Cloistered Cleric (Knowledge Domain) - Improved Power Feat

[SpicyBoi_Nezu]

I plan on making a knowledge based cleric (Taking the lost traditions feat for int based casting) and I was wondering what exactly does the Improved power feat. I have never played a cleric, and I thought that this seemed interesting. He is also taking the domain focus feat. I plan on having him take mostly divination style spells, and using a crossbow for attacking with the benefits of Knowledge devotion feat (and collector of stories skill trick).

I'm open for recommendations on how to build him.

[pabelfly]

I'd take the Knowledge Devotion feat. Up to +5 for your attack rolls and damage rolls for skills you're already pumping? Yes please.

[Saintheart]

Start with the Cloistered Cleric variant, from the PHB. Drops your hit dice to d6, but it also makes all Knowledge skills class skills for you by adding the Knowledge domain, even if your god doesn't have it as one of his domains (but he should, and I'll get to why in a second). This is important because Knowledge Devotion depends on Knowledge skill rolls at the outset of combat to determine how good your bonuses to attack and damage against that enemy are.

Don't trade the domain for Knowledge Devotion, spend a feat slot on it instead, because without the Knowledge domain itself, some are no longer class skills. Note also if you're playing at low levels that Knowledge Devotion can't be accessed before level 2 anyway.

Next step: as you say, the Collector of Stories skill trick is the next element: +5 competence bonus to a Knowledge check - just remember that you can only use that skill trick once per encounter. It won't apply to all enemies if you have different types of enemy in the same encounter, because it applies to only one Knowledge check.

Next step: which Knowledge skills to put ranks into as a priority, because even with a cloistered cleric you won't have enough skill points to max out everything? Answer: these five.
- Knowledge (Arcana)
- Knowledge (Religion)
- Knowledge (The Planes)
- Knowledge (Nature)
- Knowledge (Local)

These cover most creatures you'll run up against on adventures. Knowledge (Local) may draw some protests from your DM because it covers all humanoids. If you really have the space, pump Knowledge (Dungeoneering) after this since it covers aberrations and oozes, but they're much rarer.

Next step: make sure the god you chose already has Knowledge as one of his domains. Reason for that is because of the Complete Champion spell Lore of the Gods, which expressly pumps all Knowledge checks by +10 if your god has Knowledge as a domain already - otherwise it's a +5. Yes, this spell stacks with Collector of Stories, they're insight and competence bonuses. This should then leave you, on a Knowledge check at the start of a fight, sporting at least +15 on the check from spells and skill tricks, without looking at actual skill ranks and INT modifiers at all. That's close on a +1 to attack and damage to start with on just about every combat at least.

If you're looking to get seriously into divination spells, Knowledge domain gives you a +1 to caster level, but a PrC to consider around level 5 or so is Divine Oracle from Complete Divine: gets you the Oracle domain which gives you all sorts of divination spells as domain spells, and adds +2 to your CL to boot.

The rest of the build is basically cleric in any of its forms: support caster, archer (Zen Archery), frontliner (wait until you have Divine Power) or just healbotting. If you're going to remain with the crossbow, then as said, Zen Archery is the next feat you look for.

[Rijan_Sai]

Lots of good advice! Snipped for space
Next step: make sure the god you chose already has Knowledge as one of his domains. Reason for that is because of the Complete Champion spell Lore of the Gods, which expressly pumps all Knowledge checks by +10 if your god has Knowledge as a domain already - otherwise it's a +5. Yes, this spell stacks with Collector of Stories, they're insight and competence bonuses. This should then leave you, on a Knowledge check at the start of a fight, sporting at least +15 on the check from spells and skill tricks, without looking at actual skill ranks and INT modifiers at all. That's close on a +1 to attack and damage to start with on just about every combat at least.

(Left that one part in as a note to myself!)

If you have room in your build for it, you might consider one level of Dragonfire Adept from Dragon Magic. This will get you access to the Draconic Knowledge invocation (DrM 80), which gives a +6 [Untyped] bonus to all knowledge (and Spellcraft) checks! (Along with that little bit about being able to used them untrained...)