Good (Melee) Cleric Buff list?

[NineThePuma]

So, I've got casting as a Cleric 9 and a caster level of 12th.

I'm already going to DMM Persist Mass Lesser Vigor on the primary damage takers in the party, and possibly tack on a Persistent Divine Power. It's the REST of my spell list that has me going "Erm...." because I don't normally play clerics (or casters, really) and have no idea what awesome spells are lurking around here.

Help me, oh playground!

[MesiDoomstalker]

Note with Persistent MLV you can cast it on many many people as its a 20 ft. AoE. Multiple medium creatures can fit into a 5 ft. square without hindrance barring claustrophobia or combat. So your entire team plus NPC allies should be under MLV unless you have an army at your command.

Righteous Might is a spell for Melee clerics and should be something you persist if you can spare it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

So, I've got casting as a Cleric 9 and a caster level of 12th.

Please don't say you went Cleric 3/ Wizard 3/ Mystic Theurge 6...

What domains do you have, are they set in stone? What's your alignment? How many DMM: Persists can you do each day?

Get a Lesser Rod of Extend, use it with Luminous Armor, Magic Vestment on the Luminous Armor, and another Magic Vestment on your heavy shield.

Cast Greater Resistance every day.

DMM: Persistent Ice Axe is pretty good.

DMM: Persistent Cloud of Knives (PH2) is pretty good, especially if you use Fell Drain with it.

If you have or can get the Winter domain in Frostburn, cast (Lesser Rod of Extended) Snowsight and Obscuring Snow every day. The rest of your party can each buy you a 1st level Pearl of Power and go in thirds for more Lesser Rods of Extend for you to put Extended Snowsight on each of them as well. Any other casters in your party who can cast Obscuring Snow should definitely keep it active as well. If there's a Druid in the party then you won't even need to bother putting Snowsight on everyone, because he can do it instead (again using only one 1st level spell slot if everyone buys him a Pearl of Power).

[NineThePuma]

Please don't say you went Cleric 3/ Wizard 3/ Mystic Theurge 6...

What domains do you have, are they set in stone? What's your alignment? How many DMM: Persists can you do each day?

Get a Lesser Rod of Extend, use it with Luminous Armor, Magic Vestment on the Luminous Armor, and another Magic Vestment on your heavy shield.

Cast Greater Resistance every day.

DMM: Persistent Ice Axe is pretty good.

DMM: Persistent Cloud of Knives (PH2) is pretty good, especially if you use Fell Drain with it.

If you have or can get the Winter domain in Frostburn, cast (Lesser Rod of Extended) Snowsight and Obscuring Snow every day. The rest of your party can each buy you a 1st level Pearl of Power and go in thirds for more Lesser Rods of Extend for you to put Extended Snowsight on each of them as well. Any other casters in your party who can cast Obscuring Snow should definitely keep it active as well. If there's a Druid in the party then you won't even need to bother putting Snowsight on everyone, because he can do it instead (again using only one 1st level spell slot if everyone buys him a Pearl of Power).

1: Cleric/Church Inquisitor/Crusader/RKV, actually.

2: Magic, Pride, Inquisition, Knowledge; yes I'm not changing them. I currently have 18 turn attempts.

3: Sanctified Spells require Alignment [Good], IIRC, and I'm Lawful Neutral. However, Magic Vestment Extend'd on my armor and stuff will be noted.

4: Of course. Saves me gold.

5&6: Isn't that a one shot and "can I move it after casting it" respectively?

7: Can't, unfortunately.

[Dr.Epic]

Enlarge Person
Bull's Strength
Bear's Endurance

[jvluso]

This thread is one that I refer back to every time I decide what spells to persist.

Another fun spell to persist is infernal wound, if you can persist touch range spells and can cast evil spells.

Add spikes to the list of spells to extend each day. The +10 damage adds up fast.

[hex0]

Animalistic Power. Preferably if you are allowed the Ability Enhancer feat.

[NineThePuma]

I'm looking at replicating magical enchantments currently; Shield of Faith grants a Deflection Bonus to AC, which replaces a Ring of Protection, right?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Yes, Shield of Faith and a Ring of Protection won't stack, but you can't persist Shield of Faith. Magic Circle against Alignment also grants a Deflection bonus and can be Persisted, and it prevents extraplanar creatures from attacking you as well.

Cloud of Knives automatically shoots a knife at an opponent you pick every round for its entire duration, so it's just free attacks. Free attacks that deal a negative level per hit if you Fell Drain it, so Persist that and it's free negative levels on opponents every round without any effort on your part.

Ice Axe is similar to Flame Blade, you can make attacks with it freely as long as the spell lasts. It makes touch attacks and deals cold damage but doesn't get your Str bonus to damage. You can drop it to pick up something else or cast a spell, and it automatically reforms in your hand once it's empty as long as the duration lasts. You can also Fell Drain that so it also deals a negative level per hit, and with Persistent you'll have a decent melee weapon all day, but I'd skip it if you're using Power Attack.

Add spikes to the list of spells to extend each day. The +10 damage adds up fast.

The current version of Spikes in Spell Compendium only lasts one round per level. Put Unguent of Timelessness on your weapon though and it should last 365 times longer than normal. Even then, it takes Extending it at caster level 20 to break 24 hours worth of duration.

[Hirax]

Be wary that not all DMs are going to allow magic vestment to apply to mage armor or luminous armor.

If you're willing to cast or pay someone else to cast mantle of the icy soul on yourself (giving you the cold subtype permanently), algid enhancement with a CL of 12 gets you a +5 deflection bonus to AC, +5 enhancement bonus to attack rolls, and 1d8+4 temporary hit points. It has a 24 hour duration out of the box, so you don't need to burn turn attempts persisting it.

[Douglas]

Why pick spells to replace magic items when you can pick spells that stack with them instead?

Righteous Wrath of the Faithful: +3 morale attack/damage and a haste-like bonus attack, for the whole party
Recitation: +2 (or 3 if you follow the same deity) luck attack/AC/saves, again for the whole party

There's more, but if you only have 18 turn attempts that's already enough to take your whole allotment.

[NineThePuma]

Hrm. Cloud & Ice sound really nifty, but I'm already way stronger than the rest of the party (the only fullcaster in the group is a shape shift Druid who is particularly fond of melee; We has a Psychic Warrior and a Bard too, but those're the only actual casters; I'm spell heavy but my role in combat is "designated tank" while the other melees go in and beat the crap out of people) already; I've got 5 levels on most of the party, thanks to a Deck of Many things.

My DM is cool with touch spells qualifying as "fixed range" (In his parlance, a spell fails to qualify as 'fixed range' if it has different ranges based on caster level.) so SoF can be Persisted. I might even slap an Extend on it and blow a second level slot for it.

My feats are actually really tight; we have WAY too much down time each day, so I'm gonna start Crafting (Probably Nightsticks & Metamagic Rods for now). For ease of use, I've got Able Learner and Dynamic Priest. So I don't have Fell Drain yet.

Once I've finished out RKV, I'm thinking I'll continue Church inquisitor, but that'll take a while.

[NineThePuma]

Why pick spells to replace magic items when you can pick spells that stack with them instead?

Righteous Wrath of the Faithful: +3 morale attack/damage and a haste-like bonus attack, for the whole party
Recitation: +2 (or 3 if you follow the same deity) luck attack/AC/saves, again for the whole party

There's more, but if you only have 18 turn attempts that's already enough to take your whole allotment.

I'm nowhere near high enough level to cast that first spell.


@Magicvestment on Mage Armor: I'm wearing armor, cause that's simpler.

[Douglas]

I'm nowhere near high enough level to cast that first spell.

It's 5th level. You said you have 9th level cleric casting. It'll take your highest level slot, but you should be able to cast it.

[NineThePuma]

The data I'm looking at says it's 7th.

[Douglas]

The data I'm looking at says it's 7th.

That's for the Complete Divine version and for the Purification domain. The Spell Compendium version, which is the most recent and therefore officially current one, is Cleric 5.

[NineThePuma]

Hrm... Goodie. I'll make a note of them; I'd still like to replace items for now though.

[Gullintanni]

Ice Axe is similar to Flame Blade, you can make attacks with it freely as long as the spell lasts. It makes touch attacks and deals cold damage but doesn't get your Str bonus to damage. You can drop it to pick up something else or cast a spell, and it automatically reforms in your hand once it's empty as long as the duration lasts. You can also Fell Drain that so it also deals a negative level per hit, and with Persistent you'll have a decent melee weapon all day, but I'd skip it if you're using Power Attack.

Actually, by RAW, Power Attack damage still applies to attacks made with Ice Axe. The clause relevant clauses are:

Power Attack [General]
Prerequisite

Str 13.
Benefit

On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.

Special

If you attack with a two-handed weapon, or with a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands, instead add twice the number subtracted from your attack rolls. You can’t add the bonus from Power Attack to the damage dealt with a light weapon (except with unarmed strikes or natural weapon attacks), even though the penalty on attack rolls still applies. (Normally, you treat a double weapon as a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. If you choose to use a double weapon like a two-handed weapon, attacking with only one end of it in a round, you treat it as a two-handed weapon.)

The Ice Axe spell explicitly states that you can not add your Strength modifier to damage, but otherwise, it is described as "virtually weightless" not as a "light weapon" so on a technicality, you can still apply Power Attack damage to attacks made with an Ice Axe.