Need solo Cleric advice

[lppmor]

I want to make a divine toon to solo quests till lvl 20 (mostly normal difficulty), with good melee damage and also spells to deal with tough situations. I know Favored Soul is usually the best option for solo play, even more now with the prestige, but for some reason I don't like them and prefer Clerics. So, my initial idea is starting a Dwarf Cleric.

However, the Cleric prestige seems to be very focused on healing, they have many enhancements that can't even be cast on self, and they also don't get any amplification at all to BB damage. We don't have yet the Warpriest prestige (maybe next update? LOL), so how good is the Cleric with his defensive prestige for solo play? And which is the best play style for solo (Str based, Wis based, etc)?

[Sarisa]

The healing aura and bursts make it so you don't have to spend much SP on healing yourself. You can instead use that SP on nuking a boss, Blade Barrier'ing trash, or insta-killing annoying casters. If you add in healing amp, it makes it that much stronger.

[Chette]

I don't have any cleric's anymore, but I have a Str based and a Wis based FvS, each well geared with past lives.

I far prefer the wisdom based in almost every possibly situation.

But everybody's play style is different, it really depends what you prefer most. You will get through most quests much faster running and blade barriering than you will hacking things down with an axe one at a time. Strength based divines can BB too certainly, but with about half the effectiveness. Additionally, implode, destruction, slay living, greater command, soundburst and cometfall make it so that if you don't want to deal with something, you don't have to.

[lppmor]

Yep, I was really thinking that Wis seems to be the best way to go. But anyway my goal is to start with no less than 16 STR and get the dwarven enhancements for the Greataxe, since there is a long way till lvl 11 and even after that meleeing will be necessary.

Using the prestige to save sp for offense seems great too. Only problem is that my goal is starting with CHA 6, but I think I can fix that that getting a few Extra Turning and also trusting the turning regeneration from the prestige.

[~jradnut]

Always hjeals monks first and rangers last, .

edit: sorry, missed the solo part. Dang you, Evelyn Wood!

[Kmnh]

Caster clerics are more fun to play.


You can get to level 9 with turn undead, aura bursts and some sort of overpowered melee weapon. From there, you spam offensive spells all the way to 20. It's easy enough to do.


Abuse your melee buffs! Divine power and divine favor are your best friends until you can start beating quests with spells

[lppmor]

Abuse your melee buffs! Divine power and divine favor are your best friends until you can start beating quests with spells

By the way. Hey devs, are you guys thinking about adding Righteous Might to DDO in the near future?

Oh man, I would love that

[PNellesen]

Always hjeals monks first and rangers last, .

WRONG!

Rangers don't NEED Hjeals at all, they can heal themselves.

It should be Bards first (they're like little singing SP pots) and then Barbs. What do monks need hjealing for? They evade everything anyway

On-topic: I've played a full-out pure casting cleric to cap, and he soloed quite well, but his melee wasn't the greatest. I'm also playing an STR-based Cleric/fighter, and while his DCs suck, he's pretty handy with a Greatsword or Falchion. So far it's a tossup as to which one I prefer - they both have their strengths and weaknesses, but the lack of SP on the STR-based cleric is starting to bug me a little bit.

[zeonardo]

WARNING: This is a MINMAX build, used to take full advantage of the class of choice of the OP without multi-classing. Nothing else.

STR
Half-Elf

32pts
str 17
con 17
wis 14

Fighter Dile for Martial Pro (so you can use any THF you come accross)
1 human adap on CON (unlocks 3rd tof enhance)
1 human great adap on STR
1 fighter STR
5 levels on STR
= 24

(2 cleric wisdom optional)
1 Tof, 3 Extend (longer self buffs), 6 Empower Healing (PrE and usefulness), 9 PA, 12 IC:S, 15 Quicken, 18 Shield Pro (aura, shield turtle + concop, DP)

-------------------------------

WIS
Human (Half-Elf for Barb Dile and +20 HP and uglyness, but I'd strongly avoid this)

32pts
con 17
wis 17 for even 26 and +2 tome = 28 OR 18 for odd 27 if using +3 tome = 30 also, consider your exceptionals here.
dump str (less fatigue, more load) OR cha (more turns) OR int (more skill)

1 human adap on CON (unlocks 3rd tof enhance)
1 human great adap on WIS
5 levels on WIS
3 cleric wisdom

1 Tof, 3 Extend (swap it later), 6 Empower Healing (PrE and usefulness), 9 Empower, 12 Quicken, 15 Maximize, 18 Spell Pen, 3 G. Spell Pen

Human: Extra Turn Undead (+4 turns = +8 cha) OR Shield Pro (aura, shield turtle + concop, DP)
Not much to do here. Any clues on bonus feat use?

[PNellesen]

1 Tof, 3 Extend (swap it later), 6 Empower Healing (PrE and usefulness), 9 Empower, 12 Quicken, 15 Maximize, 18 Spell Pen, 3 G. Spell Pen

Human: Extra Turn Undead (+4 turns = +8 cha) OR Shield Pro (aura, shield turtle + concop, DP)

Not much to do here. Any clues on bonus feat use?

Since you're going pure-caster, maybe Spell Focus? Necro or Evocation?

[zeonardo]

Since you're going pure-caster, maybe Spell Focus? Necro or Evocation?

^ This!
Thanks!

[lppmor]

I know I'll be feat starving going Dwarf, since I'll have to burn a feat on Martial Proficiency at lvl 1. Probably Extend at lvl 3, Emp. Heal Spell (for the prestige) at lvl 6.. you can already notice how much this will delay a lot of necessary things like Maximize, Power Attack, Toughness..

So, going Human for the extra feat or Half-elf (fighter) for the martial proficiency are really nice ideas. Only problem is that I don't know if I can live without the dwarven +5 bonus saves. My wizard is Dwarf and soloing is amazing.. I don't recall getting fully hit by a spell for a long time (unless on 1 rolls of course)

I'll have to really think about the race..

Thanks for the replies so far.

[Vordax]

I know I'll be feat starving going Dwarf, since I'll have to burn a feat on Martial Proficiency at lvl 1. Probably Extend at lvl 3, Emp. Heal Spell (for the prestige) at lvl 6.. you can already notice how much this will delay a lot of necessary things like Maximize, Power Attack, Toughness..

So, going Human for the extra feat or Half-elf (fighter) for the martial proficiency are really nice ideas. Only problem is that I don't know if I can live without the dwarven +5 bonus saves. My wizard is Dwarf and soloing is amazing.. I don't recall getting fully hit by a spell for a long time (unless on 1 rolls of course)

I'll have to really think about the race..

Thanks for the replies so far.

Nice thing about clerics, is that they have spells to counteract most of the spells, so saves aren't quite as important. I would assume your dwarven wizard probably has insightful reflexes also, typically clerics don't make their reflex saves! (unless evasion splashed build).

Vordax

[zeonardo]

I know I'll be feat starving going Dwarf, since I'll have to burn a feat on Martial Proficiency at lvl 1. Probably Extend at lvl 3, Emp. Heal Spell (for the prestige) at lvl 6.. you can already notice how much this will delay a lot of necessary things like Maximize, Power Attack, Toughness..

Martial Proficiency: <weapon>

You will burn ONE feat to get proficiency in ONE martial weapon.

Half-Elf: Fighter Dilettante grants proficiency in ALL martial weapons plus +1 fighter str.
Dwarf get bonus to hit and damage with it. Ok

Plus, Dwarf has good sinergy with Cleric class. They have some (expensive) enhancements to this class too.

32pts
str 18 + 5 = 23 (+6 to-hit and damage, +2 with Great Axe = +8)
con 18 + 2 = 20 (unlocks 4th tof feat)
wis 14

Half-Elf: Fighter
str 17 + 5 + 1race + 1 dile = 24 (+7 to-hit/damage on ALL martial)
con 17 + 1race = 18
wis 14
They also have the cheap Human Versatility enhancement line (1, 2, 3 and 4 AP = 10) for up to +5 damage, attack, saves and skills for 20 seconds

[Mubjon]

Do you have access to Monk? I was not a big believer in splashing monk on a cleric til I built one. It is nice to have 2 monk in there it is a good class to go with a Cleric due to the bonus to AC from Wisdom. If you do and still wish to do dwarf and want to solo then I might recommend

12 cleric/7 monk/1 fighter

This will get you 4 bonus feats to help with a feat starved class, evasion from the monk and enough self healing, plus blade barriers and divine punishment, FOM, etc to help while soloing.

You can go two ways with this as well on a dwarf. I never min/max though as I do not believe that is a proper way to build a character. For mostly melee I would go.

Str 16 +5 or 4 level ups, +2 tome, +1 from fighter str enhancement +6 item +3 exceptional
Dex 14 +3 tome for GTWF or 1 level up and +2 tome
Con 14 +2 tome
Int 10 need this to do both balance and concentration at level up for Ki
Wis 14 +6 item +2
Char 10 +6 item

Or

Str 12 +6 item, +2 tome = 20 minimum add ship buffs and other stuff to increase it more
Dex 15 +2 tome to get you to GTWF, +6 item, +ship buffs etc
Con 16 +6 item
Int 10 (again to get 2 skill points at your cleric levels to keep balance and concentration going)
Wis 16 +7 item (have to grind for one of the epics), +5 level ups, +2 tome, +3 exception from greensteel, +3 from enhancements
Charisma 10 (2 extra turns from the 6 base) +6 item

This will give you decent solo play.

Conversely you can do it as a caster type and be able to run in groups 17 cleric/2 monk/1 fighter

You get 3 bonus feats though but you can use them to take toughness, two weapon fighting, oversized two weapon fighting and then stunning fist with the 1 monk level.

Str 12 +6 item, +2 tome = 20 minimum add ship buffs and other stuff to increase it more
Dex 15 +2 tome to get you to GTWF, +6 item, +ship buffs etc
Con 16 +6 item
Int 10 (again to get 2 skill points at your cleric levels to keep balance and concentration going)
Wis 16 +7 item (have to grind for one of the epics), +5 level ups, +2 tome, +3 exception from greensteel, +3 from enhancements
Charisma 10 (2 extra turns from the 6 base) +6 item

either of these will get you the dwarven axes for free if you so choose and you can take two weapon fighting and with tomes up to GTWF to help with wielding two of them for solo'ing and take advantage of the dwarf axe damage and to hit enhancements.