Help for a drow cleric

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Ozzy.nl
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Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ozzy.nl » Sat Mar 07, 2020 10:25 pm

Heya all,

Now it has been years since I played a drow cleric.
So I am wondering, does anyone have a good build that I could use for a drow cleric.

Thanks so much.

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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Sat Mar 07, 2020 11:20 pm

Cleric(27), Bard(3), Drow

STR: 16 -> 22
DEX: 8 (10-2)
CON: 12
WIS: 17 (15+2) -> 19
INT: 16 (14+2)
CHA: 10 (8+2)

01: Cleric(1): Expertise, Domain Travel, Domain Trickery, {Weapon Proficiency: Elf}
02: Cleric(2)
03: Cleric(3): Weapon Focus: 1H Edged
04: Cleric(4) str +1 (17)
05: Cleric(5)
06: Cleric(6): Improved Expertise
07: Cleric(7)
08: Cleric(8) str +1 (18)
09: Cleric(9): Extend Spell
10: Cleric(10)
11: Cleric(11)
12: Cleric(12): Improved Critical: 1H Edged, str +1 (19)
13: Cleric(13)
14: Cleric(14)
15: Cleric(15): Blind Fight
16: Cleric(16)
17: Cleric(17)
18: Cleric(18): Spell Focus: Abjuration
19: Cleric(19)
20: Cleric(20) wis +1 (19)
21: Cleric(21): Epic Weapon Focus: 1H Edged
22: Cleric(22)
23: Cleric(23): Armor Skin
24: Cleric(24): Arcane Defense: Abjuration, str +1 (20)
25: Cleric(25)
26: Cleric(26): GSF: Abjuration or Epic Spell
27: Cleric(27): Great Strength I (21)
28: Bard(1) str +1 (22)
29: Bard(2)
30: Bard(3): Epic Prowess

Hitpoints: 264
Skillpoints: 171
Discipline: 33, Tumble: 30, Spellcraft: 33, Use Magic Device: 15, Heal: 30, Concentration 33

Weapon Proficiency: Elf gives you access to a longsword.

Ozzy.nl
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ozzy.nl » Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:43 am

Maybe a weird question but why abjuration?

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Jagel
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Jagel » Sun Mar 08, 2020 8:04 am

Probably for the igms-immunity

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Aren
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Aren » Sun Mar 08, 2020 12:21 pm

Aside from IGMS immunity from GSF: Abjuration, SF: Abjuration is needed for Arcane Defense : Abjuration. This adds 2 CL for the purpose of resisting dispels. Thus, your effective CL for resisting dispels (which is the bane of a battle cleric) is 29. That puts you at great odds against Mordekainens Disjunction.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by The1Kobra » Sun Mar 08, 2020 12:37 pm

I'd strongly recommend grabbing at the very least SF+GSF+ESF conjuration OR SF+GSF+ESF necromancy. Both of those options will buff up your summoned creatures, which will make levelling up considerably easier and provide a strong end-game summon. Conjuration for elementals/planar stuff, Necro for undead. I'd also recommend taking epic dragon or epic mummy dust depending on which focus you take.

Ozzy.nl
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ozzy.nl » Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:45 pm

Dr. B wrote:
Sat Mar 07, 2020 11:20 pm
Cleric(27), Bard(3), Drow

STR: 16 -> 22
DEX: 8 (10-2)
CON: 12
WIS: 17 (15+2) -> 19
INT: 16 (14+2)
CHA: 10 (8+2)
So how do you get these ability numbers because I can't seem to get them right at char creation.

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Ebonstar
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ebonstar » Sun Mar 08, 2020 8:15 pm

Ozzy.nl wrote:
Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:45 pm
Dr. B wrote:
Sat Mar 07, 2020 11:20 pm
Cleric(27), Bard(3), Drow

STR: 16 -> 22
DEX: 8 (10-2)
CON: 12
WIS: 17 (15+2) -> 19
INT: 16 (14+2)
CHA: 10 (8+2)
So how do you get these ability numbers because I can't seem to get them right at char creation.
wis boost come from gift of clergy ad int and cha come from drow so you start with

16
10
12
15
14
8
to get the listed 16 8 12 17 16 10
Yes I can sign

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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Mon Mar 09, 2020 3:48 am

Ozzy.nl wrote:
Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:43 am
Maybe a weird question but why abjuration?
Clerics do mostly fine without summons, especially if you pick up the Trickery Domain for 50% concealment with Improved Invisibility. It's nice to have summons, but you can get a lot of enjoyment out of the build without them. Personally, I like the dispel resistance and immunity to IGMS. It compliments the cleric's already considerable martial prowess by giving them several tools against mages. They will also add nicely to your quality of life when you are fighting mage spawns that might bombard you with dispels or missile storms.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ozzy.nl » Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:58 pm

Dr. B wrote:
Mon Mar 09, 2020 3:48 am
Ozzy.nl wrote:
Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:43 am
Maybe a weird question but why abjuration?
Clerics do mostly fine without summons, especially if you pick up the Trickery Domain for 50% concealment with Improved Invisibility. It's nice to have summons, but you can get a lot of enjoyment out of the build without them. Personally, I like the dispel resistance and immunity to IGMS. It compliments the cleric's already considerable martial prowess by giving them several tools against mages. They will also add nicely to your quality of life when you are fighting mage spawns that might bombard you with dispels or missile storms.
Considering this, I can assume this is ment as a battle cleric. I never played one of those, might be interesting. I’ll give it a run. Thank you for the build.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ozzy.nl » Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:13 am

@dr B what would you recomand as fear on this build?

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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:17 am

Eh? Do you mean feats? Look at the build I posted.

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garrbear758
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by garrbear758 » Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:06 am

I believe she/he meant gear.

Keened mdamask weapon (spear if simple, scimitar if martial)
addy fullplate
addy towershield
addy helmet (EDITED: forgot it was a drow)
the rest +1str/+1con/+2disc/+2conc/+2spellcraft/+2lore
+1ac on boots
Last edited by garrbear758 on Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:01 pm

I would use a moonblade as your main weapon and keep a bronze longsword around to enchant with Greater Magic Weapon. You might also try to go for +1 AC on your amulet. Since you're a drow I would also exchange the Headband of Protection for an Adamantine Helmet.

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garrbear758
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by garrbear758 » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:30 am

Good call on the helmet. I forgot it was drow.

As far as weapon, a keened mdamask scimitar will outdamage a moonblade, but they're pretty close in power.
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Ozzy.nl
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Ozzy.nl » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:44 pm

And the rest just focus in to str and con.
And not a headba d of protection but the helmet.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by time_limited » Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:03 pm

I'm playing a Cleric and found that You can have whatever helmet you want actually.

The shield of faith spell gets You more AC then any other helmet in game.

The spell resistance spell gets You more spell resist then the headband of protection.

Same goes for armor/shield just pick something which looks nice or has some nice enchantments as You aslo have magic vestments spells.

Also Lore and scroll access looks to me to be far more useful them UMD and arcane Wands.
Last edited by time_limited on Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by time_limited » Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:09 pm

Question to more advanced players cause I'm myself qurious about it too:

Is it worth taking abjuration on a cleric?

I mean we have the Heal spell which is effectively negating damage from IGMS? Also we have usually high wisdom and (usually) high Heal skill.

Is it possible to simply outlast an enemy who would be spamming IGMS at us with Heal +Kits and then go in with divine power/favor for kill?
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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Fri Mar 20, 2020 4:03 pm

(1) Yes, it's worth it.

(2) No, that's a bad strategy.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by time_limited » Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:33 pm

Dr. B wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 4:03 pm
(1) Yes, it's worth it.

(2) No, that's a bad strategy.
Could you please elaborate more on this? Your answer is very brief. Why is this a bad approach?
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Chosen Son » Fri Mar 20, 2020 9:26 pm

You don’t need to tank just the igms damage, but also the edk/gated outsider damage. Gsf Abjuration is very worth it for a cleric, mainly for the igms immunity it allows, but also for the cl 24 greater dispel.

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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Sat Mar 21, 2020 4:28 pm

time_limited wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:33 pm
Dr. B wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 4:03 pm
(1) Yes, it's worth it.

(2) No, that's a bad strategy.
Could you please elaborate more on this? Your answer is very brief. Why is this a bad approach?


Because taking damage is generally bad, because battleclerics have somewhat middling HP, because your heals can be disrupted, because you can run out of them, because this might happen while several enemies are wailing on you, because time spent healing yourself is time not spent killing foes, because using the cleric's spell resistance buffs should at least be prioritized over the strategy you're suggesting, because you could have more than one enemy shooting missiles at you, because heals take up scarce 6th level spellslots--I could go on. In sum, because this is unreliable and you're going to die.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by gesseritt » Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:05 pm

Hi! I'm using this build now for a new character. Wondering if there are any other options for the endgame dip other than Bard? And what the pros/cons might be? One thing I was thinking that dark blessing for saves from Blackguard (since you can just buff CHA), and more HP, would be nice.

Also was thinking Epic Mage Armor instead of GSF abjuration. That seem OK?

Thanks!
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Dr. B
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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by Dr. B » Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:16 am

Clerics cannot take Epic Mage Armor, your save bonus from Blackguard will be negligible, and you will not be able to max out tumble, causing AC loss, so all in all it's not something I'd recommend.

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Re: Help for a drow cleric

Post by gesseritt » Sat Apr 04, 2020 8:53 pm

Makes sense! Appreciate that.

Also: I think on the build you forgot to note to take a point in WIS at level 16?
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