[3.5] Cleric of Retribution

[Thurbane]

Hey all,

Tossing around ideas for an NPC (or maybe a PC I might play one day).

St Cuthbert plays in a big part in a lot of our games. One of our favourite parts of his dogma is "Retribution!".

How would you build an ECL 9 Human Cleric, based on that concept? Domains, Feats, PrCs, ACFs etc?

Assume all official 3.5 material is allowed, with my group's usual exclusions: no Dragon mag, no psionics, and as little FR or Eberron material as possible, Definitely no PF.

Cheers - T

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Include DMM: Persist, Fell Weaken, and the Retribution domain. Your 4th and 5th level domain spell slots are Fire Shield and Fell Weaken Fire Shield, cast both of those persistent, one in each mode. Ideally you'll add Fell Frighten onto both of those later on.

I'm not sure what else to add for a retribution theme, but with the above you'll want a melee build.

[Aegis013]

I personally am fond of dipping into Binder, taking Improved Binding to get Dahlver-Nar, and using a Metamagic Rod of Chain + Metamagic Rod of Enlarge spell on Shield Other to Shield your whole group, then hit a foe with Dahlver-Nar's Shield Self.

50% of damage to your allies goes to you.
50% of damage that goes to you, goes instead to your enemy.
Seems in line with the retribution theme, though it takes some serious investment.

Special mention if you can get a divine adaptation of Anima Mage, it gives you some free metamagics each day to Persist more useful stuff (like Mass Lesser Vigor and Delay Death to make sure this tactic doesn't go horribly awry).

[ExLibrisMortis]

Psionics does this sort of thing really well. At least, in terms of making your retribution immedate and obvious.

Fate link (PR, Will negates), empathic feedback (melee damage only, mind-affecting, but personal--contingency material), hostile empathic transfer (PR, Will negates, mind-affecting) and forced share pain (PR, Fort negates) together are quite interesting. They're not all equally reliable, but with the combination, you can defend yourself just by tanking damage and spreading it to enemies.

Not a cleric, I know, but you could be an ardent with the Pain and Suffering mantle, which is sort of almost like a cleric?

[ben-zayb]

Too bad Jovocs are chaotic evil. Otherwise, binding a couple of them and setting the group loose would be nice

[Palanan]

Retributive Spell from Complete Mage sounds ideal for this. Someone hits you in melee, and you cast a preselected spell on him as an immediate action. Great way to communicate how you're all about retribution.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Also be sure to use DMM: Persistent with Divine Retaliation in PH2. It normally lasts only one round, but the range 0 means it can be made persistent. It has no limit to how many attacks it can make, and every time someone damages you with a melee attack it strikes back at them.

[MisterKaws]

Fluff-wise you should find a way to give him heavy access to divination-focused domains, to make him as obnoxious as an Inevitable.

[Telonius]

If I were the DM, I'd break out a Custom magic item: the Sap of Healing. Functions just like a wand of Cure Whatever, but the delivery mechanism is a melee attack roll that does nonlethal damage. "Ow!" "Next time be more careful, doofus."

If he's more of a martial Cleric, Robilar's Gambit would fit right in.

Mostly I'd handle this through characterization, not so much mechanics.

[Thurbane]

Include DMM: Persist, Fell Weaken, and the Retribution domain. Your 4th and 5th level domain spell slots are Fire Shield and Fell Weaken Fire Shield, cast both of those persistent, one in each mode. Ideally you'll add Fell Frighten onto both of those later on.

I'm not sure what else to add for a retribution theme, but with the above you'll want a melee build.

Also be sure to use DMM: Persistent with Divine Retaliation in PH2. It normally lasts only one round, but the range 0 means it can be made persistent. It has no limit to how many attacks it can make, and every time someone damages you with a melee attack it strikes back at them.

I'm usually a but hesitant about DMM Persist shenanigans, bit those are nice.


Retributive Spell from Complete Mage sounds ideal for this. Someone hits you in melee, and you cast a preselected spell on him as an immediate action. Great way to communicate how you're all about retribution.

Perfect, thank you!


If I were the DM, I'd break out a Custom magic item: the Sap of Healing. Functions just like a wand of Cure Whatever, but the delivery mechanism is a melee attack roll that does nonlethal damage. "Ow!" "Next time be more careful, doofus."

If he's more of a martial Cleric, Robilar's Gambit would fit right in.

Mostly I'd handle this through characterization, not so much mechanics.

Inquisitor Bracers from the MIC kind of do this already.

[Troacctid]

Retribution domain seems like a given. Pious Defense feat rewards you for enacting retribution. Magic Item Compendium has the cudgel that never forgets, which, if you activate its relic power, acts as a bane weapon against any enemy who has ever hit you with a weapon attack.

[Eldariel]

Too bad Jovocs are chaotic evil. Otherwise, binding a couple of them and setting the group loose would be nice

If you're an Outsider (Outsider race or the Otherworldly feat), you can Alter Self (e.g. Transformation-domain or Anyspell) into one and use Assume Supernatural Ability to get the Retributive Aura. Just be careful, it hits your allies as well and pierces all defenses. You can also loop it pretty efficiently if you cast Shield Other on someone in the range of the ability; it's a series that ultimately doubles the damage. Now, do this for a couple of things next to you and it approaches infinity instead (of course obliterating you and the things linked in the process, unless you're under the effect of Delay Death or something).

Psionics could do the same with Metamorphosis, of course, but Alter Self can do this on level 4 (or level 5 with Anyspell) and it lasts for 10 min/level, which is pretty nice.

[darkdragoon]

Wrath domain fits thematically especially the Radiant Shield spell.

Thornskin and Poison Thorns would make sense too but they are on the Druid list.

[TheCount]

I know you said as little as possible Faerun and Eberon as possible, but do look up the Spite domain, granted by Cas.
Edit: nvm he is in Heros of Horrors.
Edit #2: touchstone stone it from him....

honestly, im sure you can get most spells from other sources, but the domain exclusive one is pure gold imo, and lets be honest, if you want retribution, vampiric touch would be fitting.

[TalonOfAnathrax]

The obvious high-level solution is of course End to Strife. Your allies can ignore it if they're Mind Blanked, but all enemies risk taking 20d6 damage whenever they attack.