Hiro Quester
2023-04-22, 05:52 PM
I think I'm about to play a cleric because our cleric died, and I have a new character that I'm not totally loving. Unsure of domain yet (advice about particular domains that synergies well would be welcome)
I'm probably going to use Spirit Guardians a lot. To use it well it helps to also have a source of forced movement, so I can get enemies to also take damage by entering the SG on my turn as well as beginning their own turn there.
I can see a few different options, some of which might bring more fun features than others.
Telekinetic feat (bonus action telekinetic shove). This can go on just about any build (+1 Wisdom, too), and can be an excellent use of bonus action. Strength save to resist.
Druid cantrip thorn whip (range 30 ft, move an enemy 10 ft (no save to movement if you hit).
Crusher feat. Hit with bludgeoning damage, you move a creature not more than 1 size larger than you 5 ft (no save if you hit). (Also +1 Con). Useful with club, warhammer etc, as well as shillelagh and magic stone. also with natural bludgeoning weapons, I guess.
Swarmkeeper Ranger's swarm can move an enemy 15 ft in a direction you choose after a hit. good distance, but Strength save to resist.
Ways of getting these on a cleric build:
Telekinetic Feat for +1Wis.
Magic Initiate feat (druid) for Thorn Whip, Shillelagh and a useful spell like Absorb Elements).
Nature cleric. Pick up thorn whip and shillelagh (as well as a few other useful druid spells on your list. Plant growth to make it really hard for enemies to leave SG). Makes cleric a bit less MAD. Could wear medium armor and shield and a have a semi-decent dex, little need for Strength, use Wis for attack and damage.
2 levels of druid (Circle of Stars for buffing your Con saves while using SG). No delay to progressing spell slots (for upcasting Spirit Guardians). Many useful 1st level Druid spells, as well as Shillelagh and Thorn Whip cantrips. Or double up on preparing standard cleric spells like Cure Wounds).
3 levels of fighter (Echo Knight) with Crusher feat, for being able to use your echo to knock enemies into the SG. Echo also grants teleport ability for excellent mobility to place your SG field in the best place. Starting fighter also grants Con Saves. Action Surge. (Excellent with Grave cleric to surge with Inflict Wounds if you don't have a paladin or a rogue dealing big damage in one hit. Even better after a hold person takes effect).
3 levels of Swarmkeeper Ranger. Druidic Warrior fighting style forShillelagh and Magic Stone (or thorn whip). Hard to see a good fit thematically with most Cleric Domains except nature. But it's perhaps redundant on a nature cleric. Swarmkeeper and Nature cleric fit reasonably well, and enable magic stone, thorn whip and Shillelagh for Wis to all attacks.
Cleric domains that might be good here:
I have a backstory all ready for a grave cleric. Path to the Grave seems like fun. (Circle of stars druid seems like it could work with just about any cleric subclass. But it seems somehow to fit thematically with grave cleric. Seeing life and death a little dispassionately, from the cold distance of the stars.)
Nature cleric could be okay. Can get thornwhiupe with no dips or extra feats needed. A few of the spells ad some flavor and utility. But the channel divinity is meh. The above backstory could easily be adapted to a nature cleric. It's not grabbing me, though.
Peace cleric could be good for encouraging teamwork (a bless-like effect concentration free, as well as SG at the same time!). Our party could use that. It looks fun to play. Possibility of roleplay as "peacekeeper warrior" rater than pacifist (if you kill the bad guys you bring peace to the area, and also bring peace to their should; they will be less tormented in the afterlife if that are stopped before doing more awful things.). Circle of Stars druid could work well here too.
Twilight cleric is awesome, but out. But the cleric in our party who died was twilight cleric. I'd like to bring a new flavor.
I'm unsure of races or backgrounds that might be good here. My default is probably Custom Lineage, to get an extra feat. Minotaur looks good with Echo knight (no need for crusher feat). But that push uses your bonus action, and it's not clear that your Echo could use it, because the target has to be within 5 ft of you.
Another race option for good mobility, including placing SG where it's needed is Tabaxi for double-speed. Also works week with peace cleric for the ability to heal everyone you pass in one move.
Race suggestions welcome.
DM is also relatively friendly to home-brew (e.g. Cleric Domains) and custom backgrounds. Some of the gods in our home-brewed world have yet-to-be-created domains (like Defense, Balance, Judgment, Luck, Loss, Travel, Protection).
I'm leaning towards Echo Knight 3/Grave Cleric X, or Circle of Stars Druid 2/Peace Cleric. Nature cleric is okay, but not grabbing me. Swarmkeeper 3 is dubious, given that it costs three Cleric levels and still gats a strength save to resist. I have never seen a swarmkeeper in action, though.
Our campaign is likely to go all the way to level 20, if that matters. Though level 20 is often only for the fine boss fight (one or two sessions). I'm fine giving up the level 20 ability, that applies only for a couple of sessions, for something that makes the character more fun to play for their whole career.
I'd like to hear suggestions of options I have not considered, or stories about builds like that you have found fun to play.
I'm probably going to use Spirit Guardians a lot. To use it well it helps to also have a source of forced movement, so I can get enemies to also take damage by entering the SG on my turn as well as beginning their own turn there.
I can see a few different options, some of which might bring more fun features than others.
Telekinetic feat (bonus action telekinetic shove). This can go on just about any build (+1 Wisdom, too), and can be an excellent use of bonus action. Strength save to resist.
Druid cantrip thorn whip (range 30 ft, move an enemy 10 ft (no save to movement if you hit).
Crusher feat. Hit with bludgeoning damage, you move a creature not more than 1 size larger than you 5 ft (no save if you hit). (Also +1 Con). Useful with club, warhammer etc, as well as shillelagh and magic stone. also with natural bludgeoning weapons, I guess.
Swarmkeeper Ranger's swarm can move an enemy 15 ft in a direction you choose after a hit. good distance, but Strength save to resist.
Ways of getting these on a cleric build:
Telekinetic Feat for +1Wis.
Magic Initiate feat (druid) for Thorn Whip, Shillelagh and a useful spell like Absorb Elements).
Nature cleric. Pick up thorn whip and shillelagh (as well as a few other useful druid spells on your list. Plant growth to make it really hard for enemies to leave SG). Makes cleric a bit less MAD. Could wear medium armor and shield and a have a semi-decent dex, little need for Strength, use Wis for attack and damage.
2 levels of druid (Circle of Stars for buffing your Con saves while using SG). No delay to progressing spell slots (for upcasting Spirit Guardians). Many useful 1st level Druid spells, as well as Shillelagh and Thorn Whip cantrips. Or double up on preparing standard cleric spells like Cure Wounds).
3 levels of fighter (Echo Knight) with Crusher feat, for being able to use your echo to knock enemies into the SG. Echo also grants teleport ability for excellent mobility to place your SG field in the best place. Starting fighter also grants Con Saves. Action Surge. (Excellent with Grave cleric to surge with Inflict Wounds if you don't have a paladin or a rogue dealing big damage in one hit. Even better after a hold person takes effect).
3 levels of Swarmkeeper Ranger. Druidic Warrior fighting style forShillelagh and Magic Stone (or thorn whip). Hard to see a good fit thematically with most Cleric Domains except nature. But it's perhaps redundant on a nature cleric. Swarmkeeper and Nature cleric fit reasonably well, and enable magic stone, thorn whip and Shillelagh for Wis to all attacks.
Cleric domains that might be good here:
I have a backstory all ready for a grave cleric. Path to the Grave seems like fun. (Circle of stars druid seems like it could work with just about any cleric subclass. But it seems somehow to fit thematically with grave cleric. Seeing life and death a little dispassionately, from the cold distance of the stars.)
Nature cleric could be okay. Can get thornwhiupe with no dips or extra feats needed. A few of the spells ad some flavor and utility. But the channel divinity is meh. The above backstory could easily be adapted to a nature cleric. It's not grabbing me, though.
Peace cleric could be good for encouraging teamwork (a bless-like effect concentration free, as well as SG at the same time!). Our party could use that. It looks fun to play. Possibility of roleplay as "peacekeeper warrior" rater than pacifist (if you kill the bad guys you bring peace to the area, and also bring peace to their should; they will be less tormented in the afterlife if that are stopped before doing more awful things.). Circle of Stars druid could work well here too.
Twilight cleric is awesome, but out. But the cleric in our party who died was twilight cleric. I'd like to bring a new flavor.
I'm unsure of races or backgrounds that might be good here. My default is probably Custom Lineage, to get an extra feat. Minotaur looks good with Echo knight (no need for crusher feat). But that push uses your bonus action, and it's not clear that your Echo could use it, because the target has to be within 5 ft of you.
Another race option for good mobility, including placing SG where it's needed is Tabaxi for double-speed. Also works week with peace cleric for the ability to heal everyone you pass in one move.
Race suggestions welcome.
DM is also relatively friendly to home-brew (e.g. Cleric Domains) and custom backgrounds. Some of the gods in our home-brewed world have yet-to-be-created domains (like Defense, Balance, Judgment, Luck, Loss, Travel, Protection).
I'm leaning towards Echo Knight 3/Grave Cleric X, or Circle of Stars Druid 2/Peace Cleric. Nature cleric is okay, but not grabbing me. Swarmkeeper 3 is dubious, given that it costs three Cleric levels and still gats a strength save to resist. I have never seen a swarmkeeper in action, though.
Our campaign is likely to go all the way to level 20, if that matters. Though level 20 is often only for the fine boss fight (one or two sessions). I'm fine giving up the level 20 ability, that applies only for a couple of sessions, for something that makes the character more fun to play for their whole career.
I'd like to hear suggestions of options I have not considered, or stories about builds like that you have found fun to play.