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Clerics have access to powerful magic inPathfinder, provided that they faithfully serve the deity that blesses them. You can choose to play a Cleric either as a Warpriest, fighting on the front line while bolstering yourself and your allies with magic, or you can play a Cloistered Cleric, focusing entirely on spellcasting.
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There are a lot of different ways to play a Cleric in Pathfinder, due to the number of gods and alignments that will determine your capabilities. Try one of the builds below to get the most out of your divine caster!
All the options in this guide are available in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. You may find options in expansion sourcebooks that you like more, so check them out if you want to try different ideas.
Warpriest
A Warpriest is a capable melee combatant as well as a spellcaster. They might not have quite the raw prowess of a Barbarian or Fighter, but they can certainly handle themselves and their spells let them turn the tide of battle.
Ability Scores
A Warpriest should prioritizeWisdom, Constitution, and Strength, in that order. Wisdom lets them cast spells more effectively, while Constitution and Strength are both required for up-close fighting.
Deity
Warpriests should generallypick Deities who favor melee weapons,though it’s important to choose one that matches your Alignment and whose Edicts and Anathemae you’ll be able to follow. We recommend one of the following:
Harm or Heal
Harm
Phantom Pain, Wall of Thorns, Shadow Walk
All of these Deities grant access to powerful favored weapons, useful combat spells, or both.
Ancestry
Dwarvesmake exceptional Warpriests due to their boosts in Constitution and Wisdom.
Halflingscan also do quite well if their chosen Deity favors Finesse weapons;Cayden Caileanis a great choice for a Halfling Warpriest for this reason. Be sure tofavor Dexterity over Strengthif you choose this Ancestry!
Humansare good at just about anything, and playing aHalf-Orccould give you extra survivability in combat.
Background
It’s a good idea totailor your Background to your Deity, but when in doubtBounty Hunter, Field Medic, andNomadare all great fits for a Warpriest.
Feats
These feats will make your Warpriest an exceptional combatant, especially when you start bringing your spells to bear!
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Equipment
Start by purchasing yourreligious symbolas well as your Deity’sfavored weapon.Once that’s done, most of your remaining budget should go to a good set of armor.Chain Mail or a Breastplateoffer the best protection that you can afford, unless you’re playing a Dexterity-based Finesse build; in that case, go withLeather Armor.
If your weapon can be wielded in one hand, and you have some cash left over,a shield will also prove useful.
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Cloistered Cleric
As a Cloistered Cleric,your focus will be almost entirely on spellcasting.This includes using your Divine Font to castHarm and/or Healspellsfrequently. The exact details, of course, will depend on your chosen Deity.
Wisdomis your first priority by miles as a Cloistered Cleric, as it’s used for casting spells.Dexterityis a good second choice, since it will help increase your AC and keep you alive. After that, focus onIntelligence and Charismato bolster your Skills.
Unlike the Warpriest,Cloistered Clerics can excel with any Deity.Choose the one that best fits your Alignment and play style.
One of the most important choices for a Cloistered Cleric is whether they want a Deity that will allow them to Harm, Heal, or (with the right Feat) both. For ease of reference, here’s a list of every Deity sorted by their Divine Font:
Halflingsmake exceptional Cloistered Clerics, since they have boosts to both Wisdom and Dexterity. That said, Cloistered Clerics have forgiving enough Ability Score needs thatnearly any Ancestrycan do well in this role.
The one exception are Goblins, who canstruggle as Clericsdue to their Wisdom penalty.
AcolyteandScholarare both tailor-made for Cloistered Clerics, but there are lots of fun options if you want to try something outside the box. A priestlyDetective, Fortune Teller,or evenGamblerwould have useful Feats and offers a fun opportunity for a unique backstory.
There are so many different combinations of Feats available as a Cloistered Cleric that your picks will be based on your Deity. At each level,look for Cleric Feats whose prerequisites match your Alignment, Divine Font, or both.You could end up with an unmatched healer, an imposing necromancer, or even combine Harm and Heal powers to hold life in your hands!
You’re going to have to go unarmored in most cases, unless you can get a defensive Proficiency from somewhere other than you class. On the bright side, that means you’ll have more money to spend on supplies! Areligious symboland your Deity’sfavored weaponare the bare minimum; after that, you have plenty of freedom with your gold.
