cleave?

[cru121]

I have this cleric. It is my mule character, but I thought I could make her a Shroud runner in the long run.

Human Barb 1 / Cleric 8
Starting stats: 18/14/14 STR/CON/WIS
Feats:
1 Dragonmark of Passage (exp.retreat)
H Toughness
3 Empower Healing
6 Maximize
9 Power Attack

How would you finish her up? I intend to retrain the dragonmark when I slot some striding 30% gear, i.e. 4 feats, (or 5 if I take a level of fighter).

I will certainly add feats: IC:Slash, Quicken, Empower. The retrain might go to Extend.

Now, I had this crazy idea: take a fighter level at 10, take Cleave and swing a paralyzer. This would also allow me to heal party less. Hitting things is more fun than hjealing. And later, cleaving with Terror sounds like fun as well.

Gearwise, I might use Sora Katra set on 11, and switch to multiple House C sets at 18 (Alchemist, Magewright, Fabricator). Perhaps Epic Brawling and Epic Cavalry at cap, if I get there.

http://my.ddo.com/character/ghallanda/cargomaster

[Kinerd]

Enemies very rapidly outstrip a cleric's CC abilities, whether through spells or weapons. However, this doesn't necessarily ruin your plans. You can always play your character as a straight healbot in difficult content or with substandard parties, then bust out your cleaves when things are going fine (which is to say boring).

The hardest part about healing Shroud is not lagging, really. 18 cleric levels are more than enough so long as you don't forget yourself and start Terrorizing Arraetrikos.

[assimilateur]

I've used cleave and great cleave for a long time (on a fighter and a monk, not a cleric though), but I've grown disenchanted with it. It feels more like special effects than anything useful.

But it's also been a long time since I've tried cleaving with paralyzers. Maybe the effects of that would change my perception of cleave.

[MRMechMan]

At endgame paralyzers won't do much.

There are a lot of good reasons to splash on a cleric. Cleave is not one of them.

[axel15810]

Just swing a paralyzer without cleave. Any extra paralyzes you get from cleave aren't going to be worth missing out on lots of more useful feats. That is if you're looking to make a so called "optimal" build. If you want to just build something different for fun or to mix it up go for it. But clerics are feat starved as it is...there are definitely more useful feats you could be taking. If that's your goal I'd definitely recommending swapping out your dragonmark feat while you're at it and just throw on some striders instead...or use a clicky or haste pots.

[krtkoo]

I have this cleric. It is my mule character, but I thought I could make her a Shroud runner in the long run.

If you want this char for shroud healing, I would recommend Mental Toughness - more sp are always useful. Cleave is imo waste of a feat for such cleric.

[JollySwagMan]

Doesn't seem so terrible - I have a lot of fun using Cleave with Paralysers/Cursespewers around that level. That said, that's on melees who don't have access to spells like Greater Command or Symbol of Pain.

Would recommend swapping it to Improved Sunder at high levels though. Alternately Shield Mastery.