Some advices needed for a cleric build please

[Delaluz]

Hello everyone,

I'm a brand new player on the F2P side and I must admit this game is very pleasant so far.
I am planning to build a cleric with a few levels in Fighter. I browsed many forums to learn about this kind of build, learnt a lot of things, and of course I still have questions :-)
To make it clear I'll state my requirements, then my questions, then the description of the build coming from the tool.

Thanks to everyone taking the time to read these lines.
PS : Sorry if my english is bad, it's my second langage and I did my best.

Requirements:
- Dwarf cleric (I am just a dward addict). The splash in Fighter is for the proficiencies and feats (the monk class is not accessible so far, and anyway I dislike finessable weapons).
- I need a solo build essentially, even if I will often play with one friend (who should be a tank), with some occasional pickup
- I want to be able to heal properly, even in a full group
- I prefer the melee side rather than the offensive caster side (I understood the caster side would me more powerful, that's just a personal preference)
- I will use blunt weapons, preferably mauls (I know axes would be better with the enhancements, but that's a RP preference, I know I'm a pain in the ... :-) )

Questions:
1) I understood clerics relied Divine favor/might for melee. Does that mean they cast them for each fight? Isn't it too mana costly? I also understood that strenght equipment didn't stack with these spells. Does that mean that I should not have any strenght equipement at all? In this case, does focusing on str enhancements and wis equipement is a good move?

2) Should I choose stunning blow ? I know I will not have a lot of strenght so a bad nitial DC. Let's say I will use a weighted maul and use the fighter/dwarf enhancements to balance my weak strenght. Is a feat and many enhancements worth it in the high levels (I expect mobs to be immune or with very high DC)?

3) Should I use the 3 Two handed fighting feats ? I would say no, since it requires 3 feats to be optimal, and since I don't want to loose too much healing power for melee capabilities. But I ask the question anyway, in case it is tremendous at high levels.

4) I just spent the ability points into Concentration first and then Balance. I saw a lot of builds spending a few points in Heal but I don't understand why. Do cleric use heal to save mana when not fighting? Why only a few points then? Should I consider putting a few points elsewhere? Like jump, tumble etc. ?

5) What kind of instance difficulty should I expect to achieve solo? Easy, normal, hard? Considering I will do half solo half playing with a friend, would I be able to reach the high levels this way? (I like the challenge, but not the farming...)


Build:

******, I just realized I didn't export the full build. I will update it tomorrow, sorry for that. :-(

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page
 
Torvemine 
Level 1 Neutral Good Dwarf Male
(1 Cleric) 
Hit Points: 34
Spell Points: 195 
BAB: 0
Fortitude: 5
Reflex: -1
Will: 5
 
                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 1)
Strength             16                    16
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         16                    16
Intelligence         10                    10
Wisdom               16                    16
Charisma              6                     6
 
                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 1)
Balance               1                     5
Bluff                -2                    -2
Concentration         7                     7
Diplomacy            -2                    -2
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -2                    -2
Heal                  3                     3
Hide                 -1                    -1
Intimidate           -2                    -2
Jump                  3                     3
Listen                3                     3
Move Silently        -1                    -1
Open Lock            n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                0                     0
Search                0                     2
Spot                  3                     3
Swim                  3                     3
Tumble               n/a                   n/a
Use Magic Device     n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Dwarven Faith I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic I
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot I
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality I

Thank you very much for your answers !

[Anderei]

Questions:
1) I understood clerics relied Divine favor/might for melee. Does that mean they cast them for each fight? Isn't it too mana costly? I also understood that strenght equipment didn't stack with these spells. Does that mean that I should not have any strenght equipement at all? In this case, does focusing on str enhancements and wis equipement is a good move?

Devine Favor/Devina might use a turn undead use not spellpoints, the amount is determined by your charisma modifier, which is -2 in your build yielding 1 use per rest

2) Should I choose stunning blow ? I know I will not have a lot of strenght so a bad nitial DC. Let's say I will use a weighted maul and use the fighter/dwarf enhancements to balance my weak strenght. Is a feat and many enhancements worth it in the high levels (I expect mobs to be immune or with very high DC)?

Wont do that much good IMHO, rather try to take another metamagic feat.

3) Should I use the 3 Two handed fighting feats ? I would say no, since it requires 3 feats to be optimal, and since I don't want to loose too much healing power for melee capabilities. But I ask the question anyway, in case it is tremendous at high levels.

at very least the first one.

4) I just spent the ability points into Concentration first and then Balance. I saw a lot of builds spending a few points in Heal but I don't understand why. Do cleric use heal to save mana when not fighting? Why only a few points then? Should I consider putting a few points elsewhere? Like jump, tumble etc. ?

[color=yellow]do not invest into heal[/heal]

5) What kind of instance difficulty should I expect to achieve solo? Easy, normal, hard? Considering I will do half solo half playing with a friend, would I be able to reach the high levels this way? (I like the challenge, but not the farming...)

soloing gets harder with levels, the highest level you can solo depeands on your build, the amount of pots you use, your gear and your skills

Build:

******, I just realized I didn't export the full build. I will update it tomorrow, sorry for that. :-(

syup, 1 level is too less to say much

Otherwise refer to this thread:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=223253

[sirgog]

1) I understood clerics relied Divine favor/might for melee. Does that mean they cast them for each fight? Isn't it too mana costly? I also understood that strenght equipment didn't stack with these spells. Does that mean that I should not have any strenght equipement at all? In this case, does focusing on str enhancements and wis equipement is a good move?

These spells last a while. Early on their duration is short (~90 sec at level 7) but by endgame they last for ages. You won't be spending many SP on them. That said, a +6 Str item is nice to have at endgame (you won't always have Divine Power active).

Divine Might is a different kettle of fish altogether, and isn't really an option on a dwarf.

2) Should I choose stunning blow ? I know I will not have a lot of strenght so a bad nitial DC. Let's say I will use a weighted maul and use the fighter/dwarf enhancements to balance my weak strenght. Is a feat and many enhancements worth it in the high levels (I expect mobs to be immune or with very high DC)?

Not worth it. It has quite a long cooldown (15 seconds I think) and foes will save often from the middle levels

3) Should I use the 3 Two handed fighting feats ? I would say no, since it requires 3 feats to be optimal, and since I don't want to loose too much healing power for melee capabilities. But I ask the question anyway, in case it is tremendous at high levels.

I use two on my main (Clr18/Ftr2), plus Power Attack. All of my other feats are survival or healing oriented (Quicken Spell, Toughness, Maximize Spell, Empower Healing).

4) I just spent the ability points into Concentration first and then Balance. I saw a lot of builds spending a few points in Heal but I don't understand why. Do cleric use heal to save mana when not fighting? Why only a few points then? Should I consider putting a few points elsewhere? Like jump, tumble etc. ?

Heal is a worthless skill after about level 5, and is only a convenience until then. You chose well on skills. Jump is also worthwhile, as is a *single point* (no more) in Tumble.

5) What kind of instance difficulty should I expect to achieve solo? Easy, normal, hard? Considering I will do half solo half playing with a friend, would I be able to reach the high levels this way? (I like the challenge, but not the farming...)

My main has soloed many high-level quests on Hard and some on Elite. Melee cleric builds are incredibly good soloists - IMO they are the second best solo characters from levels 1-10 (1-5 Paladins are ahead, 6-10 Warchanters are best), then remain strong soloists from 11-19 (in these levels offensive caster Clerics and Favored Souls are the best soloists, melee clerics/FvS are probably next) and are stellar soloists at 20.


The Cleric Build 2010 catalogue thread (link in my signature) has a pretty thorough outline of my main's build (under Melee-Focussed Cleric) and a halfway-house between the offensive casters and melee clerics (Melee-Capable Cleric).

Requirements:
- Dwarf cleric (I am just a dward addict). The splash in Fighter is for the proficiencies and feats (the monk class is not accessible so far, and anyway I dislike finessable weapons).
- I need a solo build essentially, even if I will often play with one friend (who should be a tank), with some occasional pickup
- I want to be able to heal properly, even in a full group
- I prefer the melee side rather than the offensive caster side (I understood the caster side would me more powerful, that's just a personal preference)
- I will use blunt weapons, preferably mauls (I know axes would be better with the enhancements, but that's a RP preference, I know I'm a pain in the ... :-) )

Questions:
1) I understood clerics relied Divine favor/might for melee. Does that mean they cast them for each fight? Isn't it too mana costly? I also understood that strenght equipment didn't stack with these spells. Does that mean that I should not have any strenght equipement at all? In this case, does focusing on str enhancements and wis equipement is a good move?

2) Should I choose stunning blow ? I know I will not have a lot of strenght so a bad nitial DC. Let's say I will use a weighted maul and use the fighter/dwarf enhancements to balance my weak strenght. Is a feat and many enhancements worth it in the high levels (I expect mobs to be immune or with very high DC)?

3) Should I use the 3 Two handed fighting feats ? I would say no, since it requires 3 feats to be optimal, and since I don't want to loose too much healing power for melee capabilities. But I ask the question anyway, in case it is tremendous at high levels.

4) I just spent the ability points into Concentration first and then Balance. I saw a lot of builds spending a few points in Heal but I don't understand why. Do cleric use heal to save mana when not fighting? Why only a few points then? Should I consider putting a few points elsewhere? Like jump, tumble etc. ?

5) What kind of instance difficulty should I expect to achieve solo? Easy, normal, hard? Considering I will do half solo half playing with a friend, would I be able to reach the high levels this way? (I like the challenge, but not the farming...)


Build:

******, I just realized I didn't export the full build. I will update it tomorrow, sorry for that. :-(

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page
 
Torvemine 
Level 1 Neutral Good Dwarf Male
(1 Cleric) 
Hit Points: 34
Spell Points: 195 
BAB: 0
Fortitude: 5
Reflex: -1
Will: 5
 
                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 1)
Strength             16                    16
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         16                    16
Intelligence         10                    10
Wisdom               16                    16
Charisma              6                     6
 
                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 1)
Balance               1                     5
Bluff                -2                    -2
Concentration         7                     7
Diplomacy            -2                    -2
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -2                    -2
Heal                  3                     3
Hide                 -1                    -1
Intimidate           -2                    -2
Jump                  3                     3
Listen                3                     3
Move Silently        -1                    -1
Open Lock            n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                0                     0
Search                0                     2
Spot                  3                     3
Swim                  3                     3
Tumble               n/a                   n/a
Use Magic Device     n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Dwarven Faith I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic I
Enhancement: Cleric Energy of the Zealot I
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality I

Thank you very much for your answers !

[tihocan]

Some stuff:
- If you really want to give up on offensive casting, then your main stat will be Str, and you can start with a low Wis. Your main offensive spell will be blade barrier which still does useful damage when maximized even on a save (though it'll suck vs. mob with evasion ), but you'll have trouble landing some other useful spells like greater command, insta-kills, charms, cometfall trip, ...
- A middle-ground is to keep focus on Wis (i.e. 16 base and level-ups go there too). That would be my recommandation because it works better for solo play. 16 base Str will still let you have decent melee abilities.
- The 3 "must-have" feats I try to get on any cleric are extend (for short duration buffs + blade barriers), maximize (for blade barriers + mass cures) and quicken (for blade barriers + reliable heals in some tough fights). With a fighter splash, this leave 5 feats. For melee you'll want Power Attack and Improved Crit. You'll probably want Toughness for better survivability. So 2 feats left... I'd pick at least THF for some better glancing blows. Then either ITHF, Stunning Blow or Empower Healing. However, Stunning Blow only if you go with the first option of being mostly Str-based, otherwise it won't land reliably enough past mid levels.

[Delaluz]

Thank you all very much, this was exactly the kind of information I needed !