Doneghal: Cleric of Daern

[EvilGenius]

So I worked on my cleric a bit last night. He's coming out well.

Daern is the hero-diety of fortifications. Followers don't believe that the best defense is a good offense. They believe that the best defense is having a good strong wall between you and your enemy. So my cleric will be a defensive guy.

I went with straight class cleric. I took two creation and two combat feats: Craft Wonderous Item, Craft Arms & Armor (to lower cost of initial magical equip) and Sacred Shield (use turn attempt to add Chr mod as enhancement bon to shield) and Sacred Vengence (use turn attempt to get +2d6 damage vs undead for a round).

For magical items, I took full plate +1 and gave it two spell like abilities. The first is the best! I gave it the ability to cast Leomund's Secure Shelter (Wiz 4) 1/day. My thinking is that camping outdoors at night in Barovia is NOT a good idea, so this will give us strong stone walls and a defensible position every night. And even though the spell is by Leomund, it fits well with Daern.

I also gave it a 1st level spell ability activated with a command word (no limit/day), but I'm still considering what spell I want to use. I was thinking True Strike, which isn't super thematic, or something like Shield of Faith, which is obviously more thematic, but duplicates my clerical abilities. I'm still thinking.

I also took a Phylactery of Undead Turning.

And that was about it. A Masterwork Silver Spear, a Masterwork Cold Iron Hv Mace, and a few gold left over.

[EvilGenius]

I didn't go the super destroy undead route with this cleric. It didn't seem fitting for Daern.

There are a lot of feats in LiberMortis that are very effective against undead, but seem to be a little beyond the norm and are a little unbalanced. So I did think about taking them, but ultimately I decided against it.

There is a feat that allows you to use a turn attempt to heal negative levels, ability drains, or paralysis effects inflicted by undead.

There is a feat that allows you to use a turn attempt to become immune to neg levels for 1 min.

There is a feat that allows you to use a turn attempt to gain a second save attempt vs undead affects like level drain.

I thought they were significantly more powerful than say, extra turning. Or even Domain Spontanaity. Once again, as in the bad days of late 2E, we have to be careful allowing these types of abilities into play just because they're published in a book.

At the very least, I think we need to create some in-game reason that these type of feats exist. Are they special abilities available only from certain gods? Were they created by a secretive Order of Undead hunters, like the Order of Illumination from Complete Adventurer? Are they common feats, but only in a certain land plagued by undead?

If we want to allow these variant feats and base classes, I think we should start answering some of these questions to explain why EVERY priest of any faith doesn't take the feat Disciple of the Sun (use 2 turn attempts to destroy undead instead of turning). Why aren't there more Knights riding around?

[EvilGenius]

I also took a Phylactery of Undead Turning.

So Jon pointed out a while ago that this item is a Medium item, beyond the creation guidelines of our paltry 6th level characters.

In lieu of the Phylactery then, I'll have to take different items.

I think I'll upgrade my Masterwork weap to a +1 Undead Bane (and drop the Cold Iron quality). And I'll be dropping the Craft Wonderous Item feat for another combat feat prob.

[erilar]

Interesting character, Bob. I had somehow never read this post earlier.

FYI, I don't personally think that the 3rd feat (allowing 2nd save vs. undead mojo) is too powerful. The other two seem a bit munchkiny to me. Perhaps if their feat pre-reqs were very heavy - dunno. What do the rest of you think?

[EvilGenius]

Doneghal: Male Human(Oeridian) Clr6; CR 6;HD 6d8+12; hp 45;
Init -1; Spd 20 ft/x3;
AC 20 (+9 armor, +2 shield, -1 dex), touch 9, flat-footed 20;
Base Atk/Grapple +4/+4;
Full Atk +5 One-handed (1d8;20/x3, +1 Silver spear), +5 One-handed (1d8;20/x2, Masterwork cold iron heavy mace), +3 Two-handed (1d8;19-20/x2, Light Crossbow);
SA&SQ Aura of Law(Ex), Spontaneous Casting, Restricted Spells, Turn Undead(Su);
AL LG; SV Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +8;
AB Str 10(+0), Dex 8(-1), Con 14(+2), Int 14(+2), Wis 16(+3), Cha 15(+2);
Skills: Concentration¹ +11, Diplomacy¹ +11, Heal¹ +10, Knowledge (arch & eng) +5, Knowledge (religion) +8, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Spellcraft +6.
Feats: Extra Turning, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Scribe Scroll, Sacred Boost."
Domains: Earth (turn/destroy air creatures, rebuke/command earth creatures), Protection (protective ward 1/day, +6 resistance save to next save within 1 hr)
Equip:
The Stalwart Companion, +1 Full Plate (Leomund's Tiny Hut 1/day, True Strike, on command)
Hv Steel Shield
+1 Silvered Short Spear
Hv Mace, Mwk Cold Iron
Light Crossbow
Wands:
Light, CL1
Cure Light Wds, CL1

Scrolls:
3rd level Spell Scrolls: all at CL5, 188gp each
Continual Flame
Dispel Magic
Invisibility Purge
Protection fr Energy
Remove Curse
Speak with Dead
Water Walk

2nd level Spell Scrolls: all at CL3, 75gp each
Augury
Consecrate
Delay Poison
Eagle's Splendor
Remove Paralysis
Restoration, Lesser
Shield Other
Silence
Spiritual Weapon

1st level Spell Scrolls: all at CL1, 12gp each
Command
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil

[erilar]

I really like this Daern concept - cool character, and a interesting non-cookie cutter gawd. You seemed to change from Sacred Vengeance to Sacred Boost - what's the dif?

By chance, most of the characters are turning out to be ass-kickers (even the casters), and I think that will be very serendipitous for this campaign.

[EvilGenius]

You seemed to change from Sacred Vengeance to Sacred Boost - what's the dif?

Sacred Vengence allws you to spend a turn attempt to get +2d6 damage vs undead for the rest of the round.

Sacred Boot allows you to spend a turn attempt to maximize healing spells within 30' for the rest of the round.