Cleric buff spells. What still works and when?

[Fireball241]

Going through Heroic levels and Epic to Legendary how do Divines run with buff spells?
What do you use when?
Do Airship buffs negate the need for buff spells and which ones?
I see ship buffs are 5 hours now.
What buffs stay even after death now?
Seems gear negates the need for some buff spells also especially low level enhancement buffs to Stats.

[cru121]

I use Nightshield in all quests.
I use Mass Aid at the quest beginning.
I would also use Protection from Evil / Magic Circle but often forget to buy components.

There's Deathward and Freedom of Movement later. They are not needed in all quests.
Sometimes I use Spell Resistance and Protection from Elements (also comes on scrolls).

Resist Energy is a good choice if you know what is coming. Casting all five is boring.


TLDR: Nightshield, Mass Aid, and go. Rest is situational.

[archest]

it depends on if they are effective on your character.
say you have equipped spell resistance
the spell doesn't stack with it so its a waste to use it.
if you have a spell of protection from elements then the pots wont stack.
( you dont know if others have the protection or not in mass spells.)
a must is either nightshield or shield for warding magic missile damage. its forced damage and the only protection for them. even if the additional ac or the saves doesn't stack.
any elemental resistance that may stack.
if the aid spell isn't adding hp to your character then its not stacking. (useless sp loss)
protection from evil : The target is also warded from Evil magical controls and compulsions. even if the other protections dont stack.
any of the ability bonuses Bulls strength ... that are still stacking. ( look at character sheet abilities and use spell if it changes use it if not its sp loss for nothing.)
pretty much anything that still has an effect on the characters stats.
FOM, DEATH WARD < how do you know when these will be necessary and do you ant to take the time during battle to use them?
during battle I use attack clicks not buff clicks so I use them unless i have a item which adds them without the sp loss.

[Fireball241]

I was thinking about taking only CLR14/PAL5/FTR1 on one of my PDK Maul builds for survival. Once Epic and in EA going Stalward Def Tier5 with the Legendary Sword and Board all in one feat for higher Reaper.

So are the Level 8 spells which are mostly buffs worth it?

I was looking at Holy Aura for saves +4, but Recitation is +2 to saves and does not stack?
PAL5 vs. PAL4 gives +3 from CHR to saves and Tier 5 enhancements. Holy Aura also gets the saves up though.

Doesn't Death block items sub for Deathward spell?

I am returning player with no Guild.
And then there are all the ship buffs that last half the day. I rarely get them and when I did I think they stayed through death?

[nobodynobody1426]

Going through Heroic levels and Epic to Legendary how do Divines run with buff spells?
What do you use when?
Do Airship buffs negate the need for buff spells and which ones?
I see ship buffs are 5 hours now.
What buffs stay even after death now?
Seems gear negates the need for some buff spells also especially low level enhancement buffs to Stats.

Since I primarily play divine casters, here is the buff list I tend to hand out on others or myself.

Party Buffs
Bless (+5 Morale bonus to attack bonus) *Long Duration*
Magic Circle Against Evil (immune to magical mind control effects) *Long Duration*
Prayer (+5 luck bonus to attack, damage, saves, skills) *short Duration*
Spell Resistance Mass (useful if they are stacking other sources) *Long Duration*
Death Ward Mass (immunity to all negative energy effects, death effects and drain effects) *Long Duration*

Personal Buffs
Seek Eternal Rest (if using Turn Undead)
Nightshield (immunity to magic missiles)
Death Ward (if not using AoE version)
Freedom of Movement (if don't already have in gear)
Death Pact (once per rest free auto-raise)
Holy Aura (cast before spell resistance)

[nobodynobody1426]

I was thinking about taking only CLR14/PAL5/FTR1 on one of my PDK Maul builds for survival. Once Epic and in EA going Stalward Def Tier5 with the Legendary Sword and Board all in one feat for higher Reaper.

So are the Level 8 spells which are mostly buffs worth it?

I was looking at Holy Aura for saves +4, but Recitation is +2 to saves and does not stack?
PAL5 vs. PAL4 gives +3 from CHR to saves and Tier 5 enhancements. Holy Aura also gets the saves up though.

Doesn't Death block items sub for Deathward spell?

I am returning player with no Guild.
And then there are all the ship buffs that last half the day. I rarely get them and when I did I think they stayed through death?

For stacking you need to look at the bonus "type". Some are enhancement, others are deflection or morale or luck. The rule is that only the highest value of a type is used, so if a spell gives +2 deflection to AC / saves but an item or other effect gives +4 deflection bonus then the +4 will be used.

[axel15810]

For buffs, on a melee build, I'd pretty much always use -

- Divine Power
- Prayer
- Nightshield
- TS
- FoM
- DW
- Bless
- Holy Aura
- Protection from Evil
- Divine Energy Resist (if tier 5 RS)

Also useful but I sometimes don't bother to cast them -

- Protection from Elements
- Stalwart Pact
- Heroes Feast

Pretty much never cast unless there's someone who builds for SR in the party -

- Spell Resistance



I think that's it as far as buffs unless I am forgetting something.

[axel15810]

To know which stack and don't with each other or gear, study the descriptions or the divine spells page on the ddowiki. There's a good bit to learn. For example, Divine Favor gives a +3 luck bonus to attack/damage so it's worth using at low and mid heroic levels, but Prayer replaces it by level 15 since it's also a luck attack/damage buff but scales higher than +3 at that point.

[Scrag]

For buffs, on a melee build, I'd pretty much always use -

- Divine Power
- Prayer
- Nightshield
- TS
- FoM
- DW
- Bless
- Holy Aura
- Protection from Evil
- Divine Energy Resist (if tier 5 RS)

Also useful but I sometimes don't bother to cast them -

- Protection from Elements
- Stalwart Pact
- Heroes Feast

Pretty much never cast unless there's someone who builds for SR in the party -

- Spell Resistance



I think that's it as far as buffs unless I am forgetting something.

I also use shield of faith. I sometimes use the mass +enchantments (bears, bulls, whatever).

Yes other players probably have all this stuff, however, hirelings don't. Pumping up hirelings is useful for keeping them alive. As strange as this sounds, I like to keep a healbot handy, even though I am self supporting with mass negative spells (DA). You never know if you need a rez after splatting to a trap or something!

edit: I also spam the hell out of SLA prayer cause damage. That way I know all the players/hirelings are buffed with it, and I pack some decent damage.