Strength based drow cleric

[Skadi]

Certainly a suboptimal build, but i managed to get the following setup

Background=Solider, Bonus to strengh and intimidation
Proficiency =Insight, medicine, perception

Stats
Str: 15(+1)
Dex:14
Con:12
Int: 8
Wis:15(+1)
Cha:10

Thats the setup i wanted to go for a death cleric build, assuming we get those at later stages in the game.
My only problem with this build would be the low constitution, but how much of a difference/problem is that going to be ?

Granted we get to play until lv 12, with 3 ability improvements...i could (after the first one), pump them into constitution, which would cap me at 16 str, 16 con and 16 wis.

Might be worth a mention for those wo dont know....death clerics apparently have access to martial weapons and fighting styles, they have more of a frontline role

[Alealexi]

If you are planning to be in melee I would definitely agree you need a higher CON. I would suggest at least a 14 for concentration checks. I do know about the martial weapons but looking in dnd beyond they don't get fighting styles.

[Jack]

If going mele you can find plenty of spells not relying on hit or save DC (Wis), just saying.

[Skadi]

Originally posted by Alealexi:

If you are planning to be in melee I would definitely agree you need a higher CON. I would suggest at least a 14 for concentration checks. I do know about the martial weapons but looking in dnd beyond they don't get fighting styles.

hmm yeah, but isnt a 16 stat cap too low for the endgame ? Considering you can get it up to 20

[Alealexi]

Originally posted by Skadi:

Originally posted by Alealexi:

If you are planning to be in melee I would definitely agree you need a higher CON. I would suggest at least a 14 for concentration checks. I do know about the martial weapons but looking in dnd beyond they don't get fighting styles.

hmm yeah, but isnt a 16 stat cap too low for the endgame ? Considering you can get it up to 20

5e doesn't care as it was balanced around standard array. If you want 20s I would suggest you wait until they implement stat rolling.

[TheBlueFox]

it's not suboptimal. it's pretty fine really.

but question, are the (+1) denoting Racial bonuses?

Drow get +2 dex and +1 Charisma if I recall.

It's not a problem with the calculation. Because that would just mean you have

15, 12, 12, 8, 15, 9 which is...
9 4, 4, 0, 9, 1 = 27 points.

But you won't have 16s in those, Unless you're a HALF ELF? I think Half elves get to choose 2 stats to go +1 along with a +2 charisma... I dunno, I just looked at those stats and something stood out as odd to me.

If we figure that you'll be getting the War Caster feat (Advantage on concentration checks and the ability to use Spells as an opportunity attack) you can probably use Animate Dead, buff up with Bless, and wade into battle with your Skelly-bros.

[Skadi]

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

it's not suboptimal. it's pretty fine really.

but question, are the (+1) denoting Racial bonuses?

Drow get +2 dex and +1 Charisma if I recall.

It's not a problem with the calculation. Because that would just mean you have

15, 12, 12, 8, 15, 9 which is...
9 4, 4, 0, 9, 1 = 27 points.

But you won't have 16s in those, Unless you're a HALF ELF? I think Half elves get to choose 2 stats to go +1 along with a +2 charisma... I dunno, I just looked at those stats and something stood out as odd to me.

If we figure that you'll be getting the War Caster feat (Advantage on concentration checks and the ability to use Spells as an opportunity attack) you can probably use Animate Dead, buff up with Bless, and wade into battle with your Skelly-bros.

eh no, the +1 was reffering to where i distribute my first ability scores at lv 4, as it would look like at lv 4

[TheBlueFox]

Ah, apologies, I thought those +1s were a bonus you were going to have at creation. Yeah it seems fine to me really. A 12 con is the lowest I would ever reasonably go, but If you were playing a frontline cleric I'd almost never go without War Caster unless I had some REAL GOOD reason not to.

Many of a cleric's bread and butter is concentration spells, from things as simple as Bless and Shield of faith, to Hold person and Blindness, and especially BLADE BARRIER. All are great concentration spells. They free you up to do the smacking yourself and the longer they linger the better they are

[Skadi]

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

Ah, apologies, I thought those +1s were a bonus you were going to have at creation. Yeah it seems fine to me really. A 12 con is the lowest I would ever reasonably go, but If you were playing a frontline cleric I'd almost never go without War Caster unless I had some REAL GOOD reason not to.

Many of a cleric's bread and butter is concentration spells, from things as simple as Bless and Shield of faith, to Hold person and Blindness, and especially BLADE BARRIER. All are great concentration spells. They free you up to do the smacking yourself and the longer they linger the better they are

It does sound quite useful.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2484448404

Even with my current cleric....she just needs to get slapped once and concentration has failed again.

[TheBlueFox]

Yeah, The difficulty with concentration is that at it's lowest it's a DC10. Even from stepping in fire. That can really mess you up. Fun fact, LEVEL ONE magic missile is stupid good vs breaking concentration.

A caster struck by every projectile from a level 1 magic missile would have to make 3 consecutive DC10 concentration checks. Even assuming they have a +2 Constitution modifier, that has a 72% chance of breaking their concentration.

Getting advantage on those checks is better than a +1 from having higher Con.

[Dorok]

What's the point of DEX 14? Such a warrior cleric should end use Heavy Armor.

The increased saving throw against some magic won't apply then.

Some D&D RPG broke the logic by having best armors magical with not much DEX max reduction. I think remind that BG3 EA still has no Heavy Armor like Plate or something. Still the full release should have them.

I would say that this build is bizarre, INT 14 DEX 8 would make much more sense.

Or is there some D&D 5e rules I don't consider? or some BG3 specificity I don't consider?

EDIT: Well DEX 10 should be beneficial even with Heavy armor, so perpaps DEX 10, INT 12

EDIT: Mmm there's the feats too, with their attributes requirement. Even if it's often very annoying to have a low charisma for MC, the CHA 10 looks pointless and then the Drow choice questionable. But for sure there are perhaps rules I don't know or forgot.

[Alealexi]

Originally posted by Dorok:

What's the point of DEX 14? Such a warrior cleric should end use Heavy Armor.

The increased saving throw against some magic won't apply then.

Some D&D RPG broke the logic by having best armors magical with not much DEX max reduction. I think remind that BG3 EA still has no Heavy Armor like Plate or something. Still the full release should have them.

I would say that this build is bizarre, INT 14 DEX 8 would make much more sense.

Or is there some D&D 5e rules I don't consider? or some BG3 specificity I don't consider?

EDIT: Well DEX 10 should be beneficial even with Heavy armor, so perpaps DEX 10, INT 12

Yeah You forgot something. No proficiency in heavy armor.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Alealexi:

Originally posted by Dorok:

What's the point of DEX 14? Such a warrior cleric should end use Heavy Armor.

The increased saving throw against some magic won't apply then.

Some D&D RPG broke the logic by having best armors magical with not much DEX max reduction. I think remind that BG3 EA still has no Heavy Armor like Plate or something. Still the full release should have them.

I would say that this build is bizarre, INT 14 DEX 8 would make much more sense.

Or is there some D&D 5e rules I don't consider? or some BG3 specificity I don't consider?

EDIT: Well DEX 10 should be beneficial even with Heavy armor, so perpaps DEX 10, INT 12

Yeah You forgot something. No proficiency in heavy armor.

Dam that's new D&D 5e stuff or it's a Drow side effect?

EDIT: What I remind is now (5e) any character can learn to use Heavy Armor in 5e, not that some classes haven't the feat for free.

EDIT2: It's annoying that D&D video game after D&D video game, DEX tend to be sort of uber or dominant no matter the class. That's unbalanced systems versions after versions, and still nothing fixed, sigh.

[TheBlueFox]

There are classes that don't need dexterity. Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, some clerics.
It just requires you get Heavy Armor.

SOME Clerics do get heavy armor proficiency. Sadly the death cleric is not one of them. Using up a very important feat for Heavy Armor proficiency isn't super useful, especially since you don't need Intelligence, you don't need Charisma, so dumping that Dexterity isn't going to put points anywhere useful.

You can use that feat for something like War caster instead, which is immensely more useful, or a direct stat boost anyway.

[Skadi]

Originally posted by Dorok:

Originally posted by Alealexi:

Yeah You forgot something. No proficiency in heavy armor.

Dam that's new D&D 5e stuff or it's a Drow side effect?

EDIT: What I remind is now (5e) any character can learn to use Heavy Armor in 5e, not that some classes haven't the feat for free.

EDIT2: It's annoying that D&D video game after D&D video game, DEX tend to be sort of uber or dominant no matter the class. That's unbalanced systems versions after versions, and still nothing fixed, sigh.

I suppose there is a point for both of you. The 14 dex is indeed for the medium armor, but also for better initiative, ranged etc...

as drow have a +2 to dexterity, u barely have to spend points in there.

But ofc it could be dumped if one can go for heavy armor

[Alealexi]

Originally posted by Skadi:

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

Ah, apologies, I thought those +1s were a bonus you were going to have at creation. Yeah it seems fine to me really. A 12 con is the lowest I would ever reasonably go, but If you were playing a frontline cleric I'd almost never go without War Caster unless I had some REAL GOOD reason not to.

Many of a cleric's bread and butter is concentration spells, from things as simple as Bless and Shield of faith, to Hold person and Blindness, and especially BLADE BARRIER. All are great concentration spells. They free you up to do the smacking yourself and the longer they linger the better they are

It does sound quite useful.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2484448404

Even with my current cleric....she just needs to get slapped once and concentration has failed again. :laugh_lif:

So the current build in the image looks good. I would just go with a rapier & shield with that. With that build I would also pick up warcaster to give advantage on concentration checks.