Spirit Archer - Cleric as an archer?

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Zarkas

Mar 26, 2015 8:13:38

After about a year and a half hiatus from playing D&D, I'm going to be playing in an FR campaign based in Thesk, for an oriental style campaign. Its been awhile since I touched D&D Next (5th), so I'm hoping to get some help, as don't have the time for character build research that I used to when I last played. I've been kicking around some character ideas, a lot of them around the Cleric class, and was wondering if a Spirit Archer (think Kagome/Kikyo of Inuyasha anime) was a viable build as a Cleric? 

 

I was thinking War Domain with Sharpshooter?

Are there anymore creative options out there?

#2

mellored

Mar 26, 2015 9:09:31

Clerics can use bows, but they are still mainly spell casters.

 

You might want to think about rangers.  Or possibly a ranger/clerics.

#3

Macv12

Mar 26, 2015 9:19:42

No reason you can't be a caster and an archer at the same time, though. You won't be the most amazing archer in the world, but it will work if you just want to be a regular cleric that happens to attack at range instead of in melee. War Cleric's bonuses apply just as much to bows as maces.

 

But if you want to be very impressive as an archer, yeah, multiclass. War Cleric is a pretty slapdash fix that lets you keep up in weapon combat without giving up your full-caster progression. Ranger will keep your spell slot count decent, while also making you good at the archeries. If your DM allows smites on your bow attacks, paladin is even better flavor-wise. This would be a much better fit for a Kikyo, since IIRC she doesn't go for any fancy Legolas tricks, she just shoots very accurately and with RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION.

#4

ppaladin123

Mar 26, 2015 10:22:14

You could go ranger 5/nature cleric 15.

#5

mellored

Mar 26, 2015 10:28:59

Macv12 wrote:
#6

Finieous

Mar 26, 2015 10:43:02

What level does ranger get volley? 11? If so, look at Ranger 11/Cleric (War) 9. Problem with staying cleric into Tier 3 is that you're a caster at that point, not an archer with some spells.

#7

Pirate79

Mar 26, 2015 10:42:30

Valor Bard and Eldritch Knight both get abilities that allow some spellcasting and attacks in the same turn. Both are also very capable archers.

 

Bard is also able to snatch some of the best Ranger spells through Magic Secrets as well.

#8

miburo99

Mar 26, 2015 11:17:56

Second for Valor Bard. Just fluff the bard as more divinely-inspired rather than arcane, and use Magical Secrets to take stuff like Swift Quiver. You still have decent healing and buff spells as per a cleric.

#9

Jamwes

Mar 26, 2015 12:18:49

mellored wrote:
#10

mellored

Mar 26, 2015 13:38:47

Jamwes wrote:
(Reply to #5)

Macv12

mellored wrote:
#12

Zarkas

Mar 26, 2015 19:15:24

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I'll have to check out most of the options at some point, and as was suggested with the Valor Bard, use the mechanics that work and RP flavor the rest to fit.

 

Macv12 wrote:
#13

crimfan07

Mar 26, 2015 19:53:06

Zarkas wrote:
#14

pudd

Mar 27, 2015 0:59:06

In my opinion if you want a divine archer type character then I would put 2 or 3 levels in ranger depending on if you want to pick an archetype or not, and then the rest into cleric.

 

2 levels into ranger gives you, among other things, spells that can be used as a bonus action (hunter's mark and hail of thorns to name 2), and a fighting style.

At least 2 levels in cleric gives you a domain, spells, and channel divinity. I'd pick from either life (if the party needs a little extra healing) or war (able to attack as a bonus action wis mod times per day).

#15

jaappleton

Mar 27, 2015 3:51:17 		Be a religious Ranger. There's plenty of Deities dedicated to Hunting and such. Going two levels into Cleric gets you Channel Divinity. If you went Tempest, you could max Lightning Arrow with channel divinity.
(Reply to #12)

Zarkas

Zarkas wrote:
#17

jaappleton

Mar 27, 2015 9:55:02 		Sharpshooter and Smite together... Ouch.
#18

mellored

Mar 27, 2015 9:55:58

Zarkas wrote:
(Reply to #18)

jaappleton

mellored wrote:
(Reply to #16)

Pirate79

Zarkas wrote:
(Reply to #19)

Zarkas

jaappleton wrote:
#22

mellored

Mar 27, 2015 11:40:07

Zarkas wrote:
(Reply to #21)

Coredump00

Zarkas wrote:
(Reply to #23)

Zarkas

Coredump00 wrote:
#25

FrogReaver

Mar 29, 2015 22:51:03

Go paladin / cleric.  Some actual smite spells actually can be used with ranged weapons.  It's just the divine smite class feature that cannot.  (Branding Smite for example).

(Reply to #25)

Zarkas

FrogReaver wrote: