Guidance for Cleric/Totemist/Landforged Walker/Sapphire Hierarch Build

[Sidaris]

Hey, Folks -

I came across this in Danzibr's Totemist Handbook. And thought it sounded like a great build for roleplay, combat prowess, and just because it's different and fun/weird.

Looking at the below excerpt, it seems it was just a thought experiment by Surreal. Can anyone help me with what my ability array should be (32 point buy), feat choices and timing, and skills if needed (I know there are prerequisites for the Prestige Classes). I'm taking it that this is already listed in the order that I should be taking the classes.

Recommendations on items?

Finally, any notes on how to operate vis-à-vis tactics and what pitfalls to be wary of?



Sample Build

The Grappling Tree, courtesy Surreal (and honestly, probably my favorite of all the builds)
Warforged Cleric 3 (travel & law domains)/Totemist 2/Landforged Walker 5/Sapphire Hierarch 10
*travel domain for survival for Landforged Walker, law domain for Sapphire Hierarch
You get 9th level spells, a plant form that you can boost with incarnum, and access to DMM silliness. This would make a very strong grappler build. Also consider that you'd get Huge shapes 5 levels earlier than a druid. At level 10 you could have a huge Treant with 29 Str, boosted with Girallon and/or Kraken soulmelds, with Divine Power on top. By level 12, you can be an Iron Maw/Octopus Tree/Tendriculous boosted even more with Righteous Might. I think that's a grapple bonus of +47 (give or take a few). Oh, and you can get 8 attacks with the Octopus Tree.

level 12 grapple: 12(BAB) + 10(str) + 8(huge) + 3(div.power) + 6(righteous might) + 14(Girallon) +4(kraken) + 4(imp.grap) = 61
- a few buffs, Iron Maw, Righteous Might, Divine Power, soulmelds, no items

[Nifft]

Looks like a fun build.

My advice:
- Take Totemist 2 before Cleric 3, for better skills and two levels of illiteracy RP.
- Not sure if Improved Grapple is worth two feats.
- You may want Sapphire Hierarch 3 before Landforged Walker 1, so you get Crown / Feet / Hands soulbinds (and DR 1/adamantine but whatever).

I assume you're going the Ironwood Body route rather than the Skill Focus route, but if you're not taking Ironwood Body then find out from your DM if the Sapphire Hierarch's DR stacks with the DR from Adamantine Body.


You obviously need Natural Spell once you get Wild Shape. That's one feat you can write on your build in permanent marker.

Eldeen Plantgrafter from [I]Magic of Eberron is a flavorful feat for you & your party starting around level 9. From a grapple perspective, you probably want Grappling Vine. The other plant grafts can be used on yourself or your friends as your gear & budget allows.

Extend Spell / Persistent Spell / DMM: Persist -> that seems like a thing the build assumes, so I guess that's 3 more of your feats locked in. You might want Extra Turning as well.