Buffs/CC/Grouping...Help!?

[Esmarelda]

Ok so I am lvl 6 now trying to go pure healer. Up until now I have been soloing, having grouped once on Kobold Assault Hard which failed miserably (burned through all my SP healing, rested, burned through the rest, used up a full wand of CMW and we still had 100 to go). Perhaps it was because my group was just a damage sponge.

What I really want to know is what are the buffs I should be putting out, what type of enhancements should I be taking, and should I be concentrating on CC with hold person/command?

My last foray into grouping was a turn-off, but I still want to group since that's where the big rewards and fun should be. Maybe my luck with the group was bad and it was a bunch of noobs who were still wearing low-level armor and expecting me to carry them through the run. I also do not have an endless supply of money to stack up dozens of wands for healing. I'm as broke as a lvl 6 who spends their money on armor/shield/mace to help me survive in solo-mode.

And yes, I'm used to an endless mana supply from WoW, healing like a pro. But with spell point conservation being important, I assume I should be doing something else.

If there are any good threads on how to play correctly, please point me to them because I want to enjoy the game more than just soloing...

[Shaamis]

Hello Esmeraleda, welcome to DDO!

I understand your plight, and I hope to have some answers to quell your dread on grouping.

I, too dreaded grouping with my cleric, which it took me two years of playing DDO to finally muster the "cahojnes" to make.

What I found out is: you have to assess your group quickly, and determine what the best course of action for you is.

If you are in a group of DPS'ers your ability to prevent damage to them will help greatly, with keeping them alive, so that when they do take a small amount of damage, it can easily be healed by them (with pots/wands) or you.

When I say "prevent" damage, I mean any elemental resist spells, or other defenses that will reduce the damage they deal on your party members.

Crowd control can reward you big time in DDO as well. Waiting for the right time, for example when the enemies are packed together in a doorway, is the perfect time for spells that reduce or negate their ability to attack, such as fog cloud, or my favorite, sound burst.

I have found that taking enemies out of a battle for even 6 seconds is enough to prevent a LOT of damage that you would have to help heal.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so to speak.

[XCodes]

Very much agreed with the above. Your spell selection should really depend on what you're going up against.

As an example, for the before mentioned Kobold Assault, you should be looking at a spell list like this:

1st- Bless, Protection from Evil, Divine Favor, Obscuring Mist, Remove Fear
2nd- Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Soundburst, Summon Monster II

Bless is obvious, but find something else if you have a Bard in the party. Protection from Evil is a cheap buff that will give +2 AC and Saves against the kobold's attacks, and Obscuring Mist is a likewise cheap defensive spell that basically gives your front line Blur. Because of the sheer number of Kobolds, you'll need to contribute SOME damage, so Summon Monster II and Divine Favor will give you some ways to contribute to the fight without expending tons of SP.

Now the rest of these spells are really geared towards the Kobolds specifically. On Hard difficulty, Kobold Shamans cast Hold Person and Scorching Ray (deals ~15 damage). Hold Person is a death sentence for any front-line character with poor will saves, and Scorching Ray deals a ton of damage, so casting Resist Energy: Fire and Remove Paralysis as appropriate is absolutely required. (NOTE: On elite, the same Kobolds cast Bestow Curse and Lightning Bolt, so switch it up to Resist Energy: Electric and get some Remove Curse clickies.)

With these buffs, you should wind up healing less than half as often as you would otherwise, and also be able to free yourself up to do some damage (which is sorely needed when it comes to Kobold Assault).

[SnoVipr]

I mistake I made early on was keeping "Empowered Healing" active while only being able to cast cure light or moderate wounds. This ends up being an SP sink, as empowered healing shines on much later heal spells and mass heal spells. I'm not sure if you use this feat, but if you do I recommend turning it off till much later.

Also, unlike other games, keeping party members completely topped off can be a waste of SP. I usually keep most party members at or above 75% health. Exceptions include squishy casters who pull lots of aggro and any melee/tank on hard and elites.