Among the followers of Chauntea, the most widespread church in all of Faerūn, there exists a holy order of knights that seeks to protect the fields from every sort of blight. Paladins of the Order of the Field Guardians are charged with seeking out those who would wish ruin on the crops of her followers.

This is an attempt to make a "turning" machine with excellent offensive and defensive powers, able to use a massive charisma bonus and high cleric levels to turn (or destroy instantly):

Undead
Outsiders
Elementals
Vermin

Playable: 1-40 PvM
Name: Field Guardian
Race: Human
Alignment: Lawful Good

Starting Stats

STR: 14
DEX: 8
CON: 10
INT: 12
WIS: 15
CHA: 16

Level/feat/ability progression

1 cleric - Toughness, Extra Turning, Plant Domain, Earth Domain
2 cleric
3 cleric - Power Attack
4 cleric - +1 Wisdom
5 cleric
6 cleric - Divine Might
7 cleric
8 cleric - +1 Wisdom
9 cleric - Extend Spell
10 cleric
11 cleric
12 cleric - Divine Shield, +1 Wisdom
13 cleric
14 cleric
15 cleric - Combat Casting
16 cleric - +1 Wisdom
17 cleric
18 paladin - Zen Archery
19 cleric
20 cleric - +1 Charisma
21 cleric - Great Charisma I
22 cleric
23 cleric
24 cleric - Great Charisma II, Improved Combat Casting, +1 Charisma
25 cleric
26 cleric
27 cleric - Great Charisma III, Great Wisdom I
28 cleric - +1 Charisma
29 cleric
30 cleric - Great Charisma IV, Great Wisdom II
31 cleric
32 cleric - +1 Charisma
33 cleric - Great Charisma V, Great Wisdom III
34 cleric
35 cleric
36 cleric - Great Wisdom IV, Great Wisdom V, +1 Wisdom
37 cleric
38 cleric
39 cleric - Planar Turning, Great Charisma VI
40 monk - +1 Wisdom

Ending Stats

STR: 14
DEX: 8
CON: 10
INT: 12
WIS: 26
CHA: 26

Skills: Ranks (unbuffed modified):
Concentration: 43 (43)
Discipline: 43 (45)
Heal: 9 (17)
Spellcraft: 39 (40)
Tumble: 40 (39)

HP: 301 (no cheat) Max: 362

Saves: Fort 31, Reflex 23 (evasion applies), Will 37, +8 vs Spells

Naked AC: 25
Buffed AC (no magic items): self buff to 57 minimum (generally ~58), but as Dexterity, Wisdom, and CHA all add to AC, it can get much higher with OC level items. With a haste item, monk boots, and a +4 CHA item, easily runs around with +20 Dodge AC most of the time, +5 deflection (shield of faith), +5 natural (barkskin), +5 Magical (Magic Vestment). ~AC 55 buffed in mundane robes. More with Dex and Wis items.

Attack Bonus (Kama): +27/+24/+21/+18/+15
Attack Bonus buffed with full line of cleric buffs and flurry of blows:
+47/+44/+41/+38/+35/+47/+47 (and another +47 with a haste item).

Damage output per kama hit with no magic items: 1d6 + 4 STR (Divine Power) + 5 (Greater Magic Weapon) + 9 (Divine Might) + 7 magical (+5 Divine Favor, +2 Battletide) + 1d6+10 fire (Darkfire). Minimum damage: 37 per hit, of which 17 cannot be prevented by most targets (divine and magic damage). It's even more fun when you add the divine and magic damage to ranged damage with Zen Archery and a magic bow (which is what the Field Guardian uses from levels 18 on; before that, a morningstar).

Thus far we have a pretty balanced character offensively and defensively. Not superb at either, but far above average for a support character and still better than most at both. Tack on the full power of cleric healing, and a spell resistance of 50 (that can be doled out to companions), and you have a versatile healer than can help out anywhere on the battlefield. More than enough cleric levels to take a few Harm spells with you.

So, why on earth would I take Plant and Earth domains, and what's up with the planar turning? Hehe, well, those are two of Chauntea's domains, and they both add to turning ability, where this build can shine. This cleric will turn as a Level 42 cleric half the time, due to her high CHA. She'll also be able to turn up to a 64 HD of undead, vermin, outsiders, or elementals (19 times per day). Outsiders add their full spell resistance to their Hit Dice for turn attempts. Planar turning cuts this in half (and if your Sorcerer friend happens to hit it with a Mord's Disjunction, that's effectively +5 to your turn check).

Plant domain is useful throughout the lower levels, and even into the higher levels, as it allows the cleric to maintain +3 to +5 Natural Armor bonus while wearing a Periapt of Wisdom. There are a lot of vermin on the way up, and even some epic vermin HotU. Earth Domain is less important, and infact Destruction Domain is better (do approximately 100 unavoidable damage a pop to Constructs), but Earth is a Chauntea domain and I'm working on an Umberlant version (with Blackguard instead) that will use Water and Destruction to the same effect.
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Vulcano's Bard Studio (in beta, 1.67). *Updated* Compose, play, and save your own bard music dynamically in game!

Edited By Vulcano on 04/11/06 02:30

I don't think there's really need for Combat Casting and Improved Combat Casting, maybe Empower Spell instead of Combat Casting and Armor Skin instead of Improved Combat Casting.

Great Turner.
Quote: Posted 04/11/06 20:50:15 (GMT) -- Thaxll'ssyllia

I don't think there's really need for Combat Casting and Improved Combat Casting, maybe Empower Spell instead of Combat Casting and Armor Skin instead of Improved Combat Casting.

Great Turner.

Improved Combat casting comes in really handy when you're surrounded by mobs and in need of a heal spell (No AoO's from casting). It could use empower spell, as empowered Blade Barriers make for nice level 8 slots. Could also take focus and greater focus in evocation to add to Imposion DC (and most other offensive spell DCs).
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Vulcano's Bard Studio (in beta, 1.67). *Updated* Compose, play, and save your own bard music dynamically in game! You can use defensive casting mode and save two feats also. Thax's choice seems a good one.

Interesting build, especially for support.

Cheers,
Kail
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To hear the sound of Freedom, many gave their lives
They fought for you and me
Those memories will always live inside us, and now it's our time to be free A nice build. I play one on a PW a bit simular. Though i went the casting way. So i got epic Evocation And great Wisdom 10.
Also my cha is only 12 i believe. My con is 14 cause everybody needs hp.

But if you also want turning abilities this is a good ballance between.
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Homer: I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman.