Feeling Overwhelmed

[gn0mex]

Hi guys,
I'm trying to get used to this game and find my place in the DDO universe, but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed, being its my first time playing D&D in any large scale.

I know I have generic questions, but I can't seem to figure out the answers -
What is a n00b friendly, easy to play class that still has opportunities to get into groups (a.k.a. NOT like hunters/rogues in wow where they are a dime a dozen).
All these builds I see online, I think I'm gonna stay away from to start with, a lot of them are 32 point builds and I'm no where near getting those. What is a good way to build up a character, or not regret leveling the character in a month's time because I inadvertently gimped him early in my level development.

Any other advice or resources I can fall back on?

Thanks and apologies for what are probably very very basic questions

[Harncw]

roll a cleric you will get lotsa parties

tell people you are new, they will show you where to run to, and give you stuff :)

have fun!

[Oreg]

Cleric and fighters are good and almost impossible to screw up their builds. Keep main stats high or maxed if you think you may want to hold onto that character for upper level play. As someone suggested - let people know you are new to the game. You will hopefully be amazed at the knowledge and help you will get from 95% of the playerbase. Steer clear of people with goofy WoWlike names;) ( I am only partially kidding)

[Club'in]

I'd go with a basic human cleric or a fighter. The cleric is nice cause you can heal yourself. The fighter is nice cause you just need to get in the vicinity of a monster and start swinging. It's your first character, so don't worry to much about min/max.

fighter
16 st
16 con
a nice rounded dex and wis, don't worry about intel and charisma

cleric
14 st
14 con
16 wis
not much else to worry about, maybe the rest into charisma

you can equip along the way, using the best of everything you find

Cleric would be tougher since in a group you'd have greater responsibilities. But they're great for soloing in order to wrap your head around character/camera movement, melee action, action bar clicking, etc. Fighter is tough to start since healing is expensive. If you go fighter, keep trying to up your Armor Class as quickly as possible to reduce the damage you're taking. If soloing with a cleric, consider swapping in the summon monster spell for a little help with fighting and agro.

Don't hit oozes with piercing or slashing weapons!

[Bronko]

Hi guys,
I'm trying to get used to this game and find my place in the DDO universe, but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed, being its my first time playing D&D in any large scale.

I know I have generic questions, but I can't seem to figure out the answers -
What is a n00b friendly, easy to play class that still has opportunities to get into groups (a.k.a. NOT like hunters/rogues in wow where they are a dime a dozen).
All these builds I see online, I think I'm gonna stay away from to start with, a lot of them are 32 point builds and I'm no where near getting those. What is a good way to build up a character, or not regret leveling the character in a month's time because I inadvertently gimped him early in my level development.

Any other advice or resources I can fall back on?

Thanks and apologies for what are probably very very basic questions

Which server are you on? If you're on Ghallanda look me up and I'd be happy to do some runs and show you the ropes. I have an entire guild dedicated to making good people into good players by teaching them the concepts and game mechanics of DDO.

Cheers,
- B.

[jkm]

just about any character can perform as a 28 point build. most of the builds you see online are optimized for a player's playstyle. some classes are much more difficult to design than others, thus the myriad of builds. the only truism is that ranged builds are going to be way behind melees later in the game.

so list some of your interests and i or others will toss some characters out there.

[Lost_Leader]

I'd go with a basic human cleric or a fighter. The cleric is nice cause you can heal yourself. The fighter is nice cause you just need to get in the vicinity of a monster and start swinging. It's your first character, so don't worry to much about min/max.

fighter
16 st
16 con
a nice rounded dex and wis, don't worry about intel and charisma

cleric
14 st
14 con
16 wis
not much else to worry about, maybe the rest into charisma

you can equip along the way, using the best of everything you find

Cleric would be tougher since in a group you'd have greater responsibilities. But they're great for soloing in order to wrap your head around character/camera movement, melee action, action bar clicking, etc. Fighter is tough to start since healing is expensive. If you go fighter, keep trying to up your Armor Class as quickly as possible to reduce the damage you're taking. If soloing with a cleric, consider swapping in the summon monster spell for a little help with fighting and agro.

Don't hit oozes with piercing or slashing weapons!

Good advice there, though if cleric I would say burn the extra points into Wisdom for the max. A cleric built now with max wisdom and decent con will always be a great character. Add to Str or Cha with leftovers and you will have a long lived 28 point character. (In the future the strength really isn't necessary, but at low levels as a new player it is nice. Cha is good if you want to use those turn undead abilities, or the optional Divine Vitality or Divine Healing lines.)

[gn0mex]

Thank you guys for the advice thus far, it is refreshing to see a mature, and helpful community willing to help a new player learn the ropes.

My interests are in the spellcasting realm right now (I just read the War of the Spider Queen series, so I'm all about the casters :P) but I've read that wizard/sorc are hard to solo as and being new to the game, I'd want to learn the ropes if I can before being given a lot of responsibility.
I've always been fascinated in the bard as well, that is something WoW never had, and something that I've always enjoyed (being a music major will do that to a player :P).

Any suggestions on those lines? In the meantime I'm going to try a cleric and see where the wind takes me!

[Aspenor]

Thank you guys for the advice thus far, it is refreshing to see a mature, and helpful community willing to help a new player learn the ropes.

My interests are in the spellcasting realm right now (I just read the War of the Spider Queen series, so I'm all about the casters :P) but I've read that wizard/sorc are hard to solo as and being new to the game, I'd want to learn the ropes if I can before being given a lot of responsibility.
I've always been fascinated in the bard as well, that is something WoW never had, and something that I've always enjoyed (being a music major will do that to a player :P).

Any suggestions on those lines? In the meantime I'm going to try a cleric and see where the wind takes me!

If you have questions on arcanes, I will probably see you in the Sorcerer and Wizard forums :) I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

[HumanJHawkins]

Hey Gn0mex,

Welcome to the game... I hope you are on Sarlona, as I might run into you. But either way there's one more piece of advice... First, don't hesitate to reroll your character a few times early on. Or, to make a fighter also and play both of them to see what you like more. But, once you think you have something you like (and if it is a cleric, leveling up will be much easier), then keep playing that one character so you can get it to the higher levels and bonuses.

You have 7+ slots for characters. But if you make and play a variety, you will reach a point where you wished you have a toon with more favor, or higher level to play something new.

Getting a single character up high will unlock bonuses that apply to all future characters, like higher initial stats or the ability to play other races. A lot of people who reroll often, or play a bunch of different characters end up complaining that it is too hard to reach these goals. While others who focus on only one character say that it was easy.

Hope to see you in game some time.
Cheers!

[gn0mex]

Hey Gn0mex,

Welcome to the game... I hope you are on Sarlona, as I might run into you. But either way there's one more piece of advice... First, don't hesitate to reroll your character a few times early on. Or, to make a fighter also and play both of them to see what you like more. But, once you think you have something you like (and if it is a cleric, leveling up will be much easier), then keep playing that one character so you can get it to the higher levels and bonuses.

You have 7+ slots for characters. But if you make and play a variety, you will reach a point where you wished you have a toon with more favor, or higher level to play something new.

Getting a single character up high will unlock bonuses that apply to all future characters, like higher initial stats or the ability to play other races. A lot of people who reroll often, or play a bunch of different characters end up complaining that it is too hard to reach these goals. While others who focus on only one character say that it was easy.

Hope to see you in game some time.
Cheers!

Thank you for the bit of advice, I've already tried a couple characters in the last couple days. I'm trying to get into D&D pretty heavily now (I played BG2[BEST game ever bar none] and IWD) but they were a different ruleset, plus I'm gonna try to get into PnP D&D, so I've got a heafty learning curve ahead of me :D But I will probably just level the cleric and see how it goes, and then move on sometime down the road.

[EternalWanderer]

I think a wizard is a great class to play as a first character and here is why:

1. Easy to pick ability scores- you only have one stat to worry about, max your intel and put the rest where you please, though con is always swell for the hp.
2. Easy to build- this isn't a class you need to plan far in advance for; just roll it up, get in game, and see how you wanna play as you go.
3. They are cheap to play- your only expense at low levels is scribing scrolls, you dont need to buy any uber gear to keep up, and you dont need to chug too many pots because you dont have that many hit points.
4. You can learn the quests and how to play other classes- you'll be standing in back with the cleric, but unlike him you can watch what everyone is doing, where they are going, and how they are playing their respective characters. At low levels you are not terribly involved in every combat due to low spell points, so you get a chance to observe.
5. Not sure what spells to mem for a certain quest (make you scribe them all for each level)? Simply say- "New to this quest, any spell recommendations?" Someone will almost always help you out here and give you advice on how to approach the quest.
6. Though difficult to solo at low levels it can still be done relatively well w/ charms and summoned pets. And at higher levels- you can easily solo most every loot run in the game to get money and items for your newer characters.


Warning- beware the "buffbot" levels of @ levels 5-8 where you are pretty much expected to buff and stay out of the way. It can get frustrating but I guarantee once you get past them you will be very pleased with your class choice.

[Dariuss]

Well, I'd say yo uare probably right about BG2 being one of the best games out there ( even with it's 1998 graphics) , and even though the ruleset is a bit different alot of it is the same and it'll help you learn DDO

Second, if you do bump into Asp in any of the caster forums, listen to him, he knows of which he speaks

Third, what server you on?!

Fourth, definitely tell people you are new, otherwise the assumption will be that you are an alt amd know the quest already. You'll have a better time if you communicate (I know sometimes it's hard, but jsut do it, and trust me on this one ok?)

Fith, Welcome! I hope you have alot of fun!

[stabbert]

roll a cleric you will get lotsa parties

tell people you are new, they will show you where to run to, and give you stuff :)

have fun!

NO! do NOT roll a cleric as your first character!!!

Do NOT roll a wizard or sorcerer as your first character either.
My suggestion to you is to roll a fighter or a barbarian first.
They are the most basic class in the game.

Clerics cost TOO much to maintain and most people here - if not all would agree.

You have WAY too much overhead with wands and scrolls as a cleric and its
better to learn the game mechanics of this game before you enter a healing role...

This game is not like World of Warcraft. If you are a healer and you break LoS your heal
goes off and it takes tour SP (mana) but doesnt land anyway! If someone you are healing gets too
far away the heal goes off anyway and heals YOU instead! Whether or not youre actually full on HP.

Fighters just do one thing, and thats swing a weapon. If i am wrong about this please indulge me
with what else a fighter does. Do yourself a favor and roll a melee (Fighter/Barb/Paladin) class and dont
multiclass until you find out what skills complement each class as the skills are based off of your attributes (STR/DEX/CON)

If you have any more questions let me know and I will try to help out as much as possible.
Oh, Ranger might be ok to roll as well, however I dont know much about that class, but they seem pretty basic.

And the reason i said not to roll wizard or sorc either is because you are expected to be a buff bot for the most part and
its really hard for wizard to manage mana/SP while doing this as well as killing, and wizards are kind of squishy.

Sorcerer's really have more mana, but again they are looked upon as buffers but at least you have more mana than a wizard but
sorcerers can only change out spells every THREE DAYS! Each class has strengths and weaknesses, remember that.

Thats why some classes appeal to some more than others.
Anyway, good luck to you on whatever class you choose to go with.

[Wizzly_Bear]

[nom nom nom]

you can start off with any class, though some are easier than others depending on your style. if youre new and interested in spellcasting then i would suggest a wf wiz or a fleshy cleric. as others have said, you can observe others and then in the later levels really come into your own, plus you have self healing through repair. being new you will want to experiment with all the various spells and this cant really be done on a sorc. and dont worry about cleric costs. i never used many supplies on my clerics, even when i healbotted. there are plenty of shrines through 90% of the content, esp now that on normal they reset. also, many players will give you healing supplies or money without you even requesting (and just a note on this, please dont ask for it. really ticks me off when clerics try to act poor and go around begging and/or refusing to heal unless paid.) also, if you wind up on argo, whenever you do need supplies just send a mail to dracosing and ill get them for you cheap, or you can pm me here. it will save you a lot of money. if you wind up on khyber, look for anyone with guild qwijymart as theyre pretty cheap as well (gtar and qwijymart are the only two members i remember atm.)

[Atax]

The cool thing about DDO is that, while there are no TOTAL respecs, there are many ways to build your character and respec certain aspects of them.

Things you can redo:
1-Enhancements - 1x/3 days Dont worry about choosing the wrong enhancement, you'll be able to switch them out for a small fee of gold.
2-Feats - 1x/Siberys Dragonshard Dragonshards aren't too hard to find nor too expensive to buy on AH, even with ridiculous prices.
3-Spells - 1x/3days From your spell trainer. This only applies to Charisma-based casters.

Things you can't undo:
1-Your class choices After you finish leveling up, you cant undo what you did, unless listed above.
2-Attributes Once you've created your character, these are final. You /can/ add +1/+2/+3 to them with Tomes, but you only get 4 different attributes to upgrade with tomes.
3-Skill points No way to redo these. Choose wisely!


All in all, all classes are useful - though clerics are almost always in short-supply. Following them, bards show a lack of population but not popularity. (Bards can haste, CC and have awesome buffs!)

Choose what you want to play instead of what others want you to play and you'll enjoy the game more. Don't sweat making mistakes, it takes about 10 days to get to 16 if you know what quests to powergame. :)

Good luck.

[stabbert]

Quite frankly I dont care whether you think I have good advice or not.
Im just going by what ive seen in the past 2 weeks ive been playing.

I have a character up to level 10 and ive been reading the boards here
every night for the past 2 weeks while at work an average of 6 hours a night.

Dont sit there and try to tell me clerics are cheap to play because 90%, if not more, of the posts
ive read by players that have leveled clerics almost always say the same thing, it costs a lot to level a cleric because you
heal so much and run out of mana and then you have to use wands and/or scrolls. Sure you can pick to be a battle cleric but
then you irritate other players that have pigeon-holed clerics into just ONE ROLE.

the VERY FIRST group I joined there was a battle cleric that joined and 2-3 people made rude comments saying
"oh hes a cleric that doesnt heal? But he just has the cleric icon by his name huh?" I mean come on....
If you didnt want the battle cleric to join the group, why invite him?

The majority of the player base of this game say that people should just be "team players" and only do one thing
"heal as a cleric, buff as a wizzie, etc etc"...
Funny I never hear warriors or barbarians or even rangers complaining about "only swinging my big arse axe/sword
and killing stuff..."

He is welcome to play what he wants, I am not telling him what class to play.
I am actually trying to HELP DDO and Turbine by giving advice to a new player to try the least restricted classes so he will want to stay.
You are welcome to have an opinion, we all know the saying, "opinions are like ..... you do the rest".
Just remember I also have a right to an opinion on these forums and flaming me trying to humiliate me only hurts your credibility.

Oh and the cost of respeccing ONE feat from the mind flayer in house D (i think it was?) is 100,000 gold... thats 10,000 plat.
I hardly think a new player is going to have that kind of cash, considering it took me getting to level 10 on one character to get
14,000 plat. And that was NOT on a cleric, it was on a wizzie. I am sure I would have significantly less if it was a cleric...

Well ive given my advice and my opinion just as others have given theirs, I am sorry if it doesnt present itself as a contribution.
In a couple of weeks he/she will make their own mind up and decide to stay or not, again - best of luck to you.

[JFeenstra]

^^you can get 1 free feat respec by doing a quest in the harbor, other than that, they can get pricey for a new player, but in the long run you can still do OK with poor feat choices, once you hit the higher level areas you'll start to accumulate plat very quickly as long as you don't need 8973246 weapons/items/etc off the AH at ridiculous prices

you only get 4 different attributes to upgrade with tomes.
huh?

last time i checked, you can eat a tome for every stat...

fighters and barbs are good starting classes for someone new to the game, str and con are going to be your main attibutes, and you can get by without the uber weapons pretty easily up until around level 14, at which time you'll start pulling them anyways

my original 28 point fighter used a masterwork greatsword right up until level 7 when he finally got something else that was better

[Wizzly_Bear]

Dont sit there and try to tell me clerics are cheap to play because 90%, if not more, of the posts
ive read by players that have leveled clerics almost always say the same thing, it costs a lot to level a cleric because you
heal so much and run out of mana and then you have to use wands and/or scrolls. Sure you can pick to be a battle cleric but
then you irritate other players that have pigeon-holed clerics into just ONE ROLE.
these players are spending their money on their playstyle, not on being a cleric. you can easily healbot a less than maximized cleric through most content with most groups with no extra resources. some players choose to have tons of supplies on hand. many of these players rest with sps still in their bar. its a choice, not a requirment, to spend a lot of money. this is true of any class.


the VERY FIRST group I joined there was a battle cleric that joined and 2-3 people made rude comments saying
"oh hes a cleric that doesnt heal? But he just has the cleric icon by his name huh?" I mean come on....
If you didnt want the battle cleric to join the group, why invite him?
people that despise bcs do so bc they want a babysitter. the op doesnt sound like someone who wants to babysit others' playstyles so i doubt that he would care if he got that title, nor do i think that title is is used appropriately.


The majority of the player base of this game say that people should just be "team players" and only do one thing
"heal as a cleric, buff as a wizzie, etc etc"...
Funny I never hear warriors or barbarians or even rangers complaining about "only swinging my big arse axe/sword
and killing stuff..."
read more, and pay attention to what happens in game. as you said, youve been playing 2 weeks. i doubt very much that youve seen how much of the playerbase runs. many do pigeon hole, but many others say play to have fun. also, many prefer other players to be self sufficient.


He is welcome to play what he wants, I am not telling him what class to play.
I am actually trying to HELP DDO and Turbine by giving advice to a new player to try the least restricted classes so he will want to stay.
You are welcome to have an opinion, we all know the saying, "opinions are like ..... you do the rest".
Just remember I also have a right to an opinion on these forums and flaming me trying to humiliate me only hurts your credibility.
actually, you told him what not to play, and very aggressively at that.


Oh and the cost of respeccing ONE feat from the mind flayer in house D (i think it was?) is 100,000 gold... thats 10,000 plat.
I hardly think a new player is going to have that kind of cash, considering it took me getting to level 10 on one character to get
14,000 plat. And that was NOT on a cleric, it was on a wizzie. I am sure I would have significantly less if it was a cleric...
feat respecs cost an amount of money that is dependent upon your level, not a flat rate of 10kpp.

[Harncw]

Cleric worked for me... it was my first class 2 years ago... If fact it is either the game manual, (yeah I bought the game box :( ) or the character creation screen that recommends new players build a cleric.

Oh and I sucked bad too ;) this was my first MMO, and I was not really a first person shooter type either.

And yeah I baby sat alot.

But also I learned the how to move around in the game, where the quests are, people gave me stuff, a lot less than I bet they would now, now that lvl 16 is the cap, I think people are more generous these days.

I remember being in STK, and some party member had like a +1 frost mace it was 800pp! well another party member bought it for me right then and there. I guess he didnt agree with my cleric using the acid arrow staff from waterworks as his primary weapon.:D

Yeah clerics can be expensive, but people will donate, especially to the cleric, now the barbarian that just ran over the whole map agroed everything and caused the party to wipe? not so sure he would get the mace :)

My mains are on kyhber send TAQ a tell/mail and I will send you some handme downs! I got 100kpp sitting on argo doing nothing as well, send a PM if you are on argo.

After you run your cleric for awhile, get 400 favor points and then you have drow and there are many templates for using that race.

Anywhoo... that's what worked for me

[Lost_Leader]

Quite frankly I dont care whether you think I have good advice or not.
Im just going by what ive seen in the past 2 weeks ive been playing.

I have a character up to level 10 and ive been reading the boards here
every night for the past 2 weeks while at work an average of 6 hours a night.

Dont sit there and try to tell me clerics are cheap to play because 90%, if not more, of the posts
ive read by players that have leveled clerics almost always say the same thing, it costs a lot to level a cleric because you
heal so much and run out of mana and then you have to use wands and/or scrolls. Sure you can pick to be a battle cleric but
then you irritate other players that have pigeon-holed clerics into just ONE ROLE.

Respectfully disagree with you. I recently decided to take up this challenge, and rolled up a "no-twink" cleric. And, taking it a step farther, I am not accepting handouts. (I could easily afford the lowbie wands if I wanted them, so I always thank the person who offers, but politely refuse.)

Sure, quests can be rediculously expensive at low levels, especially if you constantly use perishable supplies and frivolously cast spells. A frugal player can use their power very efficiently, save coin, and purchase a few wands/scrolls for emergency situations. A new player can simply say "hey folks, I am new to the game, this is my first character, any advice on what spells I should have prepared?" And chances are there will be advice offered, and often a wand or a little coin.

People now-a-days tend not to complain of the cost of leveling clerics, they complain of the cost of playing clerics in high end elite quests.

As someone else said, it is also much more about playstyle. Sure, if you throw a huge chunk of money at it, you can probably get an underpowered group through a quest well over their heads. This is where twinked zergers spend huge chunks of change, playing level 7 quests set to elite... with level 5-6 characters. Ya, they get it done. ya, they do it in good time. Ya, they get great xp. And ya, it cost them a lot of money. But in these scenarios, it costs the barbarians just as much if not more than it costs the clerics.



the VERY FIRST group I joined there was a battle cleric that joined and 2-3 people made rude comments saying
"oh hes a cleric that doesnt heal? But he just has the cleric icon by his name huh?" I mean come on....
If you didnt want the battle cleric to join the group, why invite him?

This is a whole different ball of yarn. Personally I think the best battle clerics can battle with the best, and heal at the same time. Thats the mark of the greatest of them.



The majority of the player base of this game say that people should just be "team players" and only do one thing
"heal as a cleric, buff as a wizzie, etc etc"...
Funny I never hear warriors or barbarians or even rangers complaining about "only swinging my big arse axe/sword
and killing stuff..."

Being a team player includes everyone on the team.

As a cleric that includes healing, yes. It also includes buffing, crowd control, damage spells, melee and watchin the battle from vantage points your team mates may not see. It includes quickly getting rid of debuffs when possible. And most importantly, it means knowing when to do what, and in what amounts.

Caster? I can give you the same laundry list.

As for ranger and barb, well rangers can offer a group several buffs to alleviate some of the draw on the clerics and casters power supply. All players in a group can have some self sufficiency potions/wands/scrolls for when the going gets tough, or to pick up the slack of a less than optimal groupmate. Remove fear, lesser restoration and self curing of some type, to cover the basics. Remove curse and blindness are also good ones to carry a few of, as you can afford them.

There is a heck of a lot more to being a Team Player than just filling a stereotype.



He is welcome to play what he wants, I am not telling him what class to play.
I am actually trying to HELP DDO and Turbine by giving advice to a new player to try the least restricted classes so he will want to stay.
You are welcome to have an opinion, we all know the saying, "opinions are like ..... you do the rest".
Just remember I also have a right to an opinion on these forums and flaming me trying to humiliate me only hurts your credibility.


I respect the fact that you think a cleric is a difficult first class to play, and more expensive than another class. I agree that they can be more expensive, especially when you end up in groups trying to do things over their heads, or if you don't manage your power well (which is something that takes a bit of practice to get to where you want it).

I also agree that fighter is probably easier to play.

But I disagree that cleric isn't a great first character. As a general rule, people will be more patient with a new cleric, especially one who is open and enthusiastic about learning. It will also be easier to get groups, generally speaking, clerics are always in demand. Also, clerics are not expected to be at the front of the group leading the way. So as a person learning his way through quests, back of the group cleric is a good place to be.

On a side note, Stabbert, you should understand that people weren't flaming you, they were simply responding in kind to your... how did you put it, "NO, Don't make a cleric or wizard or Sorcerer!" Which basically does the same thing you accused everyone else of doing to you. Taking a hard line against the advice that was given. You are certainly welcome to your opinion, and even your argument which has some valid points, but don't get upset when we respond with similar hard line stances.

Also, before you started telling me that I am wrong in advising a cleric as a first character, you should have checked my credentials, which are about as overblown as any of my fellow ddo geeks who play this game way too much. BTW, cleric was my first character. I have 13 capped characters, 3 of which are clerics. And I stand by my opinion that cleric is an excellent choice for a first character. It is also one of the characters that you would least need/want to reroll when/if you unlock a drow/32-point character.



Oh and the cost of respeccing ONE feat from the mind flayer in house D (i think it was?) is 100,000 gold... thats 10,000 plat.
I hardly think a new player is going to have that kind of cash, considering it took me getting to level 10 on one character to get
14,000 plat. And that was NOT on a cleric, it was on a wizzie. I am sure I would have significantly less if it was a cleric...

This is level dependent. that amount of plat is for lvl 10 characters. Class does not have an impact on the cost of changing a feat. But it is true that such changes are expensive for a newer player. At the same time, it is good to know that feats are not permanent, so a mistake is fixable, even if it is at a fee (and in retrospect, the fee is quite negligible, especially once your character(s) begin to get themselves established and you begin bringin in some funding)



Well ive given my advice and my opinion just as others have given theirs, I am sorry if it doesnt present itself as a contribution.
In a couple of weeks he/she will make their own mind up and decide to stay or not, again - best of luck to you.

Agreed, best of luck to the OP!



Roll a Wizard
I think a wizard is a great class to play as a first character and here is why:

1. Easy to pick ability scores- you only have one stat to worry about, max your intel and put the rest where you please, though con is always swell for the hp.
2. Easy to build- this isn't a class you need to plan far in advance for; just roll it up, get in game, and see how you wanna play as you go.
3. They are cheap to play- your only expense at low levels is scribing scrolls, you dont need to buy any uber gear to keep up, and you dont need to chug too many pots because you dont have that many hit points.
4. You can learn the quests and how to play other classes- you'll be standing in back with the cleric, but unlike him you can watch what everyone is doing, where they are going, and how they are playing their respective characters. At low levels you are not terribly involved in every combat due to low spell points, so you get a chance to observe.
5. Not sure what spells to mem for a certain quest (make you scribe them all for each level)? Simply say- "New to this quest, any spell recommendations?" Someone will almost always help you out here and give you advice on how to approach the quest.
6. Though difficult to solo at low levels it can still be done relatively well w/ charms and summoned pets. And at higher levels- you can easily solo most every loot run in the game to get money and items for your newer characters.


Warning- beware the "buffbot" levels of @ levels 5-8 where you are pretty much expected to buff and stay out of the way. It can get frustrating but I guarantee once you get past them you will be very pleased with your class choice.

Totally agree, excellent advice here! I often tell friends and guildies when they ask if they should make a wizard or a sorcerer many of these things. Personally I prefer playing sorcerer, I have 2 sorcerers and a wizard. I played the Wizard first though, and I am very glad that I did. It allowed me to learn all of the spells, and play around with them before leveling the sorcerer and choosing which spell combinations I wanted. True, you can switch out spells on a sorcerer, but it costs a little plat and at 3 days between spell switchouts, it isn't a great way to learn different spell casting combos and styles.

[geoffhanna]

Lets not turn this guy's starting thread into yet another cleric ranty thing? Huh? Can we not?

==================================

two quick thoughts:

I think it is a lot easier to learn how to be an arcane in this game by playing a wiz. The limited spell selection makes Sorcs harder to play, and at low levels, more boring too (although that last part is just IMHO :) ).

Don't worry about getting your character exactly right. You will probably be rerolling him/her regardless. If you are like me, you will end up doing it several times as you learn more about the game and see how that knowledge impacts choices you made in the character generator. Not to worry though, it's not as painful as it sounds, especially if you are expecting it from the get to.

[Lost_Leader]

Lets not turn this guy's starting thread into yet another cleric ranty thing? Huh? Can we not?

==================================

two quick thoughts:

I think it is a lot easier to learn how to be an arcane in this game by playing a wiz. The limited spell selection makes Sorcs harder to play, and at low levels, more boring too (although that last part is just IMHO :) ).

Don't worry about getting your character exactly right. You will probably be rerolling him/her regardless. If you are like me, you will end up doing it several times as you learn more about the game and see how that knowledge impacts choices you made in the character generator. Not to worry though, it's not as painful as it sounds, especially if you are expecting it from the get to.

Hey, the OP chose cleric, he might as well know what he is getting into! ;)

On the subject of arcane, I totally agree. Learn it on Wizard, then play a sorcerer that encompasses your favorite style on your wizard.

Of course, there are many who don't have a favorite style, and will switch out their wizard spell style day to day, quest to quest, shrine to shrine. These folks are seldom happy with the limited selection of a sorcerer, even if it comes at a price of reduced spell points and slower casting times.

I also have a friend who played a wizard to level 6 and deleted it, made a sorcerer and had him capped at 14 inside a week and a half. Hated the wiz but loved the fast paced sorc. So if you try a wizard and don't care for it, sorcerer may still be a great option.

[moorewr]

I started as a cleric, glad I did.. I will say that it was overwhelming at first (and do find yourself saying - what are DVs? How do I get them? OK, next time I'll know.. and the like). I'd recommend cleric or paladin as a first character.. paladin because there is so much less to learn and you can still heal yourself.

[jaitee]

my advice would be to start as a melee class, either fighter pally barb

i wouldnt start a cleric, if i was new to this game(but hey thats just me), the people in this game isnt really what you would say...noob friendly

some people will be nice to you, but most are well, just leave it at that

but hey thats just my advice

just remember, clerics in WoW, regen where ever they go, in DDO, you run out of sp, and your like the **** cleric who couldnt pull though

[Club'in]

If you want to play a wizard or a bard, I'd stand by my initial recommendation of fighter or cleric, leaning even more towards cleric (to gain experience with spell casting, targeting, swapping at shrines, etc). Split your time about half and half between soloing quests a level or two below you, and grouping up for quests, at your level, on normal only. You're gonna run into the vets that will always lobby for hard and elite. If they buy you a cure wand, then sure, maybe hard. But try to keep things reasonable. If you do all the quests in the harbor (don't forget those solo one's by the trainers), and a handful of them once you get to the marketplace, you'll be well on your way to 400 favor. This will unlock the Drow race for you, which will be perfect for experimenting with wizard, sorc, or bard. Use this first character to learn the basics, then roll up your drow arcane to give your first spell caster an extra leg up.

[MistressMayhem]

My interests are in the spellcasting realm right now (I just read the War of the Spider Queen series, so I'm all about the casters :P) but I've read that wizard/sorc are hard to solo as and being new to the game, I'd want to learn the ropes if I can before being given a lot of responsibility.
I've always been fascinated in the bard as well, that is something WoW never had, and something that I've always enjoyed (being a music major will do that to a player :P).

Starting with a fighter or cleric would be easiest. You can achieve 400 favor in no time and then will have unlocked drow! This tends to be a favorite race for many caster types (sorc/wiz/bard) and is worth holding out for if that's your cup-o-tea.

[DoctorWhofan]

Clerics are good! What makes them hard in early levels is

1) Stupid parties doing stupid things then whining to the cleric.
2) Bad luck parties or all new parties. Not sure what to do or rolling a tonne of 1's can kill mana fast, but usually it isn't anyone's fault.
3) Clerics thinking, I have offensive spells, kill, Kill, KILL!!! Then no healing cuz of lack of mana.

These situations is where the expense comes in. Mod 7 is suppose to help in that, but I'll see to believe. But with good Mana Conservation, you can do your job and maybe have enough left over to throw out some Soundbursts. It takes practice, though, and that is why many people say clerics are bad first toons.

Saying that, I think Sorcerers are good first toons. Stick with parties for awhile. To solo effectivally as a caster you really need area effect spells, so around level 7 seven they start to become rather nasty! Plus, thay have no expense (outside heal pots) and with a good UMD, they can use heal wands on themself. Not to meantion tonnes of mana to throw around, making them more forgiving. HOWEVER, you gotta make sure you pick the right spells. Magic Missle, Wall of Fire, Resist, haste, solid fog, are all good spells.

Any questions on clerics, you can go to the cleric forum or you can PM me. Almost all my toons are clerics!

[wamjratl1]

Welcome gn0mex!! If you are on Ghallanda, Look up Qaos, lvl 3 fighter, or any other folks from Sun War Academy. We'll be glad to show you around! (read: we'll run with anybody :p)

[transtemporal]

Welcome Gn0mex!

Yeah, fighter, cleric or paladin. Hard to stuff up. You'll cop more flak as a cleric but you'll get more groups, and if you tough it out, its great fun! :)

[Anthios888]

Welcome to DDO!

I'm loving cleric as my first character (I started in mid-march), although there can be a lot of pressure from groups who expect you be a great healer right out of the Wavecrest Inn. One of the things I did not learn until almost level 10 was that you can have more than one healing spell going at the same time - cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, etc are on different timers! So you can hit person A with one and then person B with another. That made me so much more effective!

I like meleeing in the early levels, but got a lot of criticism for it. Finding a friendly group or guild is the biggest thing - people on this game can be awesome and help teach you things. Sometimes I wish I had started with a hitter so that I was better at the combat mechanics, but I do like my character. My friend started with a 14 barbarian/2 rogue, and that is working out well, too.

One of the things that is cool is if you are interested in playing a wizard or sorcerer, it would be a good character to try for your 2nd toon. Once you complete enough quests to get 400 favor, you can always jump ship on whatever you started and make a drow sorcerer or wizard. That's the equivalent of a 32-point build. And at that point, you'll have more of an idea of how things work, and can handle the challenge a little better.

Whatever base class you pick you can make work if you emphasize the main stats at creation, and can be a lot of fun. This game is great, even if it has a steep learning curve.

[gn0mex]

I just wanted to say thank you so far for the advice I have been given.
You guys are crazy helpful, way more than I ever experienced in WoW (only there now for the raiding and if that goes south I'm done until the expansion).
I started a cleric, got her to level 2, basically just redoing the starter quests on normal/hard mode. I still feel like I'm just kind of drifting along, but not so much anymore.
I started to reread some of my D&D books and play BG2 and IWD:2 which is jogging my memory and helping very much.
I also started a WF Wizard, although I might take the advice offered earlier and wait for a 32-pt build before rolling the Wiz.
I've always LOVED the monk class, that was all I would play in BG2, so I have a very strong idea that I'm going to be rerolling as soon as module 7 comes out.
In the meantime I might start a fighter/barbarian and learn more about the fighting aspect of the game.
I'm on gall....however you spell that server name, so I will look up some of you guys on that server if you don't mind.
Again thank you very much, and any other advice you could offer would be wonderful!

[ShadowFox1978]

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 2.85
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

Level 16 True Neutral Dwarf Male
(16 Cleric)
Hit Points: 264
Spell Points: 1235
BAB: 12\12\17\22
Fortitude: 13
Reflex: 4
Will: 17

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Stats Modified Stats
Abilities (Level 1) (Level 16)
Strength 14 14
Dexterity 8 8
Constitution 14 16
Intelligence 10 10
Wisdom 18 25
Charisma 6 6

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 16)
Balance 1 12
Bluff -2 -2
Concentration 2 11
Diplomacy -2 -2
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle -2 -2
Heal 4 7
Hide -1 -1
Intimidate -2 -2
Jump 2 3
Listen 4 7
Move Silently -1 -1
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 0 0
Search 0 2
Spot 4 7
Swim 2 2
Tumble 1 4
Use Magic Device n/a n/a

Level 1 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Dwarven Faith I
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic I
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot I

Level 2 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom I

Level 3 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Toughness I
Enhancement: Cleric Smiting I

Level 4 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense II
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic II

Level 5 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Dwarven Faith II
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot II

Level 6 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Dwarven Toughness II
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom II

Level 7 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic III

Level 8 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II

Level 9 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot III

Level 10 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom III

Level 11 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic IV

Level 12 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Quicken Spell
Enhancement: Dwarven Toughness III

Level 13 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot IV

Level 14 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense III

Level 15 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Heighten Spell
Enhancement: Dwarven Toughness IV

Level 16 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Smiting II
Enhancement: Cleric Smiting III
Enhancement: Cleric Wand Mastery I

Since you have decided on cleric, this is very similar to my main. Adjusted for a 28-point build and feats chosen for more of a caster focus. Capable in melee early on, it has a good sp pool and high hp. Once you get blade barrier at level 11, respec the mental toughness feat for empower, and watch the carnage that 300+ point BB cause. I would also recommend getting a Minos helm at level 11(it is a collectible turn-in from the Orchard area) and swapping Toughness for Spell penetration.

And remember, a cleric's strength is not healing damage, but mitigating it. Once you hit level 7 mem greater command and never take it off your hotbar. Practice using it and timing your casting. One well place GC is worth hundreds of sp in healing. At level 11 you get blade barrier(considered by many the best offensive damage spell in the game), tell the meatshields to get outta the way and lay down one of these. Hope you enjoy clericdom.

[wamjratl1]

I just wanted to say thank you so far for the advice I have been given.
You guys are crazy helpful, way more than I ever experienced in WoW (only there now for the raiding and if that goes south I'm done until the expansion).
I started a cleric, got her to level 2, basically just redoing the starter quests on normal/hard mode. I still feel like I'm just kind of drifting along, but not so much anymore.
I started to reread some of my D&D books and play BG2 and IWD:2 which is jogging my memory and helping very much.
I also started a WF Wizard, although I might take the advice offered earlier and wait for a 32-pt build before rolling the Wiz.
I've always LOVED the monk class, that was all I would play in BG2, so I have a very strong idea that I'm going to be rerolling as soon as module 7 comes out.
In the meantime I might start a fighter/barbarian and learn more about the fighting aspect of the game.
I'm on gall....however you spell that server name, so I will look up some of you guys on that server if you don't mind.
Again thank you very much, and any other advice you could offer would be wonderful!

Cool. you are on Ghallanda! Post your Character names and your usual playtimes and I'll search you out.