Author Topic: Cloistered Cleric...don't give up your Knowledge!!!  (Read 6988 times)

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X-Codes

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Re: Cloistered Cleric...don't give up your Knowledge!!!
« Reply #20 on: October 07, 2008, 09:45:54 AM »
Yeah, except Shapechange is Shapechange. Need I say more? :P
I'm not going to Flamestrike myself in the nuts for 16 levels so I can break the game at the 17th.  I'd much rather just take the Time domain and kick ass forever.

Sunic_Flames

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Re: Cloistered Cleric...don't give up your Knowledge!!!
« Reply #21 on: October 07, 2008, 10:23:05 AM »
Yeah, except Shapechange is Shapechange. Need I say more? :P
I'm not going to Flamestrike myself in the nuts for 16 levels so I can break the game at the 17th.  I'd much rather just take the Time domain and kick ass forever.

Dude, you get two of them. Before extra domain stuff.
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Sunic may be more abrasive than sandpaper coated in chainsaws (not that its a bad thing, he really does know what he's talking about), but just posting in this thread without warning and telling him he's an asshole which, if you knew his past experiences on WotC and Paizo is flat-out uncalled for. Never mind the insults (which are clearly 4Chan-level childish). You say people like Sunic are the bane of the internet? Try looking at your own post and telling me you are better than him.

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ninjarabbit

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Re: Cloistered Cleric...don't give up your Knowledge!!!
« Reply #22 on: October 07, 2008, 02:44:07 PM »
The animal domain is a pretty nice domain and is one of the better core domains. Most of the spells on its list aren't normally available to clerics.

SNA IV and VIII let you qualify for the spontaneous summoner feat so that adds flexibility to your spellcasting.

Shapechange is shapechange obviously.

Animal shapes can turn some or all of your party and their familiars and etc into a bunch of dire apes, dire bears, or dire tigers for 1 hour/level and you get the spell a level before the druids do.

Calm animals counters dire badgers perfectly.

And like Sunic said you get 2 domains (and possibly more).

X-Codes

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Re: Cloistered Cleric...don't give up your Knowledge!!!
« Reply #23 on: October 08, 2008, 04:40:07 AM »
Dude, you get two of them. Before extra domain stuff.
Then pick two good domains.  The thing is, because the Animal domain is so weak early you need to counter-balance it with an exceptionally good domain pick on the other side so your domain slots aren't wasted, and it's damn tough to get a domain that has good level 1, 2, 3, and 5 spells, especially if you're going to go with deity restrictions.

The animal domain is a pretty nice domain and is one of the better core domains. Most of the spells on its list aren't normally available to clerics.
The latter does not qualify it for the former.  Fact is, most of the spells in the domain just plain suck.

SNA IV and VIII let you qualify for the spontaneous summoner feat so that adds flexibility to your spellcasting.
Actually, you can only spontaneously cast SNA IV and SNA VIII, and you can only do so a limited number of times per day, and you can also only do so if you meet the alignment restriction (neutral).  This is a good trick for about 4 or 5 levels, and in no way is any serious means of summoning.

Shapechange is shapechange obviously.
Time and Trickery domains have Time Stop.  Knowledge domain has Foresight.  Magic domain has MDJ.  Protection and Sun have Prismatic Sphere.  Travel domain has Astral Projection.  These spells are all really good, most of them aren't on the Cleric list, and most of them come in better domains than Animal.  The point is, there are a lot of options out there for obscenely powerful 9th-level domain spells by the nature of the fact that 9th-level spells are generally obscenely powerful.

Animal shapes can turn some or all of your party and their familiars and etc into a bunch of dire apes, dire bears, or dire tigers for 1 hour/level and you get the spell a level before the druids do.
Animal Shapes is based off Alternate Form, which will typically cause your allies to lose the benefit of their magic items (very few animals can use equipment designed for humans).  That sort of drawback makes this not even worth a 7th-level slot.  I'm not saying it's not useful, but it's more effective for gimmicky stuff like turning a bunch of 5th-level warriors into a herd of bison.

Calm animals counters dire badgers perfectly.
Honestly, I've never done battle with a Dire Badger.  If I did, I wouldn't use Calm Animals because 1) it's a save-or-kinda-lose-but-not-really effect and 2) my other Domain(s) have better first level spells, guaranteed.

And like Sunic said you get 2 domains (and possibly more).
Aside from cloistered cleric, I can't think of a way to get extra domains at first level off the top of my head.  The soonest I can figure is 4th level with Church Inquisitor, which gives you the Inquisition domain, and 5th level with Ordained Champion, which gives you the War domain.