I am still on my first cleric and since about L9 my main buffs have been - Mass Aid, Mass Shield of Faith and Circle of Protection as we step in the door. Prots and Resists if the quest calls for it. Recitation thrown out before fights.
A comment above got me thinking about the Shield of Faith - at L11 it throws out at +3 deflection bonus - I know there are items that can give a +2, but at L11 are there many that hit +3 (+4 at L13/+5 at L19 if my math is correct) and are they commonly held by other players (I know I don't since I have SoF)? If so I will stop with the SoF until it is a +4 or +5 buff and then ask again if the buff is needed at those levels.
gotta to kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight - B. Cockburn
Guild Leader - Order of the Silver Dragons
Mains Darlao Completionist Toogor Sorc TR7 Also Listarn Shadar Kai Rogue 20/8 - WhiskyTango CL28 TR4 - Toongor Bd28 TR2 - Sooey Dwarf ConBarb28 TR2 Pusshy -WizMo 18/ 2/8+9 More
That would have elicited a ROFL if it weren't sooooooo true!
...sigh...
Met a lvl 15 barb the other day who I could fully heal from near zero with a heal scroll...and I hadn't yet taken any scroll enhancements...heh.
But I digress...
Yes, do your self a favor and buff the party!
~ Slayer of the Unwashed, Vice Chair for Disinterest & Apathy of the Grand & Glorious Brotherhood
of the Soooo Not Politically Correct, and Nefarious Devourer of Frosted Goodness ~
♪♫…clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am…♫ ♪
I remember one group I was in with one of my lowbie bards, we zoned into the quest and I proceeded to sing, pass out extended blurs, the usual stuff. One of the group members pipes up and says 'Don't bother casting blur for that 20% miss chance on me, it is a waste of your mana'.
My response? 'I'm not wasting my mana, I am conserving the clerics mana'.
Guess who got first priority on healing for the rest of the dungeon.![]()
It is the caster's job to buff. Thats what you are their for. GH, haste, and firewall. Believe me if you couldn't buff, you would not be needed in parties.
As for clerics, their buffs are not super required. deathward in quests that require it, and FOM, thats about what they are good for buff wise.
Hump? What hump?
Community Member
DW comes in form of Tangleroot clickies.
30 minute resists are available cheap in house P.
My melees don't start any quest until buffed with every house P resist.
On my FvS I'll buff anyone asking, none demanding, and kindly point them toward using house P buffs.
If I said any melee worth his salt uses these buffs it'd surely seem as if I was saying my melees are better than your melees. So I shall refrain from saying this.
So you don't want the 18 bonus HP or the +1 to hit and save of a Mass Aid, or the +2's against the rare evil thing that is trying to kill you OR +3-+5 AC.....if not please tell me two wait whil you step away from the group before I start buffing, the other six will gladly take your share.
I believe that goes under the /squelch category.
gotta to kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight - B. Cockburn
Guild Leader - Order of the Silver Dragons
Mains Darlao Completionist Toogor Sorc TR7 Also Listarn Shadar Kai Rogue 20/8 - WhiskyTango CL28 TR4 - Toongor Bd28 TR2 - Sooey Dwarf ConBarb28 TR2 Pusshy -WizMo 18/ 2/8+9 More
Leveling up I always pass out common resists to those who can't cast it themselves, and on my cleric always mass aid and mass shield of faith. Once available mass protection from elements and mass deathward.
Spend a little on buffing and save a lot on healing. Those who say otherwise usually aren't worth grouping with a second time anyway.
Buffs not being worth the sp to me is the same type of thinking that you need power attack on at level 2 or should always be TWF as soon as you can.
Some people are noobs who don't know any better, some are vets who have a hard time adjusting to the fact that they are on a low level toon rather than their capped characters, but mostly people who think this way are just morons who won't last in this game thinking that way for very long.
Just so you know...
Not all FVS view themselves as healers. Some are nukers and melee toons.
But a FVS that can not heal is definitely gimping themself. But I feel that way toward EVERY caster build that multiclasses other than the 18WIZ/2ROG and 18CLR/MNK 18 FVS/2MNK.
You can play your toon anyway you like...just understand you may solo a lot.
From your first post, it seems you ran into a FVS that indeed...solos a LOT. Maybe he/she does not heal. Maybe they are a solo build.
I know a few FVS that have just buff spells and nuking spells...and only use heal scrolls until they get higher and start using mass CLW/CMW/CSW. Its their build.
Also you mention a "skill" to benefit a party...well every class/race in game has the Skill named "Chug potion". People handling their own debuffs lets the Healer focus on CC Damage and healing.
I personally do not mind healing others, but I can only be asked for a restore once or twice before I just wanna give them a "pocket ride".