Ok I'm looking at playing a cleric through all 3 games and then join TDC and Ziroc under the mountain. What I need is tips on the best equipment and items through the early stages of the game. What feats or skills to choose and such. Also what pitfalls or mistakes to avoid. Who would be my best companion or would it vary due to the quest? Because this is not my first run through NWN do not be shy of spoilers :D

Pitfalls? With the cleric? [img]smile.gif[/img]

The best combination is probably something like Warhammer + Tower Shield + Full Plate when you can afford it. Don't worry about enchantment bonusses, to a cleric an unenchanted warhammer's almost as useful as a warhammer +4. The same goes for other weapons, shields and armor. Instead, look for secondary bonusses (acid damage, fire resistance, haste, things like that).

Remember to put attribute points in Wisdom. Dexterity and Intelligence aren't too important, you'll want a decent Strength, Charisma, and probably Constitution too. Wis and Cha help your powers, Str helps you carry your armor and shield around, and also joins with Con in making your combat abilities stronger. Int is worth considering raising to 13 or 14 if you plan to take certain comat feats. Dex doesn't need to be greater than 12 at the very most.

Skills are probably best spent on concentration and spellcraft.

For feats, either go with casting improvements (Extend and Empower spell, Combat Casting, possibly a spell focus or two), or go melee (power attack, extra turning, divine might, knockdown, the works). You can specialise in a specific weapon type if you like, but it's not critical. You really have a good many options here, and the cleric class has lots of room for error, so it doesn't matter too much. Spell focus has the advantage of raising the DC on your spells, which is useful if you're into casting spells at enemies. If you prefer to cast spells on yourself instead (very solid approach, that), you don't need to bother with them. Consider Zen archery if you plan on using missile weapons.

Henchmen, well. You can heal yourself, you can fight right proper, and fling the odd spell or two. You can disarm traps also. Basically, with the cleric class, any henchman you take is providing a nice extra rather than making up for a weakness of the class. Rogues do offer the Open Lock skill, but you can bash most of those open in any case. If not, invest the whole of 2 skillpoints in the Open Lock cross-class skill and very few will pose a problem anymore.

Clerics are just too versatile. It's criminal.

Thanks for the tips Legolas.

Ive found out in BG and IWD that the cleric is almost to overpowered, like a fighter/wizard crossbreed. But often gets overlooked because he does not carry a sexy sword. I was going to take a guess that the same aplies to NWN. I was going to leave strength low because of the spell bulls strength and IIRC there are some belts that offer greater strength (though I can not remember where)

Spell choice would be more on the 'buff' up side. unless I had a fighter or Barb to do the dirty work.

Are there any good crossbows out there for a cleric to use?

The Cleric in NWN (a 3rd ed. game) is a way better fighter than the ones in BG1&2 and IWD1(2nd ed. games).

There are some good crossbows out there but keep in mind that you only get 1 attack per round with crossbows, unless you pick the Rapid Reload feat which requires Shadows of Undrentide expansion pack. This isn't really a problem at low levels where you only have 1 attack/round anyway, but at higher levels it's a bit low.

I find that Clerics are better off focusing on melee weapons as they have access to ALOT of buffing spells.

OR

They take a ranged weapon but use the ZEN archery feat so their wisdom is used instead of their Dex for a ranged weapon

As you mention Stratos, rapid reload is new to me because I now have SOU, but is that the same with Zen archery? I do not remember that choice before.

Is there a super crossbow available early in the game? or at all?

I definitely agree that the cleric is a better fighter in NWN.

Zen archery comes in handy if you want to put more skill points in things besides dex as your wisdom is the skill that counts for sending arrows at enemies. I'm not sure about all the crossbows available but I know there are a few good one's I've passed up as my char uses longbows.

Rapid Reload gives you one extra attack per round with a crossbow, but you've have to wait until Cleric level 8 for it to kick in; that's when Clerics get their second attack.

With Zen Archery you use your wisdom modifier instead of your dexterity modifier when using ranged weapons. A good feat for Clerics and Druids if you intend to use ranged weapons.

Sorry, I can't help you much with the crossbows. I never used them myself and it's been a long time since I played any of the NWO campaigns, so I don't remember the crossbows in the game. I DO know, on the other hand, that there are some good bolts out there.

There are some out there to find, but you won't be finding them until higher lvls, so I'd just focus on the melee abilities. The only thing I'd change from what Legolas posted is dex, I'd set it at 13, along with int. Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, and Whirlwind Attack are the reasons. I believe that Dodge requires a 13 dex, and you have to take the feats in the order listed above. So, IIRC, and you do need 13 dex for dodge, you won't be able to get any of them, and let me tell you, Whirlwind Attack isn't really devastating, unless you are, but it is useful for large numbers of weaker creatures.
edit: Oh, there are more practical applications as well, Mobility gives you an ac bonus to Attacks of Oppurtunity, and Spring attack makes you immune to em, while moving around in combat. *if you stop fighting to dring a potion, or cast a spell without combat casting feats, you would still give up AoO's, but not while moving around to get better position on an enemy.*

[ 03-18-2005, 07:37 AM: Message edited by: robertthebard ]

I've just selected Zen ability during a level up and WOW what a difference it makes. I am however loath to select rapid shot on my next level up (makes a crossbow as fast as a bow) and think other feats would be a wiser choice. If I spent a level on fighter could my cleric then use a bow and therefore its inbuilt rapid shot? What other benefits would I gain by using one level of fighter to my cleric?

It depends on what feats you have already taken. have you taken Weapon Spec: Crossbow ?

If not then take that feat at your next level up if you want to specialise in the crossbow. if you want to specialise in the long or short bow take that Weapon Spec feat.

The good thing about taking a fighter level or two is that fighters get more feats. On your first level as a fighter you can take two feats.

YES, but you only get to choose one because the martial feat is given automatically.

YES, but you only get to choose one because the martial feat is given automatically. </font>[/QUOTE]No, not really on both counts.

On your first level as a fighter (and second, and third, and every odd thereafter) you get to take one feat. Additionally you get the Simple, Martial, Shield, Light, Medium and Heavy armor proficiencies.
The second feat TDC refers to is a standard feat which everyone gets at levels 1,3, and every third thereafter.
If you'd take your first fighter level at character level 2, you'd only get one. Have it as your third level, and you get 2. But you'd get the second one in any case, with any other class.
Finally, you can get another bonus feat at Human level 1. So a human fighter starts out with 3 feats; the standard feat, the racial bonus feat, the fighter bonus feat, and the bonus proficiencies/racial abilities (with humans, that's the Quick to Master racial ability). You get to choose all three.