Maiden of Pain / Chosen of Loviatar Build

[Arparrabiosa]

Hi guys!

I'm playing a new game where the characters are Chosens of a Faerûnian God. We will start at level 6. I want to play a cleric of Loviatar, but I'm a bit underwhelmed by what maiden of pain prc offers mecanically.

I'm playing around the idea of delivering inflict spells with the whip (as it seems the main point of the PRC), but the damage is low even with maximize spell powered by divine metamagic, knowledge devotion and a wand of blade of blood.

Spending a 3rd slot, 4 rebukes and a charge of the wand to do around 40 points of damage seems too much.

Any idea of how to make it work or should I discard this idea? Should I just go for duskblade 3/something 3 instead?

[Zarvistic]

Specifically inflict spells? Check out mastery of day and night and holy potency.

[Anthrowhale]

A&EG has the 'mighty whip dagger' which allows you to add in strength and deals lethal damage.

But more generally, the whip is a special effects weapon rather than a high-damage weapon. The best way to increase damage available is via the Lasher class ability as you note. Also note that Lasher seems to qualify touch spells for persistent metamagic.

[daremetoidareyo]

It looks like you can channel any touch spell or (arguably) touch effect with a maiden of pain. Perhaps search for a list of “range: touch” spells appropriate for your divine casting class?

[Faily]

Divine Might (Divine Feat, Complete Warrior) also allows you to burn Rebukes to add Charisma modifier to damage for 1 round.

Profane Boost (Divine Feat, Complete Divine) allows you to spend one Rebuke attempt as a Standard Action to Maximize all Inflict spells within a 60ft radius burst until the end of your next turn (without increasing level or casting time for the spell).

Tomb-Tainted Soul (Libris Mortis) would allow you to heal yourself with Inflict.

This one doesn't entail Inflict spells, but Profane Lifeleech (Libris Mortis) was a favorite of mine when playing an evil cleric. As a standard action you can spend 2 Rebuke attempts to deal 1d6 damage to all within 30ft radius burst, and you heal for the amount of damage you did.

[One Step Two]

After doing some reading, unless I am mistaken You can Enter Maiden of pain at 2nd level if you take Apprentice (Soldier), or Martial Study (Devoted Spirit) to get Intimidate as a class skill, which is pretty neat!

There's a bit of delayed gratification (pun intended) in this build, as it really boosts your ability to have some real Debuffing power and great action economy efficiency. Due to the CL loss, this starts to comes online at level 8, with Improved Trip using Divine Power to become Full BAB and +6 Str, you gain +7 to opposed Trip attempts before adding your original strength score, even if your DM rules that you cannot deliver a spell with Lasher because the trip itself is a Touch attack, and Lasher specifically requires a melee attack, if you succeed on on the attempt, Improved Trip means you get a free follow up melee attack anyway. Once you get access to Righteous Might at level 10, things get crazier. You gain an additional +6 to your trip attempts, making you almost impossible to stop.

The combo means you're getting real bang for your buck in terms of the actions you take, especially since you can make a trip attempt with every iterative attack you have in a round. Keeping your opponents on the ground is a boon to allies.

Other considerations are finding spells which allow you to make attacks 1/level, or add rider effects to buff your attacks, like Infernal Wound which adds a minor bleed effect to your attacks.

My build stub for 6th:
Human Cleric 1/Maiden of Pain 5
Feats: 1st Apprentice (Soldier) PHB2, Human Jotunbrud (Races of Faerun), 3rd Extend Spell, 6th Persistent spell.

Setting up for Divine Metamagic at 9th, Jotunbrud gives you a +4 bonus on Trip and Disarm attempts because you count as large size. Else, drop Jotunbrud, and Take Extened as your human feat, and start with Divine Metamagic at 6th.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

After doing some reading, unless I am mistaken You can Enter Maiden of pain at 2nd level if you take Apprentice (Soldier), or Martial Study (Devoted Spirit) to get Intimidate as a class skill, which is pretty neat!


Slight problem: you get skills before you get feats, so Intimidate wouldn't be a class skill yet when you're investing the ranks. Arguably, you can get around this with a racial feat, since that presumably would happen before skills, but I don't know the actual RAW for that. (Ordinarily, you could get around it for sure with Open Minded or Human Heritage to give you extra skill ranks, but the second feat needs to be Violate Spell to qualify for the PrC).

Is there a domain that gives Intimidate as a class skill? No wait, that has the same problem...

[One Step Two]

Slight problem: you get skills before you get feats, so Intimidate wouldn't be a class skill yet when you're investing the ranks. Arguably, you can get around this with a racial feat, since that presumably would happen before skills, but I don't know the actual RAW for that. (Ordinarily, you could get around it for sure with Open Minded or Human Heritage to give you extra skill ranks, but the second feat needs to be Violate Spell to qualify for the PrC).

Is there a domain that gives Intimidate as a class skill? No wait, that has the same problem...

Hm, so using your Human Bonus feat for Apprentice would apply for Intimidate? Mind You, I never heard the idea that you applied skills before feats. But you are correct I totally forgot about Violate Spell, so dropping Jotenbrud entirely for it.

[Arparrabiosa]

You also need to be able to cast sadism and masochism as divine spells to qualify for the PrC, and they are 3rd level spells do I don't see how you can enter before six level.