CO for melee-oriented mobile, chain-wielding cleric

[Ionari]

Hi all,

I have a character concept for a cleric of Kelemvor (FR), and I would appreciate suggestions on how to make him more effective over levels 3-12.  Given the constraints of the concept/theme, many of the pointers in the Cleric Handbook - and various optimization threads on this board - would not be applicable.  As a result, I don't expect this character to become CoDzilla incarnate, I'm just looking to make him more viable.

The character is a LN Aasimar cleric of Kelemvor, and I'd like to make him primarily a melee cleric, with strong secondary roles as buffer/debuffer.  I'd like him to use a reach weapon, most likely a spiked chain, and I'd like him to be relatively mobile (so I'm going chain shirt + dastana rather than platemail).  Given the alignment/deity, he cannot be a radiant servant of "Pelor" (Lathander) or an Ordained Champion, sadly.  Also, he is fighting-oriented, so no Cloistered Cleric, or Contemplative, or Divine Oracle - they don't fit the theme even if the benefits they offer, statistics-wise, would make the character better in combat.  I've been considering recasting him as partially stealth-based, including getting the Dark template (attack from the shadows!), but I haven't found a PrC that gives him hide/MS as class skills without sacrificing too much other stuff.

The character-build setting is a 32-point buy without DMM, without psi, without Tome of Battle, without Eberron, and without the Devotion feats from CC.  Other constraints are:  INT and CHA should be no less than 12 (after racial modifiers), for RP reasons.

Given that background:
*  What should the character's stat allocation be? 
*  What feat trees would work best, and what individual feats should he pick up?  (E.g., should I take him to PA/Cleave, or focus on Extra Turning, Divine Vigor and other Divine feats?)
*  What spell combos and items would work well for him?  (Beyond the obvious Divine Favor and Righteous Might)
*  Are there any useful ACFs for him?  E.g. dumping heavy armor proficiency in favor of something else?
*  What should be his skill priorities, beyond maxing out Concentration?

Thanks very much in advance!

[PhaedrusXY]

Hmm... I remember a prestige class that IIRC was specifically for clerics of Kelemvor that got full BAB... I can't remember the name, but you might look into that. It was often overlooked as many of the things that are banned in your game made it largely redundant.

[bearchucks]

If you're looking for stealth-based, Shadowbane Inquisitor (Complete Adventurer) might be along the right line.  Not -great- class features, but 8/10 casting with a nice chassis. LG requirement, though.  There's other things I saw that might work, but those are a lot of restrictions.  LN, with an oddball deity...yeah.

[CantripN]

[sir_argenon]

How about a Knight of the Raven (Expedition to Castle Ravenloft). That works for all your needs, here.

9/10 Casting, Full BAB, AWESOME CLASS FEATURES (Dark but Good, too).

+1 I was gonna suggest that, but it seems like his dm is ising FR only, and excluding specific campaign world things like ravenloft and eberron.

[Ionari]

Thanks!  Those are very helpful suggestions.  The Shadowbane Stalker (I think that's the class you were referring to, not inquisitor, right?) seems very close to the stealthy-fighter concept I had, and the sneak attacks would work beautifully with the Dark template's HIPS.  I'll need to check whether it can be adapted to LN rather than LG, and if so, I think that option tops my list for now.

The Knight of the Raven also looks great, though I don't think I'll be able to get that campaign-specific PrC...  good thought, though.

Phaedrus - were you thinking of Doomguide from the Faiths and Pantheons book?  I had looked at that, but it is feat-expensive and a lot of the class abilities seem centered on a bastard sword that I don't plan on using.  Or was there another Kelemvor-specific PrC?  Is there an Initiate of Kelemvor mini-PrC somewhere?

CantripN - for domains, I think Fate and Travel (for the domain powers, and secondarily the spells) are the way to go.  As for feats - have you found shielded casting to be applicable in a lot of combat scenarios?  I would plan to buff pre-combat, and having a reach weapon means I would try to avoid toe-to-toe situations where feasible.  EWP(spiked chain) is a must, obviously.  Combat Reflexes could be a good choice, depending where DEX ends up.  As between turning-fuelled Divine feats (given that my character's turning will be stunted due to Shadowbane Stalker non-progression of turning), and PA/Cleave, which do you think would be more useful?

[CantripN]

Not getting AoOs for casting is a MUST at later levels. Mage Slayers are a nuisance, and at low levels that Concentration check is not assured at all. Plus, as a Cleric you buff a lot during combat too, and you do have actual spells you cast in combat.

[PhaedrusXY]

Phaedrus - were you thinking of Doomguide from the Faiths and Pantheons book?  I had looked at that, but it is feat-expensive and a lot of the class abilities seem centered on a bastard sword that I don't plan on using.  Or was there another Kelemvor-specific PrC?  Is there an Initiate of Kelemvor mini-PrC somewhere?

That's the one I was thinking of. I didn't really remember it being stellar, but couldn't remember much about it as far as details.

If you could get your hands on a Sun Sword, you could then wield it as a short sword, and benefit from Weapon Finesse, etc. There is a "lesser" version of the Sun Sword in IIRC the Ravenloft book, but you probably can't use that...

[Ionari]

Cantrip, is the Shielded Casting feat the one from Races of Stone?  If so, then I think it has prereqs of Combat Casting and 5 ranks in Concentration, so I wouldn't be able to have my character take it at first level.  Was there an updated version of the feat published elsewhere?

[CantripN]

Cantrip, is the Shielded Casting feat the one from Races of Stone?  If so, then I think it has prereqs of Combat Casting and 5 ranks in Concentration, so I wouldn't be able to have my character take it at first level.  Was there an updated version of the feat published elsewhere?

I didn't have my books in front of me when writing that. You're right. It's still a great feat, but I'm not sure you can quite fit it with the stuff you seem to want. I'd ditch the whole Reach thing, but that's up to you - you're no Lockdown.

[Solo]

Travel Devotion sounds like a must.

[CantripN]

Travel Devotion sounds like a must.

And also sounds like something he specifically said he can't use. He can't use Devotion feats.

[Solo]

Well, that sounds like a bummer.

[BruceLeeroy]

Normally I wouldn't suggest this for a caster, but there's a fighter variant from I think Dragon Mag, which you probably can't use, called the exoticist fighter. It gives up martial weapons, heavy armor, and tower shields in exchange for 3 exotic weapon proficiencies and tumble. Only reason I'm suggesting this for you is that the heavy weapon quality is from Faerun, I think either Magic of Faerun or Player's Guide. It costs another EWP (so you would be able to make use of 2 out of the 3) and ups the damage of the weapon by one size category. With that and strongarm bracers, you would have a large, heavy spiked chain dealing 3d6 plus 1.5str.

Since you're playing such a middle of the road level of optimization, this wouldn't necessarily increase your power/damage output by much, especially since you're giving up a caster level, but it would help the damage output at lower levels, and it would scale higher with things like Enlarge Person, Righteous Might and much much later, Giant Size(Miracle).

[CantripN]

That sounds like great fun! I'd use it for proficiency in a Kaorti Resin Heavy Spinning Sword (One Handed, Reach, 1d8, 19-20/x4). When Large and Keen, that's a Large Kaorti Resin Heavy Spinning Sword (One Handed, Reach, 2d6, 17-20/x4). And you can combine that with Shielded Casting, too!

Of course, that's a weapon from Secrets of Sarlona (Eberron) using stuff from Faerun and an Extraplanar Evil Race, combined using a modified Fighter from Dragon Magazine. Good luck with that. I'd allow it, but I'm open to this sort of thing.

If going for that, a level in Exotic Weapon Master for x2 STR and being able to use 2 hands might not be bad, but that's a lot of investment in one trick as a caster. My weapon of choice for my one and only Epic PC was this, except with no Heavy. He was actually a Knight/Fighter/Favored Soul/Doomguard/Exotic Weapon Master, and he could kill buildings, Undead, Constructs and anything else with his Critical Hits. Was a lot of fun as a concept, but the game sorta faded.

(Ghost-Touch from a Crystal) Everbright, Parrying, Sizing, Bodyfeeder, Setting Sun, Aptitude, Hardened Kaorti Resin Pitspawned Spinning Sword of Prismatic Burst and Ruin with Wand Chamber and Oil Chamber +5 (Nickname: Strand of Fate) = 271,925 gp

[Ionari]

So, it looks like my character is indeed going to head in the direction of Shadowbane Stalker.  (Thanks, bearchuks - a great suggestion!)

My general plan is Spellthief 1/Cleric 4/Shadowbane Stalker 8/haven't considered yet (higher levels are likely irrelevant).

For feats, I'm going to take Combat Reflexes (good call, CantripN, and the character's Dex will be high enough to justify this).  Shielded Casting seems too feat-intensive, especially given that the character will be using a two-handed weapon.  For feats, then, tentatively:
Divine Vigor (1) - need to do something with the turning
Combat Reflexes (Flaw)
EWP (Spiked Chain) (3)
Power Attack? (6) - not sure about this one, any good alternatives?  (If I take PA at 6, should I get Cleave at 12?) 
Practiced Spellcaster (9) - just in time to offset the first skipped CL of the Shadowbane Stalker PrC

With Spellthief, I get access to Abjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Illusion and Transmutation arcane spells - useful for spell trigger items.  (Shield seems perfect, for example; Fist of Stone also very helpful; and Alter Self, though more expensive, also looks good.)  What low-level arcane spells should I consider getting wands of?

Also, the cleric handbook really talks up the CoDzilla theme, but that assumes you have full opportunity to buff before the battle.  At CL 3-5 (so, cleric spells of up to third level), what buff spells do you think are the most vital/effective in practice?  Put differently, suppose you have 1 round to buff before the battle, and after that any round you spend on buffing costs you a round in which you could be attacking - what spells do you choose and how do you deploy them?  (I'm looking more for "been there, done that" experience than armchair uber-optimization, on this one).

Finally, what miscellaneous, relatively cheap items would you recommend?  Are the boots of the battlecharger worth it (meaning, use a standard action to charge, then a move action to get away (without AoO due to reach weapon))?  The healing belt is definitely on my list - anything else?

Thanks again in advance - the prior feedback was very helpful!

[Dictum Mortuum]

Consider using able learner to normalize your class skills, get 1 skill monkey level at first and then pump cleric. Shadowbane stalker is meh, since it loses caster levels.
Don't get cleave. Consider that divine feat that gives charisma to damage and has power attack as a requirement, if your charisma is high enough.