Need Help Understanding the (Newish) Cleric.
The 2E Cleric is a Weird Beast. It's technically 2 classes now. The Caster build and the Combat build. Both have access to spells, one gets legendary with casting the other doesn't.
What is the ideal stat spread, what is the point of casting stats on the Strength build for combat cleric? What spells work with each class?
Why did they split the class like this?
Are there good build that break it down into more than just typical easy build but really dig into the sub-sub builds that can be made with these two paths?
I'm honestly curious if anyone has done a deep dive with the class.
The cleric was a favorite from the 1E to 3E days so for me it's a old friend, but it feels a bit Alien in 2E.
Posted May 14, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC
1610
Depends what you want to do. If you want to be an unparalleled healbot and buff on the side and don't care too much about offensive/debuff spells, you can go 16 CHA, 16 DEX, 14 WIS.
If you want to be better offensive spellcaster, you want 18 WIS for sure. Then you'll have to consider whether you want to prioritize DEX for AC or CHA for more healing. If you're a Warpriest, then you can wear medium armor and get all three of good WIS for offensive spellcasting, good AC, and high CHA for healing (specifically 18 WIS 12 DEX 16 CHA).
If you want to get into melee as a warpriest, you'll either need to dump cha/healing or wis/spellcasting. Your stat spread will look more like 16 STR 12 DEX 14 WIS 14 CHA, with WIS and CHA possibly higher or lower.
Again, depends what you want to do. While the divine list is considered the weakest list, it still has damage options and debuff options that want high WIS and buff options and heal options that don't care about your WIS.
PF2e's class design philosophy prioritizes two things: balance and modularity. A lot of classes/subclasses no longer have their entire starting kit from 1e at level 1 - paladins don't have Smite Evil, Bards often don't have Bardic Knowledge, non-fighters don't have Attack of Opportunity. If you really love pf1e or classic D&D class identity, this can feel like a loss or a feat tax, but if you're willing to approach pf2e on its own merits, the classes are all quite balanced relative to each other, which means you're freer to pursue modular builds that exactly reflect your character concept, instead of reflecting classic D&D ideals of what a class should look like.
For Cleric specifically, one of the ways PF2e has balanced spellcasters is significantly nerfing their gish potential. Druids can no longer outdamage a fighter in Wild Shape while also retaining full spellcasting. Clerics can no longer out-tank and out-damage a Paladin while being the best healers. Full casters now hew closer to being focused on well, casting; martial classes now have a well-defined and exclusive niche as tanks and single-target DPS.
So Warpriest cleric should be thought of less as "if I pick this I have to be a Fighter who happens to be religious", and more of as an option that boosts some things (mainly your AC) at the cost of others (mainly your offensive spellcasting). It doesn't really restrict you so dramatically that you're forced into becoming a frontline martial at all costs - Warpriests can still be excellent healers and buffers.