Request for Feat Advice

[misfit]

I have a half-orc Bar2/Ftr1/Clr5 (of Ilmater) with a greataxe. I intend to take another level of Fighter, and then pursue Cleric from there on. I'm just wondering what feats you all would recommend for such a character. I won't list what I already have, just to see how it matches with the advice. Thanks!

[Edge]

From the class combination I'm guessing the character is heavy on melee combat, using their spells to buff themselves offensively and defensively and then going into combat with weapons, rather than attacking from a distance with spells.

First and foremost above all else, Practiced Spellcaster. It will increase your caster level to meet those four non-cleric levels, increasing your spell bonuses and durations as if you were 3 (4 after you take the last fighter level) levels higher than your actual Cleric level.

If you have at least 13 CHA, I'd definitely recommend the Divine Might/Shield combination. The extra damage and AC is pretty useful for a character with that kind of focus. Both require Power Attack to access, and you'd also greatly benefit from Extra Turning, so you have more uses on-hand.

Failing the CHA prerequisite, or if those don't interest you, Combat Casting is of course a useful one, so your mid-combat buffs (in case of a dispel or needing something you didn't have during prep) or healing are less likely to get interrupted by attacks.

Power Attack is a good one for a melee-ish build anyway, and Cleave to follow. Great Cleave's not as useful, admittedly, unless you're going for DevCrit, which is extremely unlikely for a caster build. I would also recommend against Improved Power Attack, as the greater penalty is pointless for a character with the reduced BAB of a mainly-cleric build.

Extend Spell is a good one to have for any buffs-based caster, increasing the duration of your enhancements. This is especially great for short-duration but high-usefulness spells like Divine Power. It's probably the only metamagic that is of really good use to you; however if you have room for another, Empower Spell isn't bad, as it can increase the effects of some buffs.

[misfit]

Thank you!

No CHA, so scratch that. I did take PA and Cleave, and already came to the same conclusion about GC, so the sanity check is nice. I forgot about Practised Spellcaster, actually (facepalm), so thankyouverymuch for that. Didn't have enough Spellcraft ranks (his INT kind of sucks too) to see it in the list yet.

I do intend to pick up Improved Crit, which is why I'm holding out for that second Fighter level and the bonus feat. Any other fighter-y type of things come to mind?

[Edge]

If you're going to specialize in a single weapon, Focus is always good. If you drop the two Barbarian levels for two Fighter levels, you could also pick up Specialization.

Knockdown isn't bad, if you only use it while you're pumped up with Divine Power. Your low int probably prevents you from picking up the Improved version. It's not super useful for you as far as improving your damage or anything, but it's good for flattening other casters for a while to stop them from casting, or setting up enemies to get skewered by your sneak-attacking friends.

Blind-Fight is also a really, really good one for any meleer, given how many high-level enemies on this server - especially casters - spawn in with Displacement or Improved Invisibility on, or throw around things like Word of Faith that blind with no save.

That's really all I can recommend.

[misfit]

Thanks again! I think I have enough to keep me busy for several levels. I do have WF already. He was actually a Barbarian/Cleric originally, which fit the character concept. I swapped 2 levels of Barbarian for Fighter purely for mechanics. I thought about WS, but hate to give up the other 2 levels for the sake of munchkinism. But I didn't consider Blind-Fight, and now I think I'm sold on it.

[Vincent07]

Blind fight is a must.

[Masque]

Blind Fight, Extend Spell, Practiced Spell Caster, Knockdown and Imp Critical hit

Blind Fight is such a useful feat as others have already pointed out.



Extend Spell will be invaluable to your buffs and let you just go further than you could without it.


These are the spells you will love to Extend -

nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Divine_power
nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Shield_of_faith
nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Negative_energy_protection
nwn.wikia.com/wiki/True_seeing_(spell)
nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Spell_resistance_(spell)
nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Battletide


Practiced Spell Caster so your CL is still high when you cast Cleric spells


Knockdown gives you much needed battlefield control. You knock an enemy down prone in combat and watch your Rogues face light up.


Imp Crit because that Axe was made for swinging!

I would avoid Cleave and Power Attack maybe until later and I would also avoid Weapon Focus you're going to be boosting your AB via spells so much that a static +1 wont make that much of a difference.

[Edge]

Negative Energy Protection is outdone by Death Ward at higher levels. Neither grants full energy immunity anymore, rather a scaling increase in Energy Resistance (I don't know what NEP gives but I believe DW is 120 points and Shadow Shield is 180 points; it's in the update notes Vincent posts). Death Ward also has a longer base duration, and the immunity to Death effects persists after the negative resistance is used up.

[Masque]

Oh really! Seems like a reasonable step to make. Things that grant outright immunity are not on my list of favourite things.

The rest of the list still sound? Not been changed?

Edit: Sorry also combat casting is a bit of a trap you are better just going Skill Focus: Concentration as that provides a universal bonus all of the time instead of just in combat. I know the bonus is a little higher but it isn't high enough to justify going specific over universal. I also wouldn't suggest taking it but don't take Combat Casting I noted it was suggested above.

[Edge]

Combat Casting is a good option as, if you make it into Epic, you can take Epic Combat Casting, which basically makes you not provoke AOOs for casting in combat at all.

[Masque]

That is a fair point. I am still not sure the feat would be in my top picks for Epic level feats. The Epic Spell Focuses would probably draw my eye more.

However this is a combat focused cleric so a fair suggestion. I would more lean towards Epic Skill Focus Discipline if you had additional feats to use and go for the Auto-Quicken or Still in the higher epic levels.

That is a point for this build if you have the option pick up either Still or Silent spell. The reason behind it is that it gives you a little more flexibility in your spell slots. What you will find especially with Cleric is that the higher level spells are not amazing and you will be looking to extend/maximise your level 4-6 slots which will push them into your 7 slots. So any spells you want at level 7 you can still or silent them up to 8 and 8 to 9 where there is a lot less competing for your open slots.

If you don't have the spare feats though don't bother. It is just a nice to have rather than a must.

[Remmy]

There are some high/epic level mobs where provoking an attack of opportunity from will not only endanger your spell's completion but also your actual life. An attack of opportunity from one of the Frost Giant Warriors can result in a critical hit against you for around 180 damage, an amount that no stockpile of concentration gear will allow you to resist, unless you remember to hotkey defensive casting and only combat move with it on. Clerics are usually more vulnerable to these AoOs as they typically dive in to provide a Heal, Greater Restoration, Mass Heal, or Resurrection in group play, or have to dive out to get their buffs back if they were dispelled, which happens very often. Epic Combat Casting makes it safer all around for either behavior.

[Masque]

Do you know it has just struck me that due to the level cap on CD - It is impossible to get Auto-Quicken. Improved Combat Casting has moved up a little bit up in my estimation. I don't think I would take it with my Epic Wizard but I can see it being useful for combat casters.

[Nokteronoth]

A note here about casting characters. Note the duration on your short buffs, Divine Power, Divine Might/Shield, True Strike, Divine Favor, etc.

Take very much in mind how short they are. How many can you cast before the duration of the first one is out? Divine Might/Shield are round/level unless it's been changed here. Without Haste, it takes a full round to cast both. If you have a fully maxed CHA of +12 (6 mod), and a 10 CHA, you're getting 4 rounds of one and 5 rounds of the other. That's usually enough for two or three enemies, but rarely more.

You have to balance out what you want to cast, when, and what the actual bonuses are. You can max the +20 AB cap from magical sources, but for how many hits? Part of what makes combat clerics tricky. (I know you aren't going to take them, OP, just wanted to make the point.)

If melee,
Blind Fight is a must
Practiced Spellcaster should help some
Expertise can sometimes mean the difference between being an emergency tank and a splatter on the floor
Toughness is severely underestimated as a feat
Knockdown is great unless you have an archer heavy group, or monsters with high disc/you with low AB.
Extend Spell is beautiful when you have few caster levels

~BR

[Edge]

As a Half-Orc I seriously doubt he has the INT to take Expertise.

Also short buffs like that are usually cast one or two at a time mid-combat, rather than during the pre-combat buffing stage. You cast them as you use them, as they're needed. So the durations are usually less of an issue, because at higher levels you cast them for one, *maybe* two fights and then they end and by that time either the individual encounter is over or things have gotten to the point where you need a new plan because something went wrong.