Playable in PvE 1-40

Not meant for PvP but, eh, you've got harm.

Looking at the recent builds I felt the need to redeem myself for having posted an RDD build lately.

Human: Non-lawful, non-evil
Str 14
Dex 8
Con 12
Wis 15
Int 14
Cha 14

1 Clr (1): Extend Spell, Weapon Proficiency (Martial)%
2 Bar (1):
3 Clr (2): Weapon Focus (Scimitar)%
4 Clr (3): +1 str
5 Clr (4):
6 Clr (5): Combat Casting
7 Bar (2):
8 Clr (6): +1 str
9 Clr (7): Spell Penetration
10 Clr (8):
11 COT (1):
12 Bar (3): +1 wis, Curse Song
13 COT (2): Blind-Fighting
14 Clr (9):
15 Clr (10): Still Spell*
16 Clr (11): +1 wis
17 Bar (4):
18 Clr (12): Greater Spell Penetration
19 Clr (13):
20 Clr (14): +1 wis
21 Clr (15): Epic Weapon Focus (Scimitar)%
22 Bar (5):
23 Clr (16):
24 Clr (17): +1 wis, Epic Prowess
25 Clr (18):
26 Clr (19):
27 Bar (6): Great Strength 1
28 Bar (7): +1 str
29 Bar (8):
30 Clr (20): Great Strength 2
31 Clr (21):
32 Bar (9): +1 str
33 Bar (10): Great Strength 3
34 Clr (22):
35 Clr (23): Improved Combat Casting
36 Clr (24): +1 str, Great Strength 4
37 Bar (11):
38 Clr (25):
39 Clr (26): Armor Skin, Epic Spell Penetration
40 Bar (12): +1 str

* - Optional but recommended feat
% - Martial weapon prof/scimitar focus taken for powergaming. Any weapon you want will work; using a simple weapon can save a feat. Alternately, exotic prof can be taken at level 3 (swap Combat Casting to level 1).

239 skill points: Concentration, Discipline, Tumble are musts. 18 Perform. UMD highly recommended. 53 points left over after all those - taunt and 10 spellcraft work nicely.

Recommended Domains - Strength, Plant, War, Healing

Ending Vitals
24 Str
19 Wis

AB +36, 3 base attacks/round, +7 strength damage
AB +41 with divine power - gets divine power attack

AC 30 in mundane plate/shield
340 max hp
F 25 R 21 W 28

Level 9 cleric spells
Level 4 bard spells
Level 11 bard/curse song: 2 AB 2 damage 1 all saves 8 hp 2 AC 2 skills.
32 SR penetration

FAQ:
Q: This character has an odd level split... what's the point of only taking 2 COT levels?
A: The goal behind this build was to make a melee cleric/bard that's over the dispel cap, takes advantage of divine power, and gets at least 4th level bard spells. The 2 COT levels were for a bonus feat without AB loss or exp penalty. A nice side effect is a +1 to saves.

Q: Why take epic penetration? Your wisdom's only 19. Heck, for that matter, why is your wisdom only 19?
A: It's 19 to cast 9-th level spells. It would be 20 if the build had room to make it so, but it doesn't unless you sacrifice the spell penetration. As for why take spell penetration, it gives you offensive casting using various cleric spells (such as the no-save harm and word of faith) as an option.

The main goal of being level 26 cleric was to get over the dispel cap and get a couple bonus feats, and while you can level off your wisdom and take a couple melee combat feats by dropping penetration I think that overall the casting power is more beneficial.

Q: Why cleric/bard?
A: Because it's a great combination for combining party support and self-buffed melee. You can buff and heal your party, fill a front-line tanking/melee damage role, and do some offensive casting/debuffing as well.

Q: But without auto-still spell your bard casting is kind of limited, isn't it?
A: Actually, many of the important in-battle bard spells don't need to be stilled. War Cry, Darkness, and Displacement are good bard spells for this character; Keen Edge, Cat's Grace, and Improved Invisibility can be cast out of combat; haste can be stilled or cast extended outside of combat.

Q: What domains do you suggest? Why not travel and trickery?
A: I suggest Strength as a good way to get more divine powers per day, healing to get empowered healing spells and extra heals per day, plant to get barkskin and creeping doom, or war for the domain power and cat's grace/aura of vitality.

Since you get haste and improved invis as bard spells, travel and trickery aren't as attractive. You could still take them for longer duration undispellable buffs you can cast in armor, but I don't like overlapping the capabilities that much.
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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 20:12

I am no lover of the faith-inspired, but I do like Cleric/Bard Combos. This looks to be fairly balanced, Xy. Well Done.

Quote: Posted 11/30/05 02:33:12 (GMT) -- Xylophone

Since you get haste and improved invis as bard spells, travel and trickery aren't as attractive. You could still take them for longer duration undispellable buffs you can cast in armor, but I don't like overlapping the capabilities that much.
But I do like the overlap. Especially considering that Bard10 isn't picked up until Level 33. But UMD is the great equalizer. Still it would be nice to get a steady supply from Cleric in the pre-epic portion of the career. Let me qualify that with I always am more concerned about characters during 1-18 that I am 19-40. I am probably an aberration, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
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Ariel, Ookla, RIDE! My main thing is that almost every power-built cleric ends up with travel and trickery domains - primarily for haste and improved invis.

But other domains offer some really nice things for this build - strength, for example, lets you get divine power as a level 3 cleric spell. Plant gets you barkskin and creeping doom (+5 natural AC and a super no-save attack spell). War gives you a nice buffing domain power for an ugly fight per day, plus aura of vitalty.

There is some benefit still to having trickery or travel (or both) which is why I mentioned them... but I like the fact that bard levels give you the flexibility to take different domains without losing haste and II.
_________________
Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
Quote: Posted 11/30/05 03:25:50 (GMT) -- grizzled_dwarflord

I am probably an aberration.

Aye, agreed.



Nice build Xylo. Looks like a solid singing priest Great writeup as usual.
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Intelligent design is neither. Science over superstition please.