Shadowheart build - best options for my party

[slquoue]

I want a build for Shadowheart that doesn't deviate too much from her character, I'm torn between full cleric and the build on YouTube for 3 levels Trickery Cleric & 9 levels Thief Rogue by Fextralife, especially as I won't have Astarion in my party usually.

Any advice on whether to use Shadowheart as pure healing vs sneak rogue attacks?

My other main characters are Paladin, Karlach and Gale.

Thanks!

[Pat Fenis]

Try pure damage. Tempest cleric with radiating orb and reverberation gear. Maintain a spirit guardians then blast away with guiding bolt / shatter / destructive wave, push guys into chasms etc.

[Axetwin]

I've also been using the Fextralife build for Shadowheart. The only issue has been early on she is functionally useless. Best to put a bow on her that can debuff enemies because it's going to be awhile before she can start dishing out good damage.

[[TG] zac]

7 light or storm cleric gives you good offensive spells (light also gives a great defensive skill).

Then either 5 gloom stalker ranger or 5 paladin.

(10 cleric + 2 paladin also works if you want the higher level spells and smite to compliment them but are ok giving up extra attack)

Gloom stalker gives you wisdom to initiative, an extra attack and an additional additional attack first round of combat.

Paladin gives you extra attack and smite as well as a few nice oath abilities.

Either way go dex/wisdom and grab a couple hand cross bows and a 1h weapon + shield.

with the concentration spells you get from light or storm cleric you can passively output a good chunk of damage while sniping stuff with several shots per turn.

Strength/wisdom can also work but your ranged potential will be greatly reduced and you will have to grab heavy armor which means getting storm cleric or going ranger/paladin first then cleric.

[Pat Fenis]

All in on tempest cleric is legit, djinni is love djinni is life and you can also provide the heroes' feast with one of the many freecasts available at that point.

Virgin multiclass fan vs Chad Lv 6 spell enjoyer

[Axetwin]

As you can see you have a choice to make. You can stick with something character relevant or you can build her for power but you can't do both.

[Elysium]

Light Cleric Shart is the goat, Life cleric is also pretty good. If you have the mod installed, I suppose you can build her as a Twilight domain Cleric

[guard65]

Our current run she is a Tempest Cleric - 2 / Storm Sorc 10.

[Burdpal]

War Cleric.

[FunkyMonkey]

If you want to multiclass with Rogue, I would recommend trying Arcane trickster. You get great utility spells and always great Shield spell. Arcane trickster also increases your spell caster level ever so slightly, so that's cool.

I have played Shadowheart as Trickery cleric / Arcane trickster in basically the same type of party you have now. My aim with this build was utility, skills and consistent damage and battlefield control.

I usually go only 4 levels of Cleric because this build with how I play uses bows and I don't need the 3rd level Cleric spells (like Spirit guardians).

I respec her stats to be: STR 12 / DEX 16 / CON 13 / INT 10 / WIS 16 / CHA 8. I start her as Rogue to get her more skills and go 4 levels of Rogue, pick Arcane trickster and at 4th level take Resilient CON to get 14 CON and saving throw proficiency. Then take as many Cleric levels as you like. I have done Rogue 4 / Cleric 4 / Rogue 4, maxing out WIS to 20 (though I did increase both DEX and WIS to 18 and it was fine too). Because your INT is only 10, only take spells that don't need INT. Shield and Longstrider are good picks and any other utility you might like. Use the Cleric spells for offense and CC. I really like Command, Hold person and Spiritual weapon. The Rogue levels give you a little bit of sneak attack damage (around the same amount that you would do with 1st level Guiding bolt if you go 8 levels of Rogue) so that's cool.

For gear, late-game you can use the Band of mystic scoundrel. With that you can on your turn shoot someone with bow for sneak attack damage and then bonus action command / hold person enemies. Upcast to target multiple enemies. Really fun and effective.

For other gear, I tend to give her the shortswords that give advantage on Stealth and Perception, the gloves that give advantage on Sleight of Hand. You can have Expertise on all these so you will rarely if ever fail the checks.

This isn't the most OP MAX DAMAGE BEST BUILD EVER, but it's fun. And I think that it fits her very well.