Clerics and multi classes

[wellard]

Often when I play a Cleric I choose one level of fighter just to add some base line ooommmphh to the character. What other options are available that work? Has anyone regreted using one of the,three class in total, options for a character on a single fighter level? What multi class setups work best with Clerics?

[ 06-21-2006, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: wellard ]

[Witchdoctor]

I don't play clerics alot, but it seems if you are wanting add some melee ability to the character, then you would want to take four levels of fighter. You would get a better hit die (d10 vs. d8), plus an extra fighter (melee) feat or two to choose, but mainly you would get weapon specialization as a fourth level fighter feat choice, which I would take in a cleric compatible weapon even though the fighter class would give you access to all but exotic weapons. If you save your skill points, you could also use the fighter to max discipline, which is a class skill for fighters, but not clerics, if I remember correctly.

As for the cleric class, doesn't it eventually have access to the spell Divine Might, which I have read can transform the cleric into a devastating melee fighter briefly?

I suppose you could take 2 or 5 levels of barbarian also, which would give you a d12 hit die for those levels, plus the uncanny dodge and extra speed bonus might help the melee abilities. It also has discipline as a class skill. I don't know if you can combine Rage with Devine Might, but if so, that could make your barbarian-cleric a killing machine, even if only briefly.

I'm not sure if other classes would combine as well as fighter or barbarian with a cleric, assuming your goal is beefing up the melee ability. Both the fighter and barbarian also use armor and shields, so your classe melee abilities are not at cross purposes.

Combining a monk and a cleric might be interesting since wisdom is important to both, but to take full advantage of the monk's abilities, you would have to give up wearing armor and using weapons, which essentially leaves the cleric's melee strengths present, but unused. Still, it might be interesting.

[Witchdoctor]

Oh, I completely forgot combining a Paladin with a cleric. You have the potential to be really effective against the undead in particular since charisma enhances the clerics turn undead class ability, as well as enhancing the paladin's saving grace saves. Deciding how to allocate basic attribute points will be a tough trade off, it seems. You will need good charisma for both the paladin and the cleric, so that is easy. Wisdom is needed for the cleric spell casting but doesn't do alot for the paladin, but then I don't know how many levels of paladin you would really want to take anyway if your primary goal is beefing up the cleric main class. You will also need decent strength and constitution if you want to be an armor wearing fighter type in addition to just a cleric. I guess you could leave strength and constitution at 12 each, take toughness as a feat, and leave intelligence and dexterity at 10 each, allowing the rest of the points to allocate to charisma and wisdom. I haven't played a paladin since Baldur's Gate & follow ons, so I don't know what would be the optimum number of paladin levels to take to max the melee ability. Maybe someone who has played paladins alot could give the benefit of their in-game experience, since most of this is theory off the top of my head.

[wellard]

Thank you for the detailed reply Witchdoctor [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

The barbarian option is one I never thought of before. It might suit the ‘fallen of the calm righteous path and into a revenge seeking hysterical cleric that I am trying to create much better than a fighter (I believe in the role-play, so I have to believe in the character I create).

I note that Barbarians cannot progress if lawful but my cleric will be chaotic good so that should not be a problem. If the primary barbarian ability is strength is there a minimum number of points I have to put into that category? Normally I would keep it low to allow for more points in charisma and wisdom but maybe I should sacrifice points in charisma?

Any thought on this people?

[robertthebard]

Other than common sense limits, there aren't any. The problem with using Barb with a Cleric build is armor. Barbs can't use heavy armor, but clerics can. If you multiclass the two, one will lose out on class benefits. You can offset this a bit with a higher dex score though. If I were to dual a cleric, I'd go fighter. I think I'd take a few more levels than just four though, maybe 10 or so. Prior to char. level 20, fighters gain 1 point to their AB per level, so if you're looking for a bit more combat skill, that's the way to go.
Clerics, however, tend to be quite efficient as melee fighters. A few good spells, and you'd think you were one. Dualing to Paladin is also a good idea, if a little limiting, alignment wise. You may want to try a single class cleric, but make what I refer to as an oops save right before you'd want to multiclass, just in case you decide you don't like it, that way you can go back, and take the other class, if you really want to.
Another good possibility would be Champion of Torm. The classes compliment eachother, and you would gain the benefit of lay on hands for some quick heat of battle healing, remember that that is level based though. Lots of good possibilities, rogue, for example. The best advice I can give is to feel it out, and see what really works best for you.

[wellard]

G'day RTB [img]smile.gif[/img]

The rogue does have possibilities I guess, picking locks and detecting traps (especially for EfU!) plus the ability to use some arcane magic items.

The armor poses a problem though

Does wearing full amour effect rogue skills like lock pick? The cleric spell find (and auto disarm) traps would be useful if I just put the rogue skill points into other areas like lock pick and search.

Anyone done a cleric ranger combine?

I can never understand why a ranger does not have the disarm trap ability considering he can set traps????

[Captain Obvious]

I'm pretty new to NWN, but i read a guide somewhere that suggested having one level of fighter first, then one of wizard, then solid cleric.

this gives a bit more grunt for the fighting abilites, and the wizard level lets you choose a familiar. If you take the pixie you have a fairly good lock picker/trap disarmer, and can more easily use someone like Daelan as your henchman.

[robertthebard]

Heavy armor will affect the thief skills. You'll notice that it has a max dex bonus on the armor types, the only thing that this doesn't affect is any dex based attack bonus. With any Ranger/Rogue build, you should go with light armor, and push dex as far as you can.

[SHO-VA]

I like a 3 sorc, 10 palemaster, 27 cleric build. focus on wis, cha, and str. take still spell so can cast sorc spells while in armor. what you get is a cleric that is hard to hit, have seen the ac as high as 75, with death touch, and harm casting [img]smile.gif[/img]

[JrKASperov]

Originally posted by robertthebard: Heavy armor will affect the thief skills. You'll notice that it has a max dex bonus on the armor types, the only thing that this doesn't affect is any dex based attack bonus. With any Ranger/Rogue build, you should go with light armor, and push dex as far as you can.

Wrong and wrong.

Heavy armor does not affect all thief skills, in fact, it only affects Hide, Move Silently, Tumble and Parry. The max dex only counts for the armor class, it does not affect any other skill, attack bonus, dexterity check or anything else.

As for my multiclass clerics: they can use any class except sorcerer or wizard effectively. If you pick any one of those, your spellcasting will be severely damaged. Most classspecific abilities such as barbarian fast movement aren't hampered by armor at all, so you shouldn't worry about that. Excepting ofcourse the ranger dual wielding and monk AC bonus.