Introduction
The role of the Cleric is generally a buffer (I included healer / ailment curer in the definition of buffer) outside of combat that specializes in another party role inside combat. The optimized specialized roles that a Cleric can take on inside of combat are: 1) Archer (see below); 2) Battlefield Controller (coming soon); 3) Tank / Striker (coming soon), 4) De-buffer (coming soon), and 5) Necromancer (coming soon).
- The Archer takes all the archer feats he can and spells / domains that support that style.
- The Battlefield Controller generally uses spells, but sometimes a fighting controller build (via cleric build and/or animal companion build) to accomplish his role.
- The Tank / Striker generally uses a fighting build (via cleric build and/or animal companion build) supported by spell and domain selection to accomplish his role.
- The De-buffer generally uses spells and domains abilities to accomplish his role.
- The Necromancer uses the animate dead & similar spells, the command undead feat, and channeling to accomplish his role.
There are some additional generalizations concerning optimized Clerics.
- First, they pretty much all use wands, rods, and scrolls.
- Second, they are optimized (through build and daily spell selections) around the party that they are serving so as to optimize the party.
- Third, they generally prepare only 75% of their spells at the beginning of the day and leave 25% to be prepared later in the day once the problems of the day have revealed themselves (only takes 15 minutes to prepare the remaining 25%).
Full Caster Cleric Archer Guide – Typical choices
Divine Caster-Archer PDF – You know you want to be an ultimate divine caster and archer with a companion or familiar? Try these ridiculous Cleric, Druid, Hunter, Inquisitor, Oracle, Warpriest, and Vigilante builds in this mega Optibuilds PDF.
You really need to compare all Divine Caster Archers side-by-side to determine which one you want to play. They all have various strengths that kick in at various level. The Optibuild Divine Caster Archer PDF compares these Optibuilds at every level from 1 to 13.
- Stats (20 points): Str (12); Dex (16); Con (12); Int (8); Wis (16); Cha (8). Unfortunately, you are a dumb and uncharismatic individual. Put your human +2 racial bonus into Dexterity. Put your 4th and 8th level stat bonus into Dex and your 12th level bonus into Wis.
- Favorite Class Selection: +1 skill point per level
- Race: The typical race is human. You are feat starved and the extra feat really helps. The human also gets 1 extra skill point per level and you need that as well.
- Feats: I am leaving you with some decisions to make on your own here. With that said, I would take feats in the following order: 1) Pt. Blank Shot, Rapid Shot; 3) Precise Shot; 5) Boon Companion (Select the Roc as an Animal Companion); 7) Deadly Aim; 9) Manyshot or Clustered Shots; 11) Manyshot or Clustered Shots; and 13) Improved Precise Shot.
- Deity: His deity would be Erastil because that is the only Deity I know of that has Longbow has a favorite weapon. I assume Longbow Composite falls under the definition of Longbow, though I don’t know of the direct rule citation.
- Domains: The typical Domains selected are Animal (Feather) and then whatever second Erastil Domain (Subdomain) will work best for your adventuring group. Your animal companion should be a Roc. At seventh level, you should be riding him like a pony shooting down arrows from above.
- Skills (13th level): I would do the following with your 39 skill points:
- Linguistics (2) – ask GM about some useful languages for the adventure;
- Perception (Max) – You should be good at spotting trouble with a Perception of +13 ranks +3 class skill bonus +3 Wisdom Mod +6 Feather Subdomain Bonus = +25 without magic equipment or spells;
- Know Planes or Know Religion (Max) – you are too stupid to be good at both, so ask you GM which one would be best to focus on for the purposes of identifying monster’s abilities;
- Ride (6);
- Handle Animal (5)
- Spells: The main spells that power your archery are Divine Favor, Channel Vigor and Divine Power. You should try to cast one or more of these before initiative at the first sign of trouble. Also, spells that up you or your pets armor class and allow you or your pet to bypass damage reduction should be focused on.
- Traits: Fate’s Favored (to increase the effectiveness of Divine Favor & Divine Power) and whatever else.
- Equipment: By 13th level something like the following would be nice: +2 Belt of (Dex/Str/Con) (16K); +3 Adaptive Longbow Comp (19K); Efficient Quiver (1K); +4 Mithral Chainshirt Armor (Self) (17K); +2 Amulet of Mighty Fist (Roc) (16K); +4 Mithral Chainshirt (Roc) (18K); +3 Cloak of Resistance (9K); Ring of Feather Fall; Some Wand and/or Scrolls; Rod of Extend Lesser (3K); Ring of Protection +1 (2K); Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (2K); Bracer’s of Falcon’s Aim (4K); and whatever else you want to buy with your money.
- Multiclassing / Archetypes / Different Races / Different Feats: Dipping into Fighter, Zen Archer or other classes can still be optimal, but will open up different considerations (like different races and feats) that can lead to vastly different builds. Further, various Cleric Archetypes can lead to different builds as well.
I’m not sure when this guide was started, but I like your other works, any chance we’ll see this finished in the near future? (I’m primarily interested in the BF Controller section, if my vote counts)
Your thoughts on a Cleric/ZAM blend would be appreciated
I would just go Warpriest or make an Oracle Archer if you are seeking to optimize. When I was creating the Divine Casters Archer PDF and comparing the stats and casting of a Cleric/ZAM, the Cleric/ZAM just did not match up well at all.
Really, a Cleric Archer, minus ZAM, made the list. I would suggest that you buy the PDF. You will never have to think about building a Divine Archer again.
I’ve played a few clerics in my day and I would note that as a class there are two main phases.
In phase one (level 1-10), heavy armor melee works well. Pick up craft wonderous item and craft magic arms and armor if other players don’t have so your magic Christmas tree is half price (wisdom, dex enhenhancements, cloak of protection, armor and shield bonuses). Buff with Divine Power, Bull’s Strength (and starting at level 7 mighty strength). Deception domain is great for getting a mirror image out as move action once 3+Wis mod/day and entropic shield is good if running into lots of ranged. I don’t like divine power anymore. It’s close enough to divine favor up to level 9 that mighty strength is the better choice. And if you can make or buy a lesser metamagic rod quicken (and convince your GM to let you put it in the hilt of your primary weapon or have the arcane caster do spell sword on you – note don’t multiply rod cost by 1.5, multiply weapon cost by 1.5 instead), divine favor or channel vigor gets Quickened 3/day.
In phase one buff self, use up channelling to heal party outside combat, maybe pickup wand of cure light wounds so don’t need to convert your buffs on endurance sessions with 4+ encounters.
In Phase 2 it’s all about spell penetration and spell focus Necromancy. Up to this point there are few worthy combat spells, and require point blank shot and precise shot to get best use of. That all changes when the Cleric gets level 6 spells. Harm is sick, and by this point you should be just fine landing touch attacks in the middle of combat. Getting the DC up for the save and overcoming SR are your new priorities. This trend continues with Destruction at spell levels 7, heart clutch at 8, massacre and energy drain at 9 (all Necromany). Plus your mass cause spells. If it’s resistant to necromancy, chances are it’s undead and you can screw it up with positive energy or just carve it up with your melee abilities.
Other not worthy spells on the list are silent table so you don’t screw up surprise rounds clanking around if your party is sneaky enough to get them, and dust Form at level 6 conveniently placed on your progression right where your offensive spells start. This will mean one or two encounters per day spell focused and the rest melee.
#mytwocents
I did something simmilar to this with a dip into Evangelist, Erastil’s boons are very spicy, summon a copy of your companion and adding wis to attack and damage with a longbow are quite good, I also diped more feats into making my animal companion better, my cleric has got to lvl 13 now and its going quite well.