New player incoming...........well once VIP clears

[Rivenwolf]

I am new to DDO or at least new since it's first release in which I played for a few months then left for other things. Since I have played many MMO's always as the same class(es) heals.

So my return will be no different, A cleric will full focus on healing. I am accepting any and all legit, non-troll advice to make a better healer. The more prepared I can be the better it will be for myself and for other players who I am grouped with.

I would leave my to be created name, however since MMO actually have real people and 25% of those people do things just to be worthless someone would jump on the name ( assuming names can't be reused like other MMO's). Once I do get fully into the game I will post my name, since I will be looking for a guild right away.

[mikarddo]

I am new to DDO or at least new since it's first release in which I played for a few months then left for other things. Since I have played many MMO's always as the same class(es) heals.

So my return will be no different, A cleric will full focus on healing. I am accepting any and all legit, non-troll advice to make a better healer. The more prepared I can be the better it will be for myself and for other players who I am grouped with.

I would leave my to be created name, however since MMO actually have real people and 25% of those people do things just to be worthless someone would jump on the name ( assuming names can't be reused like other MMO's). Once I do get fully into the game I will post my name, since I will be looking for a guild right away.

Welcome to DDO

I played a full time cleric in EQ1 when that was the hottest game in town. I loved being a healer - in groups as well as in large (50+ people) raids. For a while I raided 6 nights a week with an 98% attendance rating plus did a lot of group gaming - I even woke up in the middle of my sleep over missing a falling red bar! Later I played a healer in WoW far more casually. In DDO I also started out intending to be a healer because I love healing when it matters and is what keeps the group going.

Unfortunately, there is no meaningfull room for a dedicated healer in DDO. By all means do play a cleric but think about your offensive ability as your primary focus and healing as a secondary and welcome ability - but dont primarily focus on being the healer. Selfhealing is abundant, healing isnt as fast paced and fun as it is in other games and your groupmates are less likely to actually be in range of your healing. DDO is often more a case of several heroes working alongside each other than a group with interdependencies. This goes for healing, tanking, buffing etc, so its not just healing thats less well defined.

Best of luck in DDO even so - its a great game - just different when what I expected based on other games and what you may be expecting as well.

[phillymiket]

Great!

Glad to have new people.

I understand not posting your characters name but maybe post your server.

You may find someone to show you around or kick you some starter funds. :-)

Good luck and remember no matter what you do kobold still hates you.

[Rivenwolf]

Welcome to DDO

I played a full time cleric in EQ1 when that was the hottest game in town. I loved being a healer - in groups as well as in large (50+ people) raids. For a while I raided 6 nights a week with an 98% attendance rating plus did a lot of group gaming - I even woke up in the middle of my sleep over missing a falling red bar! Later I played a healer in WoW far more casually. In DDO I also started out intending to be a healer because I love healing when it matters and is what keeps the group going.

Unfortunately, there is no meaningfull room for a dedicated healer in DDO. By all means do play a cleric but think about your offensive ability as your primary focus and healing as a secondary and welcome ability - but dont primarily focus on being the healer. Selfhealing is abundant, healing isnt as fast paced and fun as it is in other games and your groupmates are less likely to actually be in range of your healing. DDO is often more a case of several heroes working alongside each other than a group with interdependencies. This goes for healing, tanking, buffing etc, so its not just healing thats less well defined.

Best of luck in DDO even so - its a great game - just different when what I expected based on other games and what you may be expecting as well.

WoW was one of my favorites as a healer, until the changes really made it so much different, I found myself having to learn almost a whole new player after each expansion.

After hearing the things you have said it is making me re think my class choice. As I stated before I am used to being a heal bot and if there is less of a need for heal bots maybe just jumping into the game then figuring out the choices later might be my best option.

Great!

Glad to have new people.

I understand not posting your characters name but maybe post your server.

You may find someone to show you around or kick you some starter funds. :-)

Good luck and remember no matter what you do kobold still hates you.

I thought I was posting under the Sarlona server tab, which I could have not done or I might have done something else wrng and it goes everywhere. However to eliminate any doubt I am going to be rolling on Sarlona.

[FranOhmsford]

about naming:

No DDO doesn't allow multiple characters with the same first names - Unfortunately!

If a character is deleted then yes its name becomes available for others to use BUT characters that haven't logged on in 8 years still have their names!

So - If you're thinking of bringing back an old character it will not have lost its name!



The main thing I meant to say though is that after 8 years there's a very good chance that your character name already exists on Sarlona anyway!

[EllisDee37]

I would leave my to be created name, however since MMO actually have real people and 25% of those people do things just to be worthless someone would jump on the name ( assuming names can't be reused like other MMO's). Once I do get fully into the game I will post my name, since I will be looking for a guild right away.

You can roll up a dummy character with your preferred name right now, then when you decide on a real character you can delete the dummy and take the name for your real character.

Clerics are pretty fun, but as stated there will be many times (most?) when your healing isn't needed. There are several new player builds linked in my signature, including a cleric.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

I am new to DDO or at least new since it's first release in which I played for a few months then left for other things. Since I have played many MMO's always as the same class(es) heals.

So my return will be no different, A cleric will full focus on healing. I am accepting any and all legit, non-troll advice to make a better healer. The more prepared I can be the better it will be for myself and for other players who I am grouped with.

I would leave my to be created name, however since MMO actually have real people and 25% of those people do things just to be worthless someone would jump on the name ( assuming names can't be reused like other MMO's). Once I do get fully into the game I will post my name, since I will be looking for a guild right away.

Welcome to DDO Rivenwolf! So great to see new blood. This is a great game, with so many things to do, and good people to run it with. Its also a game that its great to find a guild to run with, so you can play with some like minded gamers!! The game seriously rocks in a group setting.

[FranOhmsford]

You can roll up a dummy character with your preferred name right now, then when you decide on a real character you can delete the dummy and take the name for your real character.

This is a good idea.

Clerics are pretty fun, but as stated there will be many times (most?) when your healing isn't needed. There are several new player builds linked in my signature, including a cleric.

I'm not one for Builds but I can give a little advice on starting out:

1) Don't use the Pre-Made Paths! Customize!

2) Humans get an extra feat...This goes a long way until you learn the game and can make do with just the standard #of feats every other race gets.

3) Some Feats aren't really useful until much higher levels {Heighten is a must have feat but not before Lvl 9 at the earliest, Quicken likewise is a must have for a capped Cleric but not necessary until Lvl 15 at the earliest!}.

4) You can swap out feats later on so I'd go with Extra Turning and Improved Turning as my 1st two feats on a Cleric, Extend Spell at Lvl 3, Emp. Healing at Lvl 6.
Find a Sacred item and at lower levels undead will just melt away in front of you {behind and to the side too!}.
You can always swap out Improved Turning later on {possibly for Quicken} as Turn Undead is weak at End-Game {Extra Turning is always nice though for other reasons!}.

[EllisDee37]

Quicken likewise is a must have for a capped Cleric but not necessary until Lvl 15 at the earliest!

Quicken is quite nice at level 6 for radiant burst!

[Rivenwolf]

Thanks for all the positive feedback everyone.

You can find me at Kizzani Bronzehammer Dwarven Cleric

[FranOhmsford]

Quicken is quite nice at level 6 for radiant burst!

Nice? Possibly. But hardly necessary!

Radiant Burst doesn't need quickening - It's not Mass Heal with a stupidly long casting animation {or for Wizards and Bards - Discoball!}.

[Tscheuss]

Elf clerics can True Resurrect elves and Raise Dead non-elves at level 6 with Undying Call. Just one of the benefits of being a follower of the Undying Court.

[Full_Bleed]

There is plenty of room for dedicated healers in DDO and there are many players and groups who would appreciate a cleric that wants to play that role. Don't be dissuaded from following that path if it is what makes you happy.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Not to dissuaded from following that path if it is what makes you happy, but a fully dedicated healer is basically either a caster cleric that is piking or a melee cleric that is piking. You can actually be a full healer while killing mobs in this game.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

I am new to DDO or at least new since it's first release in which I played for a few months then left for other things. Since I have played many MMO's always as the same class(es) heals.

So my return will be no different, A cleric will full focus on healing. I am accepting any and all legit, non-troll advice to make a better healer. The more prepared I can be the better it will be for myself and for other players who I am grouped with.

I would leave my to be created name, however since MMO actually have real people and 25% of those people do things just to be worthless someone would jump on the name ( assuming names can't be reused like other MMO's). Once I do get fully into the game I will post my name, since I will be looking for a guild right away.

EllisDee37 made a fantastic "starter" cleric here https://www.ddo.com/forums/forumdisp...ews&order=desc

I've been running my cleric for years and it's built very similar. Don't let anyone tell you not to play your cleric the way you wish to. Thats another beauty of DDO. Sure there are many people that will say you cant do this, you cant do that, but if you build and play the heck out of a healing specced cleric, you will certainly find plenty in DDO that will GLADLY play with you.

My stats are a bit different than Ellis' cleric, but the rest is quite similar. I play mine as a dominant healer, with a necro focus for some wicked offensive casting. So, my roles are to heal 1st and foremost, then to debuff and destroy with negative energy. I take advantage of empower healing, maximize and yes, even quicken. I don't consider quicken a requirement, however I do turn it on when soloing, or when I know I'll be really busy. Its also great for a BRAND NEW cleric until he/she picks up speed casting.


Human str 10, dex 8, con 12, int 8, wis 18, cha 16

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Not to dissuaded from following that path if it is what makes you happy, but a fully dedicated healer is basically either a caster cleric that is piking or a melee cleric that is piking. You can actually be a full healer while killing mobs in this game.

THIS is a very poorly worded, overused expression in DDO. Many people see providing "utility" to a party, "piking". In the beginning, if thats all you can handle, just heal and provide "cleansing" when necessary. As you get bolder, throw some bombs... until then, I say be the best healer you can be and you'll find many parties that are happy to have you onboard.

In a good group Rivenwolf... you can always play your healer the way you wish. Just join a guild that lets you play the way YOU want to play.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Elf clerics can True Resurrect elves and Raise Dead non-elves at level 6 with Undying Call. Just one of the benefits of being a follower of the Undying Court.

Elf clerics... nice! A tad bit skinny though...

[Lonnbeimnech]

THIS is a very poorly worded, overused expression in DDO. Many people see providing "utility" to a party, "piking". In the beginning, if thats all you can handle, just heal and provide "cleansing" when necessary. As you get bolder, throw some bombs... until then, I say be the best healer you can be and you'll find many parties that are happy to have you onboard.

In a good group Rivenwolf... you can always play your healer the way you wish. Just join a guild that lets you play the way YOU want to play.

I'm not talking about providing utility to the party. I'm talking about healbotting. Standing there, doing nothing but watching the redbars. Waiting for someone to take damage, and then throw them a heal a half a second after they have already healed themselves.

I agree with the second part of what you are saying tho. If he is running with a group that understands that he is there to heal it will work out pretty good. But in a typical pug group... not so much.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

I'm not talking about providing utility to the party. I'm talking about healbotting. Standing there, doing nothing but watching the redbars. Waiting for someone to take damage, and then throw them a heal a half a second after they have already healed themselves.

I agree with the second part of what you are saying tho. If he is running with a group that understands that he is there to heal it will work out pretty good. But in a typical pug group... not so much.

Ya know the way I look at what you are saying... if YOU have the time to study the way other people play their characters, what are YOU doing for the party!? Ask not what your party can do for you, ask what you can do for your party!

Put another way, I'd far rather someone healing party members at their pace, than to have someone who says they can DO IT ALL basically DPS, healing themselves and the lucky few around them, and solo the dang quest on their own (or die trying) instead of working with the group...

There are far more people in this game who think they can "do it all", and simply can not...The truth is this type of player refuses to do the one thing they were designed to do best, or does it poorly.

I recommend for new healers to work first on being incredible healers, then work on multi-tasking, to your personal best.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Ya know the way I look at what you are saying... if YOU have the time to study the way other people play their characters, what are YOU doing for the party!? Ask not what your party can do for you, ask what you can do for your party!

Put another way, I'd far rather someone healing party members at their pace, than to have someone who says they can DO IT ALL basically DPS, healing themselves and the lucky few around them, and solo the dang quest on their own (or die trying) instead of working with the group...

There are far more people in this game who think they can "do it all", and simply can not...The truth is this type of player refuses to do the one thing they were designed to do best, or does it poorly.

I think you and I are saying the same thing really.

I have met several players that get on a cleric and they heal fine, but if one stay trash mob gets over to them they are completely helpless. Even with a sword and a shield they cant fight, because the player doesnt even think to. Even with max wisdom they can't kill even a rat because the player didn't load one offensive spell, and even on a healbot build can't kill even a skeleton because the player doesnt think of positive energy as a weapon.

The point I was trying to make is, in many mmos a cleric is a healer, nothing more, nothing less. In this game that is not true.

I'm not asking him to do it all, just realize you can do much more than just heal, even if it's just in emergency situations. Cleric is a very strong class.