Natural Weapon Cleric (3.5)

[Champofobs]

So I'm starting a campaign with a new group tomorrow and was somewhat voluntold that I need to fulfill healer role. I have no complaints, I love me a good cleric.

DM is offering everyone a LA+1 Race or Template at no penalty. I want a robust character but I don't want to be overly disruptive with cheese either. This is out of respect for the newer players at the table.

Now, I've been playing Pathfinder 1e for the last 4 years and haven't so much as looked at 3.x printed material so I'm a bit rusty about the minutiae between the two games.

So here is my current design space:

We are starting at level 1. I have had a pretty godawful track record of getting my ass killed before fully realizing many a character. So I'm looking for a build that is "Online" at level 1 and scales up and simply builds upon what is being done at level 1.

I'm assuming 3 things: 1.) Roll 4d6 drop the lowest (DM has not clarified stats at this point.)

2.) I probably won't be able to compound nightsticks for standard DMM shenanigans. I don't even want to table it.

3.) I won't be able to take a custom diety, so I can min-max domain selection for the purposes of getting empowered spell etc.


Where I am at build-wise:

I'm currently thinking Draconic Template on a Human. Pretty milquetoast I know but the Bonus feat is integral to getting Level to BAB online. From there I'm thinking of just being really good at natural attacks until I get some decent gold and can kit out a crit fishing weapon.

The logic here is that Strength goes a lot farther in terms of early accuracy for a Cleric, and since natural attacks also get Strength to Damage, two consistent attacks is pretty punishing through level 6.

I am also very open to a DMM Zen Archer, but Cleric is reasonably feat starved so unless there is a godly set of action I can take to do so I doubt its a tenable build.


Please feel free to rip my concept to shreds if there are better ways to acheive my desired outcomes.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Your BAB doesn't mean much for natural attacks other than your bonus to hit. You don't get iterative attacks with natural weapons, so gaining attack bonuses by other means such as strength is probably a better choice. You won't get Divine Power until 7th level anyway, and you'll be able to have DMM: Persist by then without any bonus feats. You should be able to start with two extra feats by taking two flaws (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (Bestial Instinct (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?258440-The-quot-Best-quot-Flaws#30) would be fitting).

I'd go with a Water Orc (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) with the Feral Creature template in Savage Species. Between the natural armor, fast healing, Con bonus, and still having a 30 ft. land speed in heavy armor due to the speed bonus, you should outlast everyone else. You'll get a huge Str bonus, two claws that deal 1d8 base damage, and eventually pounce, two rake attacks, and rend. Just be sure your starting Int score is high enough that the penalties don't drop it below 3. Just think of the difference between a goblin and a bugbear, you'd be the bugbear version of an orc, but maybe trying to be civilized despite your nature.

Ideally you'll be good aligned so you can eventually pick up a Monks Belt and cast (Greater) Luminous Armor to add your Wis bonus to your AC without sacrificing an armor bonus. That will also give you the unarmed strike, which you can full attack with and make secondary claw attacks, and even rakes when pouncing. If there's any question about using unarmed strikes but also using both hands to make claw attacks, say the unarmed strikes are kicks, since it copies the Monk class feature and that's explicitly allowed by it.

For DMM tricks, trade your turn/rebuke undead ability for Rebuke Dragons in Dragon Magic, which is still able to power divine feats. This way you can grab a level of Sacred Exorcist or similar later on and gain Turn Undead, thus having two pools of turn/rebuke uses to power Divine Metamagic. So each ability gets 3+Cha bonus uses per day, each gets +4 from one Nightstick, each gets +4 from Extra Turning, each gets more uses from a Reliquary Holy Symbol, etc. The best spells to DMM: Persist are those that benefit the whole party: Mass Lesser Vigor, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, and Elation which requires a good alignment but gets a huge benefit from dipping Paragnostic Apostle for Spatial Awareness. Definitely prestige out of Cleric asap but without losing any levels of spellcasting.

[RatElemental]

I'm going to assume that since custom deities are banned specifically to prevent domain optimization that philosophy clerics are right out, but what deities are on the table?

[Endarire]

Feral LA0 race Cleric sounds wonderful for you if you're OK with being Beast from Kingdom Hearts with a divine flair. Half-Minotaur may also work.

[Champofobs]

Your BAB doesn't mean much for natural attacks other than your bonus to hit. You don't get iterative attacks with natural weapons, so gaining attack bonuses by other means such as strength is probably a better choice. You won't get Divine Power until 7th level anyway, and you'll be able to have DMM: Persist by then without any bonus feats. You should be able to start with two extra feats by taking two flaws would be fitting).

I'm not sure I will be able to take flaws. This is (surprisingly) a campaign that has new players at the table. So I don't think that is something I will be able to do.

[Champofobs]

I'm going to assume that since custom deities are banned specifically to prevent domain optimization that philosophy clerics are right out, but what deities are on the table?

Basically everything that is first party published.

[Endarire]

Sertrous, one of the Elder Evils (a CE one who also allows CN and NE worshippers) canonically has all domains. See Elder Evils 116 for a page reference.