Wanting a sneaky cleric...

[thurmin]

There comes times in my assorted games where I am tasked with the choice of playing the cleric (I like) or rogue (not a fan). I recall at some point in my gaming there being a mixed cleric class or maybe PrC that combined rogue/cleric skills. Allowing a person such as myself the desire to play a rogueish cleric. Really, the only skills I'm interested in are Disable Device, Open Locks. Hide/Move Silently/Search are nice but not as important.

[Mooncrow]

There comes times in my assorted games where I am tasked with the choice of playing the cleric (I like) or rogue (not a fan). I recall at some point in my gaming there being a mixed cleric class or maybe PrC that combined rogue/cleric skills. Allowing a person such as myself the desire to play a rogueish cleric. Really, the only skills I'm interested in are Disable Device, Open Locks. Hide/Move Silently/Search are nice but not as important.

There are a few options, the most common probably being to PrC into Shadowbane Stalker^CAd - you can grab up to 3 levels without losing casting, or it's a 8/10 casting class if you take it all the way. 

[sirpercival]

Actually, what you want is the Initiate of Gond feat from PGtF, which adds Disable Device and Open Locks as class skills.

Alternatively: play a human with Able Learner and take a 1-level dip in a class which has those skills as class skills.  Then they're identical to class skills.

Alternative #2: don't care about putting skill points into them, because Divine Insight does it best.

[Tr011]

Martial Study (ToB) [Shadow Jump], Martial Stance (ToB) [Assassin's Stance], Sacred Outlaw (#357), Craven.
Then play a Human Rogue 1/Cloistered Cleric X with Able Learner. You get 9+Int x4 starting skills and 7+int after your first level. Also you gain Sneak Attack like a Rogue of your full level +2d6 +ECL. And you only loose one level in casting progression (maybe take Practised Spellcaster for the CL).

[Garryl]

If you have the Kobold Domain (or Planar Touchstone(Catalogs of Enlightenment) for said domain's granted power) you get Disable Device added to your skill list (and I think Search as well, not sure) and something functionally identical to Trapfinding.

[sirpercival]

And if you take the Greed domain, you can cast Knock and don't need Open Locks.

[Garryl]

The Find Traps spells obviates the need for the searching half of the Trapfinding ability, and gives a nice boost to your Search skill. Spells in general can more than make up for using something as a cross class skill.

[Tr011]

Oh for Domains: The Darkness Domain is reckless overpowered for any SA cleric build. Ray as free action each round to get SA? Check. Save vs. daze if the ray hits? Check. Versatility to sneak up to seven people with a single cast? Check.

[Unbeliever]

Oh for Domains: The Darkness Domain is reckless overpowered for any SA cleric build. Ray as free action each round to get SA? Check. Save vs. daze if the ray hits? Check. Versatility to sneak up to seven people with a single cast? Check.

What abilities are you talking about?  It grants the Blindfight feat, that's all.  Darkbolt is kind of decent, but it's just a save vs. stun, has nothing to do with a SA.  What's this free action ray you're describing? 

[thurmin]

Sweet! Appreciate the feedback guys.

@Garryl - yeah, I didn't want to take a dip into rogue, and figured I could use Find Traps for my 'Trapfinding', not sure about the Kobold Domain. Is a human able to take a different racial domain?
@sirpercival - huh, definitely something I will look into when tweaking my build. I love the Initiate of Gond + Divine Insight option, that is very much in the vein of what I was looking for.
@Tr011 - [edit] found an image of Dragon Magazing #357. I have seen Craven mentioned in the past but still haven't actually taken the time to look it up. I will certainly do so now.
@Mooncrow - dipping into Rogue is not a path I would prefer. Mostly for flavor truth be told.

[Mooncrow]

Sweet! Appreciate the feedback guys.

@Garryl - yeah, I didn't want to take a dip into rogue, and figured I could use Find Traps for my 'Trapfinding', not sure about the Kobold Domain. Is a human able to take a different racial domain?
@sirpercival - huh, definitely something I will look into when tweaking my build. I love the Initiate of Gond + Divine Insight option, that is very much in the vein of what I was looking for.
@Tr011 - [edit] found an image of Dragon Magazing #357. I have seen Craven mentioned in the past but still haven't actually taken the time to look it up. I will certainly do so now.
@Mooncrow - dipping into Rogue is not a path I would prefer. Mostly for flavor truth be told.

Sure, and the other options presented are going to be stronger - wasn't sure how much rogue-ness you wanted, so I just pointed out the easy route^^

[Tr011]

Oh for Domains: The Darkness Domain is reckless overpowered for any SA cleric build. Ray as free action each round to get SA? Check. Save vs. daze if the ray hits? Check. Versatility to sneak up to seven people with a single cast? Check.

What abilities are you talking about?  It grants the Blindfight feat, that's all.  Darkbolt is kind of decent, but it's just a save vs. stun, has nothing to do with a SA.  What's this free action ray you're describing?

I'm talking about Darkbolt. I only know it from SpC, that should be the newest version of the spell, but it's a reprint of some older version and I don't know if something changed there. Btw: Blind-Fight is an awesome feat for a Rogue because it's the prerequisite for Pierce Magical Concealment (you can never deal sneak attack damage if you have to roll for concealment).

Darkbolt is a standard action spell that grants you a number of rays up to seven (depending on CL). You either make all of them at once (i.e. to sneak attack 7 people with one ray each, or to deal 7 times the damage, once the sneak attack and force 7 saves of one opponent) or you make them "once per round", that means you fire one bolt, and every round after (for 6 more rounds) you can shoot another ray as a free action. If you got Greater invisibility online or enough hide to make sniper attempts this is pretty awesome.

[kurashu]

If you could, try to play as an Archivist -- unless there is something about the cleric specifically that is needed. Try to get your DM to allow Initiate of Gond to apply as that.