Practical Build Advice

[SmyTTor]

After speaking with several raiding clerics in-game, this is the build I have decided upon. It has solid mana and HP, respectable offensive casting ability, and more than capable healing and mana restoration. I went with maximum concentration and enough for 1 tumble then also took jump and balance without sacrificing one or the other.

The build is 32pt with two +2 tomes. I hope it helps someone as a reference or learning tool.



Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.5.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page (http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO)

DV Cleric
Level 20 True Neutral Human Male
(20 Cleric)
Hit Points: 272
Spell Points: 1621
BAB: 15\15\20\25\25
Fortitude: 15
Reflex: 5
Will: 21

Starting Ending Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Base Stats Modified Stats
(32 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20) (Level 20)
Strength 10 10 10
Dexterity 8 8 8
Constitution 14 15 16
Intelligence 10 10 10
Wisdom 18 24 28
Charisma 14 14 16

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 3

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 20)
Balance -1 9
Bluff 2 3
Concentration 6 26
Diplomacy 2 3
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle 2 3
Heal 4 11
Hide -1 -1
Intimidate 2 3
Jump 2 11
Listen 4 9
Move Silently -1 -1
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 0 0
Search 0 0
Spot 4 9
Swim 0 0
Tumble 1 1
Use Magic Device n/a n/a

Level 1 (Cleric)
Feat: (Human Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Cleric Heal I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic I
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot I
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality I


Level 2 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom I
Enhancement: Cleric Wand and Scroll Mastery I


Level 3 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Life I


Level 4 (Cleric)


Level 5 (Cleric)


Level 6 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Healing Spell
Enhancement: Cleric Radiant Servant I
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Wisdom I
Enhancement: Cleric Improved Empower Healing I
Enhancement: Cleric Heal II
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic II
Enhancement: Cleric Improved Turning I


Level 7 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Incredible Life I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic III


Level 8 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom II


Level 9 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell
Enhancement: Cleric Charisma I
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality II


Level 10 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic IV


Level 11 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Charisma II


Level 12 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Quicken Spell
Enhancement: Cleric Radiant Servant II


Level 13 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Improved Empower Healing II


Level 14 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Improved Empower Healing III


Level 15 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality III


Level 16 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Constitution I


Level 17 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Wand and Scroll Mastery II
Enhancement: Cleric Wand and Scroll Mastery III


Level 18 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Cleric Wand and Scroll Mastery IV


Level 19 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot II


Level 20 (Cleric)
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Intervention
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom III





===
Original Post
===

I'd like some perspective on a few points in this build. Primarily this is for healing, but it will also be for dropping BBs, comets, and the occasional greater command, not to mention other offensive spells leveling up. There are other things to do than heal all the time, maybe not every fight, but certainly several times a dungeon.

So, ability scores... 14 charisma for DVs and RS or drop it to 10cha and raise con to 16? It seems prudent to take the 10 strength for enfeeble spam and the extra int will allow for a decent amount of jump and balance.

I see a lot of posts saying how ineffectual DV can be in the end game. Is there really any point to taking DV, then?

Even if DV is still viable, is going the charisma II route for RS fine, or will it really be a mistake to not take unyielding sovereignty even though it may mean dropping greater spell pen feat?

Any other constructive suggestions or comments would be welcomed.

[SmyTTor]

Lots of peeks, but no comments! I was hoping at least a few veteran clerics would pop in to give me a point of view on a few of these things as they have applied to their experiences.

Reading how quickly the turns are regenerating, I am going to try the 10cha and 16con route, but I am still very much on the fence about both DV and Unyielding Sov. Most likely if I dumped DV I'd go with USov and probably drop Greater Spell Pen, or not bother getting Mental Toughness.

Anyone?

[Kyln]

Disclaimer: I am not a veteran cleric player.

I have been reading a lot about clerics in the last little bit, as I recently got 32 pt builds and I am rerolling my level 5 cleric. I am planning something very similar. I am leaning towards a higher constitution as well, there doesn't seem to be a huge need for high Charisma from what I have been able to gather from people using Radiant Servant.

I am confused as to why you are saying that if you go Unyielding Sovereign, you would have to drop the penetration feats. I see more benefit from that line of enhancements than I do from the Cleric Charisma line.

I am not planning on taking mental toughness. I would rather have more spells land or do more damage as a way to save on SP, than simply have a larger pool of points.

I would invest in balance, but I hate being stuck on the floor so that might be a personal pet peeve.

[ruinix]

swap mental toughness for empower healing and it be ok. cause the radiant servant push the EH to 75% and enhance the aura inself, and drop 1 point in wis to put dex at 10 and cha in 15.

are u planing put some tome in there at some point ?

[guardianx2009]

Not a veteran, but been playing clerics for about a year now and have L18 Radiant servant.

STR - I recommend getting it up to 14ish... you'll wish you can melee that odd mob that comes after you at higher levels. Throwing a bb/destruct for that 1 rat/spider in vale just feels like a waste. I believe, for radiant server, you have to get Undying Call anyway, which grants you proficiency in Longswords. Why not take advantage of it? I got myself a +3 Holy Burst LS of Pure Good with Radiant Servant and I'm loving all those big numbers popping up.

CON - 14 minimum.

CHA - Even with a measly 8 cha, you can still get very respectable number turns. Get a +6 cha item around L12-14, spend the 3? aps on extra turning, you should be able to get it up to ~7 turns, more if you're lucky with CHA tomes. Radiant servant regenerates turns every 2 minutes so you don't really need all those turns..

DV - Is still useful. You need to invest some ap's in either DH/DV/DM anyways, throw some at DV. The ranger/wizzie that needs that little extra sp for buff/firewall/finger of death will thank you.

Feats: Drop mental toughness around L9 - 12. You don't need it, especially with RS.

[SmyTTor]

Minor Update, fixed the skills and capstone from a bad cut and paste.

[ThePrincipal]

I started a cleric build as the build toon on a new server because I wanted to lvl up quickly with the secondary use of farming/banking rich stuff for future toons. I went with human for the feat/skill pt and these starting stats:
12 str/ 8 dex/ 14 con/ 10 int/ 16 wis/ 14 cha. 28 pts couldnt committ to 18 in anything but went the well-rounded route.

I'm going with longsword via the S.Host enchancements, Radiant Servant (obviously), and maxing Concentration, Jump, and Haggle ranks (3 pts/lvl). Feats taken so far are mental toughness, emp healing, and extend (lvl 3). Mental Toughness is for lower lvls and I will swap it out to Toughness around lvl 11 or 12 when AC fails. I went lawful good on the off chance I get bored and go with a paladin splash.

I don't think I'll take Spell Penatration feats... seems like a waste of 2 feats actually for what u get especially compared to Maximize. If u want to be an offensive caster use spells that bypass SR and save the feats for metamagics.

[Partydeluxe]

Exactly what spells that bypass SR are you talking about? Destruction, implosion and neg-lvl are by far your most devastating spells and all need at least one spell-pen feat+enhancements to be usefull and not let you wast to much SP on em.

As far as OP-build: seems like your average (or I wish that was average) solid healbot/caster build. You obviously read the forums and gave it a little thought there. It's nothing special but I can't see anything wrong with it either since the discussion to-cha-or-not-to-cha has already been brought up. My advice with respect to STR and longswords; don't do it unless you are absolutely confident you have the quite impressive player skill nescisary to pull of healing with low sp while fighting and are willing to multiclass as well.

[paan]

*Again, like the posters before me, this is just my opinion*
SP is one of the biggest concern with clerics I think. Energy of the Zealot is really important I think. Espcially in the early levels. Getting energy of the zealot 2 at 19 seems a bit moot. But 30 SP at level 2 is big.

If you want to land your spell at higher levels you probly want to drop maybe greater spell pen and take Heighten. You can make up spell pen with Enhancement and items. But getting that DC a bit higher really helps when destructing in, for example, the sub.