Offensive Cleric

[kanbeki]

Hey all, I am looking to build a Cleric that plays as a caster. I have tried a few times to roll this toon up and its fun to play the first few levels blasting everything with nimbus of light, but cleric sp seems to be on a much lower scale than that of wiz/sorcs, I went human and took MT and Empower first level, stats were pretty borked, 18 wis, 16 con, didn't bother dumping in anything else think i put the last two points in str. So lets get to the point, will this ever be a viable build? I don't want to rely on a lot of Necro spells and I'm also wondering if drow would be better for what i'm doing (I don't know why it would, but I don't have 32pt, so its the next best thing)

[Impaqt]

Wizards and Clerics have the exact same spell point table now.
If you want to be an offensive Caster you have 2 Options as a Cleric.. Necromancy/Null Cleric(Inflict, Harm, Slay, Destruct) or Evocation(Flamestrike, Cometfall, Blade Barrier)

There jsut ist enough Light/Good spells to make a build focused on Nimbus (Blah) and Searing Light(Which is just fine Max/Empowered no matter what your focus, Plus.... it has No save....)

Since Null has an Enhancment Line availabale, (Which by chance, also enhancement Healing) most Offensive casters go this route.
THe Primary Difference in the 2 builds would be Spell Focus in Necromancy or Evocation.....

I'd Run Empower, Maximize, and Mental Toughness on either and if Human, Heighten,Qucken or IMT.

[Blazer]

You're build will be fine once you get some more levels under your belt. Play around with some CC spells like Hold Person (works on those Hobgobs in TR) and Soundburst. The better cleric offensive casting spells come at the higher levels (obviously ). Look to take some meta feats like Maximize and/or Heighten, as well as potentially a Spell Focus feat down the line.

Since as an offensive caster your spells will be based off your WIS, and there are no classes that get a +2 to WIS, your racial choice for a spellcasting cleric is not that critical. 28pt vs drow makes no real difference.

Clerics will get fewer SP than sorcs (but which class doesn't right?) but will be about on par with a wizard with the same feats/stats. Obviously racial enhancements (Dwarven Fait for clerics, Elven Arcanum for elves) will shift this balance a bit, but not significantly.

[kanbeki]

Mmm thanks for the input guys, i am still leary of Null/Necro focus caster because inflict X seems to be similar to the touch attacks of casters i.e. the have no range, which is why I was trying to see if Light spells were even viable. I will do the final reroll tonight and plunk some points into dex

[Impaqt]

Mmm thanks for the input guys, i am still leary of Null/Necro focus caster because inflict X seems to be similar to the touch attacks of casters i.e. the have no range, which is why I was trying to see if Light spells were even viable. I will do the final reroll tonight and plunk some points into dex

Dont plunk too many points into Dex..... You can fill out Full Plate just fine with a 8 and a +4 Item. Save the Mithral for someone who can concentrate on AC.....


Inflict spells range is kinda shakey.... but those are not your stales as a Null Cleric once you hit Level 9... Or even Level 7 with Poison (There arent many mobs that will survive a Max/EMpowered POISON thrown at em)

[kanbeki]

Dont plunk too many points into Dex..... You can fill out Full Plate just fine with a 8 and a +4 Item. Save the Mithral for someone who can concentrate on AC.....


Inflict spells range is kinda shakey.... but those are not your stales as a Null Cleric once you hit Level 9... Or even Level 7 with Poison (There arent many mobs that will survive a Max/EMpowered POISON thrown at em)

What would you recommend the last 2 points going into Impaqt? This is why I had considered drow, because if I don't use dex or str as a dump stat, I could use int, go drow, hit a 14 int and get oodles of skill points, Viable? or not worth the -2 to con and loss of a feat?

[redoubt]

Impaqt you (and maybe a couple of the others) should get a cleric build sticky back up since the great forum crash of 2007 took the other one.

You keep coming up with ideas for cleric offense I had not thought of. (i.e. max/emp poison... ) I thought I was doing good with the bane/sound burst combo on my level 4!

[Impaqt]

Well, The Min/Max route, I'd go 10,10,14,10,18,10 for an offensive cleric....

Sacrifice 2 poitns of Wisdom and you could go 14,10,14,10,18,12 for some melee ability (Drow get rapiers and SS + Enhancements as a racial bonus... Which is nice) and an extra DV.

a 10 STR is very nice to have. Even without a Melee focus, your wearing full plate most of the time and picking up Armor and heavy items a lot.. those 2 points of str can save you from being medium encumbered.

[Geonis]

Don't over look a few points into Cha, as Divine Healing and Divine Cleansing can save tons of SP even at high levels.

I built my cleric to be a "Caster" Cleric, went Drow as I didn't have 32 pts.