Building an Arcane Cleric for ToA

[Petrocorus]

Good day every one.

So, we started ToA last evening. It was a bit unexpected, but welcome. We had a PC creation session and just made the introduction.

The party, so far consist of:
- A Vuman Draconic Sorcerer, but the race and subclass may still change. He's thinking about taking a Tiefling.
- A Aaracokra Archer Fighter (maybe battlemaster). Young player, he's going for DPR mostly.
- A Vuman Battlemaster with a Str build, probably going GWM. Wants to smash things.
- A Ranger, a wood elf i believe, not sure. I'll petition for the DM to use the revised version, but he doesn't really see the point.
- A Dwarven Tempest Cleric
- And me, a Vuman Arcane Cleric, Sailor background.
The Ranger and Tempest Cleric may not be regulars. One of our regular wasn't there (because apparently paid holidays in the Carribeans are more important, pfff) and she may build a Druid (she likes them).

The DM has us started at level 3 and gives us a bonus feat for every one. Vuman hence get 2 bonus feat. He change some rules about money, and money is going to be a problem, 1 GP = 100 SP, 1 SP = 100 CP.

So, it took a Vuman and took Magic Initiate and Res (Con). I took Resilient over Warcaster because the DM is apparently going to have us make a lot of Con saves for avoiding Exhaustion. I took MI (Druid) because i wanted Shillelagh.

My stats are 10 / 14 / 14 / 12 / 16 / 10 (point buy). Skills are Arcane (Domain), Athletics (Sailor), Insight (Cleric), History (Cleric), Perception (Sailor), Stealth (Vuman).

This is a build i was already working on (but with a wood elf) and LudicSavant on another thread show me recently how versatile it can be.

The DM told us we can expect going up to level 12.

As Cantrips, i took:
Cleric:
- Guidance.
- Word of Radiance
- Toll the Dead
Wizard:
- Green Flame Blade
- Booming Blade
Druid
- Shillelagh
- Mending. [Edited]

So my questions are:

I have 7 cantrips total, and 5 of them are combat cantrips. Is this not too many? Should i change some of them for utility cantrips? Should i take Spare the Dying? The Sorcerer is going to have Prestidigitation, but as a human, i may need Light. The DM allowed me to change some of them.
I already thought i should change TtD for Sacred Flame, necrotic damages may not be optimal in ToA.

Should i get a chain mail instead of the scale mail for being more stealthy? I took the skill as my Vuman skill just in case.

Should i take Warcaster at level 4 or bump Wisdom ASAP?

Is the lack of Darkvision going to be a problem in ToA? Because we've got at least two Vuman and one Cocorika.

What should be my 1st level Druid spell? Absorb Element seems obvious but there may be a better idea. Faerie Fire?

[RogueJK]

You don't need both Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade. Drop one of those and use the slot to pick up an Arcane utility cantrip like Minor Illusion or Mage Hand.

I'd then drop "Repair" (Mending?) and get Produce Flame, which not only takes care of your light source to offset the lack of Darkvision, but also can be used as a ranged attack spell to complement Toll The Dead. (Use Toll The Dead against most ranged foes, especially those behind cover or with high AC, but use Produce Flame against ranged foes with strong saves but weak AC.)

If you really want Mending, take that as a Cleric cantrip in place of Word of Radiance.


I don't know about ToA specifically, but if you think you're going to be running up against a lot of undead, then the lesser Radiant damage of Sacred Flame could be a better choice than greater Necrotic damage of Toll The Dead.


Faerie Fire is normally a great choice for characters taking MI: Druid, but as a Cleric, you will have lots of other spells vying for your limited Concentration. So I think Absorb Elements is the better option for this character. Or maybe Goodberry, if that's not covered by another player's Ranger or Druid. The healing is minimal but handy, and it really shines in survival situations, since each casting feeds up to 10 people for a full day. (And it sounds like that may be an issue.)


I wouldn't bother with Spare the Dying. You can do the same thing and more with a Healing Word, or use a Healer's Kit for the same stabilization effect if you can get into touch range.


I'd do +2 WIS at 4th, then Warcaster at 8th. Until then, you'll just have to do the "sheath/unsheath" or "drop/pick up" dance with your melee weapon when you want to cast certain spells.

Or better yet, just forego weapons altogether, and stick to damage cantrips. That'd allow you to drop Booming Blade for something like Fire Bolt/Chill Touch/Ray of Frost/Shocking Grasp, and drop Shillelagh for Thorn Whip or Primal Savagery. Then use just a shield, and rely on ranged attack cantrips like Fire Bolt or Produce Flame at range, and save spells like Toll The Dead/Sacred Flame or melee attack spells like Shocking Grasp, Primal Savagery, and/or Thorn Whip in melee range. And you'd always have a hand free for spellcasting, even without Warcaster.

That's not only a viable option, it's also thematically appropriate for an Arcana Cleric who believes that he doesn't need clumsy, inelegant weapons because he has magic available.

[Keravath]

I have a couple of suggestions and will avoid spoilers as much as possible.

1) A nature cleric can be utterly amazing in the jungles of Chult. It is seriously worth considering.
2) Your party is lacking a rogue. The adventure is called "Tomb of Annihilation" ... do you think the title is significant? I tend to think so :)

A rogue with expertise in perception, investigation and thieves tools might be something someone should strongly consider. Add in the observant feat as well for the extra boost to passives. They should also ideally have the arcana skill. Last expertise could be arcana but a rogue really wants stealth expertise so you might have to live with normal proficiency.

3) Depending on how your DM decides to run the weather, the tropical heat of the jungle, the issues with safe food and water ... heavy armor may be an issue ... try to find out from the DM by asking what the jungles are like in character. (one or more clerics should also have purify food and water prepared :) ... but you will probably think of that almost immediately anyway)

P.S. There is amazing synergy between Goodberry and life cleric if a life cleric takes MI: druid. Each berry becomes worth 4 hit points for level 1 and you can upcast it to increase the number of hit points they are worth.

[Petrocorus]

You don't need both Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade. Drop one of those and use the slot to pick up an Arcane utility cantrip like Minor Illusion or Mage Hand.

I'd then drop "Repair" (Mending?) and get Produce Flame, which not only takes care of your light source to offset the lack of Darkvision, but also can be used as a ranged attack spell to complement Toll The Dead. (Use Toll The Dead against most ranged foes, especially those behind cover or with high AC, but use Produce Flame against ranged foes with strong saves but weak AC.)

If you really want Mending, take that as a Cleric cantrip in place of Word of Radiance.

I did meant Mending, my French was slipping. Edited
I'll try to coordinate with the Sorcerer player to see what cantrip he's taken.
Produce Flame is a good idea.



Faerie Fire is normally a great choice for characters taking MI: Druid, but as a Cleric, you will have lots of other spells vying for your limited Concentration. So I think Absorb Elements is the better option for this character. Or maybe Goodberry, if that's not covered by another player's Ranger or Druid. The healing is minimal but handy, and it really shines in survival situations, since each casting feeds up to 10 people for a full day. (And it sounds like that may be an issue.)

It seems it will.
Goodberries is indeed a a good idea.
You're right about concentration, between Bless, Shield of Faith and later Spirit Guardians, i already have a ebough candidate



I wouldn't bother with Spare the Dying. You can do the same thing and more with a Healing Word, or use a Healer's Kit for the same stabilization effect if you can get into touch range.

Can't help but to worry about that.




I'd do +2 WIS at 4th, then Warcaster at 8th. Until then, you'll just have to do the "sheath/unsheath" ...
I actually want to Shillelagh + BB or GFB. I hesitate between BB and GFB. GFB secondary damage are easier to trigger, BB is very cool for OA with Warcaster.
But between the holy symbol on my shield, the one on my staff (to be negociated with DM), i'm not really worried about the somatic components of my spells. Much more worried about my concentration, and the usefulness of BB for OA.



2) Your party is lacking a rogue. The adventure is called "Tomb of Annihilation" ... do you think the title is significant? I tend to think so :)

A rogue with expertise in perception, investigation and thieves tools might be something someone should strongly consider. Add in the observant feat as well for the extra boost to passives. They should also ideally have the arcana skill. Last expertise could be arcana but a rogue really wants stealth expertise so you might have to live with normal proficiency.

Indeed, that's an issue.
I don't know what i can do about this. Maybe petitioning the archer or the ranger to take a couple of level of Scout.



3) Depending on how your DM decides to run the weather, the tropical heat of the jungle, the issues with safe food and water ... heavy armor may be an issue ... try to find out from the DM by asking what the jungles are like in character. (one or more clerics should also have purify food and water prepared :) ... but you will probably think of that almost immediately anyway)

I'm pretty sure the DM intend to make jungle an issue by itself and have us deal and find solutions to the survival difficulties.

[BarneyBent]

I’m currently playing this build in this campaign.

Take Word of Radiance. If/when you get surrounded by enemies it can be great. It only effects enemies you want it to. Plus you’re not reliant on popping Shillelagh.

That’s not to say Shillelagh and Booming Blade isn’t a good combo, it is, in fact it’s great. Green Flame Blade is also potentially good, but I use Booming Blade and you probably don’t need both.

The advantage of Warcaster over Res Con is that you can cast Booming Blade as an attack of opportunity, which is great for locking down enemies. Plus, you can technically perform somatic components of spells that have material components if your holy symbol is your shield, but that’s only spells with material AND somatic components. RAW, you can’t cast spells that don’t have material but do have somatic components while your hands are fully even with a holy symbol. Warcaster is good for that. But if your DM is going to go really hard on the exhaustion saves then yeah maybe Res Con is better.

Goodberry is a must have. Your DM sounds like they’ll be keeping track of rations. You’ll almost never have to worry.

I’d find a way to take Shape Water. It’s fun and in the jungles of Chult, it’s awesome. Keep yourself dry with an ice umbrella that doubles as a water catcher, use big ice blocks to block traps, etc. Mage Hand is also useful because it always is.

[Petrocorus]

That’s not to say Shillelagh and Booming Blade isn’t a good combo, it is, in fact it’s great. Green Flame Blade is also potentially good, but I use Booming Blade and you probably don’t need both.


One of my problem is choosing between the two.

[BarneyBent]

One of my problem is choosing between the two.

Well if you think you’ll take Warcaster, BB is definitely better as you can then cast in on an opportunity attack, whereas GFB targets two people (you maybe be allowed to cast if it there’s only one viable target, or your DM allows you to not hit the other target, but either way, it’s weaker than BB).

Conversely, my experience so far has been up in the face of quite a few low level enemies and the extra rider damage to another target would have handy, especially before level 5 when you’re not getting anything else out of your cantrip.

But conversely again, focused damage on a single target is almost always better than spreading damage across multiple targets, so that’s a point in BBS favour.

Overall I’d say it depends on how you think you’ll operate in the party. My party has my melee Arcana Cleric, an S&B Battlemaster (who is my half-orc half-sister who fights with me on the front lines), a Warlock and a Bard (both ranged). So it’s usually just me and Fighter up front, and we can hit and run enemies to get BB to trigger relatively often. But if you can’t see yourself triggering the rider damage or making it useful (e.g. you’ll be one of 3-4 on the front lines, so enemies will always have someone else they can hit and don’t need to move if they won’t want to) then GFB might be better...

But honestly they’re both good options. You’ll have fun and be effective whichever one you choose.