# Pathfinder cleric tank advices needed



## DanGwancie (Sep 20, 2013)

So.. i'm planning ahead so that if my character ever dies and cant be brought back.

Right now i have a summoner and i'm loving it, but no repeating classes unless it's a new campaign.

i'm planning on a cleric, something we need and a good tank too. it has to be cleric. i have access only to the core rulebook and the advanced players guide. 

 Show me you moves!

Things i will only change in case the DM disapproves:

Race: tiefling. i'm planning a different kind of tiefling, instead of the typical horns and tail, i'm keeping the tail and a forehead bone ridge. kind of like a klingon/Draenei, and hooves.

Class: Cleric ( he won't disaprove)  as stated before.

_By the way, you can see my summoner and his Eidolon on my signature._


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## Morrus (Sep 20, 2013)

I'll move this into the character builds forum for you.


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## DanGwancie (Sep 20, 2013)

Thanks! I'm sorry if i posted on the wrong place.


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## Keldin (Sep 20, 2013)

Hm.  Well, firstly, we'd need to know whether you're going for an offensive (dealing damage) or a defensive (absorbing attacks/damage) tank.  Clerics (and most fighting classes) can do both, but there's an amount of give in either.

The next thing you might do is check the list of archetypes available for the Cleric.  The Crusader might be of interest, for example.  You also might want to look at the list of domains, to figure out what god your cleric follows, if they follow one at all.

Once that's done, you might use a search engine to search for something like "Pathfinder cleric tank guide" and do some reading from the links that come up.

Also, you might want to look at the "Similar Threads" down towards the bottom of the page.


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## Empirate (Sep 20, 2013)

I'll go out on a limb here and say there is no such thing as a tank in D&D. There are next to no options for drawing and holding 'aggro'. The best you can do is aim for battlefield control via combat maneuvers (trip especially), which, coupled with large size and a reach weapon, can turn you into an impressive no-go-no-leave-zone. This, however, is feat-intensive, and Clerics are probably not as good at it as straight Fighters.

For a Cleric-based warrior type, I can only recommend that you load up on buff spells, grab that two-handed weapon, and Power Attack till kingdom come. In all of D&D 3E/PF, a good offense is the best defense. If stuff is already dead, it can't hurt your teammates (or yourself) anymore. That's really all there is to it.

Cleric lends itself very well to this approach. It's really only a matter of picking the best buff spells each level, and make sure you don't enter combat unprepared. Don't spend too much time buffing if combat is already underway; if your party lacks good scouting, or if your DM just loooves those ambush scenarios, you'll have to accept being mediocre in quite a few battles.

Oh, stats should probably go like this: Str>Con>Wis>Cha>Dex>Int. Forget about skills, you're a warrior first and foremost. Dex can be low, since your AC is derived from the heaviest armor money can buy. You don't need very high Cha, in-combat healing is a waste anyway, out-of-combat healing is most efficiently taken care of with a sack full of wands of CLW, and you won't be going into channeling feats, as you need your precious few feats for combat-y stuff.


More in-depth stuff:

Definitely check out the following alternate racial traits: maw or claw (pick a bite attack), prehensile tail (you're not a sorcerer, so every little bonus instead of fiendish sorcery is welcome), scaled skin (more AC? yes please!).

Forget about the Tiefling's favored class option, just take the HP instead, you'll need them.

Variant Tiefling heritages to consider: Demodand-Spawn, Demon-Spawn, Oni-Spawn. Those pack great ability score mods, and useful skill bonuses (well, better than Bluff and Stealth).

The Fiendish Vessel tiefling cleric archetype provides an awesome Imp or Quasit familiar at 3rd level. Those guys are really, really tough at the level you get them, and even at higher levels, they help the action economy immensely (they're intelligent, have SLAs, good defenses, can fly... excellent scouts and little combat helpers).
Please do not consider the Crusader archetype, it's horrible beyond description.
If you plan on dumping Cha completely, the Divine Strategist is for you: no more channeling at all, but always act in the surprise round, along with a great bonus to initiative, means your buffs are always up when you need them!
You might want to consider a Separatist to cherry-pick a good domain your deity doesn't offer.

Domains: the Glory domain with the Heroism subdomain provides good buffing, with several spells usually not on the Cleric's list (Bless Weapon, Heroism), allowing you to use wands of these spells as well. The Liberation domain is quite good, for its namesake domain power. The Strength domain provides Enlarge Person, which is a non-negotiable buff at all levels; you want this in a wand, as well. Consider the Ferocity subdomain for its better domain power. The Travel domain is great for mobility, one of the best domains traditionally.


Hope this helps!


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## DanGwancie (Sep 20, 2013)

Oh, i forgot about the Gods. he has some gods he made himself. and the ones i feel more inclined to follow are:


 [h=3]Balthazar[/h] 
   The god of war and fire, Balthazar is often worshipped by warriors  and spellcasters focusing on the fire element, though there are monks  and clerics who have been known to follow his scriptures as well.  Balthazar gives strength to soldiers marching into battle and any  adventurer who’s ready for a fight. He is associated with honor and  valor, and with griphons, wolves, and hounds. He guides the sharpened  edge of a sword or axe so that it cuts deeply. Many insist that he  watches over the battlegrounds of the world to see who glorifies his  name. In arenas protected by his priests, followers demonstrate their  prowess in battle to earn his favor. Army commanders and guild lords  will often say a few words to the Bastion of Martial Glory before  leading their followers into battle. Balthazar is frequently shown  holding a greatsword, its tip lodged in the ground, with a pair of  battle hounds sitting at attention at his feet. In Cantha, the sword is  usually one of the single-edged imperial style, and the battle hounds  are usually replaced with winged drakes. Some Elonian art portrays him  with majestic lions or other predatory companions crouching beside him.


 [h=3]Dwayna[/h] 
   The goddess of life and air, Dwayna is the even-tempered leader of  the old gods. Dwayna watches the world from the heavens, beatifically  observing humanity. Her followers are mainly healers and spellcasters  specializing in air magic (though in times of war, there are few  denizens of Tyria who have not let fly a prayer to the Winged Goddess to  spare them or their loved ones). Dwayna speeds travelers on their  journeys, and when her followers are in danger, she sends down lightning  from the skies to punish their enemies. She is often depicted as young,  tall, and slender rising over the ground on huge feathered wings.  Canthan artists often depict her floating above the vibrant, living  souls of their eternal ancestors. Elonian artists sometimes show her  rising from lands ravaged by drought, disease, or plague.
*ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good*
*DOMAINS: Air, Good, Healing, Protection*


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## darjr (Sep 20, 2013)

Take a look at this thread http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2n6gs?The-Tanking-Concept

Especially the feats antagonize and combat patrol. And consider increasing your threat range for aoo. Don't forget about enlarging.

Though I must say that aggro is a computer game concept mainly beacause there isn't a gm and early games laked good enough ai to really simulate one without things like 'aggro' and 'threat'. But that is IMO.

Play out using tactics and game style so your gm can make a reasonable decision about who the bad guys would attack.


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## darjr (Sep 20, 2013)

Oops antagonize is out of ultimate magic.


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## DanGwancie (Sep 20, 2013)

I know the word tank is a bit unsettling in Pathfindr and D&D. 

  what i mean for this build is a solid, self-healing, good at crowd controlling, cleric in heavy armor(optional, but it would be good).

    When i say tank, i don't mean the mmo type of tank. i mean the guy who can stand amidst many people with the highest AC possible and prevent them from attacking the casters of the group.

   I'd need speed, i'd need dexterity ( even though the heavy armor cuts into that.) Maibe with the help of  some boots of haste or something that gives me speed and more attacks would be awesome. 

i'm looking into the current suggestions and writing them down. at the end i'll say what archetype i like best.


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## darjr (Sep 20, 2013)

Ah, gotcha. It was a bit of bleed over from that thread I posted.

I'm actually intrigued by this build being a cleric. Combat Patrol seems very cool.

[h=3]Combat Patrol (Combat)[/h]You range across the battlefield, dealing with threats wherever they arise.



Prerequisites: Combat reflexes, Mobility, base attack bonus +5.

Benefit: As a full-round action, you may set up a combat patrol, increasing yourthreatened area by 5 feet for every 5 points of your base attack bonus. Until the beginning of your next turn, you may make attacks of opportunity against any opponent in this threatened area that provokes attacks of opportunity. You may move as part of these attacks, provided your total movement before your next turn does not exceed your speed. Any movement you make provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.


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## Empirate (Sep 21, 2013)

DanGwancie said:


> I know the word tank is a bit unsettling in Pathfindr and D&D.
> 
> what i mean for this build is a solid, self-healing, good at crowd controlling, cleric in heavy armor(optional, but it would be good).
> 
> ...




The problem is that high AC, even good defenses in general, actually encourage the opposition not to waste attacks on you, but take down the squishier parts of your party makeup. Going naked and packing non-ignorable offense is a much better way of preventing the casters from being hit... it's also not a good idea, obviously. What you need is not the best defensive setup possible, but the best offensive setup you can get your grubby mitts on. That way, you deny enemy actions (by killing them) AND paint a target on yourself (by killing their friends). If you balance that with just _sufficient _defense, you're doing it right.


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