I've been looking around through google searches, trying to find something on these boards, and checking the CO library (of which most are no longer available and just send me back to the main forums for wizards).
I have a game thats starting within the next couple of days with friends who have created a fighter, rogue, and ranger. I'm the cleric of the group and I've heard that Cleric Archers are fearsome. Problem is, I haven't found anything that kinda holds my hand through the character development process (lvl 1-20). I haven't really ever made a healer/supporter before and I'm lost as to how to make this cleric as powerful as I've been hearing they are. Also, I know the persistent DMM is quite formidable.
Anyone have any build ideas or tips for me to get this character rolling? Basic things I'm looking for is a bow based cleric that can persist spells with dmm and be able to heal and support my party. Is this possible or is it just asking a little too much of everything?
(Also, all books that are from wizards and 3.5 are acceptable)
You'll want Zen Archery (Complete Adventurer, I think), [Any metamagic feat], Persistent Spell, and Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell). A human can get all those feats by level 6. After that, you'll mostly be taking the Extra Turning feat, to be able to persist more spells each day.
Nova has it exactly.
Straight cleric 20 works great for it, but any prestige class that also advances full fasting can work just as good. Especially if it takes no feats to get in.
Make sure to take zen archery at first level, and you can basically pretend you are a fighter archer who also has spells for 3 or 4 levels. Grab a metamagic feat like empower spell or something, but you won't be able to use it for a few levels (If you bother at all). Then grab persist spell at 3, and DMM at 6.
The most important spell to persist is divine might, which gives full BAB and a str boost.
Elf domain: PBS
War: WF
lvl 1: extend
lvl 3: Zen Archery
lvl 6: persist
lvl 9: dmm persist
of course any "classic" dmm persist build (and race: elf) or slightly modified one would do the trick e.g.
some deity that has bow as favored weapon, war domain and either undeath or planning domain (or just simply make those two your domains (see: devotion clerics))
planning: extend spell
war: proficiency, WF
lvl1: persist spell
lvl1: dmm persist
lvl3: zen archery
remainder: extra turning
Refering to Krusk's mention of a prestige class...would one of those classes be Radiant Cleric of Pelor?
There are multiple ways to do the Cleric Archer. Zen Archery and a low Dexterity is one of them, but that will leave you out of the Archery feats, which generally have a high Dexterity as a prereq.
Elves are usually chosen as Cleric archers- humans don't have proficiency in the proper instrument.
Elf, Time, War, and Planning can all be made use of for domains. It really helps to make use of Flaws, and/or the Planning domain, to set up Divine Metamagic early on. The first spell you'll likely be Persisting will be Divine Favor, or perhaps Blessed Aim.
Once you've got the basic structure in place (proficiency in the bow, DMM: Persistent Spell) it's time to dump available feats into Extra Turning. Your item is a Nightstick from Libris Mortis. Another item you'll probably want: An Elvencraft Shortbow with a Wand Chamber. You can enchant it as a melee weapon and ranged weapon separately (Warning, Eager, Spellstriking come to mind- just cast Greater Magic Weapon for the later) and wield it in melee like a club. The longbow version can be wielded in melee like a quarterstaff. With the shortbow you can use a buckler too- and enchant it to the sky. At the very least, Magic Vestment.
Oh yeah, you can use Spikes/Brambles on the Elvencraft Shortbow for more melee madness.
The only thing missing, now, is you've got to get Spot as a class skill. Wisdom and CC ranks alone will only take you so far. Seeker of the Misty Isle will give you 6+ skill points, Spot as a class skill, and look! Elves can enter it.
After that, if you're still inclined to dip, Contemplative will offer you another domain and Divine Disciple, a fourth. By then you'll have Persistent Divine Power up, so don't fret the BA loss so much.
I made a post not long ago about good kinds of elf for a druid:
Any elven subrace without a constitution penalty should be fine. Some options are:
- Arctic Elf: +2 dex -2 str (Unearthed Arcana 9)
- Desert Elf: +2 dex -2 str (Unearthed Arcana 12)
- Kagonesti: +2 dex -2 int -2 cha (Dragonlance Campaign Setting 18)
- Snow Elf: +2 dex -2 cha (Frostburn 34)
- Wild Elf: +2 dex -2 int (Monster Manual 104)
There are also some +0 LA templates you might find interesting:
- Arctic: +2 con, -2 cha, ray of frost 1/day, +0 LA (Dragon 306 – 61)
- Dragonborn of Bahamut: +2 con, -2 dex, gain choice of heart, mind, or wings aspect, lose some racial features, lose 100 gp, +0 LA (Races of the Dragon 5)
- Wild: +2 str, -2 int, -2 cha, lose spell-like abilities, +0 LA (Dragon 306 – 65)
I'm kind of partial to the arctic snow elf (+2 dex, +2 con, -4 cha).
That's largely applicable here as well, except you actually have a use for strength and charisma, so wild elf is probably best.
Thanks so much for the responses thus farRefering to Krusk's mention of a prestige class...would one of those classes be Radiant Cleric of Pelor?
That is widely considered one that gives the most bang for your buck yes. Other good options are church inquisitor, sacred exorcist or a single level of seeker of the misty isle.
The down side to RSP is that you have to like pelor a lot. If your DM is strict about that sort of thing it can limit your domain choices. Thats really the only down side.
I wasn't specific because its honeslty the option of trading "Nothing" from the cleric for "Something" from these prestige classes. Any single one you take is better than straight cleric.
To game!