Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rassul 02-18-06, 12:06 AM	I'm starting a 10th level cleric in a week or two. My plan right now is to use melee buff spells on myself and some straight damage spells mixed in. I'm a fifth level caster. I was thinking of using Divine Power, Righteous Might, and Divine Favor for my combat buffs. I am considering searing light and flame strike for big damage dealers. Does anyone know of any fifth level and under damage dealers besides these? Are the inflict spells worth it? What about past the fifth level? Thanks in advance.
Ehelonna 02-18-06, 04:44 AM	If you are a level 10 caster, inflict Light Wounds, Mass is wonderful... a number of creatures take 1d8+10 damage for a single casting. Your allies are not affected and can attack the weakened creatures
Llowyn 02-18-06, 04:57 AM	Holy Smite is a great damage dealer, but you'd only have access to that one if Good was one of your domains. Don't overlook Spiritual Weapon, either. Even though it's only a 2nd level spell, it's a good combat spell that sticks around for many rounds.
Vallah 02-19-06, 11:18 AM	Here are a few for you to consider Rassul. I use these on my cleric (who really likes to mix it in meelee). 1st: Enlarge person, 2nd: Spiritual Weapon (an all time favourite), 3rd: Searing light, Knights' move, 4th: Divine power, 5th: Flame strike, Righteous might, Slay living. As (sort of) mentioned earlier by Ehelonna, the mass healing spells are really cool, particularly Vs undead. Your allies get a healing and the undead gets a hurting. Sweet.
Yoho1.5 02-19-06, 11:35 AM	Don't overlook Sound burst at 2nd level, its damage isn't great but the stun is more than worth it, great vs enemy casters and rogues. Also the stun helps the rogue with the sneak attack. If you can boost your DC and possibly heighten it you can stuff enemy arcane casters with it.
Rassul 02-19-06, 11:49 AM	Wow, thanks for the help guys. Some stuff here that I hadn't thought of. Do mass healing spells really damage undead? If so, that's too cool.
The_Last_Rogue 02-19-06, 11:59 AM	Hold Person vs fighters = good times for you
cwslyclgh 02-19-06, 01:05 PM	Do mass healing spells really damage undead? If so, that's too cool.they can if you target them with it... infact you can even mix it up and heal some allies and damage some undead if all are with in range (as a 10th level caster you can affect 10 targets no two of which can be more then 30ft. apart).
Gleddon 02-19-06, 01:19 PM	Earth Reaver from the Spell Compendium is a pretty good lv5 cleric spell. Medium range, 4d6 impact damage and 3d6 fire damage to all creatures in a 20-foot-radius spread. There's no save against the damage, but there is a reflex save to avoid falling prone.
Eerongal 02-19-06, 02:13 PM	Don't overlook Sound burst at 2nd level, its damage isn't great but the stun is more than worth it, great vs enemy casters and rogues. Also the stun helps the rogue with the sneak attack. If you can boost your DC and possibly heighten it you can stuff enemy arcane casters with it. Me and a friend of mine who played a rogue did this all the time :P
Shukufuku 02-20-06, 07:21 PM	Don't overlook the glory of spell storing. It'd work with inflict serious, hold person, shivering touch, etc. Divine might (feat, CW) for your high charisma clerics
Nom 02-20-06, 08:11 PM	If you are a level 10 caster, inflict Light Wounds, Mass is wonderful... a number of creatures take 1d8+10 damage for a single casting. Your allies are not affected and can attack the weakened creaturesUm, 1d8+10 (Will save for half) to up to 10 creatures within 30 ft. diameter at Close range really isn't that impressive at level 10. It's slightly more subtle than flame strike and has a slightly larger area (20 ft. diameter vs 30 ft.), but you really can't compare 1d8+10 (Will half) at Close with 10d6 (Ref half) at Medium in most situations, and neither can compete with a wizard's empowered fireball (10d6 * 1.5 (Ref half), 40 ft. diameter, Long).
cwslyclgh 02-20-06, 09:54 PM	I believe the point is that since it is a target spell you can damage foes already engaged with your allies with out worrying about hurting your side more then the oppoenents... try to do that with flame strike or empowered fireball (assuming that you don't have the shape spell feat in which case we should be comparing them to higher level spells, or levels in archmage) and you will find it much more difficult. (Not that I agree realy, I think that mass inflict light wounds is a poor spell to prepare unless you plan on taking out a bunch of fodder that you likley will not be getting xp for anyway, or you are undead and traveling with undead allies... in which case you can use it to damage living oppoenents and heal yourself and your allies at the same time).
SamiPeikko 02-21-06, 05:15 AM	Even with high lvl cleric I regularly memorize 3 Searing lights to be used with lesser maximizing item (some Phylactery for priests from MoF). 40 points of damage to ordinary targets or 80 to Vampires is good value for money.
smrtgmp 02-21-06, 05:26 AM	If your DM allows it as is, you'll be hard pressed to beat holy word (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holyWord.htm) (and its derivatives), especially if your party members share one aspect of your alignment. Just use one of many ways to boost your CL (such as the strand of prayer beads, karma in particular; consumptive field, or the divine spell power feat) to boost your CL well above your opponents HD. If you can do this reliably, your opponents will be absolutely screwed, given that they wont receive a save to resist its effects. Granted, you'll have to wait till you're 13th level, but still. The holy word line of spells are some of the most broken in the game, especially if you exploit one of umpteen ways to boost your CL.
Beckett 03-06-06, 11:54 PM	Although it is a sixth level spell, one of the best Cleric seplls I know is Comet Fall. It is in the Complete Divine, does damage based on two factors; your caster level and the amount of space it falls. The most notable things are that it does not require an attack role as it targets 4 squares and all within it, has a Reflex save, and goes straight thru Antimagic Field, (unless you cast it within an Atimagic Filed to begin with).
Ehelonna 03-20-06, 01:35 AM	Um, 1d8+10 (Will save for half) to up to 10 creatures within 30 ft. diameter at Close range really isn't that impressive at level 10. It's slightly more subtle than flame strike and has a slightly larger area (20 ft. diameter vs 30 ft.), but you really can't compare 1d8+10 (Will half) at Close with 10d6 (Ref half) at Medium in most situations, and neither can compete with a wizard's empowered fireball (10d6 * 1.5 (Ref half), 40 ft. diameter, Long). Most cleric spells don't compete well against metamagiced wizard spells, at least not before 6th level (harm and blade barrier come to mind). Mass inflicts are much better vs. the rogue that has tumbled into your midst... after all, will is a poor save and evasion doesn't negate the damage. Flame strike is nice... but you need some seperation from the group and no resistance or protection from fire.
beaver1024 03-20-06, 03:40 AM	Some good offensive cleric spells: Magic Missile, Charm Person, True Strike, Melf's Acid Arrow, Produce Flame, Scorching Ray, Suggestion, Blindness/Deafness, Ice Storm, Phantasmal Killer, Cone of Cold, Chain Lightning, Disintegrate.
Shukufuku 03-20-06, 01:32 PM	Some good offensive cleric spells: Magic Missile, Charm Person, True Strike, Melf's Acid Arrow, Produce Flame, Scorching Ray, Suggestion, Blindness/Deafness, Ice Storm, Phantasmal Killer, Cone of Cold, Chain Lightning, Disintegrate. From domains, I'm assuming?
beaver1024 03-21-06, 05:17 AM	From domains, I'm assuming? Domains, Domain abilities, Miracle, Initiate of XXX feats etc etc
Nom 03-21-06, 07:08 AM	Most cleric spells don't compete well against metamagiced wizard spells, at least not before 6th level (harm and blade barrier come to mind).True enough. Which is why I first compared it to flame strike. The comment about wizards was merely to indicate that dealing mass hit point damage is usually considered the job of wizards, not clerics. Mass inflicts are much better vs. the rogue that has tumbled into your midst... after all, will is a poor save and evasion doesn't negate the damage. Flame strike is nice... but you need some seperation from the group and no resistance or protection from fire.Let me be blunt. At that level, any rogue that has anything to fear from 1d8+10 hit points is no threat to you. Let a fighter clean him up with his last iterative attack. Even 4d8+20 (inflict critical wounds at 20th level) isn't a particularly impressive attack.
Vaelan 03-21-06, 07:35 AM	Firestorm. It has one of the best areas of effect possible (it affects 2 10-foot cubes per level, each of which you may place anywhere within Medium range) and deals up to 20d6 fire damage. The only downside is that it is a level 8 spell.
Lemmose 03-21-06, 09:38 AM	OK, I have 3 ideas from the Spell Comp, which granted, may have already been said sinece I haven't read the responces yet. Frost Breath: 2nd level spell, d4 cold damage per 2 levels, max 5d4, plus daze for 1 round, 30 foot cone effect. Save for half and no daze. This one is good when you start combat to weaken and stop enemies so your allies can get in there and stomp them, flank, etc. Moon Bolt: 4th level spell, d4 str damage per 3 levels (stops undead briefly), max 5d4, save for half, auto hit. At 10th level, that's 3d4 strength damage with save for half, works well for big things, assuming SR proves no problem. Ring of Blades: 3rd level spell, d6 +level, max 10, damage to all adjacent squares to you. Counts as physical damage so DR applies, but is considered magical, silver and slashing for overcoming DR.
Nightmare Beast 03-23-06, 01:15 PM	One of the most powerful third level spells for Cleric is from "Frostburn". It is called Shivering Touch. On a successful melee touch attack you do 3D6 dexteriry damage without a saving throw.