How would you build a cleric / FVS hireling?

[redoubt]

Some hirelings are legends. They are so awesome they have statues of them!!! Some... well not so much. I love getting to levels 12 and 15 and bringing Tanya and Larafay along to obliterate stuff. But then there are levels where the holy hirelings seem to have lost their minds (maybe too much self flagellation?) There are others who fall in between. From my observations there are a few things I really like on the hirelings and one I hate (mass heal).

I would set up clerics as heals only. FvS as heal primary, then CC, then a couple non direct damage offensive spells.

Cleric Spell choices:

1. Highest single target cure available
2. Highest raise available.
3. Restoration
4. Deathward or DV

In the background (spells they use, but we don't have on the hotbar):
5. Highest mass cure, but NEVER mass heal.
6. Panacea. (Individual remove curse etc until this is available.)

In addition FVS would get in the background:
7. Command
8. Hold person
9. Sound burst
10. comet fall
11. destruction

AI:
1. Incorporate the backup and shoot model we see in many mob archers and casters.
2. Set the follow distance to 80% of the cure range. I would never have the cleric/fvs close into melee range.
3. Add a player interrupt. While the command timer is active, the player could click on 1 of the 4 options. This would cue that spell on the current target. It would be next. (Right now you have to wait for the timer to expire and hope you get the command you want in before the AI casts again and starts the timer all over again.)

How would you set them up?

[glmfw1]

Forgetting the stats etc, there are 3 main differences between a Cleric and a Favoured Soul:

Clerics can turn undead, Favoured Souls can't
Clerics can "swap out any other spell" for a healing spell of the same level (which is why they get them as an extra spell in DDO)
Clerics have a wide selection of spells to choose from, Favoured souls have a limited pool


If the AI could be improved, I would give all Clerics all healing spells as "background" options, that they can use as required (CLW probably not needed by the time they can cast Heal, but no need to waste the SP for Heal when a CSW would do). Then all Cleric Hires could heal as necessary if HP drops below a threshold. You would need to add an option on the Customise AI tool to select between "Heal Noone", "Heal Player & Cleric only", "Heal Player and all Hirelings", "Heal all Party".
For FvS, I would do the same, but give them just one Healing background healing spell (no SP efficiency, but reflects the smaller spell pool).

I'd give Clerics the ability to turn as a background ability - any time the number of undead divided by the party size is over a certain amount, have them auto-turn with a built in cooldown. Alternatively give them a free Mass Heal/Cure to use under the same circumstances, with the same cooldown, damaging all undead in the area. This balances Clerics out with FvS's huge Spellpoint pool.

At each level, I would have one Cleric or FvS with
1. Highest single target cure available
2. Highest raise available.
3. Highest Restoration available
4. Deathward/Mass Deathward

At each level, for the other hireling (FvS or Cleric), I would pick another selection of spells, including some of the above, but include some of the other possibilities from the spell list (and DV if it's a Cleric).
I'd give both of them some background CC or damage spells, but with strict control over usage (Larafey will burn all her SP on a group of CR1 rats that are doing no damage and anyone could take down with a couple of sowrd swings - maybe have her at least target Highest CR/Highest HP remaining first).