Best platform for Turn Undead

[Niminae]

I'm looking to run a Cleric life and I'd like to have functional Turn Undead capabilities in addition to either some DC casting, or if DCs would be too difficult to obtain then perhaps light spamming for DPS. Healing is also desirable of course, but that comes naturally with the class and my choice of Aasimar for race augments that with the Healing Hands ability.

In my only prior Cleric life on any character I ran a Warpriest and never landed a Turn so I stopped bothering with that class feature. But that was my first life on my first character in this game, and a lot has changed since then.

What seems to be a decent platform is an Aasimar (Bond of the Protector +1 CHA), Follower of Aureon (Aureon's Instruction +4 hit dice and +4 max hit dice), Death Domain (+2 level +2 hit dice).

Death Domain also provides support for DC casting.

I thought this stat spread might work well:

Stats
. . . . . . . .32pt . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . --------
Strength. . . . .8. . . .4: WIS
Dexterity . . . .8. . . .8: WIS
Constitution. . 14. . . 12: WIS
Intelligence. . 12. . . 16: WIS
Wisdom. . . . . 20. . . 20: WIS
Charisma. . . . 14. . .

This is a first life character so it will have no past lives and I'll have to dig around for stat tomes. I think I have a +2 Wisdom and that's about it.

I'd appreciate any feedback or comments before I commit to the build.

And if there are any 'gotchas' in gearing that I should be aware of I'd appreciate some tips on that as well. I have a max level Cannith Crafter on the server so I'll have access to crafted Silver Flame, Sacred, and Eternal Faith items. If I'm reading the bonuses and types correctly it looks like I'd want Silver Flame for +6 to total hit dice and Eternal Faith for +2 level and +2 max hit dice, and Sacred is just a step child?

Outside of Cannith Crafting Hallowed also seems like a step child, providing only a +2 to max hit dice regardless of item level, which Eternal Faith covers already. Hmmm, Celestial Bacon gives Hallowed +5/+19 max hit dice at 9/29 but isn't in the wiki list of Hallowed items (https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Hallowed_items). Insightful Faith seems to only exist on the L10 Dawn's Herald-Charm in heroics, and then jumps to at least 24th level before re-appearing in epics. Is this wiki list (https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Insightful_Faith_items) accurate?

[kpak01]

I'm looking to run a Cleric life and I'd like to have functional Turn Undead capabilities in addition to either some DC casting, or if DCs would be too difficult to obtain then perhaps light spamming for DPS. Healing is also desirable of course, but that comes naturally with the class and my choice of Aasimar for race augments that with the Healing Hands ability.


If you were open to doing Iconic, Sun Elf can get a bunch of bonuses to Turn.



I'd appreciate any feedback or comments before I commit to the build.


Looks reasonable. Turn is OP is lower heroics, decent in mid- and upper-heroics. Been a while since I've bothered trying it in Epic, so can't comment there.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

I do not know about the Tiefling, but I noticed that this race does get Charima as well.
A Tiefling as a Cleric ? Sounds weird to me, from an role playing perspective, and I'm not sure whether I'd play that.
So I'm really curious about how that would work at all. Has anyone tried that ?

[byzantinebobby]

I do not know about the Tiefling, but I noticed that this race does get Charima as well.
A Tiefling as a Cleric ? Sounds weird to me, from an role playing perspective, and I'm not sure whether I'd play that.

That's your archetypal Redemption story. Character wishes to atone for sins of their ancestors and restore their family's name.

[Alled78]

I'm looking to run a Cleric life and I'd like to have functional Turn Undead capabilities in addition to either some DC casting, or if DCs would be too difficult to obtain then perhaps light spamming for DPS. Healing is also desirable of course, but that comes naturally with the class and my choice of Aasimar for race augments that with the Healing Hands ability.

In my only prior Cleric life on any character I ran a Warpriest and never landed a Turn so I stopped bothering with that class feature. But that was my first life on my first character in this game, and a lot has changed since then.

What seems to be a decent platform is an Aasimar (Bond of the Protector +1 CHA), Follower of Aureon (Aureon's Instruction +4 hit dice and +4 max hit dice), Death Domain (+2 level +2 hit dice).

Death Domain also provides support for DC casting.

I thought this stat spread might work well:

Stats
. . . . . . . .32pt . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . --------
Strength. . . . .8. . . .4: WIS
Dexterity . . . .8. . . .8: WIS
Constitution. . 14. . . 12: WIS
Intelligence. . 12. . . 16: WIS
Wisdom. . . . . 20. . . 20: WIS
Charisma. . . . 14. . .

This is a first life character so it will have no past lives and I'll have to dig around for stat tomes. I think I have a +2 Wisdom and that's about it.

I'd appreciate any feedback or comments before I commit to the build.

And if there are any 'gotchas' in gearing that I should be aware of I'd appreciate some tips on that as well. I have a max level Cannith Crafter on the server so I'll have access to crafted Silver Flame, Sacred, and Eternal Faith items. If I'm reading the bonuses and types correctly it looks like I'd want Silver Flame for +6 to total hit dice and Eternal Faith for +2 level and +2 max hit dice, and Sacred is just a step child?

Outside of Cannith Crafting Hallowed also seems like a step child, providing only a +2 to max hit dice regardless of item level, which Eternal Faith covers already. Hmmm, Celestial Bacon gives Hallowed +5/+19 max hit dice at 9/29 but isn't in the wiki list of Hallowed items (https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Hallowed_items). Insightful Faith seems to only exist on the L10 Dawn's Herald-Charm in heroics, and then jumps to at least 24th level before re-appearing in epics. Is this wiki list (https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Insightful_Faith_items) accurate?

If u go full cleric i suggest you to go the air domain so u can turn elementals
Very useful

If not pure go death domain

[Jetrule]

Grabing 2 levels of pali and getting extra turning and improved turning 3 will net you 1 turning level and 3 hit dice of undead turning power. Taking 3 pali will let you get a defensive stance for 20% more hitpoints and prr mrr as well. without loosing any turning power over pure cleric as long as you take the turning enhancements in kotc. Aureon as a deity makes for as good a turning cleric as a sunelf putting points in racial tree turning and they must take Amanataur as deity so dont worry that you are missing out by being a Aasiamar. I like death domain over elemental domains in general unless I would be soloing alot.

Spellpen, dcs and spell points will all be a issue on your first life dc caster so maybe consider Arcanum from tier 2 Aasimar.

I would go full healer getting tier5 radiant servant and the healing aura looking to maximize positive energy using your double destructions and mostly forgo dps casting. Run with groups, heal, turn undead and inta kill with destructions slay living and implosions.

[Niminae]

I do not know about the Tiefling, but I noticed that this race does get Charima as well.
A Tiefling as a Cleric ? Sounds weird to me, from an role playing perspective, and I'm not sure whether I'd play that.
So I'm really curious about how that would work at all. Has anyone tried that ?

Well I haven't played a Tiefling yet, but to me it doesn't seem weird at all from a role play perspective. Any race can be a cleric, so why does a Tiefling cleric seem weird to you?

From a crunch perspective, if you have the AP to spare in the Tiefling racial (which anyone looking to regain their racial completionist will have) you can stack up your fire spell power. This might be far better for a sorc or a fire domain cleric (especially this ability: Your fire spells will use light Spell Power if it is higher. Your light spells will use Fire Spell Power if it is higher) but it is something that any cleric can make some use of, and both Divine Disciple and Warpriest stack up some fire spell power. And if not a sorc the T4 Tiefling ability Improved Scorch is a decent stand-in for Awaken Elemental Weakness.


But that's all moot for this character for now as I will be running it as an Aasimar.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

[cru121]

For the record, I have now updated the wiki list of Hallowed items to include Celestial Beacons.
Logged-in users should see the change immediately unless your browser has cached the old version.

[Scortius]

Aureon as a deity makes for as good a turning cleric as a sunelf

I'm not sure about this. I recently TRd from sun elf to aasimar (Aureon), and at cap turning seems to be weaker. Similar builds tuned for turning. If anything I have slightly better gear with a few relevant filigrees on now.

I feel I could turn R1 forgewraiths as a sun elf and I get very few now, as an aasimar. Haven't tested carefully, but I find it a noticeable difference.

[Thrudh]

I'm not sure about this. I recently TRd from sun elf to aasimar (Aureon), and at cap turning seems to be weaker. Similar builds tuned for turning. If anything I have slightly better gear with a few relevant filigrees on now.

I feel I could turn R1 forgewraiths as a sun elf and I get very few now, as an aasimar. Haven't tested carefully, but I find it a noticeable difference.

They recently made R1 harder and upped saves for mobs in reaper, so maybe that's it.

[Scortius]

They recently made R1 harder and upped saves for mobs in reaper, so maybe that's it.

Yeah, it could well be that. It's certainly a downer to have worked on the toon for a while to get a viable turn roll, and then just have that waft away.

I hope the gear mentioned in OP closes the gap in heroics, at least.

[Enoach]

Sun Elf is good for its "Bane of Undead" which is +2/4/6 to your Turning Class Level for 3 AP over the initial (Solid choice if you have Racial AP)

Aureon's Instruction: +4 to maximum Hit Dice affected when using Turn Undead, and +4 to the total Hit Dice affected by Turn Undead, is also solid

Keep in mind you cannot be a Sun Elf and follower of Aureon.

-------------------------
As you can see the Sun Elf with the full enhancements has a +2 Turn Level advantage over Aureon's Instruction but a -4 disadvantage on Max HD turnable. So if you are having trouble with the MAX HD then Aureon is the better choice, but I think most have trouble with the total HD.

-------------------------
On Domains. I personally like the Death Domain and I couple it with the Emissary of Darkness to get a wide variety of negative energy spells and even making mass inflict an Mass Damage option with the spell power/crit modifiers, but that does keep the limit to undead for turning.

Any of the Elemental Domains can open up for elemental turning. Have not done the Animal Domain yet (was holding off for one my Horc lives) but not sure how much I will use it, but there are several quests and explorer areas with animals.

-----------------------
Someone mentioned Tiefling Cleric and its thematic nature. Well, they would potentially serve a demon/demi-god who could grant them powers so I'm not sure how that would not fit in. That being said. I've done the Fire Domain - which I think is thematic and it couples well with the Hellish Rebuke and Ash enhancements.