Natural Born Healer (1M-2D-17C) - Cleric with excellent take down and stunning fist.

[savingsoul]

I think this idea is flawed. However, I'm hoping someone might suggest a way of improving it. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

The main concept is to be a primary healer with flavorful melee using take down in tandem with stunning fist, hence the dwarf race for tactical enhancements. The player would be in wolf form most of the time for take downs, 30% boost to attack speed, and large flanking bonus. Ram's might alongside divine favor/power would be used to boost damage. Healing would be provided in the midst of battle mostly by the positive aura and occasional bursts. During major battles, the player could change into regular form in order to eliminate the long cooldowns of animal form and still provide an occasional stunning fist.

I have already started to play this build and am having tons of fun with it. Not sure if it will work out in the long run. The main problem is, of course, the long cooldowns in animal form. I figured that a 30% boost to attack speed might be a reasonable tradeoff for no benefit from a twf or thf chain. In any case, I didn't really have enough feats for those chains anyway.

I'm considering a helf version with rogue dilly for sneak attack, as the idea is to move from enemy to enemy either stunning or taking them down. However, the tactical bonus on the dwarf is really nice.

Let me know what you think.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.16.01
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Natural Heals (1M-2D-17C)
Level 20 Lawful Neutral Dwarf Female
(1 Monk \ 17 Cleric \ 2 Druid) 
Hit Points: 322
Spell Points: 1408 
BAB: 13\13\18\23
Fortitude: 19
Reflex: 10
Will: 24

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    16
Dexterity            14                    16
Constitution         14                    18
Intelligence          8                    10
Wisdom               18                    28
Charisma              6                     8

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 11

Level 1 (Monk)
Feat: (Monk Bonus) Stunning Fist
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Automatic) AC Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Defensive Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Breezes
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Candles
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Pebbles
Feat: (Automatic) Disciple of Puddles
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stability
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stonecutting
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Kama
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Shuriken
Feat: (Automatic) Finishing Moves
Feat: (Automatic) Flurry of Blows
Feat: (Automatic) Heroic Durability
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency: Handaxe
Feat: (Automatic) Orc and Goblin Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Poison Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Club
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Dagger
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Heavy Crossbow
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Light Crossbow
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Quarterstaff
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency: Unarmed
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak
Feat: (Automatic) Spell Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Unarmed Strike


Level 2 (Druid)
Feat: (Automatic) Call Wolf Companion
Feat: (Automatic) Dismiss Charm
Feat: (Automatic) Druidic Oath
Feat: (Automatic) Druidic Spontaneous Casting
Feat: (Automatic) Light Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Magical Training
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency: Scimitar
Feat: (Automatic) Medium Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Shield Proficiency (General)
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Wild Empathy


Level 3 (Druid)
Feat: (Selected) Precision
Feat: (Druid Wild Shape) Wild Shape: Wolf
Feat: (Automatic) Goodberry
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Trip


Level 4 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: WIS
Feat: (Automatic) Heavy Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Turn Undead


Level 5 (Cleric)


Level 6 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Empower Healing Spell


Level 7 (Cleric)


Level 8 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: WIS


Level 9 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Extra Turning


Level 10 (Cleric)


Level 11 (Cleric)


Level 12 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: WIS
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell


Level 13 (Cleric)


Level 14 (Cleric)


Level 15 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Bludgeoning Weapons


Level 16 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: WIS


Level 17 (Cleric)


Level 18 (Cleric)
Feat: (Selected) Quicken Spell


Level 19 (Cleric)


Level 20 (Cleric)
Ability Raise: WIS
Enhancement: Cleric Radiant Servant I
Enhancement: Cleric Radiant Servant II
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II
Enhancement: Dwarven Spell Defense I
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics I
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics II
Enhancement: Dwarven Tactics III
Enhancement: Unyielding Sovereignty
Enhancement: Follower of the Sovereign Host
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Improved Heal I
Enhancement: Improved Heal II
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Life I
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Life II
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Life III
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Incredible Life I
Enhancement: Cleric Prayer of Incredible Life II
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic I
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic II
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic III
Enhancement: Cleric Life Magic IV
Enhancement: Druid Eminence of the Sun I
Enhancement: Druid Eminence of Life I
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom I
Enhancement: Cleric Wisdom II
Enhancement: Druid Toughness I
Enhancement: Cleric Divine Vitality I
Enhancement: Cleric Extra Turning I
Enhancement: Cleric Extra Turning II
Enhancement: Cleric Extra Turning III
Enhancement: Cleric Extra Turning IV
Enhancement: Cleric Improved Turning I
Enhancement: Cleric Wand and Scroll Mastery I

[Pilgrim1]

I think you would better off going mostly druid. Druids are really good healers and earthquake is very good. What kind of DC's could you get on your takedown?

[savingsoul]

I think you would better off going mostly druid. Druids are really good healers and earthquake is very good. What kind of DC's could you get on your takedown?

You are probably right, but I think that clerics still make better healers than druids, all else remaining the same. Druids have mass vigor and regen, which is really nice, but no direct mass heals. Also, the druid prestige classes do not directly pertain to healing in the way that cleric rediant servant does. However, I've only just now been seriously exploring druids, so maybe you can convince me otherwise. See my Stunning Beauty build thread for a druid w/ stunning fist, though that build is an evoker rather than a healer per se.

I don't have the specific numbers atm, but the takedown DC's are 11 + wis mod, independent of caster level, and apply to balance rather than fortitude, so they are quite excellent and comparable to the stunning fist DC's. Also, anything that benefits the trip tactic also benefits takedown, so the dwarven tactics enhancements apply across stunning first and takedown. Having both stunning fist and takedown allows for me to strategically select targets as well, according to whether their balance or fortitude is likey to be weaker.

[unbongwah]

Is there some reason you didn't invest in Smiting enhs?

To the extent this is a flavor build with a specific goal (cleric healer + Stunning Fist + Takedown + Ram's Might), it would seem you've accomplished your goal. The main problem with base wolf DPS is the low base dmg: d6 x2 19-20. But since you seem to want to minimize the number of melee feats you take as well, I don't know which is better: monk w/handwraps but no TWF feats or base wolf form w/no doublestrike bonuses except Wind I stance.

[savingsoul]

Is there some reason you didn't invest in Smiting enhs?

To the extent this is a flavor build with a specific goal (cleric healer + Stunning Fist + Takedown + Ram's Might), it would seem you've accomplished your goal. The main problem with base wolf DPS is the low base dmg: d6 x2 19-20. But since you seem to want to minimize the number of melee feats you take as well, I don't know which is better: monk w/handwraps but no TWF feats or base wolf form w/no doublestrike bonuses except Wind I stance.

I suppose one could balance out the enhancements between smiting and healing, if you're into that. I was just thinking that this build is mostly a healer. Anyway, the blinding effect of holy smite is more appealing to me than the damage it does, because even with smiting enhancements, the damage isn't that great. Same goes for the other spells affected by smiting as far as I know. They're kinda weak, enhanced or not. Smiting enhancements don't seem worth the investment. Maybe I'm missing out on something?

I put under the suggestions forum a thread asking for natural fighting feats to be available to anyone who has at least two levels of druid. It will probably never happen, but it would sure allow for a greater diversity of builds. In the meantime, the above is the best I can do.

[savingsoul]

I'm going to table this idea for the moment.

I've tried out this build a little, and the cooldowns while in wolf form are a problem. I suspect that a pure druid healer would encounter the same problems though, as they suffer from the same cooldown issue while in animal form and they also don't benefit from the natural fighting feats while in other forms. I suppose a twf druid in water or fire ele form would work as a sort of battle cleric, but the ele forms don't get anything like takedown.

I was really looking forward to having a healing aura on a wolf, as that would be really cool.

Though this build may be somewhat of a dead end, it has yielded some good things. I have a favored soul evoker/necro 1M/2D/17Fvs that may work out better, as favored souls are not expected to be healers in the way the clerics are and can instead focus on offensive spells, and the quicker cooldowns may help compensate for the longer cooldowns of wolf form. I supposed that the idea would be to use metamagics to increase the impact of each spell but simply use spells at a slower rate.

I will post the link once I get the build up.

EDIT: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?p=4955198