Playable 1-40 PvE Not PvP recommended but has some potential.
I was surprised to see that this class and level combo hasn't been done to death already, since it turned out pretty nicely for me. The build Dodgy McDodge uses the same level distribution but has a very different end result (like, it's a dual kama build).
* - Optional feat % - Rapier chosen for single wield, if you want to adapt to dual wielding, it can work out. + - Rogue or Cleric Bonus Feat
Approx. 300 skillpoints. Concentration, Discipline, and UMD maxed for latest appropriate level. 38 spellcraft (+2 int bonus = 40). 40 Tumble. Leftover points distributed to taste amongst rogue skills (put at least 1 point in open lock and disable trap if you have Trickery's domain power).
Ending Vitals 26 Dex 20 Wis
AB +37 unbuffed, BAB 25. AB +42 w/ just divine power. Gets DP attack.
AC 33 naked, 44 self-buffed (Shield of Faith, Owl's Wisdom, Magic Vestment) 354 max hp unbuffed Fort 27 Ref 27 Will 27, +1 vs death, +8 vs spells
FAQ: Q: I can tell this character's a buffed-melee dex-based cleric but why did you build it to single wield, not have any spell penetration feats, and get epic dodge so late? A: Well, the short answer is that everything's a tradeoff. I didn't feel that the build's AB would easily support dual wielding, and when I was starting on it I couldn't be sure if I'd have enough feats to take the dual wielding feats. It's an option if you want to, you'll still have a +40 AB with divine power so in the end it's a matter of taste. I like having IKD with my sneak attackers, though.
It's another option to get epic spell penetration by sacrificing Improved Knockdown, Toughness, and Great Wis 1. This will let you use no-save spells offensively, generally a Good Thing.
Getting epic dodge a little earlier is possible at the expense of rogue skills or a cleric level. I decided to optimize for 40, however, since the earliest it'd become available as a human would be 36 anyway.
Q: Wouldn't this build make a great Halfling? A: Yes, as a matter of fact it would. I was expecting a lot more feat and skillpoint starvation in the build, which was why I went with human originally.
A halfling variant with 18 starting dex and maybe a level split of 25 cleric/14 rogue/1 monk would be able to qualify for epic dodge much sooner, get their rogue skills topped off at a late level, be only very slightly more vulnerable to dispel, and make an attractive dual wield version with daggers (the extra 2 dex and small size bonus would cancel out the -2 dual wielding penalty so the dual AB for the halfling would be the same as the human's single AB). And the halfling's size also makes KD less attractive so losing it doesn't hurt as much.
I kinda wish I'd gone Halfling in the first place, now. I like them Halflings of Doom
Q: Is it really a good idea to take monk as level 40? Wouldn't another class do? A: You have just barely enough dex to make wearing cloth more attractive than wearing any sort of armor, since if you increase your dex you'll have more than a +8 dex bonus. You can retain your dex bonus while wearing a tower shield, but the monk level gives you cleave for free and lets you add your wisdom bonus to your AC - fully buffed your wisdom bonus will be +11. You'd need a +8 tower shield to get that much AC.
As you level up to 40, wearing armor and a shield is a good idea.
Q: What domains do you recommend? A: Trickery is a must IMO, it synergizes so well with your rogue skills that you only need minor rogue skill investments to get a lot of mileage out of them. It's worth +13 to Hide, Persuade, Search, Disable Trap, Open Lock, Pick Pocket, and Move Silently once a day.
Travel if there aren't haste items or readily available scrolls for it. I'd strongly recommend Plant if you can get Haste from another source, so that you can get the Barkskin natural AC bonus while wearing a periapt of wisdom in the neck slot. And because Creeping Doom is an attack spell that will be worthwhile for you as it's no-save and ignores SR.
Q: Do you recommend using any attack spells? A: Only if you're fighting enemies with no SR, or very low SR. Harm of course is useful, as is Word of Faith. And Creeping Doom bypasses SR and is no-save, while Earthquake allows a reflex save but bypasses SR.
Q: How did you distribute your rogue skills? A: I didn't put points in stealth skills or pick pocket. I picked Search, Disable Trap, Set Trap, and Open Lock as the rogue skills to focus on. I tried to set myself up to be able to disable traps and open locks up to DC 45 without using the trickery power, and to be able to set most deadly traps (up to DC 35).
I actually thought hard about when to take UMD in this build - I didn't (and advise that you don't) put any points in it until the higher levels, because if you have UMD you'll have to make a UMD roll to use divine scrolls even though you should automatically succeed at reading them. Once you can read 9th level scrolls without failing, however, UMD all the way.
Spot is very good to max if True Seeing is nerfed in your environment to a spot check bonus. Otherwise those points can go to beefing up your trap and lock skills if you'd rather. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
