Help with a Slightly Specific Build : H-Orc Shieldpriest

[Pinstriped]

I'm wanting to build a tanky-melee-Cleric to play with my friends that play only casters and ranged damage dealers. Specifically I'm wanting to try a H-Orc Cleric/Barbarian. I've looked around for builds and only found kind-of-similar stuff, mostly THF barbarian clerics. Given that I'm going more for bulk than dps, I'm looking to use a one-handed weapon (warhammer with Onatar) and a tower shield in the offhand. I've never built a character that actually uses a shield, so I really want to give that a chance for once.

My general thought right now is Cleric 15/Barbarian 4/Fighter 1 choosing Onatar and Strength domain. I plan on taking Shield Mastery, Power Attack, Warpriest, and a smattering of barbarian/half-orc enhancements for damage and such. Other than that, I'm not sure how I should approach the build (skills, exact stats, etc.). Everything I find online is THF based or Paladin based, but I'm specifically looking for a shield-toting Cleric. If there's any build for this that I missed or any key points of advice for a shield caster, I'd appreciate it.

Quick notes: I'm a returning player (off and on for the last several years) on Cannith. I'm not VIP. This would be first life. I don't have Ravenloft or Sharn (working on that). I have 32-point build and Harper but no other trees. I'm just planning on heroic stuff for now.

[cru121]

I would make the following changes: go up to Barbarian 5 (to qualify for tier 5 enhancements in one of the barbarian trees) and change the domain.
Arguably, Occult Slayer is the tankiest of the Barbarian trees. As for domains, Animal grants you tasty extra 10 HP per level.

As for feats, consider the Shield Mastery line (3x), Improved Shield Bash, Knight's Training, and Improved Critical: Bludgeoning. This leaves one heroic feat free (or two if you take a Fighter level), probably best spent on some metamagic feat to make your healing better; perhaps Quicken or Empower Healing. Alternatively, you could try to fit in Precision or Power Attack + some Cleaves.

Good luck. This should work just fine for a first-life character. As for leveling, try to have 5 Barb levels at level 12 so that you can pick up T5 enhancements asap.

[unbongwah]

I've looked around for builds and only found kind-of-similar stuff, mostly THF barbarian clerics.

That's because S&B DPS is terrible (outside of pure Vanguards and Swashbucklers where it's merely so-so) and the defensive benefits of using a shield usually aren't worth the sacrifice for melees. Your proposed build pairs the worst melee style with a class split that gets zero critical threat range bonuses. A SWF cleric 20 with War domain will out-DPS you by a significant margin and be a better spellcaster. Or alternatively, a cleric 17 / <fighter|paladin> 3 split with Protection domain would be a better tank while still getting level 9 spells. Barb 5 / cleric 15 Destruction domain pairs good melee DPS (Focused Wrath + falchions = 15-20/x4 crits) with level 8 spells for a solid melee/healer support hybrid.

[Propane]

14Cleric/6Fighter could be fun

Power Attack / Cleave / Great Cleave / Knights Training
Stunning Blow / Stunning shield
Wardomain - should be able to stun almost anything...

I did an build a few years ago - was ok - stunned a lot but per above DPS as ok at best -
With recent changes - this could be reworked some - and made better for sure...

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post6024874

If you haven't tried a character builder - check out
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...racter-Planner

[Pinstriped]

I would make the following changes...

I do like Empower Healing. Just wasn't sure if/when to include it. For Domains, is the hp from Animal better than the saves from Luck or the resistance from Protection? I’m getting the feeling that, as much as I want Barb in the build, the tanking style it provides won’t mesh. I thought the extra hp and heal amp would be good. I only really focused on the damage to keep the hate on me, and HOrc + Barb has a ton of Power Attack help.

That's because S&B DPS is terrible...

Again, I get that the dps is gonna be less than a thf and any number of other builds. I'm just trying to make a fun, bulky support character to go around with me friends. So if Melee with shield doesn't work, how could a Caster-focused build with a shield work?

14Cleric/6Fighter could be fun...

War Domain and Stunning sounds interesting. I’m not too worried about damage being less than stellar, especially if the build has good lockdown and can self heal. Why 6 though? Wouldn't level 8 spells be worth going 15/5? Or do you go to 6 for Vicious Shield or something?
Also I do have the builder, but I don't feel like I have enough to go on this build yet to actually plan it out.