How do you couch your battlecleric/turning-spec/offensive caster?

[transtemporal]

When I join a PUG with my healing-spec cleric, everything is roses. No need for any preamble. I know I can handle pretty much any healing required for the quest and I don't mind it because thats what that cleric was built for.

On my turning-spec cleric 4, its a little harder. She's great at turning undead and great at being a mobile shrine (because she has lots of turns) but her healing is not so hot at the moment. She has maximise and will get empower and DL next level. She'll get the healing enhancement line eventually so she has some decent healing capability but she ain't getting the healing crit line. Mainly she is geared towards turning, zorching undead.

If its an non-undead quest, I'll answer the tell with "This clr is turning-spec so shes OK on the healing front but not fantastic, is that cool?" and then repeat in-group with the addition "Obviously I'll do everything to keep you guys up but if you're low on HP, don't be shy to use a pot!".

If its an undead-heavy quest I say "This clr is turning-spec so I'm going to be spending her turns and SP destroying undead. I can throw out the occasional heal but I'm not watching red bars so everyone should have a way of healing themselves, is that cool?" and then repeat in-group.

What do you guys say when you join a group with your BC/offensive caster/turning cleric? Do you flat-out refuse to heal or what?

[jmonty]

i think if there is a level of fighter [or other class] in the cleric build then it is generally understood what will be going on.

[sirgog]

When playing Numot, I make it clear that I have a lot less SP than a healbot, and no capacity to crit on heals (do have the +40% enhancement tho, and can equip a Sup Dev 6 item although that's not equipped when I'm in combat).

Ideally, I like to be one of two healers in a group, but I can certainly function as a healer where absolutely necessary.

[Hvymetal]

I don't really, Ignot is currently a 11/1 Warforged Cleric/Paladin. I adjust to the group, I am a Battlecleric however if the group needs healing I am still a Cleric. I am sure most leaders that invite me know what the one level of Paladin means.

The only heads up I need is that I do not carry DV's (**** pesky casters still try to hit me up for em once in awhile')). I have a 6 starting CHA I think I have like 3 turns and plenty of other things to spend my enhancement points on (like making sure I can still heal fairly decently and still pull off offensive casting)

[transtemporal]

Thanks guys, I don't really want to get a splash class just for the sake of saying "I'm not a mega-healer" though. I'd like the idea if it didn't compromise my turning ability or if I wanted to be a bit more battle oriented, but I'm not. Guess I'll just have to stick to the preamble.

[Blind_Skwerl]

If I see x cleric/1 other class, I assume a non-heal spec'd cleric, which is fine by me. I like to run characters that have some sort of self healing ability anyway. This has prevented me from running one of those 500 hp barbarians however. I'd hate to be that much burden to a healer (especially when PUGing) and chugging pots just doesn't cut it at that level. That and my guild seems to be about 1/3 clerics, so I see tons of variety. Some that can instantly heal my WF for 300+, and others that I still am wanding myself and others durring/after battle.

[Yaga_Nub]

If I see x cleric/1 other class, I assume a non-heal spec'd cleric, which is fine by me.

What if you see a pure cleric? Does that automatically mean a healer?

My 10th level cleric is all cleric but I'm not spec'd for healing. I have maximize, empower, extend, MT and IMT for my feats and at level 12 I'll take quicken. I have all the smiting line that I can take (including the crit and improved crit stuff) but I only have a little of the healing line. I do have as much of the Wand/Scroll Healing enhancements though and it's great to see a big heal off a heal scroll.

Basically I wand/scroll heal until big fights and then I unleash the max/emp searing lights/holy smites/etc.

At level 20 I might take a level of barbarian for the base movement increase but I really doubt it.

[sigtrent]

I don't generaly explain my characters much unless it seems like its going to be an issue.

I really feel that if you are a cleric you should heal people when they need healing baring extrodinary circumstances. Heck, my rogue heals people when they need healing. Dead characters make poor questing companions.

My cleric is specced for offensive casting but I can heal just fine and often spend most of my mana doing so when the group needs that more than my other spells. I don't announce how I play, I play as the situation requires. If I find that I can't keep the party alive very well for whatever reason, I simply let them know what I think the problem is and let them adjust or die, whichever suits them.

[Cowdenicus]

Uhm, My cleric is named Nuking, thats how I do it.

[Aranticus]

my cleric fortina is well known in khyber for her massive spell damages. in almost all quests, i'll brag about my kills, damage, etc. after a while people get the drift what i like to do and they allow me to do so, ie recent tor run, friends who know me told the group to pull the giants thru my blades....... i had 65 kills. the tanks commented after that "this is the 1st run i see where we do not use flesh to stone". my reply "pfft, who needs fts :P"

in some other quest, i do not kill. ie i run cabal/feast runs using only gtr command (cept at boss fights). i'll tell players unknown to me to let me run ahead n command stuff. people who act smart and zerg, i let them take damage and die. they get the drift, they follow. players who know my style will gel instantaneously. they play to my str and i play to theirs ie if they use mass hold, i'll hang back n try get the hounds/casters

[Arianrhod]

Uhm, My cleric is named Nuking, thats how I do it.

Yeah, giving it a name like Notahealer might do the trick. Or, for roleplaying types, writing a nice descriptive bio. Course, not everyone bothers to read the bio, but some might, and it could save the explanation some of the time.

[Grenfell]

If I see x cleric/1 other class, I assume a non-heal spec'd cleric, which is fine by me. I like to run characters that have some sort of self healing ability anyway. This has prevented me from running one of those 500 hp barbarians however. I'd hate to be that much burden to a healer (especially when PUGing) and chugging pots just doesn't cut it at that level. That and my guild seems to be about 1/3 clerics, so I see tons of variety. Some that can instantly heal my WF for 300+, and others that I still am wanding myself and others durring/after battle.

Hmm... both of my warpriests are full-healers and full battleclerics with a splash...

Don't assume just from level splits.

/gren

[Aranticus]

Yeah, giving it a name like Notahealer might do the trick. Or, for roleplaying types, writing a nice descriptive bio. Course, not everyone bothers to read the bio, but some might, and it could save the explanation some of the time.

my cleric's bio reads

I fight and cast offensively to save your behind. I'll fight if it means that it saves more spell point than to heal you. I'm not a healer, I'm a caster.

(Combat): Your blade barrier hits XXX for 490 point of damage.
<insert more combat logs>

[Averroes]

Yeah, giving it a name like Notahealer might do the trick. Or, for roleplaying types, writing a nice descriptive bio. Course, not everyone bothers to read the bio, but some might, and it could save the explanation some of the time.

Mine's Bringpotions -- the name has been remarkably effective at getting my role across. Even reaver groups are surprised when I heal them. As they should be.

[Raithe]

I really feel that if you are a cleric you should heal people when they need healing baring extrodinary circumstances. Heck, my rogue heals people when they need healing. Dead characters make poor questing companions.

Yep. If I'm ever in a situation where I'm not going to try to prevent a member of my party from dying, I would have already left group.

[Arianrhod]

Yep. If I'm ever in a situation where I'm not going to try to prevent a member of my party from dying, I would have already left group.

Well, it's not so much about not trying to keep the party healed, as about letting them know you aren't walking around with 13 DVs and a Superior Devotion VI item

[Raithe]

Well, it's not so much about not trying to keep the party healed, as about letting them know you aren't walking around with 13 DVs and a Superior Devotion VI item

I don't think 13 DVs and a Superior Devotion VI item are guarantees against a party wipe. When the damage is so bad it starts hitting any healers too (forcing concentration checks), being an extraordinarly powerful healbot is not going to save any party. And, honestly, no one is going to be able to tell in the heat of battle that your cures are underpowered.

What will save a party is teamwork (someone healing the healer), and good priortization of actions. As many people have said in many posts and many threads, sometimes the best healing is done with a good offense.

[Aranticus]

question....

do we really need the party?

[llevenbaxx]

My clr10/ftr1 is almost fully spec'ed for healing. Have MT and IMT. The only difference there will be between this clr and my clr 14 in he will support the party with additional melee presence where my clr14 adds to the damage casting/CC presence.

Poor tactics is really the only thing that will make this guy seem a poor cleric, this simply because his CC wont ever be what my clr 14's is. I sometimes hesitate grouping in melee heavy groups with my clr10/ftr1. Not because I cant be affective in such a group, I just find that there is always one melee that wont play smart, seemingly doing whatever they can to turn me into a healbot. No player should need constant healing fight in and fight out, period. This would be OK but most people still seem to think that its the clerics "job" to cover the poor tactics and play of others. I dont bend to that line of thinking, which is where problems sometimes arise.

I do find that when my clr10/ftr1 is the only player with the cleric symbol next to their name, the rest of the group does seem to play smarter than when a pure cleric is present. This can only be a good thing.

[transtemporal]

Uhm, My cleric is named Nuking, thats how I do it.

****, I wish I'd thought of that. Thats great!