Author Topic: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers  (Read 53913 times)

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Dan2

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #40 on: October 15, 2008, 12:50:53 AM »
How do you mean?

awaken DM golem

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #41 on: October 29, 2008, 05:58:02 PM »
If me: "anybody think any of the Rituals are worth a magic item slot to guarantee getting ??"
then you: "How do you mean?"

Cleric only gets the two 1st level Rituals.
Emphasis on only.
To get more, they have to tell the DM that a Ritual Book or Ritual Scroll is to be part of their wishlist (see Squirelloid).
Instead of a Magic Sword or Implement of level X, they get a Ritual Magic Item of level X.

Otherwise, they have to beg the party Wizard for one of it's meager selection.
Emphasis on beg.

Other-otherwise, they have to beg the townspeople Allies to conveniently have a Ritual Something, for sale at the local
pSi-AM'S club or SEER's. Always open, lot's of gear, dm might say nope.

Other way ... Cleric can multiclass into Wizard, that works.

Dan2

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #42 on: October 29, 2008, 06:52:15 PM »
Ah, I see what you mean now.

I thought you might have been referencing some magic item that gives you the ability to cast rituals.  (and, in a way, you were...)

To answer your question, I would have to say it depends on party composition.

If you have a wizard in the party, he can cover all of the truly important rituals.
In this situation, I'd have to say that purchasing rituals, or putting them on your wishlist would not be worth it.
A wizard can learn any ritual.  The restriction on them is the skill check required for most of them.

If you have a wizard, he can pick up raise dead, cure disease, remove curse, and you can get them from him for no charge.
He'd have to be stupid not to help you out, especially considering that doing so saves the party some cash.


If you do not have a wizard in the party, I'd say that some of the rituals are worth it.
The teleportation rituals, cure disease, remove curse, raise dead, are all more than worth it because they can save you.
Several others are good contenders as well.

Banor

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #43 on: November 15, 2008, 04:52:04 AM »
Just to add a point for the Fast Zap. Channel Divinity : Fleetness of Mielikki from FRPG. Minor Action +2 speed and ignore difficult terrain until end of next turn is just awesome. Adds a LOT of mobility to the fast Zap (who is already very very mobile). Plain great

Straw_Man

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #44 on: December 01, 2008, 07:21:47 PM »

Good guide Mr. S  :clap but somethings I noted after trying 4E (first time for a full campaign).

  I ran a Tough Zap Dragonborn cleradin with slightly non-standard array, so Str 14, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16. Looking at the Zap strategy of laser shooting and using Divine Challenge to keep a heavy occupied as a zapp it - strength is useless. I went from level 1 to 3 and I did get into melee sometimes which at that point my best attacks palled and I didn't have either the Str to finish it quick or the Con to endure. Dragonbreath saved me a few times but again its to hit is so-so.

  Another point: Astral Fire should be super frigging good for the Laser Cleric, but you need Dex 13 for it. Thats a long way for the Tough Zap build, and there's a strong temptation to put it somewhere else.

  I'm going to try my build as a Str 13 (DB mod.) Dex 12 And snag Astral Fire a bit sooner. I'm going to keep using Dragonborn but I have to say the bonus to Str. seems pretty redundant unless there's more juiciness I'm missing somewhere.

  More feedback on differing powers and feats for Tough Zaps would also be appreciated.

  Cheers!
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bihlbo

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #45 on: January 18, 2009, 06:20:02 AM »
To everyone who helped out with this guide: Thank you very much!

I just got back from ConQuest NW in Seattle where I played a level 1 zap cleric in two consecutive modules. It was a blast, I really enjoyed it, and this guide helped me make the character. Sure, him being level 1 I could have easily picked everything on my own without much thought. But this handbook helped me feel confident about my choices and helped me understand that the character had a long-term progression and focus.

The build I used: Elf, cleric of Amaunator (from FR, chosen for the Divinity feat mainly, and because I like clerics to have a stick up their butts), from the Great Dale; AW powers: Lance and Flame; E powers: Elven Accuracy, Cause Fear, etc; D power: Cascade of Light; feat: Improved Initiative, trained skills: arcana, heal, insight, nature, religion.

In the first game I blew my daily trying to hit a bugbear, and though I hit and did great damage, my efforts were retarded because the bugbear yanked an ally in front of the attack so that I hit the rogue instead.

Having a longbow that hits with +5 vs. AC for 1d10+3 damage is really nice when your at wills are range 5 and hit with +4 vs. Ref for 1d6/1d8+4 damage. There were a few times that the bow was the best option. My lasers though, they were a lot of fun! I really wish I'd had the energy do game more than 12 hours straight so I could have gotten to level 2.
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Endarire

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #46 on: August 26, 2009, 05:03:30 PM »
If I ever play 4E, I'll probably make a Fast Zap dressed like Cyclops.
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Endarire

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #47 on: September 01, 2009, 03:53:04 PM »
Furious_kender from WotC stated about this guide:

"That is a terribly outdated guide that wasn't very good at the time. Spiritual Weapon having the same rating as Concecrated Ground did make me laugh though."

I hope you've updated the guide lots since then.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

veekie

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Re: 4E Cleric Handbook - the Zap: Shooting People in the Face with Lasers
« Reply #48 on: September 12, 2009, 12:57:20 AM »
Naw, we stopped updating after it became obvious 4e is not for us. Quite a while ago actually.
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