Making a First Life Radiant Servant?

[Zachski]

I know, healbot, nannybot, whatever you wanna call it.

However, I have an itch to play as a healer. It's silly, I know, but some itches you gotta scratch.

However, with healing as my focus, that doesn't mean I want to be a complete pacifist. (Despite the level 3 core.)

So I want to figure out a secondary focus. And since I don't really feel like meleeing (simply because that then means I'm gonna go be a warpriest which I already have) that does mean I'm gonna be spellcasting, too. Just... not as much as I normally would otherwise.

So here's what I'm thinking.

Human for heal amp. May go for traditional caster and run around with a staff, or an orb. Maybe not - shield mastery stuff is very tempting for the PRR/MRR bonuses.

Max wisdom. Charisma gets secondary focus, without sacrificing too much constitution. Dump the rest.

Does Unyielding Sovereignty from Radiant Servant share a cooldown with Unyielding Sovereignty the religion feat?

I also plan to grab Divine Vitality from the Divine Disciple tree for when I party with spellcasters. May as well grab the Nimbus of Light SLA while I'm at it.

The basic plan is this: Early on, I'll wand-whip ability buffs. Bull's Strength, Owl's Wisdom, so forth. There's absolutely no need to use my SP pool to cast these spells. Any spell that is fully effective wand-whipped shall be wand-whipped. I shall have wands up the wazoo if I have to.

Also for me, healing isn't just making the red numbers go up. It's also removing harmful statuses. That means, yes, I'm gonna be removing other people's curses and stuff like that. Though I reiterate that if a spell is fully effective wand-whipped, I shall be whipping those wands out for those situations.

So any other advice? Obviously I want to be pure and go for the Radiant Servant capstone. Just because.

Oh, and while this isn't a min-max character, obviously, I would like to optimize it as much as I can for its intended purpose.

[unbongwah]

Is there some reason not to make a Necro cleric? Or its Evo-based equivalent.

[axel15810]

I know, healbot, nannybot, whatever you wanna call it.

However, I have an itch to play as a healer. It's silly, I know, but some itches you gotta scratch.

However, with healing as my focus, that doesn't mean I want to be a complete pacifist. (Despite the level 3 core.)

So I want to figure out a secondary focus. And since I don't really feel like meleeing (simply because that then means I'm gonna go be a warpriest which I already have) that does mean I'm gonna be spellcasting, too. Just... not as much as I normally would otherwise.

So here's what I'm thinking.

Human for heal amp. May go for traditional caster and run around with a staff, or an orb. Maybe not - shield mastery stuff is very tempting for the PRR/MRR bonuses.

Max wisdom. Charisma gets secondary focus, without sacrificing too much constitution. Dump the rest.

Does Unyielding Sovereignty from Radiant Servant share a cooldown with Unyielding Sovereignty the religion feat?

I also plan to grab Divine Vitality from the Divine Disciple tree for when I party with spellcasters. May as well grab the Nimbus of Light SLA while I'm at it.

The basic plan is this: Early on, I'll wand-whip ability buffs. Bull's Strength, Owl's Wisdom, so forth. There's absolutely no need to use my SP pool to cast these spells. Any spell that is fully effective wand-whipped shall be wand-whipped. I shall have wands up the wazoo if I have to.

Also for me, healing isn't just making the red numbers go up. It's also removing harmful statuses. That means, yes, I'm gonna be removing other people's curses and stuff like that. Though I reiterate that if a spell is fully effective wand-whipped, I shall be whipping those wands out for those situations.

So any other advice? Obviously I want to be pure and go for the Radiant Servant capstone. Just because.

Oh, and while this isn't a min-max character, obviously, I would like to optimize it as much as I can for its intended purpose.

I'd suggest you go with a standard caster cleric, seems to be what you want. You can play it more as a healbot if you wish. There's really nothing to gain in DDO by not building a DPS option into your character. Healing is inherent to clerics, you don't have to build for it. If you choose not to build an offensive casting option for flavor that's fine, just be aware you're only going to be a hair better at healing than other clerics by focusing on it.

I highly recommend you do build for some DPS, it will probably be really boring for you unless you're in a static group that really wants a dedicated healer. Most public groups heal themselves these days. Especially in epics.

Caster cleric will give you all the healing ability you'll ever need while still maintaining good DPS potential through the divine disciple SLAs...which are cheap by the way. Not worrying about SP seems to be important for you. For feats take stuff like spell focus: evo or necro (pick which spell school you like best), maximize, heighten, quicken, empower, empower heal, mental toughnesses.

Max WIS.

Problem with wands is they are very slow. Viable for buffing needs however.

If you are new to clerics check out my youtube channel, I have lots of cleric guide and other cleric related videos. Can get there though clicking the banner in my signature. Good luck.

[Zachski]

Eh... sorry, I just get envy for games like FF14 where healers are actually needed and contribute well to the group. Unfortunately, I don't have the money or the computer to play such a game.

[axel15810]

Eh... sorry, I just get envy for games like FF14 where healers are actually needed and contribute well to the group. Unfortunately, I don't have the money or the computer to play such a game.

Healers are still very wanted in levels 1-20. Especially mid to high level heroics. It's epics where the need for healing drops off. But even still, lots of groups still like having a healer type in the group. I main a cleric and while healing is no longer a must have in a group, it's still very useful. I spot heal all the time. It's more like a part time job instead of a full time job now.

But I admit I do really miss the glory days of healing when cap was 20...I used to solo heal shrouds all the time and it was the most fun I ever had in DDO.

[cdbd3rd]

Eh... sorry, I just get envy for games like FF14 where healers are actually needed and contribute well to the group. Unfortunately, I don't have the money or the computer to play such a game.

You really missed your calling, 2006-2009.

Back then, a healing cleric couldn't even get logged in before they were getting hit with grouping requests and blind invites. Many/most even started running anonymous because of the constant attention.

GL on your project.

[unbongwah]

Eh... sorry, I just get envy for games like FF14 where healers are actually needed and contribute well to the group.

The problem isn't that healers aren't welcome; the problem is there's no incentive to play a healbot. It's a suboptimal use of a char slot, b/c any pure cleric is also capable of contributing something more than healing to the group, be it caster DPS (esp. in Exalted Angel), CC from Gtr Command & Cometfall, or even instakills via Destruction or Implosion (presuming the targeting bugs are fixed).

[changelingamuck]

The problem isn't that healers aren't welcome; the problem is there's no incentive to play a healbot.

Fun is the incentive if playing a heal-focused build is fun for the individual.

OP, a character min/maxed for uber-healing will work out just fine. Healing isn't dead... follow your bliss.

[Mercureal]

Is there some reason not to make a Necro cleric? Or its Evo-based equivalent.

OP, I think this is the way to go. I have a first life, pure cleric created a long time ago as a party healer, and with the enhancement pass there's enough space with a cleric to be a great party healer and have useful offensive casting ability. I went to Tier 5 in Radiant Servant for the aura and other healing goodies from that tree, and spent about 30 AP in Divine Disciple to boost casting and take the capstone.

The truth,as others have mentioned, is that most parties don't need a cleric sitting on them 100% of the time. Generally, the aura is good for keeping people up and/or healing them after a fight. You throw some heal spells during fights, but use some of your SP for offence. Greater Command, Slay Living, or Cometfall can all be extremely useful in mid-level adventuring, and won't interfere with your main goal of keeping everyone alive. Win-Win!

[SirValentine]

I'd suggest you go with a standard caster cleric, seems to be what you want. You can play it more as a healbot if you wish.

Seconding this motion. Don't build a healbot; build a caster (or a melee, but you said you didn't want a melee). Play as a healbot if needed, or if desired, or until you learn to handle more.

[slarden]

I am staying out of the argument about whether a healing-focused cleric is a good idea. I am just going to answer the OP question.

If you build a wisdom-based human cleric 17 / paladin 3, you really only need the following feats to excel as a healer:

1) Maximize
2) Empower Healing
3) Empower
4) Enlarge
5) Quicken

My recommendation to anyone wanting to play a healbot cleric is to max wisdom and focus on ED offensive abilities which key off wisdom rather than DC. If you take the 5 feats above you still have 3 left as a human. I would recommend toughness, mental toughness, improved mental toughness. At epic levels epic toughness and epic mental toughness. If you don't need the HP, tower shield proficiency and shield mastery are two alternative feat options. Ruin comes in at 27 for some extra offensive punch.

At epic levels, giving up DC to be a full-time healer means a limited selection of useful offensive spells, it doesn't mean no offense. At heroic levels max wisdom, an evocation item and maybe a +1 augment gem is really enough to land spells. You can get the sage's necklace @ level 15 giving you +4, which basically allows you to have a workable DC without taking any feats.

Your basic epic spell rotation is (Exalted Angel ED):

Divine Wrath SLA with full metamagic
Sun Bolt SLA with full metamagic
Avenging Light SLA with full metagmagic
Searing Light SLA with full metamagic
Searing Light spell with no metamagic
Boulder Toss

This is a very low sp-cost rotation to contribute some dps when needed and divine wrath serves a dual purpose of harming enemies while healing allies. Lantern ring gives you some extra damage with each spell.

You also have ruin and divine punishment for bosses. Blade barrier is still useful against mobs in most places even without a high DC.

This basic build gives you some offense without feat and twist investment. The 3 paladin levels gives you some extra hp and defense without giving up mass heal and true resurrection.

Good luck with your goal of a healing-focused cleric! They definitely have a place in this game - especially raids.

[D'arc_Tangent]

Dude, play the toon the way you want. Don't let any snob tell you that you can't play the way that makes it fun to you; you're not playing for anyone else and no one else is going to play your toon.

Sheesh.

[slarden]

Dude, play the toon the way you want. Don't let any snob tell you that you can't play the way that makes it fun to you; you're not playing for anyone else and no one else is going to play your toon.

Sheesh.

This

Dedicated healers are always welcome in any party I form. I mentioned a few offensive options that basically have no real investment. You might as well take those - they are easy.

No past lifes needed for Exalted Angel ED offense since it's based on Wisdom and the best offensive SLA is also a healing SLA.

You will have a very nice SP total.

[Zachski]

I was being a bit silly with this topic - there's nothing stopping a Necro Cleric (or probably more accurately an Evo Cleric which would fit my aesthetic better) from being a dedicated healer, since they'll have pretty much everything they need to succeed at that.

[slarden]

I was being a bit silly with this topic - there's nothing stopping a Necro Cleric (or probably more accurately an Evo Cleric which would fit my aesthetic better) from being a dedicated healer, since they'll have pretty much everything they need to succeed at that.

When I first started farming EE FOT back in 2013 a dedicated healer made a huge difference - especially since we were shortmanning those. Empower healing and enlarge were very helpful there.

Dedicated healers are also very useful in MOD, but really it doesn't take much to add dps to a healing-focused cleric, especially with all the power that comes from ED. Divines that won't res people with their quickened res when 3-4 people go down in a raid confuse me. I certainly get that divines shouldn't be type-casted to be dedicated healers, but expecting people to scroll raise is ridiculous when you have a fast no-fail way to do so.

[SirValentine]

Divines that won't res people with their quickened res when 3-4 people go down in a raid confuse me. I certainly get that divines shouldn't be type-casted to be dedicated healers, but expecting people to scroll raise is ridiculous when you have a fast no-fail way to do so.

"won't res people"? Is this another straw man, like the old "refuses to ever heal anyone"?

Rez spells aren't fast...because of their cool-downs. I happily toss a rez, but I expect everyone to be capable of raising in some fashion, and when 3-4 people go down, the 7-8 people other than my Cleric and the dead folks should be rezzing 2-3 of them. So, yes, absolutely, I expect people to scroll rez, even though I have a (slow!) "fast" no-fail way to do so.

I feel it much more ridiculous for those other people to wait and wait for 1 other person to do all the rezzing instead of pulling out scrolls, helping out, and having everyone back up right away.

[slarden]

"won't res people"? Is this another straw man, like the old "refuses to ever heal anyone"?

Rez spells aren't fast...because of their cool-downs. I happily toss a rez, but I expect everyone to be capable of raising in some fashion, and when 3-4 people go down, the 7-8 people other than my Cleric and the dead folks should be rezzing 2-3 of them. So, yes, absolutely, I expect people to scroll rez, even though I have a (slow!) "fast" no-fail way to do so.

I feel it much more ridiculous for those other people to wait and wait for 1 other person to do all the rezzing instead of pulling out scrolls, helping out, and having everyone back up right away.

Oh I play divine on my main toon and my character is dps-focused. I'd have those people res'd fairly quickly without needing anyone to scroll raise.

No I am talking about waiting like 10 seconds and nobody is raised so I have to take my barbarian out of rage to scroll raise them. That's ridiculous.

[SirValentine]

No I am talking about waiting like 10 seconds and nobody is raised so I have to take my barbarian out of rage to scroll raise them. That's ridiculous.

I agree that's ridiculous. But I hold all the other folks just as responsible as any Clr/FvS. Even with recent Barb buffs, I still see more Paladins than Barbs in raids lately. What's THEIR excuse for not helping raising? Or the Bards/Rogues/Artis/Sorcs/whatever?