Fighter/Cleric suggestions?

[kazekamio]

I have already played a pure cleric once to level 27 before TRing and I hated it. I am a fighter at heart but I still want to get 2 more lives into cleric before I say goodbye to the class forever. So I am wondering if any have some build suggestions to make the burden easier on me. I don't care if it mixes with fighter, but I am a fighter at heart and I have tons of fighter gear ranging from 3 to 26 all on standby since that was both my first, and will be my last life.

I have a dedicated group of people I play with so if I happen to be a less than ideal healer nobody will end up with hurt feelings. Well except for the halfling Wizard that likes getting one shotted by spike traps 7 times in a single day.

[Kriogen]

Class: Fighter2/Paladin3/Cleric15. Take first level as Cleric, the rest is up to you.

Race: any. Human is to some extend a little bit better as it gets extra feat. As you are hybrid (part melee, part magic), extra feats help.

Stats: like a Paladin. STR/CON/CHA. Use gear/tomes to have enough WIS to cast buff/heals.

Feats: Extend, Quicken. The rest like Fighter/Paladin. Would be nice to also have Empower Heal and/or Maximize.

Enhancements: T5 Radiant Servent for regen Aura. The cool part is that it's Fire&Forget, hands-free. Activate and then chop like Fighter. The rest is up to you.

Combat style: whichever you like more.

[Pehtis]

Wisdom spec'd Warpriest Kensai archer for no particular reason except to pew pew the life away, and heal in a pinch. Suggest C16/F4 split using a longbow. Elf for bow bonus and SP in race tree, or Human for cores, heal amp, extra feat. Alternatively maybe Cleric/ranger splashes if like bow idea. You only really need 13 cleric for spells that might be remotely useful depending on your DC's, which could open up more splash. Not mentioning monk, just because!

[unbongwah]

I would also consider cleric 13 / bard 4 / ftr 3: S&B Swashbuckler with lvl 7 spells and Radiant Aura / bursts. E.g., 32 APs into Rad Serv (auras), 22 APs into WP for Ameliorating Strike, 11 APs into SB (Skirmisher), ~13 APs into SD (defensive stance, +6 STR or +20% HPs), with 2 APs to spare.

Sample build:

Radiant Swashbuckler
13/4/3 Cleric/Bard/Fighter, Epic 1
True Neutral Human


Level Order

1. Bard . . . . . .6. Cleric. . . . .11. Cleric . . . . 16. Cleric
2. Bard . . . . . .7. Cleric. . . . .12. Fighter. . . . 17. Cleric
3. Bard . . . . . .8. Fighter . . . .13. Cleric . . . . 18. Cleric
4. Cleric . . . . .9. Bard. . . . . .14. Cleric . . . . 19. Cleric
5. Cleric . . . . 10. Fighter . . . .15. Cleric . . . . 20. Cleric


Stats
. . . . . . . .34pt. . .36pt . . Tome. . .Level Up
. . . . . . . .----. . .---- . . ----. . .--------
Strength. . . . 16 . . . 16. . . .+2 . . . 4: STR
Dexterity . . . 12 . . . 12. . . .+2 . . . 8: STR
Constitution. . 14 . . . 14. . . .+2 . . .12: STR
Intelligence. . 12 . . . 14. . . .+2 . . .16: STR
Wisdom. . . . . .8 . . . .8. . . .+2 . . .20: STR
Charisma. . . . 16 . . . 16. . . .+2 . . .

Feats

.1. . . . : Single Weapon Fighting
.1 Human. : Shield Mastery
.3. . . . : Precision
.4 Deity. : Follower of: Sovereign Host
.6. . . . : Empower Healing Spell
.8 Fighter: Improved Single Weapon Fighting
.9. . . . : Maximize Spell
10 Fighter: Improved Critical: Slashing
12. . . . : Improved Shield Mastery
13 Deity. : Unyielding Sovereignty
15. . . . : Greater Single Weapon Fighting
18. . . . : Quicken Spell
21 Epic . : Overwhelming Critical


Enhancements (80 AP)

Human (1 AP)

Damage Boost

Radiant Servant (32 AP)

Healing Domain, Pacifism, Positive Energy Burst, Improved Empower Healing
Extra Turning III, Wand Mastery III
Improved Turning II, Divine Healing II
Intense Healing II, Unyielding Sovereignty
Endless Turning II, Incredible Healing II
Positive Energy Aura

Warpriest (23 AP)

Smite Foe, Resilience of Battle, Sanctuary, Blur
Divine Might III, Sacred Touch I
Smite Weakness, Wall of Steel III, Inflame III, Inflame: Saving Throws II
Inflame: Energy Absorption III
Ameliorating Strike

Swashbuckler (11 AP)

Confidence, Swashbuckling
On Your Toes III, Tavern Shanties I
Deflect Arrows, Sword Dance I
Skirmisher

Stalwart Defender (13 AP)

Toughness, Stalwart Defense
Durable Defense III, Stalwart Defensive Mastery I
Resilient Defense III, Instinctive Defense I
Tenacious Defense III

I only built it out to lvl 21 on the presumption this is just an HTR life. Just realized I forgot to leave 4 APs for Kensei Haste Boost. Oops! Oh well, you get the idea, I'm sure...

I took IC:Slash to use sickles - yes, sickles - because Widowblight + Tharkuul's Bane is a darn near ideal combo for a Swashie from lvl 10 on and are relatively easy to farm (boring & tedious, but easy). But if you've got a heroic Skullsmasher stored away, feel free to build around it instead.

This would also work as a drow using short swords + WP Righteous Weapons, particularly if you've got TAB + Razorend (slot w/Devotion). Plus they're both keen, so you could either delay Imp Crit feat or take IC:Slash/Blunt to give yourself more versatility with weapon types.

[Enoach]

I know the others have already thrown out some ideas on cleric builds, but might I ask what you hated? I ask because in order to recommend something you would not hate it helps to know what aspects you did not like?

1. Was it Spell point management?
2. Lack of Melee Power
3. Lack of Feat Customization
4. Was it the enhancement trees not offering what you would consider good melee options?
5. What type of Fighter do you enjoy? Offensive, tactical, defensive

I have a guildmate that also hated his Pure Cleric. He felt constrained. He loved his monk and is very good at playing to managing Monk like abilities. I pointed him towards the 17/3 and 18/2 Cleric/Monk builds. He has been much happier because his cleric plays more like a Monk.

If the issue comes down to just feeling like there is too few feats to flesh out Melee power I would suggest trading some Cleric Levels for the Fighter Feats. 19/1 Clerk/Ftr gets you 1 Fighter feat and a bunch of other extras while keeping Level 9 spells at your disposal. 18/2 gets you one more Feat. From that point on Every +2 levels of Fighter will get you one more Fighter Feat. Determine how many additional feats you think you would need to make your cleric feel more Melee. Then see if trading Cleric Levels for Fighter Levels would get you that.

[EllisDee37]

Axel's THF Melee Cleric Build looks pretty solid. It's 15/4/1 cleric/paladin/fighter.

[kazekamio]

I know the others have already thrown out some ideas on cleric builds, but might I ask what you hated? I ask because in order to recommend something you would not hate it helps to know what aspects you did not like?

1. Was it Spell point management?
2. Lack of Melee Power
3. Lack of Feat Customization
4. Was it the enhancement trees not offering what you would consider good melee options?
5. What type of Fighter do you enjoy? Offensive, tactical, defensive

I have a guildmate that also hated his Pure Cleric. He felt constrained. He loved his monk and is very good at playing to managing Monk like abilities. I pointed him towards the 17/3 and 18/2 Cleric/Monk builds. He has been much happier because his cleric plays more like a Monk.

If the issue comes down to just feeling like there is too few feats to flesh out Melee power I would suggest trading some Cleric Levels for the Fighter Feats. 19/1 Clerk/Ftr gets you 1 Fighter feat and a bunch of other extras while keeping Level 9 spells at your disposal. 18/2 gets you one more Feat. From that point on Every +2 levels of Fighter will get you one more Fighter Feat. Determine how many additional feats you think you would need to make your cleric feel more Melee. Then see if trading Cleric Levels for Fighter Levels would get you that.

Most of my answers for why I disliked Cleric are going to be answered with 'Duh! It's a cleric!' so to sum it up, cleric was to much of a patient class where I am impatient. I am not a rush-rush zergling but I definitely play a fast paced fighter with a heavy lean on 'break all the things' especially things that try to move. Cleric simply required to much active management and to many shortcut bars.

[axel15810]

I have already played a pure cleric once to level 27 before TRing and I hated it. I am a fighter at heart but I still want to get 2 more lives into cleric before I say goodbye to the class forever. So I am wondering if any have some build suggestions to make the burden easier on me. I don't care if it mixes with fighter, but I am a fighter at heart and I have tons of fighter gear ranging from 3 to 26 all on standby since that was both my first, and will be my last life.

I have a dedicated group of people I play with so if I happen to be a less than ideal healer nobody will end up with hurt feelings. Well except for the halfling Wizard that likes getting one shotted by spike traps 7 times in a single day.

You can play a cleric just like a fighter if you want if you only are going after the past life. Just take 11 cleric levels for the past life, take the rest in melee class levels. Put your APs in the same areas as your pure fighter. Take your typical melee feats. It plays very similarly. You don't have to build for party healing if you don't want to. If you don't want others to expect you to heal you could even take the 11 cleric levels last so you don't even show the cleric icon for a long time. If you were to do this with a split such as 11 cleric / 9 fighter, you wouldn't even show it until level 18.