PHB only Cleric ... for Tomb of Horros

[Ard3]

A friend wants to GM this legendary dungeon for our weekly tabletop club. But since he wants to keep things simple, its going to be PHB only game. We can buy items from DMG, but thats it. I need help in this, since I have heard Tomb is very lethal adventure and would like to survive til the end.
I have very little experience with d&d.

Game:
4-6 players. One monk, others I dont know yet. Expect casual gamer non-optimized builds.
Level 9 + standard wealth. For my stats I rolled 16, 14, 14, 12, 12 and 10.

I am thinking putting 16 to Wis, 14s to Con and Str, 12s to Int and Cha, 10 to Dex.
I am thinking human for the extra skill + feat, but cant really think what feats to take.
For domains I was thinking Knowledge and Magic.

Being decent in combat is easy, but I have heard that in ToH there is very little of that and its mostly traps and such.

Things I considered:
Animate Dead and walk them about 30ft in front of team. But little combat -> few corpses, doesnt really work.
Magic domain + Death Knell + summoned rat(or whatever) + scrolls of darkvision, see invisibility and permanency. Cheesy, not sure is even possible, permanency scrolls cost way too much because of the xp cost. Is it possible to pay that myself? If yes,  can't be done before we gain some xp. Assuming DM gives xp during adventure, it is oneshot.
Summoned creatures last very little time, but maybe summon bunch of weak cretaures with metamagic rod of extend and have them trigger the traps. Cheesy.

Apart from not going first, checking absolutely everything, not touching anything except with 10ft poles what do you recommend?

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Core Cleric is still well supported around here.

Perhaps more info hasn't been imported from BG quite yet.
You're high enough leveled, to be the party Trapspringer via cheap spells.
Cleric Archer of course, is possible.

[Shadowhunter]

Tomb of Horrors

One monk, others I dont know yet. Expect casual gamer non-optimized builds.

Expect many deaths. This isn't a "embittered about it being Core-only" snide remark, this is just me stating that you should prepare for deaths.

Summoned creatures last very little time, but maybe summon bunch of weak cretaures with metamagic rod of extend and have them trigger the traps. Cheesy.

How is that cheesy?
That's just clever play. Trust me, it's not cheesy.
Look at it this way, are you supposed to risk your party members lives when you can do it without risking anyones death?
Wouldn't it be irresponsible for you to do so?

Bag of Tricks would help you somewhat with that plan as well.

As for what I recommend:
Prepare Lesser restoration and Break Enchantment. Death Ward. Freedom of Movement. Oh and Dispel Magic. Can't forget Dispel Magic.

[archangel.arcanis]

Convince the DM to at least allow the summon elemental reserve feat. Having gone through this before I can say it is a killer dungeon, as in it will kill characters. Using the reserve feat keeps you from having to use all of your spells summoning celestial (trap) monkeys.

[Ard3]

How is that cheesy?
That's just clever play. Trust me, it's not cheesy.
Look at it this way, are you supposed to risk your party members lives when you can do it without risking anyones death?
Wouldn't it be irresponsible for you to do so?

Point, I didnt think it that way.

Bag of Tricks would help you somewhat with that plan as well.

As for what I recommend:
Prepare Lesser restoration and Break Enchantment. Death Ward. Freedom of Movement. Oh and Dispel Magic. Can't forget Dispel Magic.

Bag of trick gives 10 animal per week, so I would probably need several. Then again the gray one is 900 piece, so not that much.

Thanks for advice.

I am not sure what books the GM has, but I'll ask about that feat.

[shriekingdrake]

Convince the DM to at least allow the summon elemental reserve feat. Having gone through this before I can say it is a killer dungeon, as in it will kill characters. Using the reserve feat keeps you from having to use all of your spells summoning celestial (trap) monkeys.

+1.  This is solid advice, if possible.  As Dwayne Robinson from Die Hard said "We're gonna need some more FBI guys, I guess."  That's an understatement. 

I've been a player--never a DM through this module several times.  Go in expecting not to live.  Roll up several characters--a minimum of five--or ask the DM of several "lives" before the game begins.

[altpersona]

are dmg prc's in play or?

edit:

also, how bout MM1 stuff?

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Hey a rarity just happened ... you had 4 guys
post (partially) the exact same advice.
And they agreed with Me about the Trapspringer stuff.
I don't recall that ever happening before.

I say it's a new era in C.O.-ing , I tell you.

Or perhaps when everybody says Zig you should Zag ??
 

[Ard3]

So, I finally got the answer form GM. PHB stuff only, Items from DMG.
If I come up with REALLY good reason, it might be possible to get stuff from other books approved. Might be.

Also, other players known: CE Dwarf Barbarian, N Human Wizard(Abjurer).

I think I'll make secondary character too, just in case i need it. Druid perhaps.

[Gavinfoxx]

Everyone should have at least three backup characters...

[Endarire]

Each mule is 8 gold.

Buy LOTS of them.

Send them in ahead of your party.

Also, be a Cleric with the Strength domain.  Use enlarge person on yourself, boost your STR as high as you can, wield the biggest shovel you can, and don't go in.  Instead, dig your way through the ceiling into the tomb.  Collapse the place if need be.

Remember, Gary Gygax wants you dead!

[Ard3]

Each mule is 8 gold.

Buy LOTS of them.

Send them in ahead of your party.

Also, be a Cleric with the Strength domain.  Use enlarge person on yourself, boost your STR as high as you can, wield the biggest shovel you can, and don't go in.  Instead, dig your way through the ceiling into the tomb.  Collapse the place if need be.

Remember, Gary Gygax wants you dead!

Clever, I'll keep those in mind. Wont use them as a first option, but if people start dying I'll suggest these. With Animate Dead I can reuse the mules cheaply.

If there happens to be pit trap with monster in the bottom, I can drop mules on it till it dies(how much does a falling mule deal damage anyway?) or till pit is full and monster cannot move under all those carcasses. =)