Couple noob questions on favored soul

[zenguitar]

"To learn and cast a spell, a Favored Soul must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + spell level."

And yet I see a build listed that starts with 12 charisma (and spends no level ups on cha) and he has his spell list all the way up to level 9 spells. Do you not need 19 base charisma to cast level 9 spells? (every other game I've ever played it was always base stat). Even with +4 tome that's still a long ways from 19.

My other general question is, why would you choose favored soul over cleric? I'm trying to decide between favored soul and cleric. It seems the fact that they use charisma for spell level and wisdom for spell dc would make them the worst / least effective of all the casters. So my best guess is go cleric if you want a good divine caster and favored soul is maybe a better battle cleric. Is that more or less true?

[Lalangamena]

12 charisma +6 item +2 tome= 20 charisma.
allows you to cast lvl 9 spell.

FVS is not cleric, these are two separate classes, that by misconception treated the same.

there are plenty of posts with arguments to both sides about cleric and FVS.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=237930

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=361985

etc

to summarize:

clerics more versatile, both in spells-> quantity and flexibility and with splashes ( various 18/2 19/1 17/3 builds etc).
free passive healing via aura + quick bursts

FVS more survivable , mobile, and offence oriented.

[DarkForte]

You don't even need the tome for that:
12 base charisma + 2 capstone + 5 item = 19 at level 20.

Before hitting 20, you can dump 6 AP into FvS charisma 1 and 2 to the same effect.

The base stat consideration only applies to learining FEATS. So if you want to take sorcerer dilettante on your favored, items do not factor in that 13 base charisma you must have. For casting spells, however, it depends only on what your stat is on the character sheet. If you get charisma drained, you can become unable to cast some spells, for instance.

[Alternative]

My other general question is, why would you choose favored soul over cleric? I'm trying to decide between favored soul and cleric. It seems the fact that they use charisma for spell level and wisdom for spell dc would make them the worst / least effective of all the casters. So my best guess is go cleric if you want a good divine caster and favored soul is maybe a better battle cleric. Is that more or less true?

If you want to build a divine class that is an offensive caster, favored soul is better because they have a spell casting pre and clerics don't. Angel of vengeance provides an aura that lowers enemy saves and spell resistance by 2, which is pretty big already, and there's extra BB damage on top of that. If there was no pre, DC-wise clerics would be on top because they get 1 more wisdom from enhancements (though it would require being human/helf with +4 wis tome to make even), and optionally can splash 2 monk levels for +2 wisdom stance and not gimp their lvl9 spell selection (still room for mass heal, energy drain, and implosion)

Now if clerics ever got their casting pre (silver flame exorcist?) it could change or at least balance things a bit more.