How to make cleric more melee effective?

FallFromGrace

Hello together,

so I started to play IWD a month ago and finished the game with Fighter, Shapeshifter druid and Archer and then I started new game with this composition:
Barbarian, Undead hunter, Archer, Skald, Bounty hunter and cleric. It goes pretty well and I got all the way down to Dorn's deep, only thing that bothers me a bit is how weak my cleric is, apart from buffing my hard hitting pally, barbarian and archer with protection from evil, defensive harmony, recitation, meditation etc. and healing them after fights.
I have pretty good weapon on him but he has less kills than my skald that sings most of the time, imho mostly due to only having 1 attack per round, while my barbarian has 4 attacks per round...

So is there any possible way of having pure cleric just tiny bit more effective in combat and not having him just as buff+heal machine?

Thanks in advance for answers and suggestions.

P.S.: I think my next party will have sorc+other arc caster and no fighter at all. Arcane magic seems really fun.

DJKajuru

Well ,about clerics in IWD :
In pnp clerics are pretty good at melee simply because they can wear any type pf armor and use many types of weapon,not to mention nearly decent thac0 and d8 as hit dice. To be fair, in Baldur's gate one clerics can tank quite well ,also. For the same reasons.

However, unlike pnp or BG1 , IWD throws hordes against you, which means that you need to kill them fast , or disable them with area spells , or trick them. A pure cleric ,well armored and with good hp rolls, can easily tank those , but as you can he has 1 attack per round and inflicts average damage with his melee weapons.

So, my best advice is: increase his attacks per round (haste spell or potion, there is also a flail that gives you an extra attack) , increase his strength (strength spell) and dramatically boost his AC (armor, itens, potion of defense, spells...) . That way you got a single classed cleric that can fight hordes.

Danacm

Not everybody needs to be as good as fighters. Cleric is a good tank, and buffer, that her role in combat, also summon creatures that add more apr for the party. There are spells that give apr for the cleric and the party too, rightous wrath of the faithful egz.

If you like spellcasters, i tried a full fighter less party. Not as fun as it seems to be. Rest after almost every fight, very slow progressing. The party were sorcerer, dragon disciple, cleric of lathander, avenger, bard, mage/thief. If every spell was loaded, the party was strong, but after weak as hell.

Ammar

Classic way would be to either dual-class (that is why Anomen is so effective) or multi-class. Even dual-classing at Lvl 2 gives you an extra 0.5 APR for the specializiation.

StummvonBordwehr

Ammar said:

Classic way would be to either dual-class (that is why Anomen is so effective) or multi-class. Even dual-classing at Lvl 2 gives you an extra 0.5 APR for the specializiation.

I agere, but also have to point out that the ability to grandmaster in a weapon really gets you going (just remeber the class restrictions and dont take spears like Anomen..).

In IWD you will get a 1/2 apr when you specialize as mentioned - and another (1) apr at grandmastery (unlike BG and BG2, where you only get 1/2 apr).

For instance if you start out as fighter (beserker is not a bad choice):
1) dual at level 7,
2) pick a weapon (flails is a good choice), and grandmaster in it
3) dual wield,

you can get the 4 apr you wanted.

You can get the grandmastery in flails at level 8, and get the last boost to dualwielding at level 12. In IWD there is no xp cap, but only a level cap, so the downsides to the build is minimal.

FallFromGrace

hello,

thanks for suggestions. I really don't want my cleric to be a killing machine as my pally, so no dualing, min/maxing etc. just make him suck a little bit less.

Anyway I wish you all the best into new year.

SirBatince

dual weapon + draw upon 24/7

sarevok57

with haste you will have 2 attacks per round, and if you want your cleric to start hitting hard you will need to cast draw upon holy might ( level 2 spell ) and righteous magic ( level 5 spell ) even at level 9 this is a stackable +6 bonus to STR and at level 12 its +8, and realistically in melee combat once you start hitting that 19 STR your damage bonus really starts to take off

so use those 2 spells, and your cleric will be doing much better in melee

Klorox

StummvonBordwehr said:

Ammar said:

Classic way would be to either dual-class (that is why Anomen is so effective) or multi-class. Even dual-classing at Lvl 2 gives you an extra 0.5 APR for the specializiation.

I agere, but also have to point out that the ability to grandmaster in a weapon really gets you going (just remeber the class restrictions and dont take spears like Anomen..).

In IWD you will get a 1/2 apr when you specialize as mentioned - and another (1) apr at grandmastery (unlike BG and BG2, where you only get 1/2 apr).

For instance if you start out as fighter (beserker is not a bad choice):
1) dual at level 7,
2) pick a weapon (flails is a good choice), and grandmaster in it
3) dual wield,

you can get the 4 apr you wanted.

You can get the grandmastery in flails at level 8, and get the last boost to dualwielding at level 12. In IWD there is no xp cap, but only a level cap, so the downsides to the build is minimal.

Actually, you can’t GM in a weapon until you’re level 9 or higher (trust me, I’ve got a fighter 7 > cleric in my party and I was going for GM in flails and dual wielding)

You could either hold your level up until you hit cleric 9 to gain this benefit, or you could go **** in flail and *** in two weapon fighting at cleric 8.

Balrog99

Kit your Cleric with Lathander or Helm to give them an occasional melee boost (Tyr or Tempus works too but won't increase your attacks/round).