Curious who else is playing a DEX build Cleric and what yours looks/plays like?
I am 9 (3-4 hour) sessions in and loving mine. 3rd level Twilight Cleric VHuman (8/14/14/10/17/12) AC 18 Fey Touched. 4 person party - Vengeance Pally on the front lines, Monster Slayer Ranger in the back. Monk weaving in an out. And me, 5 feet behind the Pally focused on spell casting and support.
I went DEX in part because I wanted a stealth option with breastplate (if I can find some) and I like the higher initiative roll/DEX saves(I typically play a Rogue or (Moon)Druid) I also wanted to be able to get to all my party members easier in combat if need be, since I am trying to be a true support character. And the DEX build was more in line with the Kung Fu/Taoist Priest concept I wanted to play. But a DEX build also seemed like one way to address some of the concerns some folks have about the Twilight Cleric. (Although, I am actually not convinced the DEX build is sub-optimal if the goal is to play Spell Caster /Party Support.)
Seems to work fine for the occasional off-tanking, at least at these lower levels. I have no intention of taking War Caster, but will probably go Resilient Con at level 8. Although, I wont lie. The extra spell options from Shadow Touched are calling the only full spell caster in this group, not only for Invisibility, but I am a huge fan of Silent Image for came/escape.
So, what kind of experience are you having with your DEX build clerics?
Once at 14 DEX, there's not a whole lot of benefit to go higher, and certainly not at the expense of WIS or CON.
If 14 DEX is a DEX build, then yeah, that's pretty much essential for any non-heavy armor Cleric Domain. 14 DEX maximizes the AC Bonus on medium armor (+2), and with a Shield, you can keep pace with a Heavy Armor PC.
Sure, Dex Saves, Initiative, Stealth, Acrobatics, and Sleight of Hand will benefit... Shield Master Feat would get slightly more appealing also.
For what it's worth, I'm not sure I would consider a 1d8 Finesse weapon, with a DEX mod of 2 + PROF to be better than a d8/d12 cantrip with 18 or 20 WIS, even if you factor in Divine Strike / Potent Spellcasting at Level 8.
14 DEX is probably the most you would need, so in your particular build, yes, get your WIS up, then prioritize CON over DEX.
Curious who else is playing a DEX build Cleric and what yours looks/plays like?
I am technically playing one right now. Arcane Trickster Rogue 9/Peace Cleric 1 Eladrin STR 8 DEX 18 CON 16 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 8.
I am 9 (3-4 hour) sessions in and loving mine. 3rd level Twilight Cleric VHuman (8/14/14/10/17/12) AC 18 Fey Touched.
I thought you said you were a Dex build. This is just a standard cleric build that decided to disregard the heavy armor proficiency of its subclass and build for medium armor, although that CON score is a bit low.
4 person party - Vengeance Pally on the front lines, Monster Slayer Ranger in the back. Monk weaving in an out. And me, 5 feet behind the Pally focused on spell casting and support.
I went DEX in part because I wanted a stealth option with breastplate (if I can find some) and I like the higher initiative roll/DEX saves(I typically play a Rogue or (Moon)Druid) I also wanted to be able to get to all my party members easier in combat if need be, since I am trying to be a true support character.
Getting to your party members easier in combat is more easily done with STR than DEX - Athletics does a lot more for battlefield mobility than Acrobatics and Stealth.
And the DEX build was more in line with the Kung Fu/Taoist Priest concept I wanted to play. But a DEX build also seemed like one way to address some of the concerns some folks have about the Twilight Cleric. (Although, I am actually not convinced the DEX build is sub-optimal if the goal is to play Spell Caster /Party Support.)
I don't follow how it addresses said concerns.
Seems to work fine for the occasional off-tanking, at least at these lower levels. I have no intention of taking War Caster, but will probably go Resilient Con at level 8. Although, I wont lie. The extra spell options from Shadow Touched are calling the only full spell caster in this group, not only for Invisibility, but I am a huge fan of Silent Image for came/escape.
So, what kind of experience are you having with your DEX build clerics?
Peace Cleric 1 is an utterly fantastic addition to the Rogue chassis.
A great DEX cleric I'm building: Forest Gnome Trickery Cleric/Arcane Trickster. Start Rogue for extra skill selection. Get to 4th for the ASI. Then Cleric to 4th level. You get the benefit of Cleric spell slots, the mighty Bless and Aid spells, and Pass without Trace. Not the strongest combat Rogue, but you have above average defenses (DEX plus Mirror Image) and provide stealthy support in party with other sneaky-similar characters. Also you're small, so you hide easily and have resistance to magic targeting INT, CHA, or WIS.
Curious who else is playing a DEX build Cleric and what yours looks/plays like?
I am technically playing one right now. Arcane Trickster Rogue 9/Peace Cleric 1 Eladrin STR 8 DEX 18 CON 16 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 8.
I am 9 (3-4 hour) sessions in and loving mine. 3rd level Twilight Cleric VHuman (8/14/14/10/17/12) AC 18 Fey Touched.
I thought you said you were a Dex build. This is just a standard cleric build that decided to disregard the heavy armor proficiency of its subclass and build for medium armor, although that CON score is a bit low.
4 person party - Vengeance Pally on the front lines, Monster Slayer Ranger in the back. Monk weaving in an out. And me, 5 feet behind the Pally focused on spell casting and support.
I went DEX in part because I wanted a stealth option with breastplate (if I can find some) and I like the higher initiative roll/DEX saves(I typically play a Rogue or (Moon)Druid) I also wanted to be able to get to all my party members easier in combat if need be, since I am trying to be a true support character.
Getting to your party members easier in combat is more easily done with STR than DEX - Athletics does a lot more for battlefield mobility than Acrobatics and Stealth.
And the DEX build was more in line with the Kung Fu/Taoist Priest concept I wanted to play. But a DEX build also seemed like one way to address some of the concerns some folks have about the Twilight Cleric. (Although, I am actually not convinced the DEX build is sub-optimal if the goal is to play Spell Caster /Party Support.)
I don't follow how it addresses said concerns.
Seems to work fine for the occasional off-tanking, at least at these lower levels. I have no intention of taking War Caster, but will probably go Resilient Con at level 8. Although, I wont lie. The extra spell options from Shadow Touched are calling the only full spell caster in this group, not only for Invisibility, but I am a huge fan of Silent Image for came/escape.
So, what kind of experience are you having with your DEX build clerics?
Peace Cleric 1 is an utterly fantastic addition to the Rogue chassis.
Peace Cleric 1 is okay. It gets really OP at higher levels if you combine it with a Twilight Cleric. And not OP in an occasionally useful way, but in a way that cheeses the vast majority of encounters.
In my campaign, our cleric is a Yuan-ti life domain cleric (with a homebrew variant of the race made by yours truly) who is built on DEX. She has free stealth proficiency (as a racial trait), and proficiency with the DEX-based longbow, rapier, whip, and scimitar (once again, racial trait), so going DEX was kind of automatic. She uses a Scimitar of Speed paired with Divine Strike for a respectable 1d6+2d8+5 damage every bonus action. Sometimes I find myself asking, "Are you a cleric, or a rouge?"
Our cleric's unique fighting style and her dual nature in personality make her a great character. She joined the party at level 9, and now she's level 18 and an invaluable addition to our game. If you get a good combination, you can totally shine and have fun as a DEX cleric.
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Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
Once at 14 DEX, there's not a whole lot of benefit to go higher, and certainly not at the expense of WIS or CON.
If 14 DEX is a DEX build, then yeah, that's pretty much essential for any non-heavy armor Cleric Domain. 14 DEX maximizes the AC Bonus on medium armor (+2), and with a Shield, you can keep pace with a Heavy Armor PC.
Sure, Dex Saves, Initiative, Stealth, Acrobatics, and Sleight of Hand will benefit... Shield Master Feat would get slightly more appealing also.
For what it's worth, I'm not sure I would consider a 1d8 Finesse weapon, with a DEX mod of 2 + PROF to be better than a d8/d12 cantrip with 18 or 20 WIS, even if you factor in Divine Strike / Potent Spellcasting at Level 8.
14 DEX is probably the most you would need, so in your particular build, yes, get your WIS up, then prioritize CON over DEX.
Generally I go with a 16 Dex on any character not wearing heavy armor and will gladly give up Constitution for that. Usually my standard cleric recipe on point buy is S8 D15/16 C10 W16/17 then among Intelligence and Charisma I will put a 10 in one and a 12-14 in the other depending on the build. I know that is a lower constitution than most like but I find constitution to be the least useful stat in general.
Medium armor will only keep up with heavy armor if you wear half plate, which kills your stealth, and speaking of that usually I want a +1 on stealth and acrobatics more than I want +1 hp per level.
You are right about wisdom cantrips being better than dexterity attacks once you hit tier 2, assuming you do not have booming blade or green flame blade through a feat or multiclass. The only caveat to that though is there are not many (any?) cleric attack cantrips. So if you go against someone with high saves you are screwed. Also if you have proficiency in a heavy crossbow or a longbow it is nice to have the ability to do a dex-based attack at ranges beyond where cantrips work.
Curious who else is playing a DEX build Cleric and what yours looks/plays like?
I am 9 (3-4 hour) sessions in and loving mine. 3rd level Twilight Cleric VHuman (8/14/14/10/17/12) AC 18 Fey Touched.
4 person party - Vengeance Pally on the front lines, Monster Slayer Ranger in the back. Monk weaving in an out. And me, 5 feet behind the Pally focused on spell casting and support.
I went DEX in part because I wanted a stealth option with breastplate (if I can find some) and I like the higher initiative roll/DEX saves(I typically play a Rogue or (Moon)Druid) I also wanted to be able to get to all my party members easier in combat if need be, since I am trying to be a true support character. And the DEX build was more in line with the Kung Fu/Taoist Priest concept I wanted to play. But a DEX build also seemed like one way to address some of the concerns some folks have about the Twilight Cleric. (Although, I am actually not convinced the DEX build is sub-optimal if the goal is to play Spell Caster /Party Support.)
Seems to work fine for the occasional off-tanking, at least at these lower levels. I have no intention of taking War Caster, but will probably go Resilient Con at level 8. Although, I wont lie. The extra spell options from Shadow Touched are calling the only full spell caster in this group, not only for Invisibility, but I am a huge fan of Silent Image for came/escape.
So, what kind of experience are you having with your DEX build clerics?
Once at 14 DEX, there's not a whole lot of benefit to go higher, and certainly not at the expense of WIS or CON.
If 14 DEX is a DEX build, then yeah, that's pretty much essential for any non-heavy armor Cleric Domain. 14 DEX maximizes the AC Bonus on medium armor (+2), and with a Shield, you can keep pace with a Heavy Armor PC.
Sure, Dex Saves, Initiative, Stealth, Acrobatics, and Sleight of Hand will benefit... Shield Master Feat would get slightly more appealing also.
For what it's worth, I'm not sure I would consider a 1d8 Finesse weapon, with a DEX mod of 2 + PROF to be better than a d8/d12 cantrip with 18 or 20 WIS, even if you factor in Divine Strike / Potent Spellcasting at Level 8.
14 DEX is probably the most you would need, so in your particular build, yes, get your WIS up, then prioritize CON over DEX.
I am technically playing one right now. Arcane Trickster Rogue 9/Peace Cleric 1 Eladrin STR 8 DEX 18 CON 16 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 8.
I thought you said you were a Dex build. This is just a standard cleric build that decided to disregard the heavy armor proficiency of its subclass and build for medium armor, although that CON score is a bit low.
Getting to your party members easier in combat is more easily done with STR than DEX - Athletics does a lot more for battlefield mobility than Acrobatics and Stealth.
I don't follow how it addresses said concerns.
Peace Cleric 1 is an utterly fantastic addition to the Rogue chassis.
A great DEX cleric I'm building: Forest Gnome Trickery Cleric/Arcane Trickster. Start Rogue for extra skill selection. Get to 4th for the ASI. Then Cleric to 4th level. You get the benefit of Cleric spell slots, the mighty Bless and Aid spells, and Pass without Trace. Not the strongest combat Rogue, but you have above average defenses (DEX plus Mirror Image) and provide stealthy support in party with other sneaky-similar characters. Also you're small, so you hide easily and have resistance to magic targeting INT, CHA, or WIS.
Peace Cleric 1 is okay. It gets really OP at higher levels if you combine it with a Twilight Cleric. And not OP in an occasionally useful way, but in a way that cheeses the vast majority of encounters.
In my campaign, our cleric is a Yuan-ti life domain cleric (with a homebrew variant of the race made by yours truly) who is built on DEX. She has free stealth proficiency (as a racial trait), and proficiency with the DEX-based longbow, rapier, whip, and scimitar (once again, racial trait), so going DEX was kind of automatic. She uses a Scimitar of Speed paired with Divine Strike for a respectable 1d6+2d8+5 damage every bonus action. Sometimes I find myself asking, "Are you a cleric, or a rouge?"
Our cleric's unique fighting style and her dual nature in personality make her a great character. She joined the party at level 9, and now she's level 18 and an invaluable addition to our game. If you get a good combination, you can totally shine and have fun as a DEX cleric.
Panda-wat (I hate my username) is somehow convinced that he is objectively right about everything D&D related even though he obviously is not. Considering that, he'd probably make a great D&D youtuber.
"If I die, I can live with that." ~Luke Hart, the DM lair
Most of the clerics I see played (and most of the characters except Barbarians) are dex builds.
I am playing a strength Tempest cleric right now, but that is uncommon at my tables.
Generally I go with a 16 Dex on any character not wearing heavy armor and will gladly give up Constitution for that. Usually my standard cleric recipe on point buy is S8 D15/16 C10 W16/17 then among Intelligence and Charisma I will put a 10 in one and a 12-14 in the other depending on the build. I know that is a lower constitution than most like but I find constitution to be the least useful stat in general.
Medium armor will only keep up with heavy armor if you wear half plate, which kills your stealth, and speaking of that usually I want a +1 on stealth and acrobatics more than I want +1 hp per level.
You are right about wisdom cantrips being better than dexterity attacks once you hit tier 2, assuming you do not have booming blade or green flame blade through a feat or multiclass. The only caveat to that though is there are not many (any?) cleric attack cantrips. So if you go against someone with high saves you are screwed. Also if you have proficiency in a heavy crossbow or a longbow it is nice to have the ability to do a dex-based attack at ranges beyond where cantrips work.