My First TR: Cleric. Critiques appreciated

[boomeranky]

Looks quite good so far.

On the skill point set, you might check if you really need to put points into heal or umd at all. umd 15 is not really that useful and the healing skill is something nobody really needs currently. So these points would be better set into balance for example (A cleric laying on the ground isn't going to help the group in the end). Also intimidate of 4, listen of 9 etc aren't going to help a lot at cap, so these points might be more useful if you drop them into diplomacy and/or bluff. These two skills can come in handy in some epics when high enough or while on the path to cap.

Mind also that only tumble is a kind of spell where you need to raise it to at least 1 overall to be able to use it, so not much sense to raise repair or swim.

If you read single +2 tomes instead of the +2 to all stats tome, you might consider saving the +2 tome for another time and just read the +3 at lvl 11 (or vice versa) - it shouldn't be a problem with your hp and no tome to get to lvl 11.

Actually it might even be worth to reconsider, if a starting stat of 12 int is really needed, my own cleric started at 8 and ate a +2 tome at 7 - definitely not a lot of skill points to move around, but enough for concentration and balance plus to raise some secondary after lvl 7. These free'd points could be more useful on the strength and the constitution front.

Also put all level up points into wisdom, not some here some there - you want wisdom as high as possible for spells dc and spell points. My personally experience with a starting strength of 12 plus a +2 tome later and stuff was fine enough - I am no barb, but can hit things when needed.

About the enhancement front - can't say too much there, it's mainly a matter of personal flavor what you want more. I took everything that could enhance healing or turns, but the smiting line is tasty. Divine Vitality is indeed very situationally - nice to help a thirsty groupy when no shrine is nearby as turns regen, but you want the turns mainly for healing so you can use your sp for better things.

Metamagics side of things - I took extend and empower healing first, though empower healing is not really needed until you start to use sp for healing (I didn't for quite some time - wand healing is simply enough at low levels, and with enough plat nearly an infinite resource compared to the few sp you have at start, but extend saves quite a bit on sp and time while buffing).
At cap I got empower healing, quicken, maximize, extend and haste - and wouldn't want to miss one of them. Wish I could also fit in empower to increase spell power a bit more, but I also like the increased spell penetration.

Greetings from brand

[GreatOwl]

Again, something I didn't know... I guess i don't need as many turns as i have been planning on. How quickly do they regenerate?

You regain 1 every 2 minutes. This means that at lvl20 there is only a 30 second interval between your aura expiring and your expended turn to regenerate.
My impression is that you will feel like you'd like more turns (no matter how many you have! ) only in undead heavy quests, where you'll be using your bursts more often. For the rest, even a dumbed down Cha score should give you plenty of extra healing power.


@Brand: Oti has haste?? How come you never pass that out you slacker!

[Fireball241]

I have found that after U9 i rarely use Maximise or Empower on healing spells anymore.

The base cost went down, so that the Metas decrease the SP-efficiency. And as Heals don't really benefit from them, i would consider giving one of them up. Not only for lower levels, but completely. Would keep Maximise for those Bossfights right after shrining and the occasional bladebarrier. But feats are rare.

With burst healing and the low costs... +1.

It is why my latest has divine might and a 15 chr. Took a 16 wis. Str15 and one fighter lvl. 18 wis is a big investment. U could bump up str.chr. with higher chr u can dm2 and still burst heal. Just one lvlup into chr for 16. Rest wis.

Biggest problem with burst is getting zergers to gather. So if they run to the next fight with low health cause they did not get my burst; they r the last to get healed if they live. I tell them ahead of time for non cmbat heals to gather. I think they will learn.

[SirValentine]

18 wis is a big investment.

18 starting Wis and all level-ups: big investement

Imploding the Epic mobs before the melees even get to them: Priceless

[Fireball241]

18 starting Wis and all level-ups: big investement

Imploding the Epic mobs before the melees even get to them: Priceless

The big investment is the play time to lvl20. 3pts into one ability pt is harder to play to lvl clr11. A wis+2 tome on sale is 300 ddo pts turning it to a 34 pt build or 38pt with 32pt base. Clerics can be more fun than wis18 chr dumps but depends what fun is for u I guess.

[Habreno]

While it is true that with Divine Might you'll want those turns for healing, with a 14 BASE CHA, pre-tome, AP, items, etc, I can easily see 24 CHA with only a +6 item, and no exceptionals, from Radiant Servant Pre-req's and a +2 tome. 24 gives 7 modifier, +3 base means 10 turns, 11 with Guild Ship buff. I have 8, 9 GS buffed, and still don't use them all (except in part 4 of Shroud, and I don't think you'll be meleeing there).

I believe DM is the best of the 5 options. While I would not go as far as DM IV, or up to II in your case (highest you can get with 16 base after +2 tome), DM I is very useful even on non-melees. Divine Vitality is close, Divine Healing is a useful long-range top up if you're bored or someone's about to die while you're out of SP. It has few uses besides that at end-game play. Divine Light is great only for Delera's. 6D6 light damage pre L6 is great. I'd swap it out by L6 and use the burst afterward. Divine Fortitude is something I grabbed once as a "why not" thing and had no clue what it did. It was never used, though I believe it's more of a low-level "remove poision" effect, for before you can get the spell.

If you want to look at a Cleric with the Smiting line maxed, I, without Empower, Eardweller OR Superior Brilliance V clicky (craftable), am still getting 600+ crits, with just Arcane Lore to boost crits aside from AP's. If you've got a Favored Soul's debuff in the mix, or ANY sort of twink gear/empower/etc, you should easily clear 700 base crit ticks, and get close to 300 on your normal triple-stacked ticks. Done right, it's very sustainable damage and can be very powerful and deadly. Divine Punishment makes the smiting line worth it.

The highest is approximately 1675 on non-vulnerable enemies (pre-debuff): 25CL from 20 Cleric; Radiant Servant II + Greater Might of the Abashi set (3 pieces minimum), Maximize, Empower, Smiting IV, Eardweller, debuff. Ends up being, on triple-6 crit, 2.5x (metas) times 2.4x (enhancements/potency effects) times 1.2 (debuff) times 93 (triple stack at 25 CL and 6, 6, 6 for die rolls) times 2.5 (higher if you have a higher Lore) for 670 (rounded from 669.6) times 2.5 (crit) for 1675. Not damage to scoff at.