Good spells for a Ruby Knight Vindicator?

[GawainBS]

Currently, I'm playing a Draconic - Lesser Aasimar Crusader 7/ Paladin 3 with LA buy off in the first Pathfinder campaign. Her stats are: STR 20, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 18. She's wielding a Guisarme, and has the feats Combat Reflexes, Short Haft (modified so you always threaten in the 5'), Stand Still and Power Attack.
One notable thing: I was allowed to exchange Stone Dragon for Diamond Mind. All books (including Dragons) are allowed.
A new player joined, and he's playing a Dragonkin with a Duom and he's also going for Battlefield Control. Since he'll probably be better at it than I am, I felt there was less need of me being BFC as well. My DM has given me his fiat to rebuild to Ruby Knight Vindicator. I'm considering going Crusader 7/Cleric3/RKV 10. I know that it's better to take more Cleric levels, but I'm more intrested in manouvres than spells.
So, the main question: What are good Cleric Spells for a RKV? Which domains would you take? We have reflavoured the RKV to fit more with the godess Desna. She's comparable (more or less) to Eiliastreae, Sune and Correllon Larethian. Her domains are Travel, Good, Luck, Liberation and Chaos. Protection would also be acceptable.
I'm aware of the obvious buff spells, but not so much of the spells to use with the extra swift action that the RKV grants.

Thanks in advance!

[ChristopherGroves]

Paladin or Prestige Paladin w/ Battle Blessing can be quite awesome since your spell casting times are decreased.

One thing to consider are the interrupt spells ... Close Wounds being one of my favorites.  Immediate action which only kinda hurts as you can spend a turn if you want a swift on your turn. 

[Risada]

You could also consider dipping some PrC that grants bonus domains, so you grab a nifty ability and some extra choices for domain spells....

[GawainBS]

My main problem with entering it as a Paladin (which was the original-original plan), is that you have only a few Paladin spell slots.
My DM has already ruled (unless I remember it wrong) that Battleblessing doesn't count for Prestige Paladin, which I think is fair enough. It would be nice though.
We have never encounted such trouble that Close Wounds would be an issue.

Risada, which domains are you thinking of then?

[Risada]

There's the ever so useful Planning/Undeath madness, Spell (if you could grab a spellbook to get those anyspells going), and if you can slip this one, Time (or was it Celerity that grants Imp. Init?)

[GawainBS]

There's the ever so useful Planning/Undeath madness, Spell (if you could grab a spellbook to get those anyspells going), and if you can slip this one, Time (or was it Celerity that grants Imp. Init?)

Undeath is out of the question. Celerity and Time are good candidates indeed. However, that still doesn't give me Swift action spells...

Maybe DMM: Quicken is a solution?

[woodenbandman]

The extra swift action's utility is only really applicable when you have the high level spell slots, and you can suddenly cast a bunch of quickened spells without pimping the HELL out of your Turn Undead (although if nighsticks stack then you can just throw this out the window), at 5 turns per pop, plus one for the extra swift action, it's not exactly a deal. They were clearly made to optimize boosts and counters. The best way you can accomplish this is going RKV 7 instead of 10, dipping swordsage 2, and then going Master of Nine.

So your build would look like Crusader 1/Swordsage2/Cleric3/Ruby Knight Vindicator7/Crusader+1/Master of 9 5/Crusader the rest. In the early game you can be a tripper if you want, or just a tank, and then you get your few caster levels, which gives you some but not a whole lot of utility, but once you start taking master of 9 and getting all those counters and boosts on the swordsage recovery mechanic, not to mention all the stances, you become very versatile.

Plus, although it seems weird, RKVs are probably best with persisted spells rather than quickened spells, because they are always on and generally require less planning (a Righteous Might is always useful, but a Fireball isn't).

[GawainBS]

The extra swift action's utility is only really applicable when you have the high level spell slots, and you can suddenly cast a bunch of quickened spells without pimping the HELL out of your Turn Undead (although if nighsticks stack then you can just throw this out the window), at 5 turns per pop, plus one for the extra swift action, it's not exactly a deal. They were clearly made to optimize boosts and counters. The best way you can accomplish this is going RKV 7 instead of 10, dipping swordsage 2, and then going Master of Nine.

So your build would look like Crusader 1/Swordsage2/Cleric3/Ruby Knight Vindicator7/Crusader+1/Master of 9 5/Crusader the rest. In the early game you can be a tripper if you want, or just a tank, and then you get your few caster levels, which gives you some but not a whole lot of utility, but once you start taking master of 9 and getting all those counters and boosts on the swordsage recovery mechanic, not to mention all the stances, you become very versatile.

Plus, although it seems weird, RKVs are probably best with persisted spells rather than quickened spells, because they are always on and generally require less planning (a Righteous Might is always useful, but a Fireball isn't).

Unless I'm shizophrenic, I don't think that I asked for a whole other build, just some ideas on which *spells* to use.

[ChristopherGroves]

Plus, although it seems weird, RKVs are probably best with persisted spells rather than quickened spells, because they are always on and generally require less planning (a Righteous Might is always useful, but a Fireball isn't).

Eh ... I kinda disagree ... because in typical play those eat your turn undead attempts ... which you need for everything else.

Gawain:  I think the problem is you're just looking at spells for those extra swift actions.  In practice for me I rarely use them for spells unless I have some auto-quick on a normal spell or it's a good spell with a quick casting time (I have a bizarre Spirit Shaman - RVK in one game and Druid/Ranger types have better swift-cast options).  Instead, look at Shadow Hand maneuvers.  Look at what you can do by being able to go into and out of stances, etc.  If you're changing flavor around, look what you can do with travel devotion ... keeping your swift action AND using your swift action for movement. 

Don't focus just on spells.  Boosts, swift-maneuvers, changing stances, travel devotion, etc.

[GawainBS]

Plus, although it seems weird, RKVs are probably best with persisted spells rather than quickened spells, because they are always on and generally require less planning (a Righteous Might is always useful, but a Fireball isn't).

Eh ... I kinda disagree ... because in typical play those eat your turn undead attempts ... which you need for everything else.

Gawain:  I think the problem is you're just looking at spells for those extra swift actions.  In practice for me I rarely use them for spells unless I have some auto-quick on a normal spell or it's a good spell with a quick casting time (I have a bizarre Spirit Shaman - RVK in one game and Druid/Ranger types have better swift-cast options).  Instead, look at Shadow Hand maneuvers.  Look at what you can do by being able to go into and out of stances, etc.  If you're changing flavor around, look what you can do with travel devotion ... keeping your swift action AND using your swift action for movement. 

Don't focus just on spells.  Boosts, swift-maneuvers, changing stances, travel devotion, etc.

I have already thought about those things. It's easier to think of all manouvres, since they're in one book, as opposed to spells, which are spread all over the place. 
My request for spells was also made to with regards to non-swift spells. I worded that badly. Ofcourse, there's Divine Power and Righteous Might and Divine Favour and Darkness + Blindsight and Magic Vestment & Weapon. But surely, there must be other useful Cleric spells for a melee character?

[ChristopherGroves]

Divine Favor, Magic Vestment are pretty standard.

Knight's Move is also quite handyrific.

[skydragonknight]

Using the extra swifts to activate domain feats(Complete Champion) might be a nice idea.

A pity it's a Chaos-deity. I prefer Law Devotion over Chaos since you can get a really nice bonus to your attack rolls(and crusader maneuvers almost always rely on hitting). Chaos Devotion can get you a bonus too, but depending on the die roll it might go to AC when you really want your healing maneuver to hit. :/

Hmm...I'll at least give you something useful: Circlet of Rapid Casting from the MIC p.86. Divine Favor is the one to be cast during combat, since the bonus type stacks with most everything and for a Crusader, hitting the enemy is so important. Shield of Faith is alright, but you're a bit shy on the caster levels so you can probably get a decent deflection bonus item by now.
Resist Energy can help you tank better against certain enemies.
Your BAB is only one below maximum so you don't need Divine Power nearly as much as a straight Cleric.

[ChristopherGroves]

So maneuver wise, are you looking at single-big-attacks or multi-attacking?  Whats you'r schtick with that?  Given that you're going to be basically a meleer, that's buffs and utility.

Spikes / Brambles are always good.  Divine Favor, Righteous Might, Enlarge Person, Magic Vestment, Align Weapon, Greater Magic Weapon, Air Walk, Freedom of Movement are all standard SRD.

SpC standards are Knight's Move, Cloak of Shadows, Weapon of Energy, Divine Protection, Recitation, Shield of Faith.  I also personally like Moon Bolt.  I'm also stupidly fond of Energy Aegis in PHB2 but that's because my DM rarely lets us know what is coming so prepping long-term energy resistances is often futile.  Knight's Move is one of my favorites for RKVs who want to be annoying because it's swift and it works just as well if your CL is 5 than if it's 20.

[GawainBS]

Thanks, those are very, very good suggestions! Too bad Brambles and Spikes don't work on a Guisarme or Halberd. Enlarge Person isn't a Cleric spell, only via the Strength Domain, which I lack.
I know, I've grumbled about the Chaos Domain as well, from a CO point of view.
At the moment, I'm mostly standard action-striking, but I think that in the later levels, it will shift to full attacks.

[ChristopherGroves]

girallon arms?

[GawainBS]

What about them?

[Vidar]

What about them?

They are really great with barbecue sauce? Don't be a powergamer and think about the essentials!

[woodenbandman]

Who says you can't buy an Ironwood(Eberron) halberd?

[GawainBS]

Well, that's not up to me to decide, but up to the person above your post.

[Vidar]

Well, that's not up to me to decide, but up to the person above your post.

1:Find the Pit Fiend you send away
2:Let him draw a map to Sigil
3:Gather info in Sigil for a way to Eberron
4:
5:Profit