Playable 1-40 in PvE. And as they say, "anyone with harm has a chance in PvP."

TyrPaladin made a build with the same level split called Soldier of Light but this character is substantially different.

There is a Caster Version of this build as well.

Human, Non-Evil

Str 14
Dex 10
Con 14
Wis 16
Int 12
Cha 10

1 Clr (1): Luck of Heroes*, Combat Casting
2 Clr (2):
3 Clr (3): Weapon Proficiency (Exotic)%
4 Clr (4): +1 str
5 Clr (5):
6 Clr (6): Extend Spell
7 Clr (7):
8 Clr (8): +1 str
9 Clr (9): Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)%
10 Clr (10):
11 Clr (11):
12 Clr (12): +1 wis, Spell Penetration
13 Clr (13):
14 Clr (14):
15 Clr (15): Toughness*
16 Clr (16): +1 str
17 Clr (17):
18 Clr (18): Blind-Fight
19 COT (1):
20 COT (2): +1 str, Knockdown*+
21 COT (3): Great Str 1
22 COT (4): Great Wis 1+
23 COT (5):
24 COT (6): +1 str, Great Str 2, Epic Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)+
25 COT (7):
26 COT (8): Great Wis 2+
27 COT (9): Great Str 3
28 COT (10): +1 str, Epic Prowess+
29 Clr (19):
30 Clr (20): Great Str 4
31 Clr (21):
32 Clr (22): +1 str
33 Clr (23): Great Str 5, Improved Combat Casting+
34 Clr (24):
35 Clr (25):
36 Clr (26): +1 str, Great Str 6, Armor Skin+
37 Clr (27):
38 Clr (28):
39 Clr (29): Great Str 7, Great Wis 3+
40 Mon (1): +1 str

% - Could free a feat by focusing in Morning Star or mace or something... bastard sword was chosen for theme reasons. Could swap for martial and greatsword if you want to be a two-hander. Or kama if you want to (ab)use the monk AB progression at the final level.
* - Optional feat
+ - COT or Cleric Bonus Feat

Skills - Discipline, Concentration, Spellcraft, Tumble.
Domains - Flexible, but war, strength, protection, and healing are thematically appropriate and quite useful. Trickery and travel remain "uber" for their spell selection.

End Vitals:
30 Str
20 Wis

AC 25 naked, 31 in mundane plate and shield
460 max hp
Fort 32 Reflex 25 Will 32

AB +39/+34/+29 unbuffed with mundane weapon
+44/+39/+34/+44 with divine power
+10 damage from strength

FAQ:
Melee cleric build... but why not front-load the COT levels for combat feats and BAB?
A: I realized that by using most of my COT bonus feats for wisdom I could spend all my epic character feats on Great Strength. I also realized that if I had a 15 BAB at level 20, I'd be able to take advantage of the Divine Power attack - if you 3 base attacks per round, divine power gives you an extra attack at full AB.

So with divine power and haste this character's AB progression becomes +44/+39/+34/+44/+44, compared to +45/+40/+35/+30/+45, which is what it would be if I'd taken the 16 BAB at 20 route.

Q: Why 29 cleric levels? And why take spell penetration but not greater, or epic?
A: Clerics get bonus feats at 23, 26, and 29. 26 cleric levels puts you over the dispel cap for bards and other divine casters. Since you're a buffing meleer, getting more than 26 caster levels is attractive.

Then, 29 cleric levels gets a bonus feat and with +2 penetration from the nonepic feat, gives you an SR punching power of 31. 31 + 1d20 = 32 at minimum so you should always be able to beat SR.

With only 20 wisdom you won't be a terror as a caster, but you've got no-save spells like Harm and Word of Faith, and with improved combat casting you can let them rip pretty freely.

Q: Why did you pick bastard sword and shield? Why not greatsword if you were going to spend a feat on proficiency?
A: You can pick whatever weapon you want... I conceptualized this character as a Crusading Knight so sword and shield made sense. And I am a closet fan of bastard swords.

I recommend sword and board, however, for the AC bonus. You've got a lot of defensive ability from cleric, no doubt, but you also benefit heavily from +damage spells like divine favor and darkfire.

Q: Why care about penetrating spell resistance at all?
A: Because it gives you a tool you otherwise wouldn't have. Even with buffing your AB isn't spectacular (the highest it can go is +65) so against a target with exceptionally high AC your best attack option might be to Harm them or hammer them with other spells.

Or you can always harm things for the "I win" button effect.

Q: Why a monk level at the end? Doesn't wearing armor negate many of the benefits?
A: You still gain free Cleave and Evasion, along with access to discipline, tumble, and concentration on your 40th level as class skills to max them out.
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.

Edited By griphook on 12/02/05 20:20

i am beginning to believe that you and cin don't sleep... build after build after build after ...


-c
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"Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things." - Miyamoto Musashi ....after build after build.

But again, a nice build from you Xylo. But what happened to the stories?? As a note to those who haven't paid attention (someone might not afford even that): Death ward no longer protects from Implosion, it's a Evocation spell. So have your fort save boosters ready.

If one could order this char, it would be like Cleric/CoT with a big slice of CHEESE! I'm working on the stories for these two... there are two so I'm trying a special story technique for it. It's taking a bit longer.

I agree the monk level's real cheesey, but taking a 30th cleric or 11th COT level won't benefit you, and you don't have enough skillpoints to make rogue or bard really attractive
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience. Read Part One...

I was glad to get out of the grand hall. All those eyes on me gave me what was like an itch at the back of my neck, when I couldn't scratch or do anything about it. I knew that feeling from numerous adventures and battlefields; I called it my danger itch. I felt it whenever there was going to be trouble. In this case I didn't need that to tell me there'd be trouble. The King was keeping whatever affair he called our order here for a secret.

Reginald began an incantation once the servant had left the sitting room between the two bedrooms in the suite we'd been given. Our equipment was already in our rooms, while he used his command of magic to ward the room against intrusion and scrying. I knew the spells as well... but his ability to channel the divine powers of Torm were unrivalled. It would take a much more powerful intruder to breach his wardings than mine.

My talents lay more with the sword. With Torm's grace guiding my hand, there were few who could equal my prowess in close combat, and I felt substantially more at ease when I had buckled the swordbelt about my waist. It had been a long time since I'd seen Reginald. Not since we were Novices. He had shown a strong talent for the holy powers even then, but I was still surprised when I felt the utter might of his magic as the spells were completed. He had grown into a mighty magic-user.

He spoke first. "It's safe to talk now." Sitting on a chair, he folded his hands. "It would seem that the King doesn't want to involve any of his subjects in this matter."

My shoulders rolled in a shrug. "We still don't know what 'this matter' is. The Prelate sent us both... and the King wants to tell us his troubles in private. Even a blind man would see the danger ahead of us."

A knock came at the door. That would be a castle page, come to take us to dinner and our meeting with the king. Reluctantly, I disarmed myself and put my sword, Lady Rose, back in her stand: it wasn't time for us yet. I laid my own magical ward especially over her, though I doubted strongly that she would allow a would-be thief to touch her. She was one of those rare blades imbued with so much power that she had a personality of her own, and she was as possessive of me as I was of her.

Reciting a calming mantra in my mind, I turned to Reginald, "And so I suppose the adventure begins."
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Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience. funny.... i thought i did this months ago! There's something so sexy bout a cleric/cot combo, isnt there.

peace