So I am starting in a new campaign next week from level 1. Optimistically, this campaign *might* reach tenth level. I've always thought the tankiness & blasting combo of Tempest cleric was fairly awesome, but I'm struggling with balancing the emphases between casting and tanking by tenth.
Rolled stats:
17
14
14
12
10
8
By tenth level, it seems impossible to get both STR and WIS to a decent (18) level while also optimizing through key feats. (Warcaster/PAM/GWM, etc.)
What about giving up the melee focus and really leaning into spell casting? Starting as a hill dwarf would let you start with 16 CON and 18 WIS.
Wearing heavy armor (with no speed penalty because of dwarf) and donning a shield will give you great AC. And with the good CON score and the hill dwarf's HP boost, your HP will be great too.
At level 4, max WIS, and you'll be rocking.
But if you do want to focus on melee, I'd suggest being a firbolg. Starting stats would be:
STR = 18 (17 + 1 racial)
DEX = 12, 10, or 8
CON = 14
INT = 12, 10, or 8
WIS = 16 (14 + 2 racial)
CHA = 12, 10, or 8
Again, wear heavy armor and don a shield. With Bless on yourself, you will hit in melee reliably, and you can still pick up Warcaster and PAM.
I played a melee tempest cleric, but I rarely used my weapon. Once I got warcaster I’d just sacred flame all the time. Id just make sure to get one of those 14s to a 15 (or play a dwarf like Jesse said) so you can wear the heavy armor. If you’re looking at tanking, PAM doesn’t do much for you. But since this will be a relatively low level campaign, heavy armor master can be a good choice to help with tanking. At level 10, you’ll only get 2 feats, but with a dwarf giving you that 18 wis and low str heavy armor, you’ll still be a great tank.
One of these races is bear-like, granting +2 STR, +1 Wisdom, Racial bonus: Pick a druid cantrip at first level.
This kind of works perfectly. At level 1 STR 14+2 --> 16 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 8 WIS 17+1 --> 18 Cha 10
ASIs: Pick any two from PAM, Warcaster, or +2 Wisdom
The basic idea is to use Shillelagh to reduce the need for STR, while still wearing heavy armor. PAM works with Quarterstaff to give more offense. This gives access to all of the reliable melee goodies from tempest while also maxxing out casting.
I still don’t think PAM does much for you. There’s the bonus action attack, but between healing word and spiritual weapon, your bonus actions are already going to be well used. And you can only use that attack when you make an attack with your action, so if you cast, you can’t do the bonus action attack. Attacking someone who comes next to you is good, but not as good as a different feat or the ASI.
So I am starting in a new campaign next week from level 1. Optimistically, this campaign *might* reach tenth level. I've always thought the tankiness & blasting combo of Tempest cleric was fairly awesome, but I'm struggling with balancing the emphases between casting and tanking by tenth.
Rolled stats:
By tenth level, it seems impossible to get both STR and WIS to a decent (18) level while also optimizing through key feats. (Warcaster/PAM/GWM, etc.)
Thoughts?
What about giving up the melee focus and really leaning into spell casting? Starting as a hill dwarf would let you start with 16 CON and 18 WIS.
Wearing heavy armor (with no speed penalty because of dwarf) and donning a shield will give you great AC. And with the good CON score and the hill dwarf's HP boost, your HP will be great too.
At level 4, max WIS, and you'll be rocking.
But if you do want to focus on melee, I'd suggest being a firbolg. Starting stats would be:
Again, wear heavy armor and don a shield. With Bless on yourself, you will hit in melee reliably, and you can still pick up Warcaster and PAM.
I played a melee tempest cleric, but I rarely used my weapon. Once I got warcaster I’d just sacred flame all the time.
Id just make sure to get one of those 14s to a 15 (or play a dwarf like Jesse said) so you can wear the heavy armor. If you’re looking at tanking, PAM doesn’t do much for you.
But since this will be a relatively low level campaign, heavy armor master can be a good choice to help with tanking. At level 10, you’ll only get 2 feats, but with a dwarf giving you that 18 wis and low str heavy armor, you’ll still be a great tank.
So my DM is using wacky homebrew races.
One of these races is bear-like, granting +2 STR, +1 Wisdom, Racial bonus: Pick a druid cantrip at first level.
This kind of works perfectly. At level 1
STR 14+2 --> 16
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 8
WIS 17+1 --> 18
Cha 10
ASIs: Pick any two from PAM, Warcaster, or +2 Wisdom
The basic idea is to use Shillelagh to reduce the need for STR, while still wearing heavy armor. PAM works with Quarterstaff to give more offense. This gives access to all of the reliable melee goodies from tempest while also maxxing out casting.
Agreed, take that race and have fun!
I still don’t think PAM does much for you. There’s the bonus action attack, but between healing word and spiritual weapon, your bonus actions are already going to be well used. And you can only use that attack when you make an attack with your action, so if you cast, you can’t do the bonus action attack. Attacking someone who comes next to you is good, but not as good as a different feat or the ASI.
That race is perfect, though.
PAm is definitely the lowest priority, and I have a while to go before making that call.
The primary purpose of PAM would not be the bonus attack, but the OA triggering.
Then I guess if you’re going to use a shield, warcaster would be the priority, if not, the wis bump.