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View Full Version : Sugguest some core cleric feats please.



Tack122
2007-09-07, 06:44 PM
I don't have my phb accessible at this time and I am making a core level 1 cleric, any tips on good feats to choose? I can't really think of any.

Ah, almost forgot, its human so I have to pick two.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-09-07, 06:48 PM
Where are you looking to go with the character? Blaster, Healing, Melee? Admittedly, a cleric can handle this things pretty much better than anyone else anyway, but your feats (and domains) determine where the main focus is. So it depends on what you want it to be.

CASTLEMIKE
2007-09-07, 06:54 PM
What alignment, what domains and how many levels do you expect to play through?

Are UA/D20SRD options open like the cloistered cleric?

Will you be PRCIng? Will PRCs be limited to the DMG?

Will you be playing in ECS, FRCS or another world?

de-trick
2007-09-07, 06:58 PM
pointblank shot and precise shot for ray spells, and crossbow or other ranged weapons

Sucrose
2007-09-07, 07:08 PM
I'll go through, picking out feats that seem to match most of the general cleric archetypes. If none of these match your interest, then please define it.

Classic Melee Smiter
Power Attack
Improved (Insert Combat Maneuver you like here(I'm partial to Sunder myself))

Archer (I wouldn't recommend this route, as, not being an elf, you lack proficiency in the better ranged weapons)
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot

Summoner
Spell Focus (Conjuration) (is a prerequisite for...)
Augment Summoning

Incarnation of Divine Wrath (spell-flinger, essentially)
Spell Focus (Insert school you like most)
Greater Spell Focus (Insert school you like most)

Good general purpose feats
Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Concentration)

The general purpose feats can usually be swapped into any of the archetypes if you like.

Tack122
2007-09-07, 09:29 PM
[/QUOTE]
What alignment, what domains and how many levels do you expect to play through?

Its going to be a neutral character with the strength and the protection domains.


Are UA/D20SRD options open like the cloistered cleric?

No, core only.


Will you be PRCIng? Will PRCs be limited to the DMG?

PRCs would be limited to the DMG and plot points, and I doubt that any of the PRCs in there would at some point in the future begin to appeal to me.


Will you be playing in ECS, FRCS or another world?
Its a home brew world.

knightsaline
2007-09-07, 10:32 PM
You forget one of the other roles for the cleric: Turnbot. The turnbot is best in a world filled with undead (class 4 outbreak).

Turnbot
Improved turning: turn as a higher level cleric
Extra Turning: gain the ability to turn undead 4 more times

If you want to make a turnbot, give them lots of explody spells. when he gets the chance, he buys/makes/steals a weapon of disruption. Hit any undead with it and it has to pass a Fort save or be destroyed. Undead have a con score of - meaning no bonus to their fort saves. For a bonus, a bow with flaming burst and disruption. Literally, the arrows will be boomsticks. If they pass the disruption, they get hit with the flaming burst.

TheOOB
2007-09-07, 11:12 PM
Scribe scroll is never bad to have, there are lots of spells you can't be bothered to prepare, but may come in handy at a moments notice (detect evil, remove fear and what not), and crafting your own scrolls is far more money effeciant then buying them.

You could also try and get a start on your metamagic feats.

Renx
2007-09-08, 10:37 AM
Extend Spell + metamagic:Extend Rod. If you can get it, go for persistence ;)

Are you starting from level 1 or...?

If possible, try to get Divine Metamagics, they allow you to use turn attempts for metamagics without increasing the spell level. Some DMs accept these (even though they're non-core) because otherwise you pretty much limit the cleric to healbot.

OneWinged4ngel
2007-09-08, 10:53 AM
Scribe Scroll is amazing, because you know a whole lotta spells.

Extra Turning, incidentally, is a fantastic feat, but not if you're core only, because then you have to use it for actual turning. Eww.

Combat feats are good for melee clerics. Item creation feats are good for making items. Metamagic feats like Extend or Quicken are good for casting spells.

ShneekeyTheLost
2007-09-08, 11:49 AM
If you want to make a turnbot, give them lots of explody spells. when he gets the chance, he buys/makes/steals a weapon of disruption. Hit any undead with it and it has to pass a Fort save or be destroyed. Undead have a con score of - meaning no bonus to their fort saves. For a bonus, a bow with flaming burst and disruption. Literally, the arrows will be boomsticks. If they pass the disruption, they get hit with the flaming burst.

Disruption a) is blunt-only, and b) melee-only, so you cannot put it on a bow.

Chronos
2007-09-08, 01:44 PM
Some DMs accept these (even though they're non-core) because otherwise you pretty much limit the cleric to healbot.The cleric hasn't been limited to healbot since second edition. Summoning and other offensive spells (Hold Person, Harm, Destruction, etc., plus possibly domain spells) don't really need any metamagic at all, and combat buffs are handy to have persisted, but even if not, you can just cast them right before breaking down the BBEG's door. And you can prepare all these spells without worrying about losing your healing capability, thanks to spontaneous casting. Plus, even without any buffs up, the cleric is (as always) still a half-decent warrior (great armor, decent HD, decent weapon selection, middling BAB).

OneWinged4ngel
2007-09-08, 02:06 PM
The cleric hasn't been limited to healbot since second edition.

Indeed, and if you're only being a healbot, you're almost certainly doing something wrong, because you're not realizing, well, most of your potential as a cleric.

Rad
2007-09-08, 05:11 PM
Depending on how your DM handles items, item creation feats can be really worth it. The advice about getting scrolls for the situational spells is a really good one, but unless you use up a lot of them (it is not the case for me) craft wondrous items is a better economic investment AND allows you to get some items earlier on. Stat bonuses, cloaks of protection and all that are something you WILL be getting, so you know how much you're saving.

It seems to me that you're going for a melee cleric (and, if there are no good PrCs, the strength domain is gold for that); if this is the case, power attack is always nice if you want to make damage. Quicken spell is useful to actually cast some short spell directly into combat, but level 1 is a bit early for that.

I'd go with:
1st: Improved Initiative
3rd: Craft Wondrous Items
6th: Power Attack (you need some BAB to use it)
9th: Quicken Spell

Weapon focus is another nice (if dull) one.
Quicken Spell assumes that rods of metamagic aren't available, as it seems from the core-onlyness of the game.

Hope this hepls

Solophoenix
2007-09-08, 05:15 PM
Disruption a) is blunt-only, and b) melee-only, so you cannot put it on a bow.

It's also a will save, not a fortitude. So no benefiting from lack of CON score.

CASTLEMIKE
2007-09-08, 07:49 PM
Since you are starting at level 1 it is unlikely you will go past level 9 or 10 in most campaigns.

Sticking to the core PHB and probably not PRCing into any PRC or DMG PRC there are a half dozen or so strong feats:

Improved Initiative helps you go first which is great for survival in low level games. You really notice the impact the feat has at low levels dropping the BBEG before he can hurt you (a heavily armored cleric may have a miss factor of 50% or greater against low level BBEGs attacking him so if you drop them in a round or two they may never get an attack off and if combat goes to 3 or 4 rounds they may never get off a second attack (This feat doesn't help as much if you wear leather armor with a low AC)). Pretty strong feat in most campaigns through mid levels 11/12 and high levels with some DM selected spell moderation as most BBEG wizards don't use the Batman builds despite being genius wizards like PC wizards since most DMs are not really trying to kill or destroy your PC.

Scribe Scroll gives your PC more options with low level spells at half cost particularly without a wizard in the party.

In a physical Combat focus game PC Power Attack and Cleave with a strength of 13+.

Craft Wonderous Item at 3rd for your or the wizard PC and increasing party strength and options by increasing the strength or amount of magic possessed by the party comparable to standard wealth by level demographics. Experience wise in most games you level up after the adventure so there is usually lost experience in there which crafting puts a use to and you don't lag the party unless your DM thinks you are abusing the feat. IMO this is one of the best feats for one of the party spellcasters to take in an adventuring team campaign because it comprises the largest amount of useful magic items in game usable by all PCs. Really sweet in low magic non magic store campaigns. Most campaigns have down time between adventures.

Generally stick to one crafting feat two tops. Remember wizards get scribe scroll free in core so it is better to take Craft Wonderous at level 3 when PCs begin accruing wealth.

Leadership at 6th (Probably a manor or abbey of some sort on the frontier or a small church in a village or larger populace) do not take if entering into the Thaumaturgist PRC in the future which is hit with the nerf bat for a Thaumaturgist regarding the cohort). Let the fighter take it as a landed Knight or Baronet. DM approval required because it can be so powerful in game doing things like addressing party weakness. Things like taking a cohort with the Craft Wonderous Item feat to run your party base and create magic items for the party along with having followers and henchmen.

Spell Focus Conjuration and Augment Summoning take both or neither. It is generally better than extended summoning (More hit points and damage on a few attacks is better than being around twice as long since combats and the summonings don't normally last that long) partiuclarly without a lot of PRCs.

Most encounters aren't complete surprise so you can get up that conjured meat shield to slow down BBEGs despite taking a full round to summon them.

BBEGs attacking your summoned creatures aren't attacking and damaging the party. Think of them as a variant for giving the party extra actions. It also prepares your PC for Thaumaturgist PRC if the campaign goes that far and you change your mind about PRCing after level 7 when you learn Lesser Planar Ally.

kjones
2007-09-08, 09:37 PM
A word about item creation feats in general: Talk to your DM ahead of time to see how much of a chance you'll have to be using feats like Scribe Scroll. It's an excellent feat in theory, but in practice, if your DM has you running around from one adventure to another, you'd be better off with something else.

I ran a campaign like that, and my PCs who took item creation feats didn't get much of a chance to use them. I let them re-choose.

Extra_Crispy
2007-09-08, 11:40 PM
A word about item creation feats in general: Talk to your DM ahead of time to see how much of a chance you'll have to be using feats like Scribe Scroll. It's an excellent feat in theory, but in practice, if your DM has you running around from one adventure to another, you'd be better off with something else.

I ran a campaign like that, and my PCs who took item creation feats didn't get much of a chance to use them. I let them re-choose.

I agree, I have only taken brew potion and craft wonderous items for my cleric. (but he is the healbot type, with attack spell backup, being able to heal the 2 fighters from death multiple times really upsets the bad guy :smallwink: ) Only made "cheap" items as they can be made in just a few days and you can usually get those done between adventures. But making powerfull things you might as well forget as most campaigns I know of will not wait that 30+ days for you to make a item.

Leon
2007-09-09, 12:55 AM
Disruption a) is blunt-only, and b) melee-only, so you cannot put it on a bow.

Bowstaff :smallwink: (Can't remember what book its from)



Indeed, and if you're only being a healbot, you're almost certainly doing something wrong, because you're not realizing, well, most of your potential as a cleric.

Or your doing something right by playing a Healbot, realizing that your've never played a healer and are having fun at it

TheOOB
2007-09-09, 01:42 AM
Leadership at 6th (Probably a manor or abbey of some sort on the frontier or a small church in a village or larger populace) do not take if entering into the Thaumaturgist PRC in the future which is hit with the nerf bat for a Thaumaturgist regarding the cohort). Let the fighter take it as a landed Knight or Baronet. DM approval required because it can be so powerful in game doing things like addressing party weakness. Things like taking a cohort with the Craft Wonderous Item feat to run your party base and create magic items for the party along with having followers and henchmen.

Leadership is not in the PHB and is primarly a tool for the party to have a bigger group with less players. It requires DM permission and it should never be assumed it's allowed, since it is the most horribly unbalancing feat in the game.

Solophoenix
2007-09-09, 04:09 AM
Leadership is not in the PHB

Check page 97 again. It does however list it as a DM approval dependent feat, and instructs you to talk to them about it.

knightsaline
2007-09-09, 05:07 AM
The disruption thing was changed in 3.5? In one computer game, Disruption was on a spear. Icewind dale 2 if you want to know.

CASTLEMIKE
2007-09-09, 09:45 AM
Leadership is not in the PHB and is primarly a tool for the party to have a bigger group with less players. It requires DM permission and it should never be assumed it's allowed, since it is the most horribly unbalancing feat in the game.

Page 97 PHB Leadership general feat. I also posted DM approval was required.

Tack122
2007-09-09, 03:21 PM
Thanks everyone, and if anyone is interested, I went with improved initiative and power attack.