Cleric Gestalt Ideas?

[Kerrigor]

My DM is starting up another game (our last one fizzled out, sadly) and he asked us to do something new. I've only played a cleric once before, and he wound up sending the party to hell and ending that game, so Im going to be a cleric of some flavor. I'd rather not do full healer build, but I'm open to ideas. It has to be a gestalt, and it sounds like the rest of the party is going to be spellcaster-heavy. This game is going to be roleplay-heavy, and it may get dark. I don't have a race picked out, but I know Id rather not do a dwarf, as it's a bit of a go to race for me.

[Gruftzwerg]

Well especially with gestalt there are so many options, you should first try to further narrow what you are going to play.

and what Optimization Power level are we talking here about? Cleric 20 can already overshadow many poor build gestalt characters. So what is your aim? I guess not max optimization.

Would a gish be an option? Maybe something Fighter//Cleric? A decent and strong build that would still leave room for other team members.

Or maybe a control type build Cleric//Warlock.

Or a Cleric//Monk gish would also have much fluff and okish powerlvl.

[Morphic tide]

Keep it as simple as possible. Fighter is the way to go. It has the least complexity, by far. Cleric is strong enough already that going into Fighter 20 would let you keep up with most possible party members, especially if you optimize the Fighter side as much as possible to merge with the Cleric casting. Alternatively, Rogue is another low-complexity pick that can be made into a good setup.


Basically, the most complex you want to go is a Psionic class. Even then, go for a Psychic Warrior. Minimize complexity so that you can focus on being a Cleric, because Clerics can already keep up with most Gestalt builds.

[Jarmen4u]

My DM is starting up another game (our last one fizzled out, sadly) and he asked us to do something new. I've only played a cleric once before, and he wound up sending the party to hell and ending that game, so Im going to be a cleric of some flavor. I'd rather not do full healer build, but I'm open to ideas. It has to be a gestalt, and it sounds like the rest of the party is going to be spellcaster-heavy. This game is going to be roleplay-heavy, and it may get dark. I don't have a race picked out, but I know Id rather not do a dwarf, as it's a bit of a go to race for me.

I'll be honest with you here; it sounds almost like you have no idea what a cleric is actually good at (no offense). Your biggest strength as a cleric in a gestalt will be with buffing yourself very large amounts and making your melee combat very powerful. Persisting said buffs is the usual TO way to go, but depending on your DM, that kind of optimization might be off the table. Either way, having a few powerful buffs to use when you're in combat is what makes clerics so strong. Depending on the level you're at, there are various buffs for ability scores, saves, bonuses to hit and damage, DR and energy resistance, etc. The cleric toolkit is right up there with the Wizard (or sorcerer, my RAW has no defense).

[Rebel7284]

What books are allowed?

Clerics, due to their tier one nature, can do pretty much anything, so a little more of a focus to push us in the right direction would be good.

- Cleric//Crusader/Swordsage can be great fun for smashing faces, especially if Ruby Knight Vindicator is allowed in gestalt, but perfectly good without that. Some Ordained Champion is good for this too.
- Dweomerkeeper is always amazing for a caster cleric, say something like Gnome Cloistered Cleric 5/Dweomerkeeper 4/Shadowcraft Mage 3/Dweomerkeeper +6/Shadowcraft Mage+2 // Illusionist 1/Factotum 11/Whatever 8
- Cleric/Druid is slightly redundant, but you can have all the buffs all the time... while being a bear... while summoning bears and buffing those too.
- You can pick up all four legal turning pools for use with Divine Metamagic
* Azurin Cleric substitution levels -> Turn Essentia
* Sacred Exorcist -> Turn Undead
* Death Delver -> Rebuke Undead
* Paladin (of freedom?) -> Rebuke Dragons

There are builds that optimize your undead army and builds that adds your Wisdom modifier to as many rolls as possible.

So yeah, tons of interesting options.

Of course, as per usual in D&D, those builds that focus on casting, typically end up being more powerful in the long run, but pretty much nothing with cleric is weak.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Go Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric)//Paladin for your whole career, no multiclassing, maybe dip some prestige classes that advance Cleric casting such as Divine Oracle 2 or 4, Contemplative 1 or 6, etc. Human would probably be best, you'll need feats. Paladins are a fearless beacon of light in dark times and dark campaigns, so this should role play just fine.

Trade your Turn Undead ability from one of those classes for Rebuke Dragons in Dragon Magic. That gives you two pools of turning uses that can power divine feats. Get spontaneous domain casting in PH2 for one of your Cleric domains. Trade one of your domains for Divine Magician in Complete Mage, be sure to pick up the spell Shield with that. Consider trading one of your domain powers for Divine Restoration in Dungeonscape. Trade your Paladin mount for Charging Smite in PH2. Your domains should be Knowledge and Spell (SC).

Consider taking two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) to start with two extra feats. You'll want Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Divine Metamagic: Persistent Spell, Power Attack, Leap Attack (CA), and probably Extra Turning at least once. Consider picking up Improved Counterspell and Divine Defiance (FCII). Consider picking up Ancestral Relic (BoED) and/or one or more item creation feats.

The goal of this character is fairly simple, you use Divine Metamagic to make your buffs last all day (Shield, Divine Favor, Wraithstrike via Anyspell, Mass Lesser Vigor, Magic Circle Against Evil, Divine Power, Righteous Might, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, Draconic Polymorph via Greater Anyspell, etc.), and hit the baddies with your big stick. You'll have other buffs that you can just (Lesser Rod of) Extend instead of making persistent, like (Greater) Luminous Armor (BoED), Magic Vestment on your luminous armor and shield spell effects, Greater Magic Weapon, etc. There are also quite a few Paladin spells that are extremely good, namely Rhino's Rush (SC). Fill all your 1st level Paladin spell slots with Rhino's Rush, and probably get a few 1st level Pearls of Power to recover them between fights. Put a Wand Chamber (Dungeonscape) in your weapon, with a Wand of Rhino's Rush which is still a swift action to use per Rules Compendium.

At level 8 you'll be looking at the following buffs and damage output: Persistent Wraithstrike, Divine Favor +2, Divine Power for Str 22, Greater Magic Weapon +2, Shield, Luminous Armor, Magic Vestment +2 twice, Greater Resistance (SC), Cha 16, and Armbands of Might (MIC).
Power Attack for -8 two-handed, Charge, Leap Attack, Rhino's Rush, Smite Evil, Charging Smite: +15 melee touch, 4d6+146 vs an evil target. At level 8. If you can get a +1 Valorous (LEoF) weapon by this time, it's instead 3d6+219 damage.

Keep in mind that Smite Evil adds your Paladin level to your damage, and Charging Smite adds an additional two points of damage per Paladin level. Also keep in mind that the Complete Adventurer errata changed Leap Attack to not be a multiplier, to avoid complicated multiplication math.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Cleric combines well with most things, truthfully. Cloistered Cleric is particularly nice for gestalt, since it also gives you a crap load of skill points. What kind of Cleric are you most interested in being? Melee, archery, control, summoning, buffing, blasting...?

[Kerrigor]

I'll be honest with you here; it sounds almost like you have no idea what a cleric is actually good at (no offense).

No offense taken. Before this thread, I didn't really know what a cleric is or does. I've heard from old groups that they can make good tanks/healers, but beyond that.... Not much.

A few of you asked what I want to do. We are a spellcaster-heavy group. So far, we have 9 people. Every one of them is taking a caster as their alpha class.
Several of them are taking it as their beta class.
I have two sort of-ideas.

Notes on Creation:
All books are allowed, psionics aren't encouraged.
80 Point Build-Point buy system. 18 is max before racial adjustments.
Gesalt
Level 1
CR/ECL 3
Max Hit Points till 4th Level
1) Take a melee based class as my beta and be a messenger for the Gods of light, dispensing justice to my foes via a giant mace/horseman's flail.
2) Join in on the caster fun and lob spells from the back while doing cleric stuff.
2a) I've heard about the binder class and it looks fun, but curious if it would be good for this character or if it should be saved for a character of its own.

[Vossler]

i'd go human Paladin 1/ cloistered cleric 1
stats
str: 18
dex: 16
con: 18
int:14
wis: 18
Cha: 18

[Sword-Geass]

I would also go with the Paladin//Cleric combo like suggested by Biffoniacus_Furiou, and I'll also add to that that you must take the feat Serenity (Dragon Compendium) as that will make your turning (and smite, and save bonus, and Lay on Hands, and every Paladin ability actually) Wisdom based.

Also I prefer to go with the Spirits from Dungeonscape instead of the charging smite for such a build, as you aren't likely to need the extra damage, while the spirits are more flavorful and allow you to do multiple things at once during combat (like having someone healed from the Spirit that imitates your LoH, which can probably add up to 400+ of healing if you end with almost full Paladin on one side).

[NerdHut]

If you're allowed to use generic classes from UA, I recommend taking at least a few levels of Warrior on the non-cleric side. It'll give you flexible skill choice, flexible save choice (clerics need to shore up their reflex saves), and the extra feats will allow you to abuse Extra Turning and Divine Metamagic.