Critique my melee cleric.

[beardman]

Hi everybody,

I'm building a cleric for a homebrew campaign. Sources allowed are PHB races and classes and feats from any WOTC publication. I plan on making a melee cleric as the party lacks a martial character. Currently the party is a beguiler, bard, druid and cleric of pelor. None of the other characters are optimized. I made a straight cleric at the table for the first session. I rolled str 18, dex 10, con 14, int 12, wis 15+1, cha 12. I selected war and magic as domains for great sword and thinking of going towards dweomerkeeper as prestige class. I selected magical training and divine meta magic: extend spell (the dm doesn't require players to take the actual feat first) and craft wondrous item. equipment was limited to full plate and a great sword.

The dm offered to let me rebuild the character. My thoughts are to keep everything the same except class and go to cleric 3/church inquisitor 1/ordained champion 1. I'd swap out the inquisition and magic domain powers for power attack and cleave while snagging the time domain. I'm limited to 7,000 gp starting money due to a role playing choice. The only significant items are full plate, an animated heavy shield and a wand of lesser vigor.

I think this is much stronger and could hold the line for the party without being cheesy and inviting dm wrath. Does anybody recommend anything different.  I'm not set on going into dweomerkeeper but would be open to other alternatives.

Thanks for reading.

[Mooncrow]

Dweomerkeeper is a great prestige class, but it really is more casting focused.  If you're really intending to focus on melee, I would consider something more along the line of Knight of the Raven, or dip Crusader and go for Ruby Knight Vindicator.  Bone Knight is another good one, though it may not mesh well if you are good aligned. 

[beardman]

I'd considered going ruby knight but don't have a tome of battle and am not really familiar with any of the martial adepts. Bone knight is out of the question as the dm won't allow undead using characters. I'll look into knight of the raven though. Thanks.

[Hics]

If you can fit a level of Warlock in your concept, You can go for a "glaivelock" build going Warlock 1/ Cleric 4/ Eldritch Disciple X

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870282/The_Glaivelock_-_A_Mini-Guide

[beardman]

As interesting as fitting warlock in their would be I don't think it would fit thematically with the character. I've looked up knight of the raven and I think it would. Thanks everybody.

[dumah87]

I'd go with
Hill Dwarf Cleric/BattleSmith/Ordained champion  of Clanggedin Silverbeard
to add 2.5 times Wisdom to damage instead that Strenght.