Cleric/Warlock - a viable short campaign strategy?

[8wGremlin]

I'm playing in a short campaign, not likely to get to level 10 (theoretical build limit)  - has to be AL viable.

I have a concept, it's odd, and I would like to know if it's viable?

Here's the initial layout of the build

Maeve

1st level Human Variant human:

Worships Shub-Niggurath  “The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young”, "Lord of the Wood" , “Mother Goddess”


Stats
 (Customizing ability scores variant)  27pts
Str: 13 (+1)  (cost: 5)
Dex: 10 (+0) (cost: 2)
Con: 13 +1 Race = 14 (+2) (cost: 5)
Int: 9(-1) (cost: 1)
Wis: 13 (+1) (cost: 5)
Cha: 15 +1 Race = 16 (+3) (cost: 9)
Human
Feat: +1 (Magic Initiate: Druid)
Stats: +1 to two stats (Wis, Con)
Skill: +1 (Perception)
Cleric
Domain: Life
Bonus proficiency: Heavy Armour
Discipline of Life

Skills: Insight, History

Feat
Magic Initiate:
Druid:
1st level: Goodberry (nb: with Discipline of life each berry restores 4hp)
Cantrips: Shillelagh, Magic stone

Background
Hermit

Skills: Medicine, Religion
Tools: Herbalism kit
Language: +1

Life of seclusion:  I was the caretaker of an ancient relic

Feature: Discovery
Personality: I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster
I’ve been isolated for so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt

Ideal: Inquiry and Curiosity are the pillars of progress
Bond: Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world
Flaw: I harbour dark, blood thirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell



Equipment
Scroll case of notes
Winter blanket
Common clothes
herbalism kit
5gp
Trinket: weird statue that gives you disturbing dreams
Mace
Chain Mail AC 16
Light Crossbow
20 Bolts
Priest’s Pack
A shield +2 AC
Holy Symbol

Level - so far

• Cleric of Life
• Warlock, Great Old One
• Warlock
• Warlock, Pact of the Tomb  (gain owl familiar)

Simple idea is an old crone, who heals with 'Good Berries' 1/day (10 berries curing 4hp per berry) and other 1st level cleric spells.
uses warlock slots to help heal, and delivers healing at range via the owl.

---
Thoughts?

[sambojin]

There's nothing particularly wrong with the build. You can also hex for more witchiness, or maybe even give the blessing of the goat when you want to.

It depends on how you want to play it, but guidance would fit well as a cantrip, and is ridiculously useful at all levels in any party.

I'm a huge fan of Eldritch Blast with Repelling Blast, which can be RPd in heaps of ways because it's a force damage spell, and is very useful in combat. You can push them if you want, or just blast away.

Grab whatever other invocation you want, but +Charisma damage is always nice, even if you're just a support character. But just grab whatever seems most appropriate for your character style. I really like the big Book of Secrets, both for its power and versatility, but also because you can choose what your character spends their time researching, which can help define your theme even more.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Personally, I'm not a fan of Medicine skill proficiency. 
High Wis + Help, or 1/2gp Healing kit use = good enough, imho.
And you've got Goodberry, which covers this too.

Compare to having either Athletics or Acrobatics.
That will save your butt sooner or later.

Suggesting Polearm Mastery at level 4, or +2 Cha.
If you go Cha, then 1 of your 3 Tome cantrips should be Shocking Grasp.

Are you absolutely wedded to your Stats?
Mellored's Cleric guide at wotc would go a little different.

[8wGremlin]

Personally, I'm not a fan of Medicine skill proficiency. 
High Wis + Help, or 1/2gp Healing kit use = good enough, imho.
And you've got Goodberry, which covers this too.

I should change it then, but to what can I change it too, Cleric and Hermit don't exactly give you much.

Compare to having either Athletics or Acrobatics.
That will save your butt sooner or later.

Agreed, but how do I get then?

Suggesting Polearm Mastery at level 4, or +2 Cha.
If you go Cha, then 1 of your 3 Tome cantrips should be Shocking Grasp.

Agreed, I need decent melee attack. also I'm not beholding to the druid cantrips, might change them as well.

Are you absolutely wedded to your Stats?
Mellored's Cleric guide at wotc would go a little different.

No I'm not.
and thanks I'll go and find that guide.

Thank you all.

[sambojin]

Criminal, Soldier, Sailor, Entertainer or Outlander background?

Outlander? Which might actually fit RP wise if she's naturey and hardy enough to subist while helping others. The "she's a WITCH!!! But kind of a good one. But a WITCH!!!!" thing is easy to wrap into that.

Criminal gives you deception and stealth. Not exactly a horrible combination. But as a background, maybe that's why she took the path she has, or was outcast originally, or there's just a law saying "Don't be a witch. Or else." She may have had to use both skills many times, to hide her nature, her secrets, her ways, or simply to convince others that she is something that she is or is not.

Sailor gives you the foreigner aspect. You don't have to fit in, they don't understand your magic (no matter how much of it they have), but you're worldly-wise and have seen enough hurts to heal them. The goat is strong in those of your people.

Soldier? What kind of soldier? You've got your cleric level. And a good bit of Old One on top. Magic Healy Army of the Goat? Only those of your order will recognize your rank, for you know the ways beyond others' ken, but many others realize the good you do. A certain flower can be an insignia of rank in an organization, or a tear, or a brand, or a mark. You may be able to give order to aspirants of her goatly goodness, because wars of your army are fought by the living, so your war may not be on the battlefield, but in keeping the living alive.

There are many forms of Entertainment. An old man telling the glories of his youth, or the stories he heard of another's. An old woman rambling the true faiths, those of days long past, as fresh in her mind as her undergarment's cleanliness. A young woman, saying how her grand-ma-ma used to do it, but how the ways of the world have changed, but some things have not. The gossip and the truth. The tales. The drum. The dances. The semi-comedic, yet horrifyingly true visage that is created by a look on a face and a baring of teeth. The cold shiver down the spine, both of the listener and the storyteller themselves, of what was and is today, right here in this tent. The slow drum beat to signal the changing of days, and the next segment of the story. They may only come for some berries that cure their ills. They leave with dark secrets in their mind untold. A story, a dance, a drum, a beat. A vision that carries feelings to this day. Some things are older than gods, or writing, or men. They are terrifying......

Backgrounds don't have to be recent. Or they can be a week before the adventure begins. They don't have to be what the word looks like either, simply a substance to show why your character is like it is. You may rebel against a background, or be changed by it, or learn from it, or have it simply as something that happened at some point in time.

Depth and substance to a character, not the word the background sounds like.

[majicwalrus]

I prefer a Tomelock to any other kind of Warlock, but if you're just going to for the addition of a familiar before going back to Cleric levels why not do a Chainlock and get a familiar that you can do more with? 

[8wGremlin]

I prefer a Tomelock to any other kind of Warlock, but if you're just going to for the addition of a familiar before going back to Cleric levels why not do a Chainlock and get a familiar that you can do more with?

I too prefer tomelock, I find that it's versatility makes up for a lot more than the special familiars.
'find familiar' spell will work for what I need it too. Owl can swoop in on targets delivering tactical heals, or inflicts as desired as well as shocking grasp. Plus it can aiding me on skill checks. The fact that it can't use an 'Attack' Action, or does not have invisibility etc is of minor point to This type of character.

but I thank you for the suggestion, it made me check my build and see if I missed something.
so Thank you majicwalrus

[majicwalrus]

De nada. 

I'm playing through as a Tomelock right now and I actually did the same thing for my familiar, but I'm kicking myself for it because we're a pet heavy party as it is so my bat seems markedly useless at the moment.  I really wanted an Octopus for gnarly tentacle action, but not being anywhere near water makes that hard.

[sambojin]

Owls are nice for stuff, bats are great for their blindsight.

It's just a real pity that ravens don't talk any more. Because that was cool.

Still, if you ever manage to grab druid 5 or lore bard 6, at least you can chat to your raven swarms from Conjure Animals with a raven familiar.

[majicwalrus]

If you're doing a GOO pact with your Warlock you can mentally communicate to any creature that understands a language.  I bet someone could make a decent case for ravens understanding a language.

[sambojin]

There was a list of creatures that spoke a language floating around the web somewhere, or a list of all languages.

I think it turned out that Elks talk, but Ravens don't. Or something. It was silly.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

SorO has a list on this board, idk around here somewhere.
He got iirc 42 by his count.
You can add Languages via downtime training in the phb, or alt awards in the dmg.
But presumably to keep from playing mostly only hack-n-slash
Comprehend Language or Tongues rituals or GOO, are necessary.

Last paragraph before the Backgrounds, has customizing details for them.

Do you want Cleric 1 / Warlock X, or Warlock 3 / Cleric X ?
Shelilagh can be picked up at warlock 3, and be Charisma based.
var Human is the only race that can start with +2 Wis with specific feat.