Sorcerer / Cleric ability scores - 16/16 or 14/17 Wis/Cha

[Agent Chieftain]

Planning out my blue dragon sorcerer/tempest cleric build, and I was wondering how I should split up the AS for the casting modifiers. Should I try to even them out or focus on one more than the other?

I was leaning towards pumping charisma all the way to 17, because that's what my damaging cantrips will work off of, but most of the actual lightning spells themselves (like Call Lightning) come from the Cleric and use wisdom.

[fulf]

Odd-numbered ability scores don't do anything for you unless you're planning to pick up a +1 feat. 16/16 is better.

[Jack the Roamer]

I think it would be better to start 16/16, since you won't get the proficiency bonus from landing on an uneven number for Cha

[sevensided]

Focus charisma. You really should only be taking 2 levels of cleric for this, for armor, shield, and the ability to max a thunder/light ing spell.

[Agent Chieftain]

Originally posted by fulf:

Odd-numbered ability scores don't do anything for you unless you're planning to pick up a +1 feat. 16/16 is better.

Yeah, but you get a free +1 of choice from beating Auntie Ethel in Act 1. So you can make it 18 fairly early.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

16/16

[Indure]

I'm confused about the build, you're primarily going to be Cleric? What does Sorcerer even give you?

[Agent Chieftain]

Originally posted by Indure:

I'm confused about the build, you're primarily going to be Cleric? What does Sorcerer even give you?

Metamagic, and dragon sorcs get a 50% damage resistance and damage boost to the element their ancestry comes from at level 6.

[seandeven]

Originally posted by Indure:

I'm confused about the build, you're primarily going to be Cleric? What does Sorcerer even give you?

OP going for lighting damage build. I see the path but cleric is bafflingly MAD, I'd do Sor/lock and focus on cold or acid damage.
Or alternatively, cleric Paladin Thunder damage build.

Lightning damage I'd almost say (wiz2/ranger10) but I'm strange, so listen to me at your own peril.

[Agent Chieftain]

Originally posted by seandeven:

Originally posted by Indure:

I'm confused about the build, you're primarily going to be Cleric? What does Sorcerer even give you?

OP going for lighting damage build. I see the path but cleric is bafflingly MAD, I'd do Sor/lock and focus on cold or acid damage.
Or alternatively, cleric Paladin Thunder damage build.

Lightning damage I'd almost say (wiz2/ranger10) but I'm strange, so listen to me at your own peril.

I definitely plan to a sorcerer/warlock eventually. Something like a white/black dragon sorc, using the Hungar of Hadar sounds cool.

But I really wanted to do this lightning damage build because theres so much gear for it in the early game. https://baldursgate3.wiki.fextralife.com/Lightning+Charges

[Indure]

Originally posted by seandeven:

Originally posted by Indure:

I'm confused about the build, you're primarily going to be Cleric? What does Sorcerer even give you?

OP going for lighting damage build. I see the path but cleric is bafflingly MAD, I'd do Sor/lock and focus on cold or acid damage.
Or alternatively, cleric Paladin Thunder damage build.

Lightning damage I'd almost say (wiz2/ranger10) but I'm strange, so listen to me at your own peril.

The general sorcerer/cleric build only takes a 2 level dip into cleric for the channel divinity, but OP said at least 5 levels of cleric, which means 7 levels of sorcerer or less which seems like a weird split between the two.

With the way Larian broke lightning/cold damage and glyphs of warding, I'm wondering why not just go straight cleric, since sorcerer nets you so little.

[[Heretic]Rivga]

Originally posted by Agent Chieftain:

Planning out my blue dragon sorcerer/tempest cleric build, and I was wondering how I should split up the AS for the casting modifiers. Should I try to even them out or focus on one more than the other?

I was leaning towards pumping charisma all the way to 17, because that's what my damaging cantrips will work off of, but most of the actual lightning spells themselves (like Call Lightning) come from the Cleric and use wisdom.

There is so many alternatives for this build it depends on what you choose.

Cleric 2/Sorc 10 - then Cha 17/Wis 14 is good enough
Cleric 10/Sorc 2 - Switch the above Wis 17/Cha 14

I'd recommend Chomotic Orb (spelling?) if you want a lightening or Thunder damaging Cha spell it up casts very well.

There is a few other alternatives Cleric 6/Sorc 6 - try to get Lightening (3rd lvl Sorc) and Spirit Guardian (3rd lvl Cleric) and do something along the Melee lines with the pushback skill and a Lightening weapon - could be fun if you could get it to work.

[sevensided]

Originally posted by Indure:

With the way Larian broke lightning/cold damage and glyphs of warding, I'm wondering why not just go straight cleric, since sorcerer nets you so little.

Because an upcast lightning bolt is going to be more maximised damage (using the channel divinity) than anything the cleric can bring. And even though its one per day with only a 2 level dip, this is BG3, where long rests are easy.

And outside of that, if damage is your primary focus with the character, the sorc is going to be a better blaster than the cleric.

OP:
If you want to be the lightning lord, 10 Sorc/2 Cleric is the way to split it, focus charisma, and worry not about wisdom.

If you want to be well rounded, go straight cleric. A 6/6 split is worse than either route.

[Agent Chieftain]

Originally posted by HereticRivga:

Originally posted by Agent Chieftain:

Planning out my blue dragon sorcerer/tempest cleric build, and I was wondering how I should split up the AS for the casting modifiers. Should I try to even them out or focus on one more than the other?

I was leaning towards pumping charisma all the way to 17, because that's what my damaging cantrips will work off of, but most of the actual lightning spells themselves (like Call Lightning) come from the Cleric and use wisdom.

There is so many alternatives for this build it depends on what you choose.

Cleric 2/Sorc 10 - then Cha 17/Wis 14 is good enough
Cleric 10/Sorc 2 - Switch the above Wis 17/Cha 14

I'd recommend Chomotic Orb (spelling?) if you want a lightening or Thunder damaging Cha spell it up casts very well.

There is a few other alternatives Cleric 6/Sorc 6 - try to get Lightening and Spirit Guardian and do something along the Melee lines with the pushback skill and a Lightening weapon - could be fun if you could get it to work.

I was actually debating if I wanted to go Cleric 6/Sorc 6 or 5/7 instead. Looking at the table for Sorcerers, you get a 7th sorcery point at level 7, which seemed more useful than the knockback.

I also had the idea to use Quicken to cast Create Water as a bonus action to make enemies and the ground wet. Then I could cast something like Call Lightning as a regular action, and get the double damage from them being covered in water while electrifying the water on the ground.

[[Heretic]Rivga]

Originally posted by sevensided:

OP:
If you want to be the lightning lord, 10 Sorc/2 Cleric is the way to split it, focus charisma, and worry not about wisdom.

If you want to be well rounded, go straight cleric. A 6/6 split is worse than either route.

Let me defend the 6/6 split - yes more difficult but the potential could be worth it.

Opening Round - Classic Lightening Bolt - Max damage with Tempist ability
Remaining rounds - Cast Spirit Guardian (could do this outside of combat) - walk into middle of remaining enemies. Use spells to kill enemies, when you are hit reaction ability to do lightening damage that throws enemy 10m away (still inside your spirit guardian).
If you get Magic adept Druid - use Thorn whip to pull people into the Spirit guardian - which does dmg when the first come into range and more dmg at the start of their turn.

Some potential to use Polearm master if you can find a Lightening Spear - to push people 10m when you get an Attack of opportunity. and when you push them they are still in range of your spirit guardian damage.

[Indure]

Originally posted by sevensided:

Originally posted by Indure:

With the way Larian broke lightning/cold damage and glyphs of warding, I'm wondering why not just go straight cleric, since sorcerer nets you so little.

Because an upcast lightning bolt is going to be more maximised damage (using the channel divinity) than anything the cleric can bring. And even though its one per day with only a 2 level dip, this is BG3, where long rests are easy.

And outside of that, if damage is your primary focus with the character, the sorc is going to be a better blaster than the cleric.

This isn't true though.

To cast lightning bolt with a channel divinity you need to be level 7. Glyph of Warding can be cast from level 5 if you just go straight cleric. At lvl 7 Lightning Bolt does 8d6 damage (48 maximized). Glyph of Warding at level 5 does 5d8 (40 maximized) and at level 7 can be upcasted to be 48 damage. Considering Lightning Bolt is a line attack vs Glyph's circle AoE and in most circumstances it will be much easier to hit more opponents with Glyph as well.

You get Glyph earlier, it does almost the same damage and its AoE allows it to hit multiple enemies more reliably. It also doesn't take concentration so it allows clerics to also keep up Spirit Guardians which hopefully Larian fixes, because currently is one of the most broken spells in the game.

EDIT: the only reason you don't see tempest clerics abusing this in 5e is because Glyph of Warding should take 1hr to cast and therefore couldn't be used in combat.