Cleric Help

[breakdownjason]

Ok, so I'm just starting to play again after almost a year away from the game (darn moving 2000 miles away and not knowing anyone) so I need a little bit of help building a buff cleric. I know the basic spells available and everything like that, but I'm playing him as an avatar of chaos and want his spells to reflect that (along with his feats). Any help would be much appreciated by both me and my new group.

[Kol Korran]

other than choosing the chaos domain and using spells with the "chaos" descriptor i have no rules-related advice.

my advice is just to refluff/ reflavour how your spells are called and their description. some examples:
- shield of faith could be a shimmering vortex of multicolored whisps, that deflect incomgin threats.
- spiritual weapon could be a strange glowig mass that changes shapes to different weapons (perhaps talk to your DM for some randomized shapes)
- Bull's strength could sprout muscles on the target, but perhaps also features of powerfull creatures, changing from casting to casting (a bull's tail, an ogre's jaw and length of arms, an ogre magi skin and so on)

another advce is to use spells that usually have a few possible outcomes and add some randomness into it. the only example i can think of at the moment is the command spell- make a short list of possible commands, and assign to each a number. when you cast the spell, roll the dice.

hope this helped,
Kol.

[breakdownjason]

Huh, I hadn't thought of reworking existing spells. I'll have to look into that. I did however set it up to stop me from becoming the end all for healing. I adjusted the spontaneous casting (and also turning/rebuking) to channel positive, negative or no energy depending on a d6 roll. Not sure if the rest of the party will appreciate being hit by an inflict spell when they need healing, but hopefully that will discourage them from asking. :D

[Kol Korran]

um, i don't kow if that's such a good idea. the party (YOU included) depend on healing in life and death situations. i would try and keep that element of the game dependable. you can dissuade the party memebers wanting to be healed all the time and taking from your spells in other, less obnoxious and dangerous way.
i usually solve the "have to heal" role of the cleric by taking a few simpler steps:
1) notify the people that you only heal in battle if someone has been wounded seriously/ in dire circumstances.
2) invest in a wand of cure light wounds or lesser vigor for out of combat healing. you can rarely find a better investment of 750 gp.

if you want to inflict as well as cure, i'd suggest you work with your DM on that. i had a player who wanted to do both (he played a cleric who was sort of a Judge, dispensing cures or hurt to those diserving), and i enabled it to him but allowed just one domain. you can work out your own agreement.

your version of cure/ inflict can backfire on you when you most need it.
Kol.

[Forbiddenwar]

Huh, I hadn't thought of reworking existing spells. I'll have to look into that. I did however set it up to stop me from becoming the end all for healing. I adjusted the spontaneous casting (and also turning/rebuking) to channel positive, negative or no energy depending on a d6 roll. Not sure if the rest of the party will appreciate being hit by an inflict spell when they need healing, but hopefully that will discourage them from asking. :D

A better deterent to useless healing is charge them for it. Okay, you are about to die, I'll heal you for a dinner. You have a scratch, that'll be 100 gold please. Let the market take it from there.

[Milskidasith]

Really, I would find that kind of dumb. It would either be annoying (Oh hey, let's give him a small amount of gold every time he does his freaking job; now I'm just going to charge for every time I get hit instead of him), or waste time (*Insert five minute scene where they RP the dinner that was promised*).

[breakdownjason]

Well I certainly appreciate the help being thrown my way, but regarding the spontaneous casting I really want to play up my cleric as being an avatar of chaos. While he may have a will strong enough to exert control while preparing spells, spontaneous casting happens in a split second and chaos requires a lot of meditation to sort out so bad things can happen, because let's face it... Chaos's big thing is chance. Plus the rp'ing it offers is far and beyond the whole "I heal you, I heal you, I heal you crap I get while playing a standard cleric. In other news, the dm loves the idea.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Well I certainly appreciate the help being thrown my way, but regarding the spontaneous casting I really want to play up my cleric as being an avatar of chaos. While he may have a will strong enough to exert control while preparing spells, spontaneous casting happens in a split second and chaos requires a lot of meditation to sort out so bad things can happen, because let's face it... Chaos's big thing is chance. Plus the rp'ing it offers is far and beyond the whole "I heal you, I heal you, I heal you crap I get while playing a standard cleric. In other news, the dm loves the idea.

You know, there's a variant in PhB II wherin you do NOT spontaneously cast Cure spells, but choose a Domain and you spontaneously cast from THAT domain. So instead of spontaneously casting Cure spells, you spontaneously cast from the Chaos domain. That's probably a mechanically viable and safer option for you.

[xPANCAKEx]

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boa...hp?topic=420.0

found this thread very useful recently

[AslanCross]

You know, there's a variant in PhB II wherin you do NOT spontaneously cast Cure spells, but choose a Domain and you spontaneously cast from THAT domain. So instead of spontaneously casting Cure spells, you spontaneously cast from the Chaos domain. That's probably a mechanically viable and safer option for you.

I'd go with this. It still fits the idea of channeling chaos without accidentally killing your friends who need healing.