Cleric dip in Curse of Strahd

[Aaedimus]

I'm doing a third level Cleric dip in a Curse of Strahd campaign. A few points (and reasons why this makes sense)

-DM house rules radiant damage does double damage to undead
-I'm the full only caster, and need choice variety above power
-because I'm the only full caster being 1 level behind in spells- known won't hurt so much

I'm a Shepard Druid.

I'm struggling between:

Grave (find undead abilities, bonus action spare the dying, great healing choices vs downed enemies false life is useful because it's non-concentration and can use the higher spell slots that don't have spells)

Tempest (extra damage in wildshape, fog cloud and thunderwave are good always on battlefield control spells I'd have prepared most of the game anyways, freeing space for other fun prepared spells)

Life (better goodberries)

Light (save concentration checks)

Sacred flame and guiding bolt become boss when they're double damage.

[Teaguethebean]

I would recommend staying druid and just using moonbeam in every single encounter against them.
Also if your team doesn't have a paladin get someone to multiclass it because if your party member can do a smite with a longsword with dueling fighting style, with a 16 str that swing would do 27.5 dmg on average! And at lv 5 with extra attack they could do using both 2nd Level slots and a 18 str they could do an ungodly 64.5 dmg! Nothing could stop them. But I see the appeal of guiding bolt doing 28 dmg but I would recommend getting a paladin on the team.

[Aquillion]

Moonbeam is already competitive with anything you'd get from the Cleric list, yeah. There's no particular reason to give up spell progression here.


-because I'm the only full caster being 1 level behind in spells- known won't hurt so muchThis seems backwards. If anything, it will hurt more, since your party won't have anyone else to step in for needed spells like eg. Greater Restoration or Freedom of Movement which the game will assume that you have access to at a particular CR.

If you had a Bard or a Cleric who could step in with the appropriate spells, sacrificing your progression wouldn't matter as much. But as the only full caster, it's really important for you to provide each new spell level at the first opportunity.

[Aaedimus]

Honestly, I just feel so restricted with straight druid...
At third level, I can prepare 6 spells and have 2 cantrips, and have a once/day aura.

A dip gives me an additional 6+ spells and 3 or 4 good cantrips plus a domain ability.

The difference I feel is in having the right utility spells at the right time. For example, I have 2 level 2 spell slots at third level. Straight druid, I have to choose which 2 or 3 level 2 spells I'm gonna have prepared.

Moonbeam, hold person, heat metal, pass without trace, spike growth, healing spirit, enhance ability etc.

That's 7 2nd level spells all good in different situations.

I always prepare detect magic and ritual cast at the end of rests. I always have a healing spell, always have fairy fire. That's 3 level spells already. Now I have 4 choices. At level 3, moonbeam will be an always prepared spell... 3 choices left

So, i can have 3 of:
1st level : Absorb elements, charm person, earth tremor, fog cloud, thunderwave, longstrider
2nd level: enhance ability, heat metal, hold person, lesser restoration, pass without trace, spike growth

Many are situational, and most of those situations are unforeseeable.

And there's the concentration issue. So many spells are concentration, so I have to balance spells prepared with that because if I'm concentrating on a moonbeam, I'm not concentrating on hold person, heat metal, healing spirit, fairy fire, fog cloud, detect magic, etc.

My answer is instead of having 6 prepared spells at level 3, maybe regretting not having the "one that would have helped" and trying to get "the most damage" I have 12 prepared spells, and 6 cantrips, all for different scenarios my team might need different abilities for.

I'd rather have the right spell prepared but a little weaker, than the wrong stronger spell. Additionally, I'll only feel the level disparity about 1/2 of the time, because at levels 4, 6, and 8, I've got all the spells and slots I would have had if I didn't dip, plus a bunch of additional choices.

[Aaedimus]

Fyi, I'm pulling the ritual caster feat as well as early as possible. This will additionally give me access to alarm, comprehend languages, find familiar, identify, unseen servant, gentle repose, feign death, leo's hut, phantom steed by level 5. At level six than, at any time I'd have access to
7 or 8 cantrips, one with radiant damage(1 is racial)
15 prepared spells and an expanded list
9 rituals

As compared to:
4 cantrips
9 prepared spells

[Thorgrim]

Have you considered Order domain? If your party is mostly physical damage, it synergizes beautifully.

You can blast with a radiant damage cantrip as your action, then with your bonus action throw out a Healing Word, which both heals AND allows your hardest hitting party member to make an attack with their reaction. It's potent.

[jaappleton]

Honestly, I just feel so restricted with straight druid...
At third level, I can prepare 6 spells and have 2 cantrips, and have a once/day aura.

A dip gives me an additional 6+ spells and 3 or 4 good cantrips plus a domain ability.

The difference I feel is in having the right utility spells at the right time. For example, I have 2 level 2 spell slots at third level. Straight druid, I have to choose which 2 or 3 level 2 spells I'm gonna have prepared.

Moonbeam, hold person, heat metal, pass without trace, spike growth, healing spirit, enhance ability etc.

That's 7 2nd level spells all good in different situations.

I always prepare detect magic and ritual cast at the end of rests. I always have a healing spell, always have fairy fire. That's 3 level spells already. Now I have 4 choices. At level 3, moonbeam will be an always prepared spell... 3 choices left

So, i can have 3 of:
1st level : Absorb elements, charm person, earth tremor, fog cloud, thunderwave, longstrider
2nd level: enhance ability, heat metal, hold person, lesser restoration, pass without trace, spike growth

Many are situational, and most of those situations are unforeseeable.

And there's the concentration issue. So many spells are concentration, so I have to balance spells prepared with that because if I'm concentrating on a moonbeam, I'm not concentrating on hold person, healing spirit, fairy fire, detect magic, etc.

My answer is instead of having 6 prepared spells at level 3, maybe regretting not having the "one that would have helped" and trying to get "the most damage" I have 12 prepared spells, and 6 cantrips, all for different scenarios my team might need different abilities for.

I'd rather have the right spell prepared but a little weaker, than the wrong stronger spell. Additionally, I'll only feel the level disparity about 1/2 of the time, because at levels 4, 6, and 8, I've got all the spells and slots I would have had if I didn't dip, plus a bunch of additional ones.

I think your issue isn't with not being a Cleric.

I think your issue overall is with the Druid spell list. And the Druid list isn't, whatsoever, designed around doing damage. That's not what the Druid list is, that's not what its designed for. Its designed around battlefield control.

You see all the Radiant blasting that Clerics can do and... Druids don't get that. BUT, Clerics also can't summon creatures like you can.

My proposed fix, and I think your DM will be amenable to it: The Magic Initiate feat. If your DM rules that the 1st level spell you learn is added to your spell list, and can be cast with spell slots, I think you'd be happy. Take Sacred Flame, Guiding Bolt, and whatever other Cantrip you want.

ALTERNATIVELY, if you have access to Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica... There's backgrounds you can take that grant you access to certain spells, they get added to your class spell list. So if you're a Druid and take one of these backgrounds, all these spells now key off Wisdom and are Druid spells. I detailed it in another topic when GGtR first came out (So you could read that and just take the background and the spells, you wouldn't even actually NEED the book... I suggest Boros for you.) http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?573354-Guildmaster-s-Guide-to-Ravnica-is-out!-AMA/page2&

[Aaedimus]

That's not a bad idea. Thanks for the suggestion!

Its allot less about not having damage spells those are just used as examples, like i said having access to a spell doesn't mean you can use it. You need it prepared, and I have an issue with the terribly small amount of spells I can have prepared at any time.
Land domains help a bit, I have a specific land druid i want to play later though and was a bit set on having a shephard druid...

As you said, most druid spells are battlefield control. That means a majority of them are concentration, so on top of not being able to use half of your spells when you have one active, its useful to have non concentration options for all of the other things that happen.

One of my other druid build is a human variant land druid with magic initiate and mobile.

[Aaedimus]

Guildmadters guide to Ravnica though... wouldn't that help cover up the multiclass dip issues by giving you those spells at level unless it's restrained by your highest class level

[jaappleton]

Guildmadters guide to Ravnica though... wouldn't that help cover up the multiclass dip issues by giving you those spells at level unless it's restrained by your highest class level

Its basically, "All these spells are added to your class list. If you're a Sorcerer, they all use Charisma. If you're a Cleric, they all use Wisdom. If you're a Wizard, now you have all these spells keying off Intelligence."

They're added to your class list. They are NOT auto-prepared like a Cleric's Domain spells, or a Paladin's Oath spells. But they ARE added to your list, so you can choose to prepare them.

So by being Boros, you can get Guiding Bolt, Sacred Flame, Beacon of Hope, etc.

[Aaedimus]

Mmmm I really like Dimir.
I might actually buy the book