melee options for DD+RS caster build?

[GlassJaw]

I haven't touched my cleric since the enhancement pass and trying to figure out what to do. I was primarily a Radiant Servant before the pass but I'm intrigued with the Divine Disciple SLAs. I definitely want to be a caster primarily but trying to figure out how to build so I at least have some melee options to save spell points here and there.

Should I just take a level or 2 of fighter and call it a day?
Since I'll probably be using a staff fairly often, what about 2-3 levels of monk and take the Henshin qstaff enhancements? That would also give me some additional spell power and crit %.

I'm not sure on stats either. Monk 2 grants Evasion but I'm not sure if my Reflex save will ever be good enough unless I also dump Strength, which in turn will greatly reduce any melee ability I might have.

And in general, is a caster cleric simply better off being pure? (which I'm ok with too)

[EllisDee37]

Well, you could go sword&board and use heavy maces with wisdom to-hit and damage. (Scepter of Healing, Forgotten Light.) That way you can dump strength and still have a nice damage modifier.

Pure is very, very good for caster clerics. Splashing 2 monk is even better if you spend the feats on grandmaster of forms, which gives you +4 wisdom while sacrificing the +2 wisdom capstone, for a net gain of +2. You may be tight on feats but it's certainly doable. (The monk bonus feats can't be used for casting feats, so a pure cleric will be ahead by 2 casting feats.)

I don't think you can do both of these, since the wisdom weapons will uncenter you negating the +4 wisdom from stance.

[Replliw]

(The monk bonus feats can't be used for casting feats, so a pure cleric will be ahead by 2 casting feats.)

You probably meant something else, but pure cleric will not be ahead by 2 casting feats. The cleric with a monk splash will be 2 martial feats ahead, while pure cleric gets no additional feats.

[EllisDee37]

You probably meant something else, but pure cleric will not be ahead by 2 casting feats. The cleric with a monk splash will be 2 martial feats ahead, while pure cleric gets no additional feats.

Ah, yep, you're right. I was tired and confused.

What I was subconsciously thinking of is that if you go human, and take monk at first level, then your human bonus feat can't be used for a caster feat so you'd lose out on a caster feat. This is easily avoided by not being human or taking a cleric level at 1, though.

This is more of an issue for wizard/rogue builds, not clonk.

[SirValentine]

You probably meant something else, but pure cleric will not be ahead by 2 casting feats. The cleric with a monk splash will be 2 martial feats ahead, while pure cleric gets no additional feats.

He didn't claim they'd be ahead TOTAL feats.

...if you spend the feats on grandmaster of forms

The feats spent on forms are feats NOT spent on casting.

Given what he wrote, the pure Cleric is indeed ahead on casting feats.

[Replliw]

He didn't claim they'd be ahead TOTAL feats.



The feats spent on forms are feats NOT spent on casting.

Given what he wrote, the pure Cleric is indeed ahead on casting feats.

Ahh, I was under impression that one could take master of forms feats as monk bonus feats. The more you know...

[korsat]

I haven't touched my cleric since the enhancement pass and trying to figure out what to do. I was primarily a Radiant Servant before the pass but I'm intrigued with the Divine Disciple SLAs. I definitely want to be a caster primarily but trying to figure out how to build so I at least have some melee options to save spell points here and there.

Should I just take a level or 2 of fighter and call it a day?
Since I'll probably be using a staff fairly often, what about 2-3 levels of monk and take the Henshin qstaff enhancements? That would also give me some additional spell power and crit %.

I'm not sure on stats either. Monk 2 grants Evasion but I'm not sure if my Reflex save will ever be good enough unless I also dump Strength, which in turn will greatly reduce any melee ability I might have.

And in general, is a caster cleric simply better off being pure? (which I'm ok with too)

Take a look at Avenlight build in my sign. It's the best healing/dps combination i found.

there's also a video if you wanna see a cleric critting 1k with wraps

[SirValentine]

Ahh, I was under impression that one could take master of forms feats as monk bonus feats. The more you know...

I'm not sure whether you can or can't, but you need to spend 3 feats on forms to get ahead on Wisdom (Grandmaster), and you only get 2 bonus feats. Even if you can, you're still behind 1 caster feat, and if you can't, 3 behind.

[Rhaphael]

Ahh, I was under impression that one could take master of forms feats as monk bonus feats. The more you know...

Unfortunately you can't. As long as you have 1 Monk level under your belt you can take Adept at 6, Master at 12 and Grandmaster at 18, but they will cost you normal feats.