What Is Your Favorite Cleric Kit?
unkinhead
Member Posts: 107
They all have interesting advantages actually, and i was surprised to learn that the one i think is the best...or at least my favorite, is considered the worst by "playithardcore.com"
The 3 kits, if you didn't know, are:
Priest of Talos:
Advantages: May cast "Lightning Bolt" once per day for every 5 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use.) May cast "Storm Shield" once per day per 10 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use).
Disadvantages: None.
Priest of Helm:
Advantages: May cast "True Sight" once per day per 5 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use). May cast "Seeking Sword" once per day per 10 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use).
Disadvantages: None.
Priest of Lathander:
Advantages: May cast "Hold Undead" once per day for every 5 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with 1 use). May cast "Boon of Lathander" for every 10 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with 1 use).
Disadvantages: None.
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While Storm Shield and Boon of Lathander are far superior to "Seeking Sword" (exception perhaps for early BG1), I love being able to use "True Sight" for Priest of Helm. I feel like i am a paladin (inquisitor) with it
. And it frees up my/my mages level 6 slot for better spells.
I didn't understand how good that was until i picked up Keldorn, being able to cast True Sight like 6 times a day was amazing, and imperative in Shadows of Amn.
Still, i can definitely see Priest of Lathander being perceived as the best, as those are great combat buffs.
Priest of Talos seems a little subpar to me compared to the others, as Storm Shield, while definitely pretty amazing, is somewhat situational, and the immunity you want is usually just one of the things listed (fire, lightning, etc), and can be remedy'd by lower level cleric spells such as Resist Fire, etc.
On second thought, i completely forgot that it can stack with other buffs (dur thats what clerics do)...hmm, ya thats pretty damn good...
Idk, its tough to choice for me. Although i understand that you can simply pick up Keldorn for True Sight instead of using the PC, it would be interesting to go without him, and i would serve as the true sighter. However objectively i can see the Good Priest being the best....
Of course, i lack the experience of testing these out, so i could be wrong in judging any of them.
Anyways, what is your favorite kit? And which one do you think is the best? Im trying to decide which one to do for Shadows of Amn.
The 3 kits, if you didn't know, are:
Priest of Talos:
Advantages: May cast "Lightning Bolt" once per day for every 5 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use.) May cast "Storm Shield" once per day per 10 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use).
Disadvantages: None.
Priest of Helm:
Advantages: May cast "True Sight" once per day per 5 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use). May cast "Seeking Sword" once per day per 10 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with one use).
Disadvantages: None.
Priest of Lathander:
Advantages: May cast "Hold Undead" once per day for every 5 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with 1 use). May cast "Boon of Lathander" for every 10 levels of the caster (starts at 1st level with 1 use).
Disadvantages: None.
------
While Storm Shield and Boon of Lathander are far superior to "Seeking Sword" (exception perhaps for early BG1), I love being able to use "True Sight" for Priest of Helm. I feel like i am a paladin (inquisitor) with it
. And it frees up my/my mages level 6 slot for better spells.I didn't understand how good that was until i picked up Keldorn, being able to cast True Sight like 6 times a day was amazing, and imperative in Shadows of Amn.
Still, i can definitely see Priest of Lathander being perceived as the best, as those are great combat buffs.
Priest of Talos seems a little subpar to me compared to the others, as Storm Shield, while definitely pretty amazing, is somewhat situational, and the immunity you want is usually just one of the things listed (fire, lightning, etc), and can be remedy'd by lower level cleric spells such as Resist Fire, etc.
On second thought, i completely forgot that it can stack with other buffs (dur thats what clerics do)...hmm, ya thats pretty damn good...
Idk, its tough to choice for me. Although i understand that you can simply pick up Keldorn for True Sight instead of using the PC, it would be interesting to go without him, and i would serve as the true sighter. However objectively i can see the Good Priest being the best....
Of course, i lack the experience of testing these out, so i could be wrong in judging any of them.
Anyways, what is your favorite kit? And which one do you think is the best? Im trying to decide which one to do for Shadows of Amn.
3
Comments
Specialty Priests (Amorphites)
REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.: Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: LE, NE, CE
WEAPONS: Any
ARMOR: Any
MAJOR SPHERES: All, animal, chaos (nonlawful amorphites only), combat, elemental, guardian, healing, necromantic, sun (reversed only)
MINOR SPHERES: Charm, creation, divination, numbers, protection, summoning, weather
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS: Survival (Underdark)
BONUS PROFS: Blind-fighting
- Amorphites may be of any race capable of becoming a priest. Most amorphites are male dark elves. Except for a minuscule minority of other races, humans comprise the remainder.
- Amorphites are not allowed to multiclass.
- Amorphites are immune to diseases, even magically induced ones.
- At 3rd level, amorphites are immune to all poisons.
- At 3rd level, amorphites can resist the effects of acids, corrosives, and caustic substances once per day, for 1 round per level. Mild corrosives cannot harm the priest at all, although they can still damage his gear. More intense acids and corrosives (black dragon breath, Melf's acid arrow, and the natural attacks of various puddings, oozes, slimes, and jellies) inflict only half the normal damage. If the attack requires a saving throw, the priest gains a +3 bonus, sustaining half damage with a failed saving throw or one-quarter damage with a successful saving throw.
- At 5th level, amorphites are immune to all acids and corrosive fluids and substances.
- At 5th level, amorphites can cast mists of Gnaunadaur (as the 3rd-level priest spell) or Evard's black tentacles (as the 4th-level wizard spell) once per day.
- At 7th level, amorphites can protect themselves from the attacks of any of the various amorphous monsters, including slimes, jellies, oozes, puddings, cubes, and slithering trackers, once per day. An amorphous creature is any monster that has an amorphous or fluid body, attacks through acids or secretions of some kind, and is a native of the Prime Material Plane. The priest is guarded by a protective barrier that amorphous creatures will not touch, and the natural attacks (including ranged attacks) of such monsters automatically fail. If the priest makes an attack against an amorphous creature or if he forces the barrier surrounding him against the monster, the protection immediately ceases.
- At 10th level, amorphites are immune to breath weapons.
- At 13th level, amorphites can cast amorphous form or elder eye (as the 5th-level priest spells) once per day.
- At 13th level, amorphites are immune to all spells from the school or sphere of elemental magic, as well as all related magical effects.
- At 15th level, amorphites can cast wall of tentacles (as the 7th-level priest spell) or acid storm (as the 7th-level wizard spell) once per day.
But when I'd have to choose solely from one of the vanilla kits? Well... Stormlords of Talos, I guess. Their stronghold is very high-tech compared to the other two. Talassans even have electrical outlets in their rooms!
Honestly, although I would tell you I like playing good or CN characters generally, and if I play evil, I usually go lawful... Talos is my favorite god of those three, so I'm going with the Stormlord of Talos. They have the most fun stronghold, too (be a crazy maniac to people and get rewarded! Woo!).
By combat, I'd have to go with the Morninglord. Boon is too nice.
Of course, my naming trend has continued in that fashion for over a decade now... it's totally lore friendly.
You know, I remember that. It takes place on the roof of the CC, right? But for the life of me, I can't remember what quest it is that makes you do that. Funny detail, though. I like it.
That said if there was a leaftender kit available to halflings only then it would get my vote
But that's it. I don't find the deities especially interesting and it bothers me a bit that these "kits" all have no downsides at all. I prefer a dualed Necromancer/(Godless) Cleric.
How is that kit even REMOTELY balanced? It just seems like the type of thing that would make your DM throw a Demogorgon your way to make you reroll...
What's the downside supposed to be? Unless your playing as an evil drow on the surface I guess...
As a side note, the official specialty priest kits of Lathander, Helm, and Talos in PnP are just as powerful as the Amorphite of Ghaunadaur kit, if not even more so. If you're interested you can read about them within the AD&D Faiths and Avatars sourcebook.
Mechanically, I think they are all pretty good. Having lightning bolt somewhat rectifies the issue of damage dealing for Clerics, and although their storm shell does not fully buff you for any 1 element, you are forced to encounter all of them at different point throughout BG, so it is a nice variety of buffs packed into one, which is neat. Probably isn't as good as it's competition, but I think it's the most unique.
stacks so high level priest is comparable to high level fighter with boon
dual class fighter/cleric he is powergaming party cleric almost
Though to be fair, I always found it weird that the deity is the kit.
I mean Druids aren't kitted by their gods, so why are clerics? Wouldn't it be more sensible if we chose a generic kit like shaman or battle priest and then chose a god or something?
In retrospect, I might have to remake my dwarven fighter/cleric into a fighter/cleric of helm as I really don't see her as the berserker type.