Basic Heroic Cleric Cleaver

[Tilomere]

Nerfed in Update 46 - Patch 2.

[capsela]

Another tour de force in design. Kudos friend.

[Tilomere]

Another tour de force in design. Kudos friend.

Cleric is tying 1 hand behind your back, or is it?

[capsela]

Cleric is tying 1 hand behind your back, or is it?

This looks pretty fun to play actually. Nicely done.

Notes on build, put points into intimidate so you can use Horc lock bash. It's a pretty great skill. Also put points into mighty turning and as much charisma as you can afford.

[Tilomere]

This looks pretty fun to play actually.

So, I had to test this and gave it a try on a newly rolled iconic in starter gear. Picked bladeforged because they start with a great sword. Updated OP. Nerf first life starter geared characters.

[C-Dog]

I miss the damage math, but I do understand.

put points into intimidate so you can use Horc lock bash. It's a pretty great skill.

Which would require either dumping Balance (meh), or a 32 pt build for +2 Int.

You're losing -2 to start, then -1/2 levels (cross class skill), plus no +# Tools bonus - how long can you practically keep opening locks? Mid-Heroics or so?

(Charisma isn't supposed to help Lock Bash - is there a bug I've missed? Either way, a Cha item is heaping another burden on a first lifer, who might already be having trouble w/ gear tetris.)

[capsela]

I miss the damage math, but I do understand.


Which would require either dumping Balance (meh), or a 32 pt build for +2 Int.

You're losing -2 to start, then -1/2 levels (cross class skill), plus no +# Tools bonus - how long can you practically keep opening locks? Mid-Heroics or so?

(Charisma isn't supposed to help Lock Bash - is there a bug I've missed? Either way, a Cha item is heaping another burden on a first lifer, who might already be having trouble w/ gear tetris.)

Just get intim items, trust me it works.

[Zretch]

6 fourth pale master zombie form 1.2x damage, heal with wizard death auras and cleric negative energy spells

Death Aura and Negative Energy Burst are Spell level 4, which you're not getting with 5 Wizard. Lesser Death Aura is a very, very small heal. Should probably stick to cleric neg energy spells.

YMMV on the actual playability of this as Eldrich Tempest is a 30 second cooldown. For dungeons that have clustering mobs, it should be good. For dungeons like A Sharn Welcome and No Refunds, where most mobs have range and tend to scatter right away....not nearly as effective.

But hey, on the positive side, you've built a first life no gear melee that can hit harder than a Sorc, so maybe you can stop beating the drum over arcane nerfs. (I know, that won't happen.)

I wonder if the changes coming to tie cleave animations to attack speed means that zombie form cleaves will slow down. OMG, this build is so awesome it was nerfed before it was even posted!

[Tilomere]

1 Should probably stick to cleric neg energy spells.

2 YMMV on the actual playability of this as Eldrich Tempest is a 30 second cooldown. For dungeons that have clustering mobs, it should be good. For dungeons like A Sharn Welcome and No Refunds, where most mobs have range and tend to scatter right away....not nearly as effective.

3 (I know, that won't happen.)

OMG, this build is so awesome it was nerfed before it was even posted!

1 Fixed, ty!

2 Added in En Pointe at end of level 18 to finish heroics with. Don't need a third set of action boosts, since HOrc has extra action boosts already. A little late to party, but oh well.

3

4 IKR It's like this very build radiated so much awesome it caused ripples in the fabric of space/time and caused itself to be nerfed in the future, in the past! The build is so awesome it became sentient, and rippled other effects back in time to cause itself to be buffed in the future by doublestrike and higher base damage that could crit from strength, because it wanted to ascend to Godhood!

[Zretch]

2 Added in En Pointe at end of level 18 to finish heroics with. Don't need a third set of action boosts, since HOrc has extra action boosts already. A little late to party, but oh well.

You may want to change your screenshot, as it still shows you with 1 Paladin level rather than 2 Bard levels.

It feels like this build is just trying to be a knock off of the old Avatar of Nature builds, exploiting large damage increases with abilities that ignore the attack speed reduction that those abilities are supposed to convey. Maybe it'll play better than I think, but I can't imagine running in zombie mode as a melee. The attack speed penalty makes melee sooo slooooow, even haste doesn't bring you back up to normal attack speed. If you're just stacking special attacks to ensure you never need to perform general melee attacks, then I dub this CLONKLOCK 2.0! This time with less monk and warlock but with more bard and wizard!

[Tilomere]

I dub this CLONKLOCK 2.0!

That was a work of art! It was still far better than warpriest when I had to put it down. I just couldn't look at what it had become. Sad times.

When you try it, run it naked, with just a greatsword and rags equipped. I'm 95% sure it will still work.

[Coffey]

I tried this build out on a brand new Bladeforged rolled right out of the factory. Used Magic Domain instead and built it to spec like you said but SoundBurst was failing to land on the Lizardfolk in Escape Plan on normal difficulty. Am i doing something wrong maybe?

[Tilomere]

I tried this build out on a brand new Bladeforged rolled right out of the factory. Used Magic Domain instead and built it to spec like you said but SoundBurst was failing to land on the Lizardfolk in Escape Plan on normal difficulty. Am i doing something wrong maybe?

Some mobs have higher fort saves than others, especially melee mobs in expansion content that way back in the day caused everyone to make shiradi sorcs and monkchers because no one could hit the DCs to break fort. Back in that day, mobs needed those saves, because champions with deathblock didn't exist, so if they had reasonable fort saves necro casters would have rolled over them. If you leveled from 1, you would also have better than starter gear, and would be doing level 15 quests at 17. Even with dungeons of the same level, mob fort saves across different content, expansions, and packs are varied. Try a level 13 dungeon which is full xp at 15. Or try level from 1 so you have actual gear at 15. Welcome to fort DC casting! Gianthold awaits to devour your soul!

Even failing soundburst and losing that multiplier and being on the wrong race, how does the damage feel? Are the remaining multipliers enough to feel good about it?

A couple years ago when I was soundburst splashing everything I made wisdom and charisma hybrid gear sets that had 44 soundburst DC by level 10, which is good enough for all reaper heroics, so worrying about DCs isn't something I've had to do since.

[Coffey]

I like the build idea very much and the damage is really good expecially when mobbed up even without SoundBurst landing. I knew that high Fort mobs were probably going to be near impossible with starter gear but i thought maybe at level and with the extra DCs from Magic Domain might help seal the deal! I also thought the lack of Spell Pen could also be a problem,

The character looks hilarious in Zombie mode like a drunk in a garbage can riding a unicycle but the big cleave definetly wipes everything out

Was seeing 1800 min damage without SB helplessness!

[Xaxx]

What a surprise, I see the op all over the place moaning about CASTERS OP OH MY GOD MY POOR MELE WAAAAAAAHHHH NERRRRRRRRFFFFFFFFF CAAASSSTEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! 111!!!!!!!!!!ll1111!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!

Yet here is another *build* by him that is just another version of Lets find a way to abuse sound burst....

So its ok to use something from casters when it enables your melee to do a ludicrious amount of damage but its not ok to use something castery to do less damage than your screen shot from ranged??????

Ok now I'll do what the op would do if this was anything caster based *cough cough* sorry gotta clear my throat...

OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT SCREEN SHOT YOU OVER BUFFED THF NERF IT NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FF IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTT. Its not fair that a caster cant put out that much damage at level 15 NEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. THF is bad naughty naughty bad bad and does to much damage nerf it NOOOOWWWW!!!!!

ok that enough being the op for me.... should I just link back here next time I see a NEERRRRFFF CAAAAASSSTERS post from the op?? i'm sure there will be one some time in the next 20 seconds or so.

[C-Dog]

Just starting off, but having fun with a 1st lifer with this build on a first life on an alt server - thanks!

However...

Gameplay:
Basically you are going to drop a heightened soundburst for AoE helpless (wear some wisdom and evocation gear)

So, Level 5, doing Harbor/Market 3's*, but having trouble landing the Soundburst, keep seeing waves of blue "Saves" over targets heads.

(* WW 1 & 2, STK, Sharn, Swiped Signet, Redfang, etc.)

• +6 Wis 22 (16+1 (Lvl 4) + 2 Guild, +3 item)
• +2 Evoc (+1 item, +1 Wiz Feat*)
  = +8 total

Not Heightened yet, but not really in higher level content either - am I missing something? I'd estimate I'm only landing about 1 in 4, 1 in 3 tops.

(* took Wiz 1 early for Master's Touch, early Expeditious, Jump, and cheese 1 AP Invis to get closer to drop Soundburst to start the festivities. Evo Focus is a wash w/ -1 Cleric Level.)

[cru121]

Just starting off, but having fun with a 1st lifer with this build on a first life on an alt server - thanks!
However...
So, Level 5, doing Harbor/Market 3's*, but having trouble landing the Soundburst, keep seeing waves of blue "Saves" over targets heads.

Yeah. I like how enthusiastic can Tilo be presenting his builds, but realistically you're unlikely to land soundburst in harder content without a significant investment. Fortitude save is a strong save for many monsters. Plus there's spell resistance, hard to beat on a splashed first liver.

Good luck.

[Tilomere]

Just starting off, but having fun with a 1st lifer with this build on a first life on an alt server - thanks!

Let me guess, you are running reaper leveling groups on a 1st lifer on an alt server ... with no gear or tomes!
I am too! Still 2/3rds starter gear, and able to do decently so far.
The build has good heroic DC boosts available to a caster (spell focus, heighten, enhancement tree +2, bard song debuffs +3), so while it won't be the 95% of an uber, whatever % it ends up at is going to be "good" for a first lifer. 1 in 4, 1 in 3? Thats better than 0! Welcome to the no-gear, no tome, first life character in reaper!

Enjoy your stay!

[C-Dog]

Yeah, since he's got his 3 cleaves, one or two snoozers are still welcome, volunteering to die first to help even up the odds.

Let me guess, you are running reaper leveling groups on a 1st lifer on an alt server ... with no gear or tomes!

R1, yes - but how much tougher is that DC than E? A couple/few? So that might bring the numbers up over 1/3? (Guess I'll have to go back and re-run on E and see the diff...)

As for tomes, you don't have to "guess" - they were not in the math, they're not on the character. I rarely dump tomes onto a first-lifer to start things off. (Would have to be pretty enthusiastic to do so!)

As for Gear, he now actually has a droploot +2 Evoc item, which is pretty good for ML 5. (Not sure what more he could get at Level 5-6.) Still only Cha 22; 24 next level.

Looking to fit in a spell pen item now, tho' not sure how many targets have that going for them.

(Had crafted up a ML 1 +1 GT Greatsword from KotB which was serving adequately (if not winning any prizes), and then found a +2 Cursespewing Ghostbane 1 Greatsword - so +1d10 bane and the occasional random curse, which is kinda funny.)