STR clonk?

[partybasher]

Hello,

I'm running a 1st life human warpriest, currently sitting at 12cleric/1fighter, and she's... not my favorite, but I'd rather not reroll/LR her if possible. The goal is not EE, just getting her to 20, getting a heart, maybe farm some twink gear and TR into something else.
The problem is that she's not that good at anything.. Spell power and SP are meh, melee is a joke and she's not even that good at just healing. I'm trying to salvage her- again, just make it to 20 without being annoying to play- and I thought of adding some monk, since clonks are all the rage. But since I didn't plan for it...

stats (base, not buffed or geared)
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 19
CHA 8

feats-
DM of passage
PA, cleave, Gcleave
empower heal, empower and maximize. No faith feat since she's pre-EH.

So, considering the above, unarmed monk will probably be even worse, because of no TWF. That's why I though of going staff, but I don't have any experience with monks, so that's why I'm here.

I can afford a +2/1 tome, or a feat respec, but not much more than that.
Any thoughts? Other ideas or suggestions are also welcome.

[TheLegendOfAra]

Hello,

I'm running a 1st life human warpriest, currently sitting at 12cleric/1fighter, and she's... not my favorite, but I'd rather not reroll/LR her if possible. The goal is not EE, just getting her to 20, getting a heart, maybe farm some twink gear and TR into something else.
The problem is that she's not that good at anything.. Spell power and SP are meh, melee is a joke and she's not even that good at just healing. I'm trying to salvage her- again, just make it to 20 without being annoying to play- and I thought of adding some monk, since clonks are all the rage. But since I didn't plan for it...

stats (base, not buffed or geared)
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 19
CHA 8

feats-
DM of passage
PA, cleave, Gcleave
empower heal, empower and maximize. No faith feat since she's pre-EH.

So, considering the above, unarmed monk will probably be even worse, because of no TWF. That's why I though of going staff, but I don't have any experience with monks, so that's why I'm here.

I can afford a +2/1 tome, or a feat respec, but not much more than that.
Any thoughts? Other ideas or suggestions are also welcome.

Well, you should be able to use one of your free LR's, or your free +20 LR if you still have it to fix your build and pick up whatever you want, however based on what you have so far, I'd suggest grabbing another fighter level, and 6 Monk levels. You already have all the important caster feats, so just grab the THF line and you should be good to go. I would recommend using a free LR to fix your stats though. If you go staff, less wisdom is needed, more str.

You could also LR, get enough dex, and make a dex/wis based stunning fist build.

[I_was_Whesper]

Hello,

I'm running a 1st life human warpriest, currently sitting at 12cleric/1fighter, and she's... not my favorite, but I'd rather not reroll/LR her if possible. The goal is not EE, just getting her to 20, getting a heart, maybe farm some twink gear and TR into something else.
The problem is that she's not that good at anything.. Spell power and SP are meh, melee is a joke and she's not even that good at just healing. I'm trying to salvage her- again, just make it to 20 without being annoying to play- and I thought of adding some monk, since clonks are all the rage. But since I didn't plan for it...

stats (base, not buffed or geared)
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 19
CHA 8

feats-
DM of passage
PA, cleave, Gcleave
empower heal, empower and maximize. No faith feat since she's pre-EH.

So, considering the above, unarmed monk will probably be even worse, because of no TWF. That's why I though of going staff, but I don't have any experience with monks, so that's why I'm here.

I can afford a +2/1 tome, or a feat respec, but not much more than that.
Any thoughts? Other ideas or suggestions are also welcome.


The stats and feats seem ok for a first life cleric. Your disappointment might be cause be one or more reasons:

1) Your expectations were too high.
Clerics are powerful beasts. Night unstoppable if/when you gear them out and play elegantly. However, it takes time for both character and player to get there. My first life and character was a cleric and looking back I've gotten a lot of praise from groups I ran with. However, the truth is the character was ok if a bit suboptimal, but I sucked through ten bricks when controlling it. Not saying you are a bad player, just that there might be room for improvement and you haven't reached a break point of sorts. Hard to say anything without seeing you in action.

2) Your playstyle does not synergise well with the character.
Cleric is a versatile and capable class. From your stats it seems that you are building a generalist cleric with a focus on melee (yay!). To squeeze the most out of it, I suggest changing weapon sets for melee and different spells. For example have a set for Blade Barrier, cast it, change to melee weapon and cleave around while kiting mobs through. I've seen a lot of people playing their clerics as barbarians/fighters/paladins with heals or ignoring the melee completely and using Cometfall to finish of a trash monster that had 5% HP left.
In the same way, I can't play barbarians, because unfocus them from doing MAX DPS URAAAAAH! to something that can also trap, heal and buff. What I am trying to say, cleric might be not your cup of tea.

3) Lack of gear.
I didn't do the math to support this claim, but it feels that the same great piece of gear makes a bit bigger difference for a generalist character than a focused one. E.g. a Sword of Shadows might increase clerics melee DPS by 9% and barbarian's only by 6%, since barbarian has more damage bonuses, that stack additively and not multiplicatively, than cleric. Not to mention that cleric will probably have some gear slots that improve spell casting and not melee.
No good suggestion here, but if you TR this character into a cleric again and have good gear from previous lives, it will be quite easier (I am a genius, no one have ever thought of this before).

4) You have gotten into 10+ area where monsters are stronger and have more HP.
In the past level 10 was the cap and when game expanded the monsters in 10+ had to be tougher since a lot of players were very well geared for that level. That created a bit of s jump in quest difficulty. So, slower pace than that of Waterworks is nothing unusual.


I might be able to give more specific advice if you could go into more detail about the problems you are having. E.g. monsters are not dieing fast enough, you run out of spell points, you/party taking too much damage, pace of quests is too slow, etc.

Finally, I would not add monk unless I was sure it's something that I actually want.

[Kasiddy]

*snip*

Any thoughts? Other ideas or suggestions are also welcome.

It sounds like you are really wanting a melee that can cast a little, but your character is built to be a caster that can melee a little.
I wouldn't add monk. Refocus on strength instead.

Be sure you have a very good two-handed weapon - something with a good crit profile for cleaving. Carnifex from Deleras is still viable at your level and works very well with cleave/Gcleave. Consider improved crit feat next time you have the chance if your weapon isn't keen.
Craft yourself a Ring of the Stalker if you have access to the challenges.
Put your resources into a strength tome, and put the rest of your level-ups into strength, and get the best strength item you can.
Also keep the best wisdom item you can find; haste/rage pots are nice if you can afford them.

Put points into radiant servant so you can use auras for healing, spell points for maximized blade barriers and sometimes a destruction for a caster or archer that is giving you problems.
For solo work, run through a dungeon/area until you have a green alert (or yellow/orange once you get more experience) then drop a blade barrier.
Drag mobs around/through it a few times, then whack anything that is still moving. In a party, most players do not grasp that the cleric is doing 200-400 points of damage (half for saves) to mobs each time they enter or leave the BBs, so they do silly things like drop disco balls or use paralyzing arrows, so save the SP in parties for emergency heals. Try to focus on aura healing while you melee.

Also, if you are trying to run elites, you may just want to drop down to hard, never mind the bravery streak. With a first life character there will still be plenty of xp, and you might find the lower hit points and saves less tedious.

I've gone through several cleric TRs... most fun for me was a high strength/con low wisdom cleric with 2 rogue levels (I think I started with 11 wisdom and relied on tomes/items to get the stat up for spellcasting) TWF with specially crafted weapons.
On my THF cleric life I just used carnifex from Deleras until some ridiculous level, like 16 or so, but that life had stats very similar to yours, and I also didn't find it that rewarding.
I ended up switching between caster clubs/scepters to give the blade barriers extra oomph then after the blade barrier was going switching back to a two-hander for clean-up.

You will not end up with an epic-elite viable character by refocusing on strength, this but it should get you the rest of the way were you can TR.

[axel15810]

Hello,

I'm running a 1st life human warpriest, currently sitting at 12cleric/1fighter, and she's... not my favorite, but I'd rather not reroll/LR her if possible. The goal is not EE, just getting her to 20, getting a heart, maybe farm some twink gear and TR into something else.
The problem is that she's not that good at anything.. Spell power and SP are meh, melee is a joke and she's not even that good at just healing. I'm trying to salvage her- again, just make it to 20 without being annoying to play- and I thought of adding some monk, since clonks are all the rage. But since I didn't plan for it...

stats (base, not buffed or geared)
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 19
CHA 8

feats-
DM of passage
PA, cleave, Gcleave
empower heal, empower and maximize. No faith feat since she's pre-EH.

So, considering the above, unarmed monk will probably be even worse, because of no TWF. That's why I though of going staff, but I don't have any experience with monks, so that's why I'm here.

I can afford a +2/1 tome, or a feat respec, but not much more than that.
Any thoughts? Other ideas or suggestions are also welcome.

For a melee cleric, you have too much WIS and not enough CHA in my opinion. Besides that, your stats look fine.

The problem is most likely gear. It sounds like you're a first life character. You won't have that LIT2 weapon to rely on. You'll have to do the next best thing and check the AH regularly, get the most powerful two handed weapon you can find.

Also -

- Are you keeping divine might on all the time? This adds your CHA bonus to STR
- Are you keeping divine favor on all the time? This adds +3 to hit and damage
- Using rage potions? This adds another +2 to STR
- Using Kensei Haste Boost? You should have it fully upgraded, this is a big DPS booster
- Using Human Damage Boosts? Gives a whopping +20% to damage!
- Using Haste potions/clickies? This gives additional attack speed
- Do you have the proper STR and CHA items? Always make sure your stats are an even number.
- Are you using a speed item? These give additional boosts to attack speed (when not hasted)
- Using deadly items? This gives additional bonus to damage
- Get a +2 STR tome as soon as you can afford it
- Doublestrike item might be possible. If you have nothing better to do with your armor slot, you might try to get the best "flurry" armor you can find. This gives you a bonus to doublestrike.
- Use your cleaves constantly. They add an additional +1W damage for cleave and +2W damage for great cleave, as well as attacking multiple enemies at once.

Make sure you get all this down and you'll be doing fine. As far as healing, make sure you are using bursts/aura/aemy strike/heal scrolls as your bread and butter for healing. You should rarely have to touch your SP to heal.

As far as offensive casting, blade barrier is your go to spell. Use it whenever possible.

Good luck hope that helps.

[partybasher]

Wow, great replies.

I have a pure cleric at a higher level (diff. server), and I enjoy that more than the warpriest. He can't melee at all, but heals are good, and while I don't do that much damage with meta'ed SLA (probably lack of spell power gear again..?) knowing what I CAN'T do helps.


E.g. monsters are not dieing fast enough, you run out of spell points, you/party taking too much damage, pace of quests is too slow, etc.[/quote[
All of the above? I ran with a great group with a WF sorc and arti, PM and a pally (all self suffiecient & strong classes with great players too) and it was great- I commanded stuff in their AOEs, throw out emergency heals/rezzes when they got too deep and pretended to deal damage with my cleaves.

PUG'ing with not-so-great players is aweful, because I get blamed when they die- even if all I do is nannyduty, and I can't solo because I can't take a punch. Or throw one.

[quote]It sounds like you are really wanting a melee that can cast a little, but your character is built to be a caster that can melee a little.
Maybe when I rolled her, but at this stage, I'm cool with anything as long as it works.


200-400 points of damage
I'm doing almost 100 if they don't save, how do I get so much SP? I have 40 from sora kell and around 20 more from enhancments.

[Ailia]

Hello,
stats (base, not buffed or geared)
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 19
CHA 8


I imagine most of your problems lie here and with enhancements. Better gear never hurts but that's usually much harder to fix than what you can do with a LR+0. You mentioned it was a "warpriest", going deep into that enhancement tree is a bit of a noob trap for clerics unfortunately. Heal aura is by far the strongest tool available to a character with 12+ cleric levels, especially one in melee range.


For a melee cleric, you have too much WIS and not enough CHA in my opinion. Besides that, your stats look fine.

Also -

- Are you keeping divine might on all the time? This adds your CHA bonus to STR
- Are you keeping divine favor on all the time? This adds +3 to hit and damage
- Using rage potions? This adds another +2 to STR
- Using Kensei Haste Boost? You should have it fully upgraded, this is a big DPS booster
- Using Human Damage Boosts? Gives a whopping +20% to damage!
- Using Haste potions/clickies? This gives additional attack speed
- Do you have the proper STR and CHA items? Always make sure your stats are an even number.
- Are you using a speed item? These give additional boosts to attack speed (when not hasted)
- Using deadly items? This gives additional bonus to damage
- Get a +2 STR tome as soon as you can afford it
- Doublestrike item might be possible. If you have nothing better to do with your armor slot, you might try to get the best "flurry" armor you can find. This gives you a bonus to doublestrike.
- Use your cleaves constantly. They add an additional +1W damage for cleave and +2W damage for great cleave, as well as attacking multiple enemies at once.

Make sure you get all this down and you'll be doing fine. As far as healing, make sure you are using bursts/aura/aemy strike/heal scrolls as your bread and butter for healing. You should rarely have to touch your SP to heal.


Axel knows his stuff, we both play melee clerics at endgame, advice is spot on.

[Kasiddy]

*snip*

I'm doing almost 100 if they don't save, how do I get so much SP? I have 40 from sora kell and around 20 more from enhancments.


Build...
My current TR 15cleric/1fighter/1rogue has 44 points in the Radiant Servant tree for endless turning, healing aura, and other heal enhancements. Another 18 points are in Divine Disciple, mostly for spellpower (you want lots of force type) and the searing light SLA. (The SLA is a personal choice -- plenty of people might skip it.) Also extra wisdom is from enhancements since I put all level-ups into strength. A few other points are scattered here and there. On the business side that works out to 28 strength and wisdom and 16 charisma with tomes, enhancements, and gear. There are only 8 turns but they regenerate. A bit low, but usually enough to last between shrines. You could probably skip the wisdom and head for the Kensai tree if your strength is down for extra combat enhancements. I do highly recommend the Radiant Servant line as it can save a lot of spell points in a regular quest.

Gear...
This character is a little undergeared at this point.
With one set of clubs/scepters I have 119 force, 99 light, and 160 positive spell power.
With another set I have 102 force, 134 light, and 175 positive.
I got these from the auction house cheap since they are "mismatched" - radiance, devotion, and kinetic do not have a corresponding "lore" on the same weapon.... but used as pairs they are fine. These numbers could be higher with crafting or if I spent more time shopping for a better kinetic club. For now they are "good enough" for me. These are lore 2-4 and 60-70something equipment bonus to a certain type of spellpower.
I switch back and forth as I want and sometimes exchange them for "real" 2-handed weapons.
I'm also still running around with the Sora Kell set.
She also has Speed and Deadly items from chests/end rewards or cheap from the AH.

Almost all healing is through auras and bursts. I have all metamagics on the auras set by right clicking and choosing "always on."

Spells...
1131 spell points with 100sp item in place - not a lot but I've learned to be frugal.
Standard buffs. My go-to spell is blade barrier, maximized. Around 260-ish for a normal hit with that gear/enhancements/feats. I also have the empower feat but use it only when I really need to ramp up spell damage. Sometimes cometfall or destruction if something is standing still, or Divine Punishment. Divine Favor just before heading into combat for a luck bonus to attack and damage.


I feel I should point out that this character is absolutely not optimized, and I'm not suggesting you copy; it's just something that works for me. The enhancements and gear are options to consider that are within first-life reach, though. I may do a few "easy" epics after 20 before TRing her again, but nothing much planned for epic levels. This character has little AC, dodge, or PRR. She survives by mincing anything that gives chase in blade barriers then finishing up whatever is left over with a 2-hander. The leftovers are usually archers, and they are more of a nuisance. The aura plus appropriate buffs are usually enough to keep up with the damage they are doing. I'm not bothering with elites at this level unless I have a good party; she tears through hard content just fine on her own and will probably hit 20 banking xp from level 16 quests.