A new cleric with a lot to learn

[argletahm]

sorry to be a bother but I started out playing ddo a few days ago and I still have quite a few troubles setting up my character properly. Right now I'm level 9 but, being a huge overplanner, I would like to know how to get the best out of my character.

My initial plan was to make a character which would mainly heal but could, if needed, throw in a crowd control/bb or even take up it's heavy mace and smash it on the head of mobs... right now it's a little too much I think and I probably messed up quite a few things (expecially on starting stats) so I was wondering if and what I could do to survive and if I will be able to reach end game content without too much hassle.. (the main problem is that I based myself on my past pen and paper expericences and so it pretty much screwed up a little ^^")

Human
str: 16
dex: 9 (was thought to get +3 items and fill up a full plate without spending too much)
con: 12
int: 8
wis: 16 (I have read quite a few threads that tells to make it 18 on a start I hope this won't mess too much...)
cha: 11 (I thought turnning would work a lot better and gain a +3 items... actually I'm mainly using it for divine vitality >.> I could have dumped it to 10 or even leave it at 8..)

I put my 2 stat points from lvl 4 and 8 into wis bringing it to 18 and pla to go wis all the way with 12 16 and 20 improvements

feats:
1-mental toughness
1-extend spell
3-empower healing
6-improved mental toughness
9-maximize spells

I still have another 3 feats at 12-15-18 I was thinkning to take toughness quicken spells and empower spells.

No idea wethere there are better solutions and/or I should swap something out.


enhancements:
here it was a huge mess didn't even know there was something like this when I started out the char... after it was pretty much a "what am I gonna do now..."
Ended up with heal magic 3 cleric wis 2 human wis 1 wand 1 extra turn 2 divine vitality 1 improved emp heal 2
hope to haven't forgot anything (I'm doing this on a memory basis right now as I can't login on the game not being at home I will update later if I see any major mess).

Equipment:
Again here not knowing what was in game it took me quite a few to see what could be useful... right now I have
helm: +3 cha (see stats above for reference)
armor: +5 full plate
shield: either +5 large shield (if I have to "tank") or +1 superior devotion III shield
weapon: either +2 true good frost ehavy mace or muckbane
necklace: wis+3 (bringing my wis at 24 totale including enchancement)
belt: poison proof - light fortification
boots: featherfalling +5jump
gloves: +3 dex (filling that full plate bonus)
bracers: expeditious retreat 3/d
trinket: wizardry II (crimson gemstone from tangleroot)
ring1: protection +1
ring2: 10% striding
cape: resistance +2

I think tehre are quite a few things that could be improved but I have no idea on what to aim... expecially considering that being this my first character I'm pretty much tight on money...

Spells:
Right now I'm mainly using heals, mass aid, mass prot evil, energy resistance, energy protection, freedom of movment, remove curse, death ward (usually either this or freedom depending on what is needed), raise dead, searing light, mass command or flame strike depending on quests, panacea, bull and bear (mainly to self buff and cover the lack of a +stat item on those 2).
Everything else pretty much varies from quests.
If anybody wants to suggest something that I should take absolutely and which I missed in the list below fee free to point it out.


I would gladly accept any suggestion on anything to get more effective....
I would also be really grateful if you would point out which are the better mid-high lvl gears I should aim to with my cleric in the long run.

Thanks in advance and again sorry to bother everyone

p.s. I was thinking to go cleric 20, could it be good to go 18cl/2monk or 19cl/1pal? what do I gain? what do I lose? in case I decide to go for the multiclass when is the best time to take those "other class" levels?


Thanks again

[Zombiekenny]

I'm not that experienced myself, so you may want to disreguard this entire post :P

The stats aren't perfect, but they should be playable. If you have limited playtime so lvl9 takes quite awhile to get to, I personally wouldn't reroll based on that.

Feats are more-or-less fine, I would put metamagic ahead of toughness

Enhancements I have everything that boosts healing, and everything I can get that gives more SP or makes healing cheaper, but I primarilly heal and try to eliminate DPS (need to heal) with greater command/bb/cometfall

You should be able to find a +concentration helm
You should be able to find +strength bracers, and swap to expeditious retreat, click, and swap back real fast if you want to use that (just put both on a hotbar)

You won't need flame once you get comet (imo)

Find a guild that is willing to work with you if you haven't already, even if you still pug a lot, having a place to fall back where you don't gotta put up with mass idiocy on a clr can be priceless

[Kralgnax]

I'm a level 9 cleric/1 fighter (highest level character), so I'm in a similar situation to you:

Your build , spells & gear look fine - I think you're getting bitten (like me) with a change in the difficulty curve of the game. At level 7, I could solo most things just fine - now it's gtting much harder & well-integrated groups ar emuch more important. So don't sweat it, plug away and it will get better.

When you say: I was thinking to go cleric 20, could it be good to go 18cl/2monk or 19cl/1pal? what do I gain? what do I lose? in case I decide to go for the multiclass when is the best time to take those "other class" levels? I don't have a good handle on cleric/monk but I believe the basis is the evasion skill (Needs Dex) and the monk ability to add WIS to AC. I'm not sure if your build would work well with that Paladin is an option (Saves, martial weapons, etc.) so long as you're Lawful good. Otherwise, you could try Ftr or Barb dips - I think I'd recommend staying pure cleric, though, unless smacking things is big for you - it is for me

Cheers!

[Original]

I am not very good at helping new newbs... but here it goes.

Since your both almost level 11 I would head out to orchard in necropolis(level 10-19 good xp) and farm Tattered Tapestries. There is 2 helms that are usefull for clerics and they look cool. You need to collect 20 taps to get helm.
Best Helm in the game for almost any character unless you make greensteal is...
Minos Legends - +20HP and Heavy Fort or
Seraphim - Sacred, Hollowed, Abjuration Focus, Devotion VI

and gear to think of down the road...
Raid Loot from Demon Queen
Shining Crest of St. Markus - Deathblock, Improved Devotion VI, Lesser Healing Lore
Torc of Prince Raiyum - Greater Spell Penetration VI, Wizardry III, Transform Kinetic Energy
Greenblade - +5 Kukri, Greater Arcane Lore, Force Burst
Raid Loot from Reaver
Gauntlets of Eternity - Heal +13, Repair +13, Devotion VI, Superior Healing Lore, Eternal Faith
Madstone Shield - +5 Tower Shield (Max Dex: 3, DR: 11, ACP:-7), Shield Proficiency: Tower Shields
Raid Loot from Hound of Xoriat
Lorricks Champion - +5 Large Shield (Base Dmg: 1d12), Panacea (CL:9, 2/rest), Lorikk's Champion, Eternal Faith Lorricks Necklace -Lorikk's Champion, Wisdom +6, Wizardry VI, Efficient Metamagic - Empower Healing II
Ring of Thelis - Efficient Metamagic - Empower II, Wizardry VII, Spell Resistance (22)

As far as armor Dragontouched Full Plate probaly best bet... cant wear until level 16.
Some kats wear Blue Scale but whatever floats your boat.

This link is good to look at loot: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php...ic+end+rewards

Hope this helps.

[Elsbet]

It looks like the build information is pretty well covered. I have some practical advice on reducing the costs and frustrations of running a cleric on my myDDO page.

[argletahm]

Thanks a lot everyone.. I'll keep going with it and hope it will go well (sticking with pure cleric)... I like playing cleric a lot but sometimes it's slightly tough.

I'm reading the posts at the link you gave me. It's really interesting and I guess I was slightly overzealous in healing up till now...

Thanks again for all the answers. If someone has something to add evry suggestion is welcome..