Feats for Cleric

[Master O'Laughs]

So Currently level 4 Cleric 3(Life)/Druid 1 Human. I took War caster with my feat and am getting close to level 5 where I will pick another level in cleric which allows an ASI or a feat. Other Party Members include a Wizard, gunslinger, moon druid, and pact of blade warlock.

I am typically front and center and serve as the main tank when the Druid is not around. My Wisdom is 18 and Con is 16 (custom stat array) I was planing on taking Observant but the Druid already has it and while not a terrible thing to double up on, it got me thinking about if anything might be a better choice.

My idea is to take magic initiate (wizard) for Find Familiar (role play reasons mostly but scouting as well if needed), Booming Blade, and prestidigitation. The idea is to create more disincentives for enemies to leave my side. Right now I could use it as an AoO so the damage immediately goes off or simply just use it as a better attack action since I believe it stacks with Divine Strike.

All UA is open to us so I was also looking at the new cleric cantrips they added. Would I be better off not wasting the feat on it if I plan on using Spirit Guardians/spiritual weapon and thorn whip later?

I may want sentinel as well since my DM has been using disengage actions against a decent bit.

The group is not very optimized in decision making in combat so I am trying to provide a lot of support as needed. Early on and still occasionally I offer what I think is the best move but I am trying to get away from it because I do ultimately want them just to make the most in character decision.... Even if that is running away.

Current Feats ASI's I am considering are:
Sentinel
Observant
Wis +1 (20) and Con +1 (17)
Resilient Con (18)

I do have room for 1 more and Res (Con) I was thinking of making my CAPstone for better saves.

In Summary:
1) Is Magic Initiate doable or one of the above listed feats/ASIs better at level 5 (delay due to MC)?

[Gtdead]

Warcaster and resilient con is what a cleric needs. I'd probably get asis after that. I'd stay away from sentinel. You really shouldnt try to do everything with the class. It may seem like a good idea because it has a strong early game but it doesn't scale that well into higher levels. You'll be better off avoiding damage rather than actively trying to stay in melee.

Also disengage action isn't that important that you need a hard counter. It's a turn without damage. Once you start hunting stronger monsters, you will be the one doing the disengaging.

[bid]

Warcaster and resilient con is what a cleric needs.
One. Both is overkill.

You'll get much more mileage out of lucky than doubling up on Con saves.

[jaappleton]

One. Both is overkill.

You'll get much more mileage out of lucky than doubling up on Con saves.

Agreed. Lucky is a heck of a Feat. The ability to basically re-roll anything 3x per long rest can drastically alter a battle. Roll a 1 on your saving throw VS Hold Person, and the party desperately needs healing? The ability to re-roll that can turn a TPK into a heroic moment.

[Toofey]

if all you really want is find familiar ritual caster wizard is better than magic initiate. You get Find familiar and have access to a number of other super useful spells.

[Sigreid]

Toughness isn't a bad idea. If you're in the middle of the fight all the time, extra HP never hurts.

[Specter]

Resilient (CON) to round CON first, then Observant to round out WIS.

[Biggstick]

Resilient Con definitely needs to be on your list if you plannon running Spirit Guardians. It should on getting picked up at a minimum by 8th level Cleric. Taking it as a capstone will be much too late.

As for what to actually take at level 4 Cleric, I'd honestly go with either +2 Wisdom or Lucky. Having an 18 Wisdom is amazing at such a low level. You really don't need to max out your casting stat, and that's especially true on a Life Cleric who has access to Good berry cheese. You are using that to maintain HP for your party outside combat right? If not, get on that.

[Master O'Laughs]

Resilient Con definitely needs to be on your list if you plannon running Spirit Guardians. It should on getting picked up at a minimum by 8th level Cleric. Taking it as a capstone will be much too late.

As for what to actually take at level 4 Cleric, I'd honestly go with either +2 Wisdom or Lucky. Having an 18 Wisdom is amazing at such a low level. You really don't need to max out your casting stat, and that's especially true on a Life Cleric who has access to Good berry cheese. You are using that to maintain HP for your party outside combat right? If not, get on that.

Actually it is getting cheesed in combat. After reading the other Life cleric thread which popped up I messaged my DM about making a less abused ruling.

He lets us eat 4 berries at a time because I had asked how many one could eat since they sounded like being grape sized. He is also letting us get away with using a bonus action to eat them which I said should just become an action because of how crazy the healing is.

With a days prep, I will convert most/all spell slots to good berries and hand them out to the party. This way they have a way to get me up as well if I go down.

Thanks for all the input everyone. Part of why I want to get Wis to 20 is because everyone else has their main stat at 20 already.

But I will seriously consider Lucky (who can argue turning disadvantage into double advantage?)

Is trying to get booming blade not worth it at all due to all the other things I am trying to do?

Again, thanks for all the input.

[jaappleton]

Actually it is getting cheesed in combat. After reading the other Life cleric thread which popped up I messaged my DM about making a less abused ruling.

He lets us eat 4 berries at a time because I had asked how many one could eat since they sounded like being grape sized. He is also letting us get away with using a bonus action to eat them which I said should just become an action because of how crazy the healing is.

With a days prep, I will convert most/all spell slots to good berries and hand them out to the party. This way they have a way to get me up as well if I go down.

Thanks for all the input everyone. Part of why I want to get Wis to 20 is because everyone else has their main stat at 20 already.

But I will seriously consider Lucky (who can argue turning disadvantage into double advantage?)

Is trying to get booming blade not worth it at all due to all the other things I am trying to do?

Again, thanks for all the input.

I say No on BB for you. Clerics can't really keep up with single target damage, not like a Fighter or anything.

There's a shift in Clerics, where they start off with some good damage spells, then their spell list changes from being able to lay down the hurt to rendering enemies useless. You go from Guiding Bolt to Banishment, for example.

I'd focus on the latter aspect. Embrace the aspect of rendering enemies useless instead of trying to hit them for mediocre damage.

[Master O'Laughs]

I say No on BB for you. Clerics can't really keep up with single target damage, not like a Fighter or anything.

There's a shift in Clerics, where they start off with some good damage spells, then their spell list changes from being able to lay down the hurt to rendering enemies useless. You go from Guiding Bolt to Banishment, for example.

I'd focus on the latter aspect. Embrace the aspect of rendering enemies useless instead of trying to hit them for mediocre damage.

Is the spirit guardians spell eventually become more of a disincentive to target the cleric rather than an offensive weapon?

Is there any magic item which enhances the Spell Save DC of Clerics? I know there are ones for arcane spell casters but have never seen one for Divine users.

Also at Cleric lvl 14 with shillelagh and booming blade, I could do 6d8+WIS to a target and i they move an additional 3d8. Then you can add in SW damage of at the very least 1d8+WIS, more if upcast. I know it is not GWM damage but I liked the control effect of Booming Bade. I get it though it is not worth the investment.

Also, focusing more on debilitating rather than damage would fit the character better I think anyways.

EDIT: Damage of a lvl 14/15 Fighter would be 3*(2d6+STR+10) if GWM was used every time due to advantageous positioning and that is before any expended resources.

[mcsillas]

Current Feats ASI's I am considering are:
Sentinel
Observant
Wis +1 (20) and Con +1 (17)
Resilient Con (18)



You shouldn't be in melee combat often, so I'd leave sentinel to the tank, as you won't be able to take advantage of it as much.

I'd take resilient Con first because of the concentration check bonus and, when you start to level up, there are some spell attacks that are instant death barring a successful con saving throw.

[jaappleton]

I only advise BB with Tempest or the new Zeal Domain from Plane Shift: Amonkhet. It isn't bad without it, it's just better with one of those. But it is a 2 Feat or Feat & Race investment if you partner it with Shillaleigh.

For ways to increase spell save DC, I've always just grabbed a generic +1 Holy Symbol. I don't play AL, so I can't help you with item selection if you do.

I actually got my DM to agree to me using a +2 Quarterstaff as a Holy Symbol AND weapon, since it's Obad-Hai's favored weapon, apparently.

[Master O'Laughs]

You shouldn't be in melee combat often, so I'd leave sentinel to the tank, as you won't be able to take advantage of it as much.

I'd take resilient Con first because of the concentration check bonus and, when you start to level up, there are some spell attacks that are instant death barring a successful con saving throw.

I am basically the consistent tanky character. The warforged bladelock and the moon druid are hit or miss for attendance

[Master O'Laughs]

I only advise BB with Tempest or the new Zeal Domain from Plane Shift: Amonkhet. It isn't bad without it, it's just better with one of those. But it is a 2 Feat or Feat & Race investment if you partner it with Shillaleigh.

For ways to increase spell save DC, I've always just grabbed a generic +1 Holy Symbol. I don't play AL, so I can't help you with item selection if you do.

I actually got my DM to agree to me using a +2 Quarterstaff as a Holy Symbol AND weapon, since it's Obad-Hai's favored weapon, apparently.

Nice!

So I am currently using my Staff as a druid focus and my shield as a Cleric Holy Symbol. Deity is homebrew but the spiritual weapon is a Keg of ale which vomits force damage as its attack... Yeah...

I will check with my DM about a +1 Holy Symbol and if I can combo that with a +1 Shield.

[Vaz]

If your Charisma is decent Inspiring Leader. It's like 10 free Temp HP every short rest for the entire party.

[Master O'Laughs]

If your Charisma is decent Inspiring Leader. It's like 10 free Temp HP every short rest for the entire party.

CHA is 14 so currently it would only be 6 HP.

[Biggstick]

Is the spirit guardians spell eventually become more of a disincentive to target the cleric rather than an offensive weapon?

Is there any magic item which enhances the Spell Save DC of Clerics? I know there are ones for arcane spell casters but have never seen one for Divine users.

Also at Cleric lvl 14 with shillelagh and booming blade, I could do 6d8+WIS to a target and i they move an additional 3d8. Then you can add in SW damage of at the very least 1d8+WIS, more if upcast. I know it is not GWM damage but I liked the control effect of Booming Bade. I get it though it is not worth the investment.

Also, focusing more on debilitating rather than damage would fit the character better I think anyways.

EDIT: Damage of a lvl 14/15 Fighter would be 3*(2d6+STR+10) if GWM was used every time due to advantageous positioning and that is before any expended resources.

Not sure about the increasing of spell save DC's for Clerics. I'd recommend looking for the book that increases your Wisdom above 20 though.

Spirit Guardians is an iconic spell for Clerics, and paints a pretty big target on your head. You want to have all of your defensive capabilities as high as possible when you decide to run this spell, as you're going to attract a lot of attention.

At Cleric 14 with Shillelagh and Booming Blade, you're doing ok damage. Let's see what it'd actually look like.
1d8+5 (Shillelagh damage dice)
2d8 (Divine Strike, radiant damage)
2d8 (BB, thunder damage).

This makes an average damage of 27.5 if you hit your Booming Blade alpha strike. You only get one chance to hit, and if you don't, it's 0 damage. Something I don't really ever count on is the target moving after it's been hit. I can count on one hand the number of creatures that have moved after I hit them with BB. But on the off chance that they do move, that increases your damage output by an additional 3d8, which would bring your average damage up to 41. While respectable, this is nowhere near the consistency of the Fighter in regards to melee damage.

Fighter on the other hand, will be doing quite a bit more in terms of damage. With the simplest of builds (not even variant Human), we can have a Fighter at level 14 take two +2's to Str, Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, and Resilient Wisdom. This creates the damage calculation per turn below.
1d10+5+10 (Polearm damage dice, GWM damage bonus)
1d10+5+10 (Polearm damage dice, GWM damage bonus)
1d10+5+10 (Polearm damage dice, GWM damage bonus)
1d4+5+10 (Polearm butt end damage dice, GWM damage bonus)

This makes an average damage of 79 if you hit all 4 attacks. There is obviously some variance that will occur, as not all attacks will hit, but I think we can safely assume at least two attacks will hit most of the time. I would also bet that a level 14 Fighter has a magic weapon at this point in the game, which would further boost these damage numbers.
Saying all this to say that while taking BB or GFB might feel pretty good and give you a viable melee option in the early parts of the campaign, you're going to be outdone by pretty much any other melee combatant as they pick up combat feats. Focus on what you do best as a Life Cleric in combat, which is maintaining concentration on key buff spells, using choice debuffs on enemies, and deterring your enemies from reaching your squishy backliners (standing in their way, Spirit Guardians, dodge action, etc).

[mcsillas]

I am basically the consistent tanky character. The warforged bladelock and the moon druid are hit or miss for attendance


In that case, yes sentinel is viable and resilience con is a must for you.

[Willie the Duck]

Is the spirit guardians spell eventually become more of a disincentive to target the cleric rather than an offensive weapon?

No, it is always useful, and the whole concept you are talking about makes sense. It is just a rabbit hole that oft does not work.


Is there any magic item which enhances the Spell Save DC of Clerics? I know there are ones for arcane spell casters but have never seen one for Divine users.

This isn't 3.5. Don't build your character around the expectation that you will (be able to) get certain magic items.


Also at Cleric lvl 14 with shillelagh and booming blade, I could do 6d8+WIS to a target and i they move an additional 3d8. Then you can add in SW damage of at the very least 1d8+WIS, more if upcast. I know it is not GWM damage but I liked the control effect of Booming Bade. I get it though it is not worth the investment.

Good. I've seen more than a few what I will call cleric-damage-machine-builds*. I've never seen anyone happy with it in-play.

*In my own group druid dips came with armor restrictions, so it ended up being an Vuman arcana cleric for Booming and GFB, with M.I. for thorn whip and shillelagh, then PAM, War Caster, and Sentinel. But even then, they were not keeping up their concentration spells because War Caster only goes so far, and their Wis stayed at 16 the whole time (meaning their attacks didn't always hit). At the same time, a regular fighter doing the fighter thing and another cleric with War Caster, Resilient:con, and 20 Wis doing SG, SW, and Sacred Flame could do almost the same damage level, but their build actually worked as intended.


EDIT: Damage of a lvl 14/15 Fighter would be 3*(2d6+STR+10) if GWM was used every time due to advantageous positioning and that is before any expended resources.

I will point out that positioning oneself to have advantage on every attack is usually an expended resource (in opportunity cost). That's one thing that is usually left out of these analyses.

[Master O'Laughs]

Not sure about the increasing of spell save DC's for Clerics. I'd recommend looking for the book that increases your Wisdom above 20 though.

Spirit Guardians is an iconic spell for Clerics, and paints a pretty big target on your head. You want to have all of your defensive capabilities as high as possible when you decide to run this spell, as you're going to attract a lot of attention.

At Cleric 14 with Shillelagh and Booming Blade, you're doing ok damage. Let's see what it'd actually look like.
1d8+5 (Shillelagh damage dice)
2d8 (Divine Strike, radiant damage)
2d8 (BB, thunder damage).

This makes an average damage of 27.5 if you hit your Booming Blade alpha strike. You only get one chance to hit, and if you don't, it's 0 damage. Something I don't really ever count on is the target moving after it's been hit. I can count on one hand the number of creatures that have moved after I hit them with BB. But on the off chance that they do move, that increases your damage output by an additional 3d8, which would bring your average damage up to 41. While respectable, this is nowhere near the consistency of the Fighter in regards to melee damage.

Fighter on the other hand, will be doing quite a bit more in terms of damage. With the simplest of builds (not even variant Human), we can have a Fighter at level 14 take two +2's to Str, Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, and Resilient Wisdom. This creates the damage calculation per turn below.
1d10+5+10 (Polearm damage dice, GWM damage bonus)
1d10+5+10 (Polearm damage dice, GWM damage bonus)
1d10+5+10 (Polearm damage dice, GWM damage bonus)
1d4+5+10 (Polearm butt end damage dice, GWM damage bonus)

This makes an average damage of 79 if you hit all 4 attacks. There is obviously some variance that will occur, as not all attacks will hit, but I think we can safely assume at least two attacks will hit most of the time. I would also bet that a level 14 Fighter has a magic weapon at this point in the game, which would further boost these damage numbers.
Saying all this to say that while taking BB or GFB might feel pretty good and give you a viable melee option in the early parts of the campaign, you're going to be outdone by pretty much any other melee combatant as they pick up combat feats. Focus on what you do best as a Life Cleric in combat, which is maintaining concentration on key buff spells, using choice debuffs on enemies, and deterring your enemies from reaching your squishy backliners (standing in their way, Spirit Guardians, dodge action, etc).

Not to mention if the fighter is a battle master with superiority dice, an eldritch knight with even haste active to provide another attack, or a champion which crits more often. The other thing is you have Spiritual weapon that if you wanted to (would be wasteful) you could upcast it for an additional attack for more than 1d8+mod damage (again I know it is not worth the slot)

[Master O'Laughs]

No, it is always useful, and the whole concept you are talking about makes sense. It is just a rabbit hole that oft does not work.



This isn't 3.5. Don't build your character around the expectation that you will (be able to) get certain magic items.



Good. I've seen more than a few what I will call cleric-damage-machine-builds*. I've never seen anyone happy with it in-play.

*In my own group druid dips came with armor restrictions, so it ended up being an Vuman arcana cleric for Booming and GFB, with M.I. for thorn whip and shillelagh, then PAM, War Caster, and Sentinel. But even then, they were not keeping up their concentration spells because War Caster only goes so far, and their Wis stayed at 16 the whole time (meaning their attacks didn't always hit). At the same time, a regular fighter doing the fighter thing and another cleric with War Caster, Resilient:con, and 20 Wis doing SG, SW, and Sacred Flame could do almost the same damage level, but their build actually worked as intended.



I will point out that positioning oneself to have advantage on every attack is usually an expended resource (in opportunity cost). That's one thing that is usually left out of these analyses.

1) Unless Legendary, the campaign I am in seems very high magic. There is a floating city of wizards which sells magic items and the more quests you do for them the better access you have to gear. It is not perfect but pretty close to seeing any magic item we want as long as we have the gold to buy it.

2) Yeah, I regret the Druid dip somedays because of the armor restrictions... I am looking for special armor as a top priority right now.

[jaappleton]

1) Unless Legendary, the campaign I am in seems very high magic. There is a floating city of wizards which sells magic items and the more quests you do for them the better access you have to gear. It is not perfect but pretty close to seeing any magic item we want as long as we have the gold to buy it.

2) Yeah, I regret the Druid dip somedays because of the armor restrictions... I am looking for special armor as a top priority right now.

Armor made of bone should be available. Look, you aren't the ONLY druid in the world, right? It's not like you'd be the first person ever looking for something like that. Heck, I bet some Barbarians would want it just as a way to show off their kills. "Dragon BONE armor, made from my latest kill!"

Also, I think there's something in the DMG about armor made from non-standard materials being decently available.

[Galadhrim]

I disagree somewhat on magic initiate. I think it adds a lot to a cleric, especially one with warcaster who is planning to run spirit gaurdians. Booming blade sets it up so that enemies have to either stay in spirit guardians or take the movement damage which is great for you. I agree with the math that you won't do as much as a GWM fighter with polearm master and 20 str but who cares, you don't have a GWM in your group. Add to that, booming blade is only part of your attack sequence so it's a little unfair to compare that to 3 attacks and a bonus action attack from the fighter. I played a tempest cleric that was the main tank for our group and I found booming blade to be VERY useful. Your spells are still king, but sometimes you need to do something with your action that doesn't involve burning a spell slot (for instance when you've just cast spiritual weapon or when you are running short on slots). I found that this particular combo really helped stretch my spell slots through the adventuring day, which is more important to cleric than other full casters bc You have no mechanism to regain slots outside of a long rest. You could, as suggested, take the dodge action, but what fun is that when you could bust someone's head instead.

Add to that the fact that you also get a great first level spell (which you indicated would be great for your RP), plus an additional cantrip (minor illusion or prestidigitation) and I think that adds more to your character than many other options. You can use some part of magic initiate in all 3 pillars of the game. It may not be the choice that gives optimal damage output on paper but that is only a small portion of the game and even there it is very helpful.

[bid]

I only advise BB with Tempest or the new Zeal Domain from Plane Shift: Amonkhet. It isn't bad without it, it's just better with one of those. But it is a 2 Feat or Feat & Race investment if you partner it with Shillaleigh.
I would add arcane and nature domains to that short list. You still need magic initiate but it's ok.

The big issue with Shillelagh and Board is that you lose it whenever you sheath it.

[rollingForInit]

If you want to be in melee a lot, Magic Initiate for Booming Blade is awesome. The Cleric in our group is using it to great effect. The extra crowd control is really useful sometimes as well. It adds the kind of stickiness that Clerics otherwise lack for general tanking.

Find Familiar is nice for the spell. Another great option is Shield, which is basically a once-a-day life saver.

[Citan]

So Currently level 4 Cleric 3(Life)/Druid 1 Human. I took War caster with my feat and am getting close to level 5 where I will pick another level in cleric which allows an ASI or a feat. Other Party Members include a Wizard, gunslinger, moon druid, and pact of blade warlock.

I am typically front and center and serve as the main tank when the Druid is not around. My Wisdom is 18 and Con is 16 (custom stat array) I was planing on taking Observant but the Druid already has it and while not a terrible thing to double up on, it got me thinking about if anything might be a better choice.

My idea is to take magic initiate (wizard) for Find Familiar (role play reasons mostly but scouting as well if needed), Booming Blade, and prestidigitation. The idea is to create more disincentives for enemies to leave my side. Right now I could use it as an AoO so the damage immediately goes off or simply just use it as a better attack action since I believe it stacks with Divine Strike.

All UA is open to us so I was also looking at the new cleric cantrips they added. Would I be better off not wasting the feat on it if I plan on using Spirit Guardians/spiritual weapon and thorn whip later?

I may want sentinel as well since my DM has been using disengage actions against a decent bit.

The group is not very optimized in decision making in combat so I am trying to provide a lot of support as needed. Early on and still occasionally I offer what I think is the best move but I am trying to get away from it because I do ultimately want them just to make the most in character decision.... Even if that is running away.

Current Feats ASI's I am considering are:
Sentinel
Observant
Wis +1 (20) and Con +1 (17)
Resilient Con (18)

I do have room for 1 more and Res (Con) I was thinking of making my CAPstone for better saves.

In Summary:
1) Is Magic Initiate doable or one of the above listed feats/ASIs better at level 5 (delay due to MC)?
If you plan on being a sticky one, using Spirit Guardians regularly as soon as you have it, Sentinel is all you need. Don't bother with Magic Initiate (well, not saying it's bad, but you also need ASIs for the other feats and stat bumps. And it's really past level 11 that it becomes that much better compared to options you currently have so you can always pick it later).
Cast Spirit Guardians, use Thorns Whip to pull creatures into the AOE while casting Shillelagh to get good chance to hit, then ensure that OA sticks to drop their speed to 0.
There, you are set. You shouldn't get that many attacks against you too (at least not from people who have 0 speed, or lesser ranged attacks). ;)

You may even not need Shillelagh if your DM agrees to consider that Sentinel's "drop to 0" effect is compatible with a cantrip cast as a reaction thanks to Warcaster (although technically you are not "making an opportunity attack" per the exact wording of Warcaster so unless I'm mistaken by RAW it would not work).

If however, Spirit Guardians would be just a "sometimes" tactics but not your bread and butter, then all options are solid.
- Magic Initiate for a solid bump in damage (Shillelagh'd Booming Blade + Find Familiar RP)
- Sentinel to get more chances at inflicting good damage (Thorns Whip / Sacred Flame as a reaction, or even Command and so).
- Plain Wis bump to max it already just because.
But really the most important thing to know is: since you already have 18 WIS at that level (and very good tactical options), you can safely pick whichever you like the most. :)

As for UA Cleric cantrips, I don't know them so no opinion on them. :)
As for Observant, it's always a very solid feat but, if one pal already has it, he's probably great at scouting already so... Unless you want it for RP reasons (pair with Comprehend Languages as a Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster feat benefit) or your group tend to be split on regular basis, I would probably pick something else (I do understand part of that choice was to "combo" with the later Resilient: Constitution but I think you have other ways to even your Constitution).

[Master O'Laughs]

If you plan on being a sticky one, using Spirit Guardians regularly as soon as you have it, Sentinel is all you need. Don't bother with Magic Initiate (well, not saying it's bad, but you also need ASIs for the other feats and stat bumps. And it's really past level 11 that it becomes that much better compared to options you currently have so you can always pick it later).
Cast Spirit Guardians, use Thorns Whip to pull creatures into the AOE while casting Shillelagh to get good chance to hit, then ensure that OA sticks to drop their speed to 0.
There, you are set. You shouldn't get that many attacks against you too (at least not from people who have 0 speed, or lesser ranged attacks). ;)

You may even not need Shillelagh if your DM agrees to consider that Sentinel's "drop to 0" effect is compatible with a cantrip cast as a reaction thanks to Warcaster (although technically you are not "making an opportunity attack" per the exact wording of Warcaster so unless I'm mistaken by RAW it would not work).

If however, Spirit Guardians would be just a "sometimes" tactics but not your bread and butter, then all options are solid.
- Magic Initiate for a solid bump in damage (Shillelagh'd Booming Blade + Find Familiar RP)
- Sentinel to get more chances at inflicting good damage (Thorns Whip / Sacred Flame as a reaction, or even Command and so).
- Plain Wis bump to max it already just because.
But really the most important thing to know is: since you already have 18 WIS at that level (and very good tactical options), you can safely pick whichever you like the most. :)

As for UA Cleric cantrips, I don't know them so no opinion on them. :)
As for Observant, it's always a very solid feat but, if one pal already has it, he's probably great at scouting already so... Unless you want it for RP reasons (pair with Comprehend Languages as a Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster feat benefit) or your group tend to be split on regular basis, I would probably pick something else (I do understand part of that choice was to "combo" with the later Resilient: Constitution but I think you have other ways to even your Constitution).

Oh my goodness, you guys have all been giving such awesome feedback!

I am not sure how it will play out but our Druid is away for the summer and when around they make roughly half the sessions. So Observant may still be worth taking from that standpoint but it seems maybe not a top priority. I eventually want to try and get the shield which gives advantage on perception and initiative checks so if I got observant after that I would have an effective +10 to Passive perception.

Our Warlock put an order in for a magic greatsword so he might eventually take GWM but I think he just wants to dish out damage so I am viewing him as more of an off-tank.

I think it has been suggested to the Druid to take Sentinel as their next feat since currently they are doing a lot of shape shifting. If it is their plan does it lessen the usefulness of me having it as well since one of the benefits will be lost if we are standing side by side?

You guys rock and I really am appreciative for all the helpful feedback. I tend to over-evaluate things but I enjoy getting all the head knowledge.

EDIT: Forgot to add brief description of cantrips, Hand of Radiance is a Con save, 1d6 Radiant damage to every creature of your choice within 5 ft. I was leaning towards this as my next cantrip. There is also Toll the Dead which is a Wis save, 1d8 or 1d12 if already damaged necrotic damage. Very strong and will probably be the pick after Hand of Radiance. I will also be able to target 4 different defenses at will which will be nice.

[Citan]

Oh my goodness, you guys have all been giving such awesome feedback!

I am not sure how it will play out but our Druid is away for the summer and when around they make roughly half the sessions. So Observant may still be worth taking from that standpoint but it seems maybe not a top priority. I eventually want to try and get the shield which gives advantage on perception and initiative checks so if I got observant after that I would have an effective +10 to Passive perception.

Our Warlock put an order in for a magic greatsword so he might eventually take GWM but I think he just wants to dish out damage so I am viewing him as more of an off-tank.

I think it has been suggested to the Druid to take Sentinel as their next feat since currently they are doing a lot of shape shifting. If it is their plan does it lessen the usefulness of me having it as well since one of the benefits will be lost if we are standing side by side?

You guys rock and I really am appreciative for all the helpful feedback. I tend to over-evaluate things but I enjoy getting all the head knowledge.

EDIT: Forgot to add brief description of cantrips, Hand of Radiance is a Con save, 1d6 Radiant damage to every creature of your choice within 5 ft. I was leaning towards this as my next cantrip. There is also Toll the Dead which is a Wis save, 1d8 or 1d12 if already damaged necrotic damage. Very strong and will probably be the pick after Hand of Radiance. I will also be able to target 4 different defenses at will which will be nice.
1. Well, if one of your goal is to get a magic item that increase perception and initiative, and Druid often misses sessions, then it can still be a very decent choice. As for "better choice than Sentinel/Magic Initiate"... It really depends on whether you take upon the role of scout/spy or not when Druid is not here.

2. Not necessarily: two front-liners usually face many enemies head-on. Yourself can stop at most one enemy per turn within your Spirit Guardians. Druid pal could help you stick people inside, or let you cover one area while he covers one adjacent, expanding the effective "blockade" that protects your backline squishies.
To say otherwise, having two people with same tactic is absolutely not a "bad" thing.
However, I'd double-check beforehand with that Druid player to be sure (s)he won't feel you are tip-toeing on his "prerogatives" (too strong a word for what I mean really, but I'm sure you understand). If he agrees, it can end very strong. If he doesn't want, then no problem, you have many other good options. ;)