What lurks where man can never see? Though light’s great power revealed to me. A man in cloth with wisdom old; His dark weapon no one beholds. Tis not within his gleaming hands, Though, they blaze great power in all the lands. It moves through bodies, as if they had holes, And siphoning in ejects their souls. What is this fiend of darkest night, That beckons to the man of light; While fire and brimstone flood the land, Only a shadow is left to stand.
Hitpoints: 400 (max) 320 (average) Skillpoints: 245 Saving Throws (Fortitude/Reflex/Will): 24/20/36 Saving Throw bonuses: +9 vs. spells, +1 reflex vs. traps Evasion helps reflex, Slippery Mind aids will vs. mind spells BAB: 24 AB: 25 (mundane, no buffs) AC: 25 (naked, no buffs)
Domains: Trickery, Magic Trickery Domain gives +17 to disable trap, hide, move silently, lore, open lock, persuade, pickpocket, and search
LEVELING GUIDE 01: Cleric (1): Blind Fight, Dodge 02: Cleric (2): 03: Cleric (3): Mobility 04: Cleric (4): Wis + 1 (17) 05: Cleric (5): 06: Cleric (6): Silent Spell 07: Cleric (7): 08: Cleric (8): Wis +1 (18) 09: Cleric (9): Spell Focus: Evocation 10: Cleric (10): 11: Cleric (11): 12: Cleric (12): Empower Spell, Wis+1 (19) 13: Cleric (13): 14: Cleric (14): 15: Cleric (15): Greater Spell Focus: Evocation 16: Cleric (16): Wis +1 (20) 17: Cleric (17): 18: Cleric (18): Toughness 19: Cleric (19) 20: Monk (1) Wis+1 (21) 21: Shadowdancer (1): Great Wisdom I (22) 22: Shadowdancer (2): 23: Shadowdancer (3): 24: Shadowdancer (4): Great Wisdom II, Wis +1 (24) 25: Shadowdancer (5): 26: Cleric (20): 27: Shadowdancer (6): Great Wis III (25) 28: Cleric (21): Wis +1 (26) 29: Cleric (22): 30: Cleric (23): Great Wis IV, Great Wisdom V (28) 31: Cleric (24): 32: Cleric (25): Wis +1 (29) 33: Cleric (26): Epic Spell Focus: Evocation, Great Wisdom VI (30) 34: Cleric (27): 35: Cleric (28): 36: Cleric (29): Great Wisdom VII, Great Wisdom VIII, Wis +1 (33) 37: Cleric (30): 38: Cleric (31): 39: Shadowdancer (7): Great Wisdom IX (34) 40: Cleric (32): Great Wisdom X, Wis +1 (36)
Tactics: The shadow fiend summon from shadowdancer by itself is a power tool. If it is invisible and can’t be detected (NPC’s without see invisibility or true seeing won’t try to detect it unless they are engaged in combat or a hostile action is performed on them) it can move through creatures unnoticed and apply a non-hostile attack (shadow attack) which will strength drain them to bits and finish them off with a killing blow (magical damage equal to hit points). All this is done monster after monster and the invisibility is never broken. Since monsters typically do not have blind fight, the shadow attack will catch them flat-footed as well. Negative energy burst (+8 to shadow fiend strength), and other cleric spells will aid the shadows touch attack vs. the flat-footed target’s AC of 10 + dex modifier (if secured) + size modifier + expertise/improved expertise feats (typically not employed when the monster is not engaged in combat). All the rest of the target AC is completely negated and there is no save to resist the damage.
The cleric has hundreds (exaggeration) of ways to buff and heal the shadow. From negative energy burst and negative energy ray, to spontaneously cast inflict spells, to regeneration and temporary hit points, the cleric can keep his fiend alive. Plus the fiends immunity to cold, fire, and electricity gives the cleric a one up on casting ice storm, flame strike, and many other spells that normally would damage nearby summons.
Typically all the cleric has to do is have the invisible shadow wait back, implode the true-seers (and ability decrease immune), cast greater sanctuary, and the still invisible shadow can come into the combat and pick to pieces the rest of the creatures. Cautions: There is only one shadow summon per day and it lasts 7 hours (At SD 7). If you need it for clean-up patrol, you will need to keep it alive.
Edited By Kail Pendragon on 09/29/09 14:43
Seriously though, since your fiend is only a lv 7 summon you will need ALL the help you can give him. I recommend memming 0 implodes (one of the silliest spells in the game) and taking Storm of Vengence in its place. At 8 lvl, take ALL firestorms as well. That way, you really can be a caster type to support your minion. ALl of this is in the details of actual game play and varries from player to player. I just thought id make the suggestion to make your guy unstoppable.
Quote: Posted 09/11/09 03:46 (GMT) -- avado
Seriously though, since your fiend is only a lv 7 summon you will need ALL the help you can give him. I recommend memming 0 implodes (one of the silliest spells in the game) and taking Storm of Vengence in its place. At 8 lvl, take ALL firestorms as well. That way, you really can be a caster type to support your minion. ALl of this is in the details of actual game play and varries from player to player. I just thought id make the suggestion to make your guy unstoppable.
Do you realize how many areas this one level 7 summon can clear with only the invisibility buff? True-seers in PvM are fairly rare, and those immune to ability decrease are often also immune to mind spells (which negates the SoV stun). This one summon is, without exaggeration, one of the more powerful, and in many instances able to outdo the fullblown level 29 epic shadowlord. The big advantage the summon has, is instead of having the monsters fighting for their life, they just stand there and die as the shadow passes through.
Since i have never relied on summons, i wouldnt know a good one if it spit on me! Seriously!
If what you say is true, and i have no reason to doubt it, then this guy, then this guy would be unstoppable in pvm.
Nicely done. It ALMOST makes me want to reload nwn... ALMOST! LOL
Might I suggest trying to fit Zen Archery in somewhere early as this one trick pony's main trick doesn't come until after 20th level? Might make some of those earlier levels a bit easier to survive. Notice I say a "bit". I'd also be tempted to fit martial in there personally only because I've always preferred bows over crossbows.
I will try out this build, I had no idea that the SD pet could be that effective if used correctly. _________________ The secret to eternal youth is simply in your imagination.
Might I suggest trying to fit Zen Archery in somewhere early as this one trick pony's main trick doesn't come until after 20th level? Might make some of those earlier levels a bit easier to survive. Notice I say a "bit". I'd also be tempted to fit martial in there personally only because I've always preferred bows over crossbows.
I will try out this build, I had no idea that the SD pet could be that effective if used correctly.
Dude, a cleric is NEVER a one trick pony! Just cuz whiz says that the summon is the main thing, this guy will hold his own and more. Clerics are like that. Zen archry is quite useless in all, so i would drop it from the build totally. Yes, clerics are that good.
As avado says, this is no one trick pony. The summon is the only thing really mentioned because it is something we are not used to seeing.
With 19 levels of Cleric followed by the Monk level at 20, this build is not going to have much trouble in any environment.
Cool build.
Edited By galelabriel on 09/13/09 22:19
Ok, I believe what I said was taken out of context. Of course the cleric has more powers; I know that. The powers of the cleric are not what I consider tricks. Tricks are little secret weapons like the one emphasized in the build information. Cleric spells and abilities are common to all clerics and hence don't count as tricks.
I don't play spell casters very often but when I do, usually I like to have something in the background for when the spells run out, especially at lower levels when spells are so limited. Since the cleric in this case is not like a wizard that can just look for something like a rod of frost which hits every time, I am suggesting that zen archery would be that back up (adds 11 to AB by my count over what dex offers). _________________ The secret to eternal youth is simply in your imagination.
I don't play spell casters very often but when I do, usually I like to have something in the background for when the spells run out, especially at lower levels when spells are so limited. Since the cleric in this case is not like a wizard that can just look for something like a rod of frost which hits every time, I am suggesting that zen archery would be that back up (adds 11 to AB by my count over what dex offers).
It's only a +1 over dex at level one, and a +3 by the time of implosion (though owl's wisdom is a buff that can improve it). Further there is the penalty for shooting close range without point blank, and the ranged damage isn't going to be anything close to the melee once darkfire and greater magic weapon are added. Yes it does give a huge benefit much later to ranged AB, but it is only marginal in effect when you qualify for the high level spells.
Edited By WhiZard on 09/14/09 10:09
Fair enough, Thanks.
Congratz on the unique idea. _________________ The secret to eternal youth is simply in your imagination.
You know, that is a truly GREAT thing, a unique idea in a game that is nearly a decade old! The thing with this, and why Whiz is so great, is that it is a POWER build as well (the one monk lvl puts it over the top in that category!).
All hail!! _________________
Quote: Posted 06/23/04 21:16 (GMT) -- Anuis
Suolucider, Blitz 04, avado, Quisition, Boourns, ... welcome to the guild! Anuis
Makes me feel OOLD!!
Why not lower some attributes and bump wisdom to 18?
Quote: Posted 09/16/09 23:08 (GMT) -- Endalyor
Why not lower some attributes and bump wisdom to 18?
Why? He ends with 36. In reality, a min/max build isnt necessary here so why suffer the penalties for having 18 wis? It makes no real difference to the build at ANY time and would cost way too much.
Any special reason for choosing silent spell over extend spell?
Well, generally speaking, silent spell can be applied to almost any spell (including damage and healing spells) but extended can only be applied to spells with a duration. So especially if resting isn't limited, you might not need/want the duration and might want better spellbook management.
Yep, one spell I particularly like to use more slots on is hammer of the gods (keeps enemies that are locked onto my shadow away from it). Further since this character has HiPS, having long lasting buffs isn't as much of an issue. There is also icestorm (another spell my shadow is immune to even when cast empowered), that can deal quite a lot of damage.
Silent spell is really one of those obvious secrets that we share hidden with people in cleric builds. Besides, this build has 32 caster lvls, so, if i only had one meta feat, i would probably take silent here for the reasons stated by magi and whiz!
btw, whiz, did i say how much i loved this build?? It is very well done. _________________
Do you give up the one AB point in monk at 20 because you want the saves? I don't see what else you gain. In truth I do agree that it is probably better than the 1 point in AB. _________________ We are sons of Odin, and the fire that we burn inside is the legacy of warrior-kings who reign above in the sky I will lead the charge, my sword into the wind Sons of Odin fights to die and live again
Quote: Posted 10/04/09 14:32 (GMT) -- Grimnir77
Do you give up the one AB point in monk at 20 because you want the saves? I don't see what else you gain. In truth I do agree that it is probably better than the 1 point in AB.
Yes it is for the saves, I was slightly tempted to also take 1 SD pre-epic as that would net a further +2 to reflex at the cost of another -1 AB. Mostly, this cleric fits more on the casting end than the high strength melee end making the +2 reflex, +1 fortitude, +1 will from monk having significantly more worth than the +1 AB from a pure 20 cleric.
