Cleric posing as a Duskblade!?

[Risada]

Hello there!

So, I decided to join this PbP, and I plan on using some sort of spell channeling for some nice damage. Which means I need Ordained Champion (or any other divine class I don't know)...

Since clerics don't have much blasting capabilities, I will need some Domains, possibly with Domain Spontaneity (PHB2). However, if I go Ordained Champion, I will have to give up on my spontaneous casting (whatever it may be) for the War domain Spontaneity.

Off the top of my head, my remaining options are:

- use Smiting Spell (PHB2): burning a standard action for it hurts, though. Perhaps Quicken Spell might help here...
- that Eberron feat that allows you to spend a turn undead to cast a spell from a domain spontaneously: while nice, I plan on spending my turn attempts on Smites and (perhaps) DMM Persist/Quicken... not that nice....
- use a spell storing weapon: same issue as Smiting Spell.
- abort Ordained Champion and find some other PrC with similar abilities.
- find a way to add good blasting spells to the cleric list: unlike the arcane side, clerics don't have that many classes with this option...

My basic idea is Human Cloistered Cleric 6/Ordained Champion 4-5/Full BAB PrC X

Some of the feats will be Extra Turning, Law Devotion (if I go Lawful route), Knowledge Devotion (from Knowledge Domain), Able Learner (for some skill points...), Quicken Spell, and possibly Extend/Persist/DMM, if I manage to get that many feats.

Another idea is to try channeling stuff going as a Sacred Fist... build would be Cleric 4/Monk 2/Ordained Champion 4/Sacred Fist 10... but I still have to think about feats for this one.

Any tips will be greatly appreciated

[juton]

Ok, you have options.

If you are starting at lowish levels and you really want to play the Duskblade shtick you'll need smiting spell, it's awkward but it's unavoidable. At level 5 you get access to a spell from the spell compendium called Energy Vortex, which does adequate damage but allows you choose between energy types, so you can fib and say you're channeling a scorching ray when you are not.

I don't know how important it is too you that pull of being a duskblade, or how difficult the DM will make it for you. You can take the feat Southern Magician or Alternate spell source and cast a limited number of spells per day as arcane spells.

There is a feat that lets you trade turning attempts to spontaneously cast spells, but you'll probably want to use those more for DMM. Stay away from sacred fist, since any levels in it means you are not allowed to use any weapons other than your fists. Able learner doesn't give you extra skill points, it just makes cross class skills cost 1 point, there is a feat called Nymph's Kiss that gives extra skill points a level though. You can get into Ordained Champion after level 4, there is no BAB requirements, if you take Nymph's kiss you can get into it right at level 3 (I think). You'll want either 3 or 5 levels of Ordained Champion, 5 levels will let you auto-quicken war domain spells, which is nice but not entirely necessary if you have DMM. If you are really worried about skill points there is a feat in the Dragonlance book Age of Mortals which lets you use your Int as a casting stat instead of Wis, the feat itself isn't setting dependent but it's up to your DM if that source is allowed.

[Prime32]

So you want a knight type who goes around shooting fire, hitting people with a sword and hitting people with a flaming sword (likely using the charges from small items to boost their power)? Hmmm... you might recall this build.

LG Human Cleric (Celerity, War) 15/Ordained champion 5
Feats: Combat Expertise, Divine Metamagic, Divine Might, Divine Shield, Empower Spell, Holy Warrior^CC, Leadership (for Pyrokineticist/Fiend of Possession cohort)
Equipment: Greatreach bracers, +5 swordbow w/ greater arcane might augment crystal + wand chamber containing wand of stretch weapon, +5 light shield w/ weapon sheath

For blasty spells, the obvious choices in Core would be the Fire and Sun domains, the former of which might get you more use of Devotion feats. "All PrCs that advance casting provide full advancement" is one of the more notable rules. See if you can use that to make geomancer a dual-progression class. Or use "Your caster level is always equal to your character level." with an ardent dip.

EDIT: Warpriest^CD is also an option.

[Maat_Mons]

You could try spontaneous variant cleric.  Since everyone in the party is a cleric, not having the normal breadth of spell access shouldn't be a problem.  Presumably, this circumvents the entire modified spontaneous casting feature.  At worst, you no longer get cure or inflict spells added to your spells known for free.  

The sand domain gets you blast of sand, which is a 4th level spell that deals 1d6 per level untyped damage and doesn't allow spell resistance.  [Edit: channel spell applies only to targeted spells, according to the errata.]  The envy domain or divine magician variant can get you vampiric touch.  

[Risada]

So you want a knight type who goes around shooting fire, hitting people with a sword and hitting people with a flaming sword (likely using the charges from small items to boost their power)? Hmmm... you might recall this build.

Hmmm... I've seen it before

I was thinking along these lines  

Perhaps if I can find a way to constantly shine a lot... I could go Lucent Lance^SpC (up to 15d6, no save), or Sound Lance^SpC.... sadly, both of these are 4th level...

So, build looks like this:

LG Human Divine Magician^CM Cleric 5/Ordained Champion 5^CC/Prestige Paladin 10^UA of the Sovereign Host
Progression: Cleric 5/ Ordained Champion 4/Prestige Paladin 1/Ordained Champion +1/Prestige Paladin +9
*Waving Mounted Combat as a prereq for P. Paladin

Domains: War, Travel (Ordained Champion bonus)
Stats: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 13 (level up stats still undefined)
Feats:
1: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Longsword) (War Domain)
H: Extra Turning
3: Smiting Spell
6: Battle Blessing/Quicken Spell, Travel Devotion (converting OC bonus)
9: Awesome Smite/DMM: Quicken
12: Empower Spell
15: DMM: Empower?
18: Holy Warrior

...it seems I have a lot of stuff to use with my swift actions.... I wonder if I can get it working like this...

Does anyone know of a Paladin ACF that swaps the special mount for something useful?

Also, tips for finishing the build are appreciated

[Maat_Mons]

… up to 15d6, no save …

Up to?  What about this rule? 

All spells are uncapped if they were capped. Any problematic things will be banned if needs be, or nerfed if they don't warrant banning.

[Gavinfoxx]

Cleric blasty list!

http://web.archive.org/web/20080416122056/forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=605481

Yes I wrote it a bunch of years ago!

[Risada]

… up to 15d6, no save …

Up to?  What about this rule? 

All spells are uncapped if they were capped. Any problematic things will be banned if needs be, or nerfed if they don't warrant banning.

I forgot about that one...  silly me

Cleric blasty list!

http://web.archive.org/web/20080416122056/forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=605481

Yes I wrote it a bunch of years ago!

No problem about the date! Thanks for the info!

[Prime32]

So you want a knight type who goes around shooting fire, hitting people with a sword and hitting people with a flaming sword (likely using the charges from small items to boost their power)? Hmmm... you might recall this build.

Hmmm... I've seen it before

Well, some of the stuff there should still be helpful. Holy Warrior grants a damage bonus equal to the highest-level War spell you can cast. The weapon crystal of arcane steel gives you:

• Least (500gp): +1 insight to weapon damage while channeling a spell.
• Lesser (2,000gp): +1 insight to weapon attack/damage while channeling a spell.
• Greater (6,000gp): +1 insight to weapon attack/damage while channeling a spell, +1 to spell DC.

For that SHOOP DA WOOP, I'd say pick up a draconic breath weapon (eg. from dragonborn) and some metabreath spells/feats. Depending on how you interpret dragon samurai you could have a 17d8 BW at 18th level (or more with bloodlines). Heck, you even get "Vortigern: Hammer of the Vile King" at 4th level.
EDIT: Would using a metabreath spell allow you to channel a breath weapon through your sword?

[Amechra]

Risada, go ahead and take Ruby Knight Vindicator.

Remember, you can ignore one prereq for a PrC.

(Yes, I am the DM, what of it?)

[Risada]

Risada, go ahead and take Ruby Knight Vindicator.

Remember, you can ignore one prereq for a PrC.

(Yes, I am the DM, what of it?)

So, I could take one level of Crusader and go nuts?

Crusader 1/Cleric 4/Ordained Champion 5/RKV 10

LG Human Divine Magician Cleric 4/Crusader 1/Ordained Champion 5/Ruby Knight Vindicator 10 of the Sovereign Host
Progression: Cleric 4/Crusader 1/Ordained Champion 5/RKV 10

Domains: War, Travel (Ordained Champion bonus)
Stats: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 13 (level up stats still undefined)
Feats:
1: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Longsword) (War Domain)
H: Extra Turning
3: Battle Blessing/Quicken Spell
6: DMM: Quicken, Travel Devotion (converting OC bonus)
9: Extra Granted Maneuver
12: Awesome Smite
15: Empower Spell
18: Holy Warrior

And Amechra, since you decided to stop by, lemme question you: how is your take regarding Prestige Paladin and Battle Blessing?

Edit: fixed progression due to my dumb mind 

[Maat_Mons]

A little more quoting:

You may never access a PrC below 6th character level, ever, ever, ever. Ever, ever.

Maybe cleric 4 / crusader 1 / ordained champion 5 / ruby knight vindicator 10? 

[Risada]

A little more quoting:

You may never access a PrC below 6th character level, ever, ever, ever. Ever, ever.

Maybe cleric 4 / crusader 1 / ordained champion 5 / ruby knight vindicator 10? 

I guess you are having fun doing this, aren't you? 

Only second level maneuvers before RKV makes me slightly sad, though... however, adding ToB here allows me to add some more damage on my strikes of doom...

[Bozwevial]

A little more quoting:

You may never access a PrC below 6th character level, ever, ever, ever. Ever, ever.

Maybe cleric 4 / crusader 1 / ordained champion 5 / ruby knight vindicator 10? 

I guess you are having fun doing this, aren't you? 

Only second level maneuvers before RKV makes me slightly sad, though... however, adding ToB here allows me to add some more damage on my strikes of doom...

No, you're good. Mister_Sinister specifically calls out PrCs that are intended to be taken before 6th level (Stoneblessed, Master Specialist, etcetera) as an exception to this rule.

[Prime32]

Does "below 6th level" mean that all PrCs gain the prerequisite of "character level 6th" or that your 6th level can be in a PrC?

Most PrCs are designed for the latter.

[Bozwevial]

Does "below 6th level" mean that all PrCs gain the prerequisite of "character level 6th" or that your 6th level can be in a PrC?

Most PrCs are designed for the latter.

The latter, I think.

[veekie]

To be precise there was an addendum to that that PrCs intentionally designed to be taken pre 5th can still be taken. Paragon racial classes and I think the Master Specialist. Just that you can't go below 5th using early entry(especially with the waiving of one prereq)

I wonder how well a Geomancer could work here with only one kind of casting.

[Maat_Mons]

Mister_Sinister specifically calls out PrCs that are intended to be taken before 6th level (Stoneblessed, Master Specialist, etcetera) as an exception to this rule.

Ah, down in reply number 8.  It sounds like you need case-by-case approval.  Amechra? 

[Prime32]

I wonder how well a Geomancer could work here with only one kind of casting.

As I pointed out, Sinister's house rules would let it advance cleric casting fully even if you put all the casting boosts into the arcane side. After that you can go mystic theurge or something.

You may not be able to use it for early entry, but Southern Magician still means that you only have to take one level of sorcerer(?)

[Amechra]

I'm saying that RKV wasn't intended to be taken below 6th, so...

Niet.

And with Prestige Paladin and Battle Blessing...

Lemme get back to you on that one.