The 3.5 Cleric Handbook

[PhaedrusXY]

There is a (better) Master of Shrouds handbook on this forum now. You should link to that in the first post, instead of my half-assed attempt at one.

[AfterCrescent]

I would love to... But where is it? I don't see it here in the Handbooks subforum... Am I going blind?

[PhaedrusXY]

I would love to... But where is it? I don't see it here in the Handbooks subforum... Am I going blind?

Yes. http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3310.0

[AfterCrescent]

Ah, that's the problem... I was looking for something by you. I see it now, and consider it edited.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Not sure if you've both noticed, so it deems repeating...

Shifters/Changelings cannot become outsiders via Otherworldly without either A) DM houseruling or B) Flaws. You'd have to take Human Heritage to qualify for Otherworldly, as the prereqs for it specify races, not a type (humanoid).

Also, wasn't there some sort of sidebar or ruling or something about anyone being able to take Otherworldly, if you were deemed 'special' and an Outsider was present at your birth? Requires an epic backstory and DM approvement, but still

I think it might have been in Champions of Valor, not sure...

Nah, you see Otherworldly is a regional feat, not a racial feat - it depends on your background, not your species.

Well, that opens the way to some shennanigans...

Not really, since you still have to meet the racial requirements to take the feat, and if playing in FR, you also have to be from the specific region..

I'd like to direct you to Regional Backgrounds on page 21 of Champions of Valor and in specific to the regional background Celestial-Attended Birth on page 22 of the same book
It doesn't mention anything about racial requirements though, so that might still be a problem...

[AfterCrescent]

It's a nice find. It means any elf can be otherworldly, but it still doesn't override the racial requirement, unfortunately...

Still, a good find. If we could figure out how to get past that, it'd be great.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Thanks

But yeah, aside from Human Heritage for some races I don't know any other options to meet the requirements either...

[AfterCrescent]

Added a link to Rhig's Guide to Sovereign Speakers and Other Domain Users

Remember, I'm always open to updates if something new is found.

[Akalsaris]

Hey PhaedrusXY and AfterCrescent, thanks for adding my handbook to the list in here =)

I actually came to check this handbook because I'm making a new MoS tonight and was looking for some inspiration for a 3rd level feat to take =P 

I didn't find any feats I really liked, but I did notice the spontaneous domains ACF, so it was worth checking.

[AfterCrescent]

Well I'm glad you found something worthwhile

[BowenSilverclaw]

I figured I'd copy this old character concept of mine focused on Turning that I posted in Alastar's AoW thread:

Don't know all the details or locations of everything, since I don't have all my books back yet since my old PC completely died. Someone else will have to help with the number-crunching of all the details and to help you locate feats and other stuff you don't know (although a Google/Crystalkeep search can help with that ).


Race: Draconic Magic-Blooded Lesser Aasimar (LA-buyback)

Abilities: Charisma over everything, followed by Wisdom ofcourse;

16 Points: 18 +2 Racial +4 Templates +5 Levels +5 Inherent +6 Enhancement =40 (+15)

If you start at level 9 or higher (since you can have bought of +2 LA by then), you might want to replace the Draconic template with the Phrenic template for some nice stuff like PR, PLA's and another +2 on all mental stats

Build stub: (Cloistered) Cleric 5/Paragnostic Apostle 1/RSoP 10/X +4

Feats:
1) Extra Turning; Improved Turning (Flaw); Disciple of the Sun (Flaw)
3) Item Familiar (optional, for if you want to catch up with the rest of the group faster after losing XP to LA-buyback)
6) Heighten Turning (if you don't take Item Familiar, move this up to level 3)
9) Free
12) Free
15) Free
18) Free

Domains: Sun; Domain of choice; optionally Knowledge if Cloistered Cleric

Skills:
- 5 ranks in Knowledge Religion: +2

Equipment:
- Phylactery of Undead Turning (Dungeon Master's Guide, 11,000 gp): +4 effective turning level
- Scepter of the Netherworld (Libris Mortis, 9,000gp): +3 effective turn levels
- Flametouched Iron Holy Symbol (Eberron Campaign Setting, 750 gp): +1 effective turning level
- Circlet of persuassion (DMG): +3 to all Cha Checks, including Turn Undead Check
- Breastplate of Command: (DMG, 25,400 gp): This finely crafted +2 breastplate radiates a powerful aura of magic. When worn, the armor bestows a dignified and commanding aura upon its owner. The wearer gains a +2 competence bonus on all Charisma checks, including turning checks and Charisma-based skill checks. The wearer also gains a +2 competence bonus to his Leadership score. Friendly troops within 360 feet of the user become braver than normal. Since the effect arises in great part from the distinctiveness of the armor, the wearer cannot hide or conceal herself in any way and still have the effect function.

- Ephod of Authority (MIC, part of the Vestments of Divinity magic item set): +1

- Sacred enhancements (A&EG) on your armor and shield

 (click to show/hide)
+2 bonus, deity specific, increases your effective turning level by 2.

Would be even more awesome if you went with the following as armor/shield combo:
+1 Sacred Shield
+1 Sacred Chain Shirt
+1 Sacred Chahar-Aina
+1 Sacred Dastana

Seeing as Sacred is an unnamed bonus, this should stack


Chahar-Aina and Dastana are both in OA (updated to 3.5 in some Dragon Mag issue), and while only the base armor value (both give a +1 armor bonus) stacks with certain armor types (chain shirt being one of them) and any further +x enhancements overlap, they're great to get a lot of special abilities on your armor since they DO stack

-Talisman of Undead Mastery (MIC): 3 charges; 1 charge: +2 Turning level; 2 charges: +3 Turning level; 3charges: +4 Turning level

- Greater Holy Symbol (Defenders of the Faith, 5,040gp): Empower turning at will

- Rod of Defiance (Libris Mortis, 13,000gp): All undead within 30 ft suffer a penalty of 4 to their turn resistance
- Lyre of the Restful Soul (Libris Mortis, 3,000gp): all undead 60’ rad –4 turn resist, 10 rounds

- Khyber Shard Holy Symbols (FoE) allow you to turn creatures of certain subtypes

- Reliquary Holy Symbol (MIC)
- Nightsticks (Libris Mortis)


There was a spell somewhere, I believe it was mentioned somewhere in the Min/Max area here at BG, that allowed you to Turn or Rebuke Outsiders, but not actually Destroy them IIRC. Ofcourse I lost my link to that thread as well   
Hope someone else knows what spell I'm talking about.

EDIT: The spell is Turn Anathema, Complete Champion IIRC.


There might be some more stuff, but this is all I could backtrack at the moment.
Hope it helps at least somewhat



~Bowen

Maybe someone can put that to good use in a game, unfortunately my own AoW game ended after about 3 sessions...

EDIT: The stuff I listed gets you something like a +25 on Turning checks (with an option to hit a +29 1/day, and not including Heighten Turning) and a -8 to the enemies Turn Resistance (within 30ft., or -4 to those within 60ft.) as well, and the ability to Turn/Destroy critters with elemental subtypes

By the time you get to Dragotha in the AoW campaign path you'd be level 18 IIRC, so you should have all the gear by then. That's a +43, or +47 if you burn all your Talisman of Undead Mastery charges, without even rolling
And you still got Heighten Turning to boost that even further.

I think you could actually dust Dragotha without even rolling

Just don't forget to hit it with a Quickened Greater Dispel Magic first to take out any defenses it might have against Turning


~Bowen

[AfterCrescent]

I'm picturing this character wearing 15 necklaces of Holy symbols draped over 2 different sets of armor, with deific symbols emblazoned everywhere, arms full of staffs, barely able to carry them all.

Not all of those items stack, of course (Breastplate vs Chain Shirt) and I believe you'd need a few extra sets of arms to handle everything, but it's still a nice build.

[BowenSilverclaw]

I think they actually do stack though,
unnamed bonuses, different sources and all that jazz
I admit it's at least somewhat cheesy, but at least this way Turning becomes a viable tactic

You just need to change the Breastplate to a Chain Shirt ofcourse (or just drop the Breastplate if that's not an option)

[AfterCrescent]

Oh, I just meant the breastplate and chainshirt wouldn't stack.   But yes, if you can convince your DM to combine them, then you'd be golden.  You likely don't even need all of those items to make it viable, but I agree that it does require a fair amount of investment.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Ah, I misunderstood then

And yeah, Girallon's Arms and that belt from MIC that provides an extra functional hand would definitely be nice

[Yves]

For the Dragonborn, Saints, Warforged, Vow of Poverty character, after she gets the Saints Template wouldn't she lose her construct, dragonborn, and living construct types and subtypes (along with their respective immunities) and just become outsider (native) type?

[AfterCrescent]

For the Dragonborn, Saints, Warforged, Vow of Poverty character, after she gets the Saints Template wouldn't she lose her construct, dragonborn, and living construct types and subtypes (along with their respective immunities) and just become outsider (native) type?

Yes and no.

She would lose her humanoid type (and construct type, if she wasn't a dragonborn). However, the subtypes are not addressed, so it's likely they remain.  Thus, a Dragonborn Warforged that became a Saint would be an Outsider (Dragonblood, Living Construct, Native). So whatever the subtypes give, it would have, along with being an outsider.

[Sinfire Titan]

Trickery - A great ability. I absolutely love it. Let's be honest here, this devotion has a million ways to be abused. At higher levels your shadow clone has all those wands and scrolls you have to use, but his respawn when you remake him later. Don't use this unless your DM knows what you can do and has specifically okayed it.

Nerfed by errata. It sucks now.

[AfterCrescent]

Thanks for that catch, Sinfire. Updated it.

[Optimator]

Regarding Cleric Archers and the Prestige Ranger:
There are a good deal of cool archery spells for the ranger and getting them as an archer cleric could be pretty boss, but the entry requirements for Prestige Ranger are so daunting...  what is the least painful way to get in?  Is it even worth it in the grand scheme of things?  Seems to me like an archer cleric is especially feat-tight.