The most-needed class

[feynman]

Favored Soul. Seriously.

Look in your group window; what are all the parties looking for? Clerics. Why? Because no other class can/will heal. You can argue all you want that "clerics aren't necessary, you just need to learn how to play", and then spout suggestions to spend a million plat on potions and wands, but most of us don't have that kind of cash, and even if we did, we'd rather spend it on sharp, pointy things.

Usually this discussion turns to druids, and if they were given healing abilities commensurate with clerics', that would be fine, but then you have two nearly identical classes. While I would like to see all of the base classes implemented, druid is towards the bottom of the list.

Another possibility would be to implement a better system for healing in-between battles (more healing clickies, maybe?), but I'd rather see the shaman.

[Impaqt]

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=611506

This Spirit Shaman? Where the guide doesnt even include Healing Spells?

[Vormaerin]

There are a variety of base classes that could learn healing spells. Favored Souls, Druids, Archivists. Doubtless others. But the problem is not a shortage of classes that can get serious healing. Its a shortage of players willing to put up with the demands others put on them when they are playing a healing class. There are lots of clerics (and healing bards). But many of them just don't pug as the BS is too high.

[Angelus_dead]

Favored Soul. Seriously.

Yes, Favored Soul should be added because it would take so little work.

All you need is a cleric, but with a fixed spell list chosen at your trainer, where save DCs are by wisdom and spellpoints are from charisma. Toss in a little DR and Weapon Spec, and it's done. However, since the Favored Soul is underpowered in PnP, it would need slightly better enhancements than other classes.

Additionally, the Archivist class could be added easily. Start with a cleric, but spells must be scribed to a book before they can be prepared, rather like a wizard. Spell DCs based on intelligence and spellpoints by wisdom. Archivists are overpowered in PnP because they can pick spells from any divine caster, so in DDO they should be changed to only use the non-domain cleric list and druid list. They also have a mass buff ability similar to bard song, but only applying against a few kinds of enemies (skillpoints should be 2 or 3 instead of 4, to compensate for not needing skills to drive that buff).

This means the Archivist could cast the following noncleric spells already existing in DDO:
Jump, Longstrider, Summon Nature's Ally, Barkskin, Cat's Grace, Flaming Sphere, Hold Animal, Sleet Storm, Snare, Spike Growth, Ice Storm, Stoneskin, Wall of Fire, Mass Cat's Grace, Finger of Death, and Sunburst.

That list is good enough to make an effective class already. In fact, it's so good that the devs would need to be careful to avoid powerful enhancements.

Another possibility would be to implement a better system for healing in-between battles (more healing clickies, maybe?), but I'd rather see the shaman.

It would be nice to see something added such as the ability to spend 30 seconds and an expensive healing kit to regain hp by your Heal skill, but that won't really help your complaint. At high levels when people want clerics, it isn't because of a need for non-battle healing. Low-mid level clerics who want to win quests without clerics can already do this, and it's a matter of perception that some players don't believe that.

[FluffyCalico]

Favored Soul. Seriously.

Look in your group window; what are all the parties looking for? Clerics. Why? Because no other class can/will heal. You can argue all you want that "clerics aren't necessary, you just need to learn how to play", and then spout suggestions to spend a million plat on potions and wands, but most of us don't have that kind of cash, and even if we did, we'd rather spend it on sharp, pointy things.

Usually this discussion turns to druids, and if they were given healing abilities commensurate with clerics', that would be fine, but then you have two nearly identical classes. While I would like to see all of the base classes implemented, druid is towards the bottom of the list.

Another possibility would be to implement a better system for healing in-between battles (more healing clickies, maybe?), but I'd rather see the shaman.

While this used to be true, as of late I see more groups LF melee than LF cleric.

[Uska]

Before we start adding some silly expansion class we need the missing classes from core and the Eberron book, Druids would fill out the healing nicely while adding other abilites, and WF would love to see their mechanics show up. Monks would be nice but wont add to healing

[FluffyCalico]

Before we start adding some silly expansion class we need the missing classes from core and the Eberron book, Druids would fill out the healing nicely while adding other abilites, and WF would love to see their mechanics show up. Monks would be nice but wont add to healing

No druid would not fill out the healing nicely. Druid can heal just like many other classes, that does not mean they will heal. I personally would like to have a druid, and it would heal some here and there but if you think my druid would be a primary healer for every group it joins then you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

[FluffyCalico]

How do you get primary healer (cleric hole filler) out of this?

Many players think the druid belongs out in the wilderness, where she can frolic with the animals and work magic suited for the outdoors. To such people, a druid in a city or a dungeon seems as out of place -- and about as useful -- as a speedboat in the desert. As is often the case, popular opinion about the druid isn't completely wrong, but it fails to grasp the character's true potential.

The Pros and Cons of a Druid

The druid's many abilities make for a versatile and powerful character who can excel in almost any surroundings.

Druid Assets

When you chose a druid, you gain access to many spells that affect plants and animals, but the class offers other potent spells and useful powers as well. Below are several assets you have going for you when you play a druid.

Animal Companion: At 1st level, a druid has an animal ally that trusts her implicitly and generally obeys her orders. As the druid advances in level, the animal becomes even more powerful.


Nature-Related Abilities: Even a beginning druid can influence animals and get along in the wild. As she progresses in level, she gains additional abilities that improve her movement through natural terrain, allow her to resist natural venom, and eventually even negate the ravages of time.


Wild Shape: Beginning at 5th level, the druid can assume some animal forms. Depending on the exact shape she chooses, she can improve her mobility, fighting power, stealth -- or even all three. Additional druid levels allow her to wild shape into smaller and larger animals, and eventually into potent elemental forms as well.


Good Fortitude and Will Saves: A druid uses the best save progression in the game for Fortitude and Will saves (see Table 3-1 in the Player's Handbook). This natural mental and physical strength helps her resist most effects that fool her mind, assault her spirit, or attack her body -- including charms, compulsions, illusions, fear,polymorphing, poisons, and even disintegration. Furthermore, the high Wisdom score that a druid needs for her spellcasting also gives her Will save a hefty boost. Few other classes can match a druid's saving throw bonuses.


Good Spell Selection: The druid spell list is packed with spells that manipulate energy or the natural world, such as entangle, warp wood, produce flame, chill metal, heat metal, call lighting, stone shape, and flame strike. Many of these spells are useful for attacking foes, and others provide handy abilities on a temporary basis. The druid also has access to lifesaving spells such as slow poison, neutralize poison, remove disease, and the ever-popular cure spells. In addition, she can cast defensive spells, spells that bolster her allies, and spells that summon aid. Best of all, she has access to the whole druid spell list, not just the spells that she can place in a spellbook or master for a personal spell list.


Spontaneous Spells: A druid can spontaneously convert any spell she has prepared into a summon nature's ally spell. This ability allows her to load up on attack or utilitarian spells and still conjure up help if she needs it.


Good Hit Points: The druid's 8-sided Hit Dice give her a fairly impressive hit point total.


Good Attack Bonus: A druid's base attack bonus -- +3 per four levels -- is second only to that of the more martial classes, such as the fighter. So if your druid decides to enter combat, she can make a pretty good showing.
Druid Weaknesses

The druid's many advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a druid character.

Mediocre Weapon Selection: The druid is proficient with only a limited array of simple and martial weapons that fit the druidical ethos. Her selection includes a few very serviceable weapons, but they're not the most deadly ones available.


Mediocre Armor Class: The druid has access to defensive spells such as barkskin that improve her Armor Class, and to spells such as stoneskin that can help her withstand damage. However, she is proficient with only light and medium armor, plus all shields (except tower shields). To make matters worse, her armor and shield cannot be made from metal. These limitations still allow her a decent personal defense, but her Armor Class definitely isn't the best, and she's likely to suffer for it during any prolonged battle.


Poor Reflex Saving Throws: Druids have the worst progression for Reflex saves in the game (see Table 3-1 in the Player's Handbook). Thus, they aren't so great at getting out of the way when things get rough.
Playing a Classy Druid

Great druids usually use the following techniques. So if you're playing a druid, try to build your strategy around these concepts.

Thinking Ahead

As a druid, you have to make many of your most important decisions before an adventure begins. Your daily spell preparation has a big effect on how you play your character and what your party can expect to accomplish on any given day. Many of your most effective spells work to best advantage only when you're outdoors in a natural setting. So if you're getting ready for an underground adventure or one in an urban setting, avoid spells such as entangle and call lightning. Keep in mind, however, that some of your spells can work well even when others don't. Most fantasy cities, for example, are well populated with animals that you can interrogate via the speak with animals spell, and most dungeons are made of stone, which offers numerous ways to use the stone shape spell.

Your wild shape ability gives you considerable flexibility, and it pays to plan how best to use it before you actually need it. If your group needs extra fighting power, consider animal forms that are useful for combat, such as wolves or bears. Smaller forms, such as bats or birds, are good for stealth and scouting.

In any case, plan to stay close to the action so that you can intervene with a spell or physical attack when necessary. You're fairly hardy compared with other characters, and your group can easily go down to defeat if you're timid when the going gets tough. But you don't always have to place yourself in the line of fire; your animal companion can often act as a stand-in for you when some physical action is required.

Your Friends are Your Best Weapons

You can have a big impact on the game by working through others, so be prepared to lend your support whenever you can.

Natural Allies: Spells such as barkskin, magic fang, and animal growth are great ways to improve your animal companion or give a boost to a creature that you've summoned. But don't go overboard; your allies might become annoyed if you invest too many spells in your animal companion -- especially healing spells.

The Party's Main Fighter: A single cure light wounds or cure moderate wounds spell can keep a fighting character going, ultimately dealing more damage to the enemy than any of your other spells can. If you have no healing spells prepared, consider using a summon nature's ally spell to help take the heat off your party's front line. Your animal companion can lend some aid as well.

The Party's Scout: Stealthy characters such as rogues, rangers, and monks often get in over their heads. Your wild shape ability lets you stage a quick rescue or even unobtrusively tag along to lend a hand if needed.

Other Spellcasters: You probably have more hit points and a better attack bonus than the other spellcasters in your group, and your Armor Class is likely better than that of any arcane spellcaster in the party, except possibly a bard. So try to stay close enough to your fellow spellcasters that you can protect them if a foe breaks through the front line.

Whenever possible, try to coordinate your daily spell choices with the other spellcasters in your group. Your spell selection is almost certainly broader than theirs, so be ready to fill any gaps. Useful spells such as speak with animals and water breathing are probably best provided by you, since you can swap them for summon nature's ally spells if they're not needed.

Wild Shape with Care

Assuming a wild shape interferes with your ability to use weapons and tools and with your ability to speak to your fellow adventurers. It also keeps you from casting spells unless you have the Natural Spell feat. For all these reasons, wild shape is not an ability to use frivolously -- your best bet is to stay in your natural form until you need to assume another one.

Some Key Equipment

A druid's gear is nearly as important to her as her spells, so don't neglect it. Below are some essential pieces to pack.

Armor: Plan to buy the best armor you can afford (typically hide armor for a druid) and carry a heavy wooden shield as well -- you'll never regret having a formidable Armor Class. And don't overlook other defensive items you can wear, such as rings of protection. An amulet of natural armor can also prove useful, but it won't work with a barkskin spell. Several lesser items whose benefits stack give you better protection, and at a cheaper price, than one big item.


Melee Weapon: You're pretty good in combat, so be prepared to fight. A scimitar or spear packs the most punch.


Ranged Weapon: A sling or dart can prove as effective as a low-level attack spell against some opponents. Use them when you need to conserve your spells or when the opposition isn't threatening enough to merit spell use.


Backup Spells: You never know when you'll run out of spells. Furthermore, you never know when you'll need a particular spell -- and need it very badly. So it pays to keep some spellcasting power in reserve via a collection of scrolls, wands, or both. Scrolls are a great way to carry along useful spells (such as soften earth and stone, dispel magic, or remove disease) that you might not use in every adventure. Best of all, if you have the Scribe Scroll feat, you can make scrolls yourself, though doing so uses up time, money, and experience points. Wands are useful for bread-and-butter spells that you use often, especially healing spells such as cure light wounds.

[Memnir]

The most needed class in this game is Artificer, hands down. Particularly with crafting becoming a bigger part of the game. It's a core Eberron class - and it's absence from the game is, in my opinion, a cop out by the Devs.

[Angelus_dead]

How do you get primary healer (cleric hole filler) out of this?

Why do you ask? Did you not read it before you pasted it?

Here are your answers:
1. "Many of these spells are useful for attacking foes, and others provide handy abilities on a temporary basis. The druid also has access to lifesaving spells such as slow poison, neutralize poison, remove disease, and the ever-popular cure spells. In addition, she can cast defensive spells, spells that bolster her allies, and spells that summon aid."

2. "Wands are useful for bread-and-butter spells that you use often, especially healing spells such as cure light wounds."

[Angelus_dead]

The most needed class in this game is Artificer, hands down. Particularly with crafting becoming a bigger part of the game. It's a core Eberron class - and it's absence from the game is, in my opinion, a cop out by the Devs.

Artificer should be added because it is moderately easy to add. It would still require a good bit of work, but nothing like what was needed for monks.

However, Artificer won't improve gameplay much, and it won't have much relevance to crafting... that is, not if the devs are smart. Using an Artificer for crafting in D&D breaks the game. And breaking the game by simply using a class as intended indicates the class was not carefully designed.

[Jhoran]

i think they should just make it so the mobs no longer deal damage.

why can't we all just get along?

[FluffyCalico]

Why do you ask? Did you not read it before you pasted it?

Here are your answers:
1. "Many of these spells are useful for attacking foes, and others provide handy abilities on a temporary basis. The druid also has access to lifesaving spells such as slow poison, neutralize poison, remove disease, and the ever-popular cure spells. In addition, she can cast defensive spells, spells that bolster her allies, and spells that summon aid."

2. "Wands are useful for bread-and-butter spells that you use often, especially healing spells such as cure light wounds."

Right which makes them someone who CAN heal like many other classes. It does NOT mean they will stand back and do nothing but heal like 99% of clerics do. Yes there were 2 lines in a 3 page description that say they can heal. Do you really think people will roll them for those 2 lines and not want to do anything else in the 3 pages described? If people want to heal they will role a cleric. Even many clerics dont want to heal. As for wands I guess that means now rogues and bards are primary healers as they can use cure wands too. Oh and pallys and rangers. Oh wait does that mean there is no class that isn't a primary healer by your logic?

[Angelus_dead]

Right which makes them someone who CAN heal like many other classes. It does NOT mean they will stand back and do nothing but heal like 99% of clerics do. Yes there were 2 lines in a 3 page description that say they can heal. Do you really think people will roll them for those 2 lines and not want to do anything else in the 3 pages described?

I could write many pages about things clerics can do aside from healing.

But let me make it simple:
1. If your character can read a Heal scroll, you're a healer.
2. If your character can cast the Heal spell, you're a main healer.

That's why clerics are the main healers now. Any other class who can convert mana into Heal would be too. That means potentially Druids, Favored Souls, and Archivists.

[FluffyCalico]

I could write many pages about things clerics can do aside from healing.

But let me make it simple:
1. If your character can read a Heal scroll, you're a healer.
2. If your character can cast the Heal spell, you're a main healer.

That's why clerics are the main healers now. Any other class who can convert mana into Heal would be too. That means potentially Druids, Favored Souls, and Archivists.

yeah well primary healer reads something like this

"When you choose spells, it pays to know what your party expects from you. You are among your party's most versatile members, and quite possibly the only one who can stand between a fellow party member and an untimely death. If your party expects you to play the role of combat medic and you're not prepared to do so, be sure to let the rest of the players know so that they can plan accordingly."
At least according to DnD

[Emili]

... as it stands most clerics end up being built as a main healer due to the spell selection and then toping off with Life magic + prayer of life + incredible prayer of life enhancements - attunes the class to excell in the healing role over all others. Compared to a bard with less healing spells available + song magic + lyric of song + lyric of incredible song - while it can serve as a potent healer espcially with high UMD... it is more costly in it's effectiveness to attain the same output. Druid on the otherhand is not in the game as of yet (may never be as far as we can speculate) but as to it's prime top healing potential - should they include them - it remains to be seen as we do not know as to where turbine will stear the class via enhancements.

This all being said... cleric is the healing class because it was a good healing class candidate, and made even more potent in the role by turbine. Had Turbine instituted domains clerics would be a more versitile class ... excelling in other areas outside of healing in some casses.

[Arjen]

Had Turbine instituted domains clerics would be a more versitile class ... excelling in other areas outside of healing in some casses.

I still don't understand why domains have been omitted, is it really that much work to add the additional spell lists and specific slots?

[rimble]

Sorcerers are the best healers. Well, repairers at least. The option is there, no one wants to use it though. I blame us.

[oronisi]

Right which makes them someone who CAN heal like many other classes. It does NOT mean they will stand back and do nothing but heal like 99% of clerics do. Yes there were 2 lines in a 3 page description that say they can heal. Do you really think people will roll them for those 2 lines and not want to do anything else in the 3 pages described? If people want to heal they will role a cleric. Even many clerics dont want to heal. As for wands I guess that means now rogues and bards are primary healers as they can use cure wands too. Oh and pallys and rangers. Oh wait does that mean there is no class that isn't a primary healer by your logic?

The same can be said of clerics, yet people pidgeonhole them into the 'stand back and watch me fight while healing me' role. Clerics are NOT healbots, nor were they ever intended to be. They have access to buffs, defensive spells, offensive spells, summoning, healing, and also can wear the heaviest armor in game and use a wide variety of weapons. Clerics are a fighting class. People that can't build self sufficient characters are generally the ones pushing the cleric into the healer role.

An easy way to figure it out would be to ask yourself one simple questions:

1) Q: If everyone in the party heals their own HP and buffs themselves, can a cleric still contribute to the party?
A: Yes of course! I ran ritual sacrifice in a great party and only needed to spot-heal with my cleric. I was 2nd in the kill count even though most will say kill count doesnt matter, buffed, did damage, killed, healed, mission complete.

See, it's non-self sufficient characters that largely need clerics to be healers, not the other way around. The same will hold true for druids if they ever get implemented.

[Aspenor]

Artificers...

Not sure what they'd do...but they should be included.