Need a bit of cleric help

[Allistar]

Hey everyone, long time no see

So I've been looking for a way to get the shield spell and absorb elements onto my cleric for a while now. I'm a level 11 cleric and I find that I never use my 1st level spell slots anymore. I'm interested in shield because at this point if I were to cast it my AC would shoot up to a 27 (18+1 from blessed full plate, +2 from shield, +1 from soul of the forge, +5 from shield) and that sounds like exactly what you want out of your tanky frontline cleric. I'm also interested in absorb elements because it just seems incredible. I have a +0 dex and we've been in fights with behirs that have made me wish I had this spell. I'm basically never going to pass my saves against their breath weapons or any other high level breath weapon, but with this it makes it as though I did (for the damage anyways) and the added damage on my next attack is just icing on the cake

So far I've found artificer initiate to be a very good way to get absorb elements, but I can't find a great way to get shield apart from aberrant dragon mark (and even then that's only once per short rest). Certain effects like gift of the metallic dragon somewhat emulate it but only for 1 attack. Multiclassing either wiz or sorc could work, but because of stat reasons I'd have to be wizard and I'd have to spend my ASI to bump my int up by 2 before I could do that. It puts me a level behind on new spells and my forge domain capstone, and I'm not sure it's really even worth it at that point, but it works.

Idunno am I over valuing these spells, are there other more simple ways to get them, or should I just scratch this train of thought entirely? Should I let my 1st level slots be used for the usual healing words, and focus on other feats like fey touched, metamagic adept, or something do something completely different

Edit; I forgot to mention a couple things. I've already got magic initiate for a familiar and booming blade, and I've also got resilient con which bumped my score up to a 20. Our DM is nice and rules that because my holy symbol is affixed to the front of my shield I don't have to worry about the free hand part unless it's an expensive material component. Overall I have no complaints about this setup

[LudicSavant]

So far I've found artificer initiate to be a very good way to get absorb elements, but I can't find a great way to get shield apart from aberrant dragon mark (and even then that's only once per short rest).

The Githyanki race will add Shield to the Cleric spell list.

[CTurbo]

It makes NO sense thematically for a Forge Cleric, but a single level of Druid gets you Absorb Elements and at least lines up with your casting stat. There's a bit of overlap between Cleric and Druid, but with just a dip, you could get some good stuff that Clerics don't have access to. Absorb Elements, Faerie Fire, and Goodberry to name a few. 2 levels of Druid gets you Wildshape and surely that could come in handy one day. You and your familiar could go scouting...

1 level of Wizard gives you a LOT of utility, and everything you've wanted, but basically renders your Magic Initiate feat redundant and wasted. Would your DM let you retrain that feat? Possibly trade it for a +2 to Int or at least change the class you get your 1 spell and 2 cantrips from?

I personally wouldn't try so hard to get those spells.

I recommend instead of chasing those spells, you consider the Shield Master feat, and not for the shoving feature, but for the other two things it adds.

1. If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
2. If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

Shield Master is an excellent defensive feat for characters with shield and low Dex.

[animorte]

I recommend instead of chasing those spells, you consider the Shield Master feat, and not for the shoving feature, but for the other two things it adds.

1. If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
2. If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

Shield Master is an excellent defensive feat for characters with shield and low Dex.
Do this, absolutely. When I was reading through the OP I thought, “it looks like they just need Shield Master.” So you saved me some time. :smalltongue:

[Allistar]

1. If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
2. If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect

I've considered shield master before actually and I liked the idea initially too, but eventually I looked into it. My problem with #1 is the fact that it only gives you the dex save bonus if it targets only you as pointed out. Very few effects actually do that. To my knowledge, the only things that do this are sacred flame, acid splash, disintegrate, hellish rebuke, and some types of traps. Almost all of the things that require you to make a dex save are AoE effects. My other problem is the fact that #2 is reliant on you already passing the dex save. "you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw". As pointed out in point #1 the number of things that actually allow you to get a bonus to the save are very limited, so my usual bonus would still be +0. Those odds aren't the greatest. With that in mind I wouldn't be making good use of any of these things
.

[Gignere]

I've considered shield master before actually and I liked the idea initially too, but eventually I looked into it. My problem with #1 is the fact that it only gives you the dex save bonus if it targets only you as pointed out. Very few effects actually do that. To my knowledge, the only things that do this are sacred flame, acid splash, disintegrate, hellish rebuke, and some types of traps. Almost all of the things that require you to make a dex save are AoE effects. My other problem is the fact that #2 is reliant on you already passing the dex save. "you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw". As pointed out in point #1 the number of things that actually allow you to get a bonus to the save are very limited, so my usual bonus would still be +0. Those odds aren't the greatest. With that in mind I wouldn't be making good use of any of these things
.

Just straight up ask your DM very nicely for a staff of defense. Now you can grab artificer initiate and get absorb elements. One of my former DM he played a forge cleric in LMoP and he ended up with the staff of defense and his AC was through the stratosphere. I think by level 4 he was rocking 22 AC and 27 with a reaction.

[Allistar]

Just straight up ask your DM very nicely for a staff of defense. Now you can grab artificer initiate and get absorb elements. One of my former DM he played a forge cleric in LMoP and he ended up with the staff of defense and his AC was through the stratosphere. I think by level 4 he was rocking 22 AC and 27 with a reaction.

Huh, didn't realize the staff of defense was an item. That's everything im looking for, and it fits perfectly. Thank you!

[AttilatheYeon]

Huh, didn't realize the staff of defense was an item. That's everything im looking for, and it fits perfectly. Thank you!

Staff of defense requires you to have the spell on your list to cast them.

[RogueJK]

I've considered shield master before actually and I liked the idea initially too, but eventually I looked into it. My problem with #1 is the fact that it only gives you the dex save bonus if it targets only you as pointed out. Very few effects actually do that. To my knowledge, the only things that do this are sacred flame, acid splash, disintegrate, hellish rebuke, and some types of traps. Almost all of the things that require you to make a dex save are AoE effects. My other problem is the fact that #2 is reliant on you already passing the dex save. "you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw". As pointed out in point #1 the number of things that actually allow you to get a bonus to the save are very limited, so my usual bonus would still be +0. Those odds aren't the greatest. With that in mind I wouldn't be making good use of any of these things
.

You are spot-on with your analysis. Shield Master is not a good option for this character.

Shield Master doesn't do much of anything to help a PC with an abysmal DEX save to be able to succeed on more DEX saves. The +2ish bonus is minimal, and as stated, only rarely applies.

And the "no damage on a save" part is predicated on you actually being able to pass the save, and you already stated in the OP that this is unlikely. It's not full-blown Evasion, where you're taking half damage even on a failed save.


Since it doesn't really help you shore up a poor DEX save, these DEX-save-related benefits from Shield Master are instead best utilized on characters who already have a good DEX save bonus, thanks to a high DEX stat and/or DEX save proficiency, but who don't have access to Evasion. Then when you take into account the STR-based nature of the BA Shove effect, it narrows the field even further. You're basically looking for a shield-using martial with at least a moderately good STR and DEX (or a moderately good DEX and Athletics Expertise), plus preferably DEX save proficiency. So that'd be things such as a DEX-based Fighter, or a Ranger, or a Level 6+ Paladin, or a Rogue 1/Barbarian X, or a Bard with the Moderately Armored feat or the Valor subclass. You're boosting your good DEX save even higher on occasion, and making it likely that you'll take no damage when you frequently succeed on your DEX saves thanks to your existing solid DEX save bonus, plus being able to frequently land the Shove effect thanks to your STR and/or Athletics Expertise.

[animorte]

You are spot-on with your analysis. Shield Master is not a good option for this character.
Despite my initial statement, I have to agree with RogueJK overall.

Every single character I’ve run Shield Master on already had a reliable Dex stat to begin with. But then I value Dex over literally every other stat so I will always have a minimum of +2.

[Digimike]

Do you have a 13 charisma? A dip of divine soul sorcerer would get you full access to both spells and a single use per rest saving throw bonus.

[sambojin]

Plenty of the Strixhaven Primers (Prismari Primer, etc) let you learn off-list lvl1 spells. They're pretty compatible with most gameworlds if you just consider them tomes of magic or lore or something.

Being only uncommon, and you being lvl11, you could work with your DM to try and track one down, flavoured for your gameworld. Most of them can get you Shield, but it's only 1/day.

[Allistar]

I've just realized another way I could go about this with no adventure specific magic items (although it is just a little bit worse).

At 13th level I can pick up the spell conjure celestial which allows me to summon one celestial of up to CR 4 for 1 hour. Turns out the Couatl is the perfect fit, and it has some incredibly nice spellcasting. One of the spells that it gets 3x per day is the shield spell I've been looking to get so badly. All I need at this point is a ring of spell storing, which I'm reasonably sure I can get at the end of this arc. Our DM usually says pick an x rarity magic item as a reward after we complete an arc. Last arc it was uncommon, so I'm thinking we'll be able to get a rare this time. Anyways point being with that ring I'll be able to stock up on shields. It also allows me to store some of the spells of my other party members such as a misty step or mirror image or something else that would be nice. I might not be getting the extra AC of a staff of defense, but I'd say it's pretty nice regardless