Pure Caster Cleric

[Dr_Hazard89]

For a pure caster cleric (human), what should my stats look like?
These are the stats I'm looking at after gifts are applied.

8 str, 8 dex, 18 con, 12 int, 20 wis, 8 cha.
or
10 str, 8 dex, 16 con, 14 int, 20 wis, 8 cha.

Also not 100% on whether I should go for empowered or maximised spell. Can fit one or the other.

Intention is just a pure 30 cleric levels focused on casting.
Any advice, build pros? Am I gimping myself massively in some way I don't know about?
Thanks.

[Sockss]

You'll have no/too little discipline, which is a big issue.

You'll lose very little by taking a 3 class dump in bard. Tumble for AC and discipline, so you're not spending your entire life on the floor should something attack you. Caster clerics aren't really that great on arelith, as your best spells have no DC or are self buffs/summons/heals.

If you really want to do a pure cleric, the only semi-viable one would be charisma based with protection domain (with healer path preferably). You offset your complete lack of defense by instead having an exceptionally high dc, very long sanctuary.

Really I'd recommend multiclassing at the least. If you want something optimum then go for a battlecleric.

[Rags]

Assuming you're going pure Cleric; out of those two choices, you should go for the first set up. Maximize vs. Empowered Spell is basically preference.

I heavily advise multiclassing, though. The benefits of pure are minimal in comparison to multiclassing. It'll definitely gimp your character, though certainly not to an unplayable level.

[High Primate]

From a mechanical perspective there is no reason to go beyond 27 cleric levels. Your spellcasting and DC resistance will be solid and the three extra cleric levels will do more harm than good by depriving you of discipline and UMD. Take Bard.

[Peppermint]

The former stat spread is probably better if you insist on going pure, since you'll not have a whole lot to spend skill points on.

[flower]

Just out of curiosity how about going these stats and take 3 fighter + 3 bard.

Having high DC on offensive spells while able to use DP to melee.

[Jagel]

If you add fighter you should go for 4 lvls and the fourth in epic lvls with the right timing to be able to get weapon. spec & epic weapon spec.

3 lvls of fighter will give a few extra feats but otherwise not be very useful.

[Midnight In A Perfect World]

healer cleric 27/monk 3, wisdom based

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

If non-evil and the RP fits, harper (Priest) and harper (Paragon) both add some nice perks to a pure casting cleric, although since your CHA is 8 in both stat blocks I would lean towards priest. Both will preserve your 30 caster levels, both will give you access to discipline and tumble.

Benefiting from all six aspects ensures you'll always be able to raise your fallen allies, and the +3 to your turning DC will offset the 8 CHA so you can still ruin undead lives.

Edit: I would take the second stat block unless you're not planning to wear plate armor and carry a tower shield (i.e. Healer Path).

[Dr_Hazard89]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions so far.

Some more info on the char: They must be evil, and cannot take healer path.

Looks like a few levels of bard is my best bet, but not sure I could still fit all the feats I want.

This is the pure cleric feat selection I wanted.
Level 1: SF Evo, SF Necro
Level 3: GSF Necro
Level 6: GSF Evo
Level 9: Extend Spell
Level 12: Empower Spell (Don't care so much about this one.)
Level 15: Craft Wand
Level 18: Scribe Scroll
Level 21: Mummy Dust
Level 23: ESF Necro
Level 24: Dragon Knight
Level 26: ESF Evo
Level 27: Greater Ruin
Level 29: Greater Wisdom I
Level 30: Hellball

[gilescorey]

Lose the great wisdom i and just set your wisdom at chargen to 17. Things will even out that way. Also, EDK isn't that useful without conjuration.

[Astral]

healer cleric 27/monk 3, wisdom based

Definitely that just maybe not a healer. With the second stat spread in the OP

[Wytchee]

If you're going to make a healer cleric, go pure.

There are so few pure classes, especially pure healers. I've yet to see -respite in action.

[gilescorey]

There are plenty of pure CONlocks =)

[High Primate]

If you're going to make a healer cleric, go pure.

There are so few pure classes, especially pure healers. I've yet to see -respite in action.

I haven't either, but from the description I'm just not sure how useful it would be. It only lasts 9 seconds. A party's priority is to stay alive, and there are strategies besides -respite for doing this. I imagine a healer cleric is probably more useful to a party with Tumble and UMD than with -respite, and easier to keep alive. With Tumble and UMD, that character can have more AC and other life-protecting goodies, then simply walk around the battlefield casting heals and mass heals without getting ripped apart by spawns. That sounds infinitely more useful than -respite.

[Hunter548]

If you play a caster cleric, you should take healer; You trade 8 AC for Around 130-150 extra temp HP (Extended regen), Lifeline (Good in PvE, absurd in party pvp), and Spontaneous casting for Heal/Mass Heal which allows you to prepare all Blade Barriers/Harms and Create Greater Undeads you could want.

[Sockss]

I made a pure charisma healer cleric and it played great!

PvE you just do your caster thing and heal / hide behind summons.

PvP you're untouchable for 4 and a half minutes, provided no one makes a DC 54 will save.

So you can throw out heals / restores on any allies you have, as well as utilise summons.

He was also evil!

Wisdom just won't let you survive at all if you go pure; charisma lets you do that.

[Dr_Hazard89]

So much good advice and interesting ideas in this thread. Thank you all. Loving it.

[Cortex]

I made a pure charisma healer cleric and it played great!

PvE you just do your caster thing and heal / hide behind summons.

PvP you're untouchable for 4 and a half minutes, provided no one makes a DC 54 will save.

So you can throw out heals / restores on any allies you have, as well as utilise summons.

He was also evil!

Wisdom just won't let you survive at all if you go pure; charisma lets you do that.

ban this mad man

[Midnight In A Perfect World]

If you're going to make a healer cleric, go pure.

There are so few pure classes, especially pure healers. I've yet to see -respite in action.

Yeah, -respite is another one of those things that have been made to 'make going pure class worth it', but..

.. It really is not, lol. I am not certain what -respite does exactly, but is it better than an additional 18 AC (+15 from Wisdom modifier, +3 from the extra 15 tumble from monk levels) and 33 discipline? Never.

[Cortex]

It creates a medium static AoE around you that makes you, allies and enemies immune to any death effect, including damage (you fall to 1 HP but no lower), and after 9 seconds all allies heal for some HP and the effect disappears.

[Thake]

I made a pure charisma healer cleric and it played great!

PvE you just do your caster thing and heal / hide behind summons.

PvP you're untouchable for 4 and a half minutes, provided no one makes a DC 54 will save.

So you can throw out heals / restores on any allies you have, as well as utilise summons.

He was also evil!

Wisdom just won't let you survive at all if you go pure; charisma lets you do that.

ban this mad man

He got banned. But only after 4 and a half minutes.

[Lorkas]

What DC 54 will save?

[Rags]

What DC 54 will save?

Protection Domain, or whichever it's called. The one that gives you a sanctuary effect.

[Dr_Hazard89]

Unfortunately like the title suggests, this character does need to be pure. A priestess who takes guitar/karate lessons on the side, or a warrior-priestess, simply does not fit this character concept. If I can't make it work then maybe I'll just save the character for other sessions. Just trying to make the best of the crappy hand I am dealing myself. I do appreciate all the advice though.