while now, then. Can't believe I missed that part. Ok, so, yeah, you need 13+ to use it, but can take it wherever.

I am not trying to rip on you too hard but the system of AoOs is a cornerstone of 3.5 and Pathfinder combat. It is not vital but extremely important that you use and enforce this rule now.

[Spore]

NEWSFLASH!

Our DM has promised us unaffiliated dragons to ride. REal dragons. Breath weapons and (almost) anything. No spells tho. Need to be trained like animals. This is too good to pass up. Any ideas other than uber chargers?

[Coidzor]

I am not trying to rip on you too hard but the system of AoOs is a cornerstone of 3.5 and Pathfinder combat. It is not vital but extremely important that you use and enforce this rule now.
By doing I meant thinking about it wrong and having one less AoO in my head when theorycrafting.

Haven't actually gotten to play a reach build in years.


NEWSFLASH!

Our DM has promised us unaffiliated dragons to ride. REal dragons. Breath weapons and (almost) anything. No spells tho. Need to be trained like animals. This is too good to pass up. Any ideas other than uber chargers?

When you say anything, does that include different elemental/energy type flavors? Movement modes such as burrow and swim? Things like underwater breathing or alternate form?

Can you get the dragons to count as anything, like familiars or animal companions or paladin mounts?

[Spore]

When you say anything, does that include different elemental/energy type flavors? Movement modes such as burrow and swim? Things like underwater breathing or alternate form?

Energy type flavors will be a thing. Movement modes are uncertain, I think underwater breathing or other immunity to environmental hazards could be common. I think the DM will only allow a dragon aligned with the starting village, aka mountain village surrounded by woods. So the "standard" green, red and maybe black ones.


Can you get the dragons to count as anything, like familiars or animal companions or paladin mounts?

No the dragons should count as tamable "monsters". The DM also said that they leave if they are not properly treated and will not enter just any fight. They are a sovereign species as of the update he posted today so I figure they are around human intelligence but without the capability of speech. So a build that utilize that advantage but otherwise works just fine without would be nice.

Maybe I could get them to be counted as animal companions or paladin mounts but I'd have to live with the fact that if my dragon chooses to flee, it is a valid choice. Also if the dragon is killed it's dead for good (aligning yourself with a dragons takes up several years).

[Honest Tiefling]

Is there any particular reason you cannot or should not train your dragon to also praise the sun? Maybe a healbot cleric will keep the dragon from dying? If the two of you are buds, surely this issue has cropped up before.

[Spore]

Is there any particular reason you cannot or should not train your dragon to also praise the sun? Maybe a healbot cleric will keep the dragon from dying? If the two of you are buds, surely this issue has cropped up before.

If I can convince the DM to get a golden dragon that would be nice. His world suggests there only exist chromatic dragons although he names them "rainbow dragons" so yellow (golden) and indigo would be missing. Black could double up as (dark) purple.

[Honest Tiefling]

The dragon has transcended the color of his scales to embrace and praise the all-mighty sun. I mean, I assume your PC isn't some sort of golden color, so why does it matter if the dragon is? And if all else fails, he could decorate himself with gold, or golden paint. Maybe lady/guy dragons are into that? "He's so shiny and praises the sun so much!" *Swoon*

[NightbringerGGZ]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet... You are the Dayman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V784AiYtG8)

[Coidzor]

Orange, Yellow, and Purple dragons exist outside of Core, though it's anyone's guess whether Blacks or Incarnum dragons are more appropriate to fill in for Indigo.

If it's going to be that likely you're going to just instantly and permanently lose it with no ability to recover it, I'm not sure how much you'd want to invest in it.

[Beowulf DW]

If you're going with dragon riding, may I recommend the Divine Commander (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/warpriest/archetypes/paizo---warpriest-archetypes/divine-commander) Archetype for Warpriest? Perhaps you could convince your DM to make allow you to take the Dragon as your mount? You'd eventually get to apply a template to it, that way. Also, I've heard that reach builds are the best melee builds available for the warpriest.

[Spore]

If you're going with dragon riding, may I recommend the Divine Commander (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/warpriest/archetypes/paizo---warpriest-archetypes/divine-commander) Archetype for Warpriest? Perhaps you could convince your DM to make allow you to take the Dragon as your mount? You'd eventually get to apply a template to it, that way. Also, I've heard that reach builds are the best melee builds available for the warpriest.

Sadly no Warpriest. I would jump to that class in an instant if it were.

In the mean while I am thinking about a corrupted cleric who still holds his ideals aloft but is tricked into helping sinister organisations. My first thought was a Wasting Oracle of the Dark Tapestry who never removes his or her helmet to not openly display the degeneration he or she suffers from. He still casts the cure line but the madness and shadows are slowly eating away at him with the curse weirdly keeping him alive where he should've been killed long ago.

I am thinking something like the mental stats of maddened Solaire ("I found my own sun!"): Wis 8, Int 10 Cha 18+ while keeping the body with combat feats. I mean a good Oracle build is done quickly for me but is that concept (slowly corrupted cleric) doable in actual cleric?