Human Necro Cleric Build

 The Build

For my second introductory build, I thought I’d take some time to talk about another of my favorite builds, the Necro Cleric. This is build is an offensive caster, with heal and buff abilities, as well as the option to melee when needed.

Forum user EllisDee37 is the originator of this build. I used it as a basis for my own build. I didn’t change much, but you can find the original build here.

First, however, a quick review from the previous post:

• Style: Caster
• Class: Cleric
• Race: Human

Abilities (28 point):

• Strength (STR): 10
• Dexterity (DEX): 8
• Constitution (CON): 14
• Intelligence (INT): 14
• Wisdom (WIS): 16
• Charisma (CHA): 12

Strength: This helps you hit your target, as well as adds damage to any successful strike. Casters can bump this to 10. Though good to have a little to carry gear and treasure from an adventure, it is not a priority. Bump this to 10.

Dexterity: There are those that will point out that Dexterity is important in that it helps you avoid damage. While it is true DEX adds to your Armor Class (AC), it is best not to bother, as there is little to no dexterity bonus received when wearing heavy armor. It is best to instead let the armor do the mitigation of damage.

Constitution: This helps your health and overall survival by adding its bonus to your Hit Points (HP), as well as raising your saves related to fortitude, including saves versus death!

Intelligence: Intelligence points on ANY build is a good idea. Why? Skill Points. Some classes get a lot, but the Cleric isn’t one of them, so boosting your INT is a means to getting a few extra.

Wisdom: The reason for the high WIS score is because this will be your primary score. Wisdom determines what levels of spells you can cast, attributes to you Difficulty Class (DC), how long spells last, the damage inflicted, as well as adds to your Will Saves.

Charisma: Some of a Cleric’s class abilities come from the CHA score, but these are less important than the DC. Some examples of CHA controlled abilities are: Turn Undead, Positive Energy Burst, and Positive Energy Aura.

Human Necro Cleric Starting Abilities

Skills:

• Concentration: 4
• Heal: 4
• Spellcraft: 4
• Jump: 2
• Tumble: 1

You’ll want most of your level skill points to go into Concentration, Heal, and Spellcraft. You can distribute the remainder of your points as you see fit, but I recommend Jump for when you Kite mobs through your Blade Barrier.

Human Necro Cleric Starting Skills

Feats: Clerics are a Feat limited class, so be sure you take what you need to when you need to.

1. 1. Maximize Spell, Empower Spell -or- Spell Penetration, if you do not wish to swap Feats later (Human), Follower of the Sovereign Host (Class)
   2. (none)
   3. Empower Healing Spell
   4. (none)
   5. (none)
   6. Quicken Spell, Unyielding Sovereignty (Class)
   7. (none)
   8. (none)
   9. Spell Focus: Necromancy
   10. (swap: replace Empower Spell with Spell Penetration if needed)
   11. (none)
   12. Heighten Spell
   13. (none)
   14. (none)
   15. Greater Spell Penetration
   16. (none)
   17. (none)
   18. Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
   19. (none)
   20. (none)
   21. [Epic] Epic Spell Penetration
   22. (none)
   23. (none)
   24. [Epic] Epic Spell Focus: Necromancy
   25. (none)
   26. [Destiny] Epic Spell Power -or- Intesify Spell
   27. [Epic] Embolden Spell
   28. [Destiny] Mass Frog
   29. [Destiny] Fount of Life
   30. [Epic] Master of Light -or- Alignment, [Legend] Scion of Shadowfell -or- Celestia

Human Necro Cleric Starting Feats

Spells:

1. Cure Light Wounds, Nightshield, Nimbus of Light, Remove Fear, Protection from Evil, (the remaining spells can be of your choice)
2. Cure Moderate Wounds, Resist Energy, Owl’s Wisdom, Seek Eternal Rest, (remaining may be of your choice)
3. Cure Serious Wounds, Magic Circle Against Evil, Protection from Energy, (remaining may be of your choice)
4. Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, (remaining may be of your choice)
5. Mass Cure Light Wounds, Slay Living, Greater Command, True Seeing, Divine Punishment, Protection from Elements
6. Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Blade Barrier, Heal, Banishment, Undeath to death, Cometfall
7. Mass Cure Serious Wounds, Destruction, Mass Spell Resistence, Resurrection, Greater Restoration, Mass Protection from Elements
8. Mass Cure Critical Wounds, Mass Death Ward, Symbol of Death, Holy Aura, Death Pact, (remaining may be of your choice)
9. Energy Drain, Implosion, Mass Heal, True Resurrection, Summon Monster IX

Necro Cleric Spells

Enhancements (80 AP Total):

Divine Disciple (DD) (42 AP), Radiant Servant (RS) (33 AP), Human Racial Tree (Hum) (5 AP)

1. DD0 Emissary: Light, DD1 Nimbus of Light 1/2/3
2. DD1 Energy of the Disciple 1/2/3, Spellpower: Light 1
3. DD0 Sacred Defense, DD1 Spellpower: Light 2, DD3 Searing Light 1/2
4. DD3 Searing Light 3, DD1 Spellpower: Light 3, DD2 Spellpower: Universal 1/2
5. DD2 Spellpower: Universal 3, DD3 Spellpower: Light 1/2/3
6. DD4 Holy Smite 1/2/3, DD0 Sun Bolt
7. RS0 Healing Domain, RS1 Extra Turning 1/2/3
8. RS1 Wand Mastery 1, RS Improved Turning 1/2/3
9. RS2 Mighty Turning, RS0 Pacifisim, RS0 Positive Energy Burst
10. RS1 Wand Mastery 2/3, RS2 Efficient Empower Healing 1
11. (Reset DD BEFORE taking 11th level, allocate points as follows): DD0 Emissary: Darkness, Sacred Defense. DD1: Spellpower: Universal 1/2/3, Energy of the Disciple 1/2/3. DD2: Spellpower: Universal 1/2/3. DD3: Spellpower: Universal 1/2/3. RS1: (no additional points). RS2: Efficient Empower Healing 2/3. RS3: Wisdom. RS4: Endless Turning 1. Take RS4 Endless Turning 2/3, Wisdom through level 11.
12. RS5 Positive Energy Aura, DD3 Wisdom
13. DD2 Spell Penetration 1/2
14. DD0 Enervation, DD0 Necrotic Ray, DD4 Necromancy DC
15. DD2 Efficient Maximize 1/2
16. DD2 Efficient Maximize 3, DD4 Wisdom
17. DD1 Spell Critical: Universal, DD2 Spell Critical Universal
18. Hum0 Skill Boost, Hum1 Improved Recovery, RS0 Improved Empower Healing
19. DD3 Spell Critical: Universal, DD4 Spell Critical Universal
20. Hum0 Wisdom, DD0 Power Word: Stun, DD0 Transcend: Darkness

Human Necro Cleric Enhancements

Epic Destiny:

1. Exalted Angel
   1. Radiant Power 1,2,3, Endless Faith 1,2,3, Healing Power 1,2,3, Wisdom
   2. Wisdom
   3. Wisdom
   4. Wisdom
   5. Leap of Faith, Wisdom
   6. Divine Wrath, Wisdom

   Twists of Fate

   1. Renewal (Sentinel 3)
   2. School Specialist: Necromancy (Magister 2)

Build Alterations:

Those familiar with the Human Necro Cleric build will notice that there are minor alterations.

Skills: The original build has points put into UMD. While I know many people prefer this skill to Jump or Heal or many other skills, I personally do not see a need for it. The number of items that I have presently that would benefit from this skill are slim to none. Also, since this is a build for new players, I decided to go with what I think would benefit them more than what would benefit players with more gear and experience. I put those points into Jump, since one of a Cleric’s main tactics is to Kite through Blade Barrier, where this skill is very useful. Any extra points may then be placed into Search to help find secret doors, or Spot to find hidden foes.

Aariah, level 28

Strategy:

Early Levels

Group: You’re going to be mostly support (buff, heal, Crowd Control) at first. Using Nimbus of Light, Searing Light, and Holy Smite Spell Like Abilities (SLA) will be your main source of damage. Maximizing, Empowering, and Quickening SLAs does not affect the spell point cost, so you’ll use very little and get a lot in return.

Use Command on physically powerful creatures because their minds tend to be rather weak. In raids and quests where your spells are ineffectual, you’ll want to switch to the role of Healer. You may find that many players have their own healing, and do not require your services. In this case, buff them and continue to use your element-based SLAs to contribute.

Hand-in time

Solo: The fact that you can heal yourself means you can solo many quests without much risk, though you might want to get a melee hireling to help with the battles.

Late Levels

Group: When you switch your overall play style at 11th level, you’ll become far more useful in Heroic quests with spells like Greater Command, Positive Energy Aura, and Positive Energy Burst. Not to mention buffs, healing, and Crowd control.

I seem to have a stalker #pseudodragon

Solo: Blade Barrier is your solo enabler. You should gather as many of the mob around you as you’re able, hit Positive Energy Aura, then Blade Barrier. If you followed the build as suggested, you’ll have points in Jump. Use those points to jump up and over the collected mob, then lead them back and forth through the rotating blades.

Notice the two shields in the lower right corner? Those are important!

At All Times

Equipment: Regardless of whether you group up or solo, you’ll want the best heavy armor and shield available. You’ll want a weapon that gives your spells some form of enhancement, such as Nullification. You may find yourself carrying a weapon/ shield combination for many varieties of foe, depending on their vulnerability. It is always a good tactic to be ready for any/ all contingencies.

Aariah stirs up trouble for the Sahuagin

Spell Use: Try to use the spells that will get the job done without a recast,which can tear up your point pool. Death spells like Slay Living, Destruction, and Implosion go a long way toward saving your SP, and when those do not work for you, use Divine Punishment and other DoTs to do the job with little waste. As you grow as a player, you’ll find what works best for each mob and will be able to make better use of your options.

Only the truly heretical are willing to dance on an altar… naked.

SLAs: Your use of Spell Like Abilities will begin almost at once, though which will change as you progress. Spell feat enhancements (aka: Meta) such as Maximize, Quicken, Heighten, and the like will make those SLAs cheap to cast, but more effective. As you level, those SLAs will become less and less powerful, so use them as offensive options early. Switch to Crowd Control when you notice a sharp decline. It will probably be at or near tenth level, thus the need to respec and change to more powerful spells. You can then use the new SLAs to help make your death spells more effective. Case in point, Enervation steals levels from any target, thus they become more susceptible.

Even and I take a moment to reflect…

I welcome any suggestions, questions, or whatever! So please feel free to comment. I will definitely view and consider your words and enjoy different opinions.

Once again, I thank you for your time and attention. Lord knows there’s plenty out on the internet that provides much more entertainment! I hope to see you next time!

MAD LOOTZ!