Possible or Viable Cleric Staff build?

[phalaeo]

Hi, my name is Pallai and I cant stop using Quarterstaffs.

*mumble*Hi, Pallai*mumble*
Enable me!

I'm wondering what I can include in a Cleric build to make an efficient Q-Staff wielding healer.
Halp?

-Do not want to be a "Battle Cleric", just be able to solo some stuff and support DPS/defend myself when needed.
-Want at least 17 levels CLR
-Need to still be an effective raid healer
-Need help with stats/multiclass options/gear.

Thanks as always.

[JollySwagMan]

I was playing around with the character builder yesterday with the idea of a Q-Staff Clonk and got stuck somewhere between speccing for Evocation and Stunning Blow/Two-Handed Fighting.

I see the main benefits of wielding a Quarterstaff on a Cleric with Monk splash as:

1. Quarterstaves are the Bastard Swords of spellcasters - cheap and available. Spellcaster Kamas are amazingly expensive in comparison.
2. Monks may remain centered while wielding a Quarterstaff, thus allowing the Lesser Water stance (+2 wis, -2 str) for higher DCs than a pure Cleric (Holy Smite and Blade Barrier are both Evocation spells with no Spell Resistance check)
3. Weighted works on Quarterstaves for Stunning Blow, which is Strength DC. Divine Power + Lesser Fire stance (+2 str, -2 wis) = +8 Str available at level 8.
4. 3 levels in Monk provides Aligning the Heavens, which works very nicely with Metamagic feats.
(5). 3 levels in Monk also provides Healing Ki, which benefits from your Life Magic crit+damage enhancements, as well as whatever devotion/ardour/healing lore items you have. Alas, Empower Healing doesn't work on it.

The downsides:
1. Quarterstaves take two hands - limiting the efficiency of your weapon sets.
2. Glancing blows from Quarterstaves may get you aggro that you're not looking for.
3. Less Spell Penetration and Spell Points.
4. Effective melee and offensive spellcasting requires constant shifting between Fire and Water stance - doable, but very twitchy. This is a playstyle that I enjoy, but can hardly recommend.
5. Human would work better for this than Halfling. This makes me sad.

However for the aims you have stated in the OP - raid-capable healing and support melee - one could reduce the emphasis on either melee or Evocation casting and pick up the Spell Point feats instead. Indeed, if you're focusing on raids you wouldn't need that 3rd Monk level as there will probably be a few in the group. However I do recommend the 2 levels of Monk due to Evasion and Water stance's bonus to saves/Wisdom. Which I'm sure you know about, with a Clonk in your sig :P.

If only Quarterstaves were finesse-able....

[Angelus_dead]

I'm wondering what I can include in a Cleric build to make an efficient Q-Staff wielding healer.
Halp?

Yes, it's easy. Just make sure your starting strength is over 13 so you can have Power Attack, and with Divine Power going you'll do adequate damage with a staff.

The problem with doing that is that for just a moderate additional investment (a feat or class level) you can get proficiency with a falchion or greataxe and do quite a bit more damage. So being a staff-wielding cleric doesn't make a lot of sense, because if you're going to be going into melee with a two-hander you may as well take it further and use a real weapon.

A sensible reason to fight with staff is if you were Cleric17/Monk3, so the staff attacks give you Ki which is used to cast Aligning the Heavens, reducing your party's mana costs by 25%.

[cyadra]

Dont forget to run the catacombs series so you can get your staff of light, which is good for low to mid levels before you craft one.