Noob Cleric

[Hakari]

Hello, I just got this game and I am trying to figure out how to do some things. I have read a lot in these forums and as far as I can tell:

1) Heal kits can only be used for rezzing?
2) Heal skill points don't matter for clerics?
3) Halflings get the healing dragonmark ability?
4) Cleric build with 8 CHA?

These seem counter-intuitive, so I am asking for veteran help here. I rolled a elf cleric, with points in Charisma for turning undead, but no-one is using that either?

Thanks in advance,

Hak

[arminius]

No worries, a lot of stuff like this seems counterintuitive. If I had a dime for every cleric question I get in the harbor, I'd...have a lot of dimes, I think!

1. Heal kits aren't for rezzing, they are to pull people out of incap when you've got no other way to do it. Between 0 and -10 a person is incapacitated, and they do a check every few seconds to see if they keep bleeding to death or stabilize. A successful use of a heal kit brings that person to their feet. They are very, very rarely used nowadays, since so many classes can use wands and so many characters are twinked with at least money that they can get wands relatively easily.

2. The Heal skill helps one use the heal kits, which as I said are mostly obsolete due to widespread use of wands. It also helps people get more hit points back at shrines, which is ok enough as it goes but not critical (again due to the widespread use of wands for topping off hit points). Of all Clerical skills, Concentration is by far the most important, with Balance coming in a distant second. While the use of the Quicken Spell feat (very common on Clerics now) nullifies the use of the Concentration skill, it is usually not gotten till later levels, and often not turned on all the time. So Concentration remains where most Clerics put their skill points, with any leftovers going to Balance and otherwise it is pretty much personal preference.

3. Yes. Seems popular, but I've never tried it.

4. Charisma is for turning undead and Divine Vitality. Turning undead was very weak early in the game's history, and so many ignore it. It is much stronger now if a Cleric chooses to focus on it, but many just ignore it anyway still. High Charisma Clerics most often have Divine Vitality, which can benefit the party greatly. However, due to the high incidence of Dwarven and Halfling Clerics who focus on maxing other stats besides Charisma (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity), Charisma can easily turn into a dump stat for those builds. Depending on preferences, the people with those builds don't miss it.

_

[Hakari]

Thanks, your comments are much appreciated. I think I will re-roll with my stats the same, and skip the points in Heal.

Thanks again!

Hak

[transtemporal]

To add to what arminus said...

1. Heal kits are still useful at low levels for bringing back incapped team mates when you're out of spell points and wands. This has only happened to my cleric twice, but the first time I didn't have any heal kits and felt like a bloody idiot while the fighter used his healing skill. You can usually grab some +5 ones off the AH for cheap.

2. Although my clerics don't put any points into heal, I do carry a level-appropriate sustenance item. Makes my heal something like 27. I only put this on when the party is shrining but its worth it, especially for those big HP barbs that I would otherwise have to heal with a scroll or a wand, which is kinda a waste of resources.
On the skills thing, I put points into concentration and jump (I hate not being able to jump). Balance is also really important if you can fit it, as there are many things that trip in the game and a cleric is always gonna have a sucky score with full plate on.

3. I've met people who swear by it, saying its 'free' healing. Sweet sweet, except that it cost 3 feats to get to the highest tier... As for why halflings get it? Wouldn't have a clue.

4. Yeah, as arminus says, most don't go for charisma based cleric builds. High charisma gives you lots of turning undead attempts (that most people don't use) but by getting the Divine Vitality (DV) enhancement, you can use your turn undead attempts to give other casters back spell points instead. You become any casters new best friend.

I have a 12th level drow turning-specced cleric and shes a lot of fun to play. Pretty decent healer, DVs and Turns for Africa (and she can use for turning in undead quests or DVs in non-undead quests). My only complaint about her is that its really expensive action point wise, to buy the undead turning enhancements. So much so I'm thinking of re-speccing her into a nuker.

Happy gaming!