Neverwinter Nights 2:Cleric 20
From ResonantGameWiki
Contents |
General Build Notes
A pure cleric in the early game is mostly about damage mitigation; in the late game, they get powerful offensive spells, but only fully get the benefit of some of their spells by not multiclassing. Their buffed attack is good, but the weapon selection is abysmal. To maximize this, you need decent hit points, a 20 Wis by level 20, and the ability to use a better weapon.
Race Selection
Human, Gold Dwarf, or Elf (any). Humans get an extra skill point per level, but have to spend their extra feat on martial weapons if they want to pick up better weapons. Elves get both bows and longswords, but their search ability is wasted, and constitution potential is lower. Drow get an extra few ability points to play with, but level slowly, and their magic resistance becomes redundant with a spell later on. Dwarves get the dwarven waraxe, even better than a longsword, but are stuck with crossbows or slings for ranged attacks, though that may not be as limiting as it sounds; my experience has been that clerics need ranged attacks only very rarely anyway.
Ability Selection
All but Drow
- Str: 14 (You need this as high as possible for heavy armor)
- Dex: 12 (One point of dex bonus is all that full plate allows anyway)
- Con: 12
- Int: 14
- Wis: 15 (Mandatory if you want to cast 9th level spells on time.)
- Cha: 12
Alternate: take Int 12 and Con 14. If you do this, you lose a skill, but gain health. See below.
Drow
- Str: 15
- Dex: 12
- Con: 12
- Int: 16
- Wis: 15
- Cha: 14
Skill Selection
- Concentration
- Craft Armor
- Diplomacy
- Heal
- Lore
- Spellcraft
Unfortunately, you can't take all of these. For the single player campaign, Lore can be the first to be dropped, and possibly Craft Armor (you can't craft Adamantine until late in the game anyway, when NPC crafters are available). For a multiplayer support character, Diplomacy is unneeded, and possibly also Craft Armor and Lore.
Feat Selection
- L1: Luck of Heroes
- L1 (Human Bonus): Martial Weapons
- L1 (Earth Domain): Toughness
- L3: Weapon Focus (Battleaxe, Longsword, Dwarven Waraxe)
- L6: Craft Magic Arms and Armor (for Holy Weapons at L7)
- L9: *Option*
- L12: Extend Spell
- L15: Persistent Spell
- L18: *Option*
Options for other feats:
- Empower Spell
- Spell Penetration
- Spell Focus: Evocation
- Spell Focus: Necromancy
Domain Selection
- Earth (for Toughness, Stoneskin, Energy Immunity)
- Air (for Call Lightning/Chain Lightning)
- Animal (For Animal Companion)
- Healing (for empowered healing spells and L5 Heal spell)
The only really mandatory selection here is Earth, which is too good to pass up. In a limited rest environment, Healing is then the best second, but having an animal companion is nearly tied in terms of overall damage mitigation, and in an unlimited rest environment, nuking clerics may like the party-friendly Call Lightning and Chain Lightning spells from Air.
