Syndeo's Guide to Being an Effective Cleric

Welcome to Syndeo's Guide to being an Effective Cleric. This page centers around the healing aspect of being a cleric in DDO, and not the build that is most commonly referred to as "Battle Cleric." Though I will make references to this kind of build, I have found it to not be as favorable by other characters as what many people desire clerics to be: healers.

To begin my guide I will first introduce what the cleric is in depth. A cleric in DDO is a class with many healing and buffing spells at their disposal to benefit the group in many ways. The cleric, in healing form, is considered mainly a "support character" that does not fight directly most times. The cleric is usually behind the main group or out of the way of harm and is focused on watching the party's hitpoints so that the fighters themselves do not have to worry about dying and can concentrate on killing the monsters. In a party, the cleric's relationship is mutual with the actively fighting characters: The cleric heals those who are battling while they protect the cleric from harm. In this way, the party is much more effective and can finish quests and dungeons much faster than a cleric can by themself or a party can without a healer. If you plan to choose this class, it is important to know that many players expect you to not participate in fighting most times, so unless you are ready to solo most of the time, be prepared to focus on healing and not fighting.

To see a broad overview of the Cleric class, please visit the Cleric page of the wiki. The following Guide is more in-depth and will walk you through choosing a Race, Building your Cleric, and Gameplay.

This Guide is not Complete, and any experienced players are free to add beneficial knowlege, but I will continue to add more lists and pointers as time allows.

Getting Started- Races
I will first begin the actual gide from the beginning: Race choices

In the creation of a cleric, one must look at the pros and cons of each race and from there decide on which race to choose so that your cleric has the stat improvements and feats and enhancements you desire.

The base stats to keep in mind that affect Cleric ability are: Wisdom, Charisma,and Intelligence somewhat. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are less important, though some points could be spent in Dex and Con for reflex saves and Hitpoints, respectively. As you read through each description of the race choices, keep in mind the necessary base stats needed to create a well-functioning cleric. I have only listed the Pros and Cons that are mainly directed around the building of a cleric. Each race has more than listed, and can be read in full by clicking on their name.

Warforged
Warforged are the non-flesh race of the DDO world and as such recieve many pluses and minuses

Pros +2 Constitution

Cons Since Warforged are not made of flesh, they recieve a -50% modifier to incoming healing spells (lessened to -20% by Healer's Friend feat) -2 Wisdom -2 Charisma Cleric Material? Definitely not. Both Wisdom and Charisma are essential in the Cleric build, and as such Warforged are not the most favorable in this class. If you still want a Warforged, consider a class more tank-like.

Human
Humans are the most level of the races and are good for any beginner to DDO as they can be adapted to any class.

Pros +4 Skill points at creation +1 skill point after every level past level 1 1 Bonus Feat at level 1

Cons Though Humans are balanced, they do not have any specialty in any one area.

Cleric Material? Humans are great for a first-time cleric as it allows someone to give more points to the areas that Clerics need, but more experienced players might want to experiment with other classes that have some Racial qualities that might benefit a cleric

Dwarf
These stout and rugged characters have many attributes and defenses unique to their kind

Pros +2 Constitution +4 Balance (As a cleric I hate being knocked down) +4 Dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the Giant Type

Cons -2 Charisma

Cleric Material? Possibly. The pros mentioned allow the Dwarf to be a stout character and able to stay alive longer than clerics of other races. The -2 CHA is a hinderance to the cleric, as it affects the Turn Undead access and ability, which a cleric will find out later that the ability is useful for a variety of Enhancements. With careful planning, a player could make a hardy cleric that is beneficial to themself and the party.

Elf
The Elves are the quick and fluid race that are not as stout as their dwarven rivals but with quicker reflexes.

Pros +2 Dexterity +2 Save against spells or Enchantments Immunity to sleep spells or effects

Cons -2 Constitution

Cleric Material? If the player is prepared to have less Hitpoints, then the Elf is a great race for clerics. The +2 DEX and Save as well as Immunity allow the Cleric to be out of harm's way and not worry about other monsters as much, but if a monster does happen to attack and land hits, they must rely on their party to save them. The self-healing aspect allows CON to not be a major factor as much.

Drow Elf
The Drows are the cousins of the Elves from far away, and bring many new bonuses and inhibitors that Elves do not possess.

Pros +2 Dexterity +2 Intelligence +2 Charisma +2 Will Save against spells or Enchantments Spell Resistance: 11

Cons -2 Constitution Limited to 28 point build, even if bought/earned

Cleric Material? In my experience and opinion, the Drow is the best race for clerics. They have bonuses to important stats and inherent spell resistance that allow them to resist enemy spellcasters and focus on healing the party. Like their elf counterparts they are not as fortified as other races, but is a small matter in a party as they will (or at least, should,) protect you and you can heal yourself.

Halfling
These small characters have hidden surprises and can stand up to even the biggest giant

Pros +2 Dexterity +1 size bonus to Armor Class +2 Jump +1 Racial bonus on Saving Throws

Cons Lifting and Carrying limits are 3/4 the size of Medium-sized characters

Cleric Material? Although there is no direct bonus to any Cleric-oriented skill, it is possible to build an effective cleric with Halflings, though not my first choice in race. There is a -2 STR I did not mention, but with clerics it is unimportant.

Building Your Cleric- Stats and Paths
After you choose your race it is now time to build your character

Beginners may choose to take a path, that is a pre-selection of base stats, which are Warpriest of Siberys (Battle Cleric), The Font of Healing (Healer), and The Scourge of the Undead (Shawn of the Dead in Cleric form)

Those wishing to not specify in any one area or would like to pick and choose what they want and don't want can read below.

Base Stats
As stated before, the 6 main stats are Wisdom, Charisma, Intelligence, Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. Keep in mind that your Race has inherent stat additions/negatives that affect the base number of all these named.

1. A Cleric must first invest in Wisdom. This affects spell ability and spell points. The more spell points a cleric has, the more healing spells they can dish out to their party, and as you level up you can access higher power spells. THIS STAT IS A MUST. A Cleric without Wisdom is like Han Solo without Chewbacca.

2. Charisma is the next stat to be considered. This affects the Turn Undead Ability and access. a higher Charisma allows the Cleric to turn (meaning destroy or scare) undead of higher levels and give the cleric more turning per rest. As the Cleric levels up, they gain access to powerful enhancements that use a Turn Undead point, such as the Positive Energy Aura and Divine Vitality. In my experience as a Cleric, the Turn Undead points that are not always used for turning have been beneficial to myself and the party.

3. Any points left over can be attributed to the 4 remaining stats, importance being from most important to least: INT, CON, DEX, and last STR. INT gives more access to skill points, CON with Hitpoints, DEX with Reflex Saves, and finally STR with hitting power.

A good build should allow the cleric to have a high spell point count, turning ability, and some points for increasing additional skills, explained below.

Skill Points
Skill Points are used to increase skills that are affected by Base Stats but have their own unique use. At Creation, everyone gets 28 inherent skill points, no matter your race. (You can buy/earn the 32-point champion build, but keep in mind that drow are always 28-point builds no matter what)

These Skills are important for an Effective Cleric:

Concentration - used during spellcasting, if a monster is attacking you a high concentration allows you to cast the spell without interruption. Failure to do so will spend the spell points but will not give the desired effect

Heal - A High heal skill allows the cleric to (obviously) heal their party. At a rest shrine, if a cleric with a high Heal skill is next to someone resting (non-Warforged), they will gain back more Hitpoints than the cleric not being next to them or a person with a lower heal skill next to them.

Diplomacy - This skill, when activated, deters monsters from attacking you. since clerics are passive characters, this skill helps with keeping the aggro off yourself. In my experience, I have honestly only used diplomacy rarely, and feel as if it is optional if the cleric wants to invest points in this skill.

Some extra Skills that are recommended by me:

Jump - Helps with keeping up with the group and avoiding nasty pitfalls

Tumble - Don't diplo the monsters away, barrel roll to safety!

Balance - Falling down means you can't heal the group, and then the group dies. It has happened to me on more than one occasion.

Haggle - Buy stuff cheaper and sell stuff pricier! Helps if the cleric has a high CHA

UMD - (Use Magic Device) can overcome racial/alignment restrictions. If you really really want that shield thats meant for the halfling, invest in this!


 * Note - Investing in the Swim skill is not important because of the Waterbreathing Spell that clerics learn later on.

You may not be able to invest points in all of these skills because of how many and some are cross-class (cost 2 skill points for 1 higher skill level) but whatever your preference is all these listed are useful.

Gameplay - Healing like a Pro
Now that you have chosen a race, invested in their stats and skills, and made them look how you want (I don't need to walk you through that, do I?) It's now time to go out and heal the world!

Basics
As a starting Cleric you have access to a few minor spells and some spell points. You have 3 slots of prepared spells that you can use at level one (find a tavern to prepare your spells or right after using a rest shrine) and one of them is always a healing spell (at level one, this is Cure Light Wounds). As you level up you will open up more slots and tiers for spells at your disposal.

As a beginning cleric you will want to consider the buff spells that you have, take for example the Shield of Faith Spell. This increases yours or a friend's AC (Armor Check). This spell helps prevent some damage taken by monsters. Preparing it on your spell list will ultimately save you some Spell points that you would have used from your party taking more damage from monsters. Higher levels mean more buffing spells to protect your party.

The hotbar tab is useful for setting quick access to your spells (hold and drag a spell icon to the bar and can be accessed by pressing the 1-9 keys). there are 20 possible hotbars that you can have and can be scrolled through by pressing the (+) or (-) keys next to 1-9 or pressing Ctrl+(Hotbar number). I have found that as I gain in level that it is best to have your healing spells on the first tab, any buffing spells on the 2nd hotbar(so that I can press(+) to get to them and (-) to return to the main) and any curative spells such as Remove Blindsness on the 20th (so that I can press(-) to get to them and (+) to return to the main.

Solo Play
In my experience it is possible to solo on some quests in the game, since you do have the option of summoning a monster to aid you and healing yourself. As a healer though it is not as effective (Unless you do all quests with Undead... then just heal them to death!) to do quests by yourself because that is not your main focus. Though a cleric has the ability to, it is not as easy as with a party.

In a Party
Healers are always wanted by parties so that the rest of the group can focus on fighting. Therefore it is easy to find groups willing to take in a friendly cleric. (On the opposite end of the spectrum, many parties get frustrated with Battle Clerics because they fail to watch out for the group and people usually assume that clerics are there for healing them.) While in quests you can heal anyone in the group by pressing the corresponding F-key as seen by the party list on your screen (F1 is always yourself, F2-F6 for parties, F2-F12 for raid parties) and clicking the spell you would like to use from your hotbar.

A cleric must focus on mainly 3 things: The party's health, staying out of harm's way, and keeping up with the group. It's not as hard once you play the game enough to juggle all three of these. You enter a combat area, get out of combat's way, watch people's health, heal when necessary, move into range of the healing spell when needed, and continue on with the group. This method allows you to concentrate on your job while others concentrate on theirs. I have seen and participated in fighting when there are not too many monsters (though i didn't do much damage) and still kept an eye on people's health. It's all about multitasking

At level 9 you recieve the "Raise Dead" spell. Before that time, if someone dies try to be the one to pick up the stone so that you can run them to a shrine and heal them or stand by them as they rest so they can use your heal skill.

Items/Armor
My preferred armor of choice is a full plate. It allows protection and the Arcane spell failure does not affect clerics (we're Divine!). It can have whatever attributes you find favorable. I like having a sacred item that gives +2 to turning ability checks against undead (Mine is in my shield).

Any other items besides weapons are whatever you find that is helpful. Anything that adds to Base Stats, Heal, Running speed, Concentration, etc. is useful. Any item you find that gives you permanent Feather Fall without having to rest to reuse is very very useful for high drops.

Any items of power (Roman numeral I-X Ex Pearl of power IX)will give you 10*(Roman Numeral) extra spell points, and anything with the description "Of the Magi" will give you 100 extra spell points (Sorcerors and Favored Souls gain up to 2 times the amount of spell points from these items but we're focusing on clerics here!). These items do not stack, meaning if you had a pearl of power V (50 extra sp) and a sickle of the magi (100 extra sp) you would only gain 100 extra sp.

Any items with the description "Devotion" are very useful for the heal-oriented cleric. These items improve your healing spells by the following: 20% for Devotion, 30% for Improved Devotion, 40% for Greater Devotion, and 50% for Superior Devotion (Someone correct me if I'm wrong). Following the word 'Devotion' are yet more Roman Numerals, which represent the spell level that the item affects, ex: A Steel Shield of Improved Devotion III will give you 30% more effective healing spells on your 3rd and lower spell levels. The higher the Roman Numeral the better!

My weapon choice is a scepter of (Improved/Greater/Superior) Devotion (Roman Numeral I-IX) in my main hand and a weapon of the magi in my off hand, so that I can have both the extra spell points and the improved healing. Once my extra spell points are used up I like to switch over to my shield for extra protection, but if you do what I do don't forget to change back to your sickle of the magi BEFORE you rest!

Tips and Tricks
Here are just some things I have found in gameplay that may be useful to you.

The Empower Healing Spell feat gives you 50 more effective healing spells and stacks with any Devotion item you have, and also unlocks the Positive Energy Aura Enhancement that saves you a lot of Spell points healing! Get it as soon as you can!

It can be argued that the diehard feat is useful. Sometimes you become incapacitated and you are unable to move while you either bleed until you hit -10 HP or you stabilize. In some instances I have wished I had taken this feat, and other times I thought it easier to die so that someone could take me to a rest shrine. The usefulness of this feat is solely to the player's discretion.

You do not have to keep everyone's HP at full. In battle you will have to watch for who is losing the most HP so that they don't die, but you can conserve spell points by being frugal but useful with your healing spells. At level 11 you gain the Heal spell, which restores 10*(Caster level) HP (For a maximum of 150 HP every time). Now combine this with an item of Devotion and the Empower Heal Spell. Now you are able to heal someone to full health right before they are about to die! (With all the extra things equipped and activated and combined with a critical I have healed for a maximum of 707 HP) This is a very very useful combination.

The Extend Spell Feat is another useful feat to take, because when activated it doubles the time that your timed spells last. If your Shield of Faith spell only lasts 5 minutes, with this feat it will last for 10! High enough levels can make spells last for 30 minutes or more.

Check out the Cleric Enhancements Page for a full view of all the many useful enhancements you can gain! I can't tell you which ones are the right ones for your playing style, but increased healing and more spell points never hurt anyone!

Conclusion
Thus ends my Guide to Becoming an Effective Cleric. I hope that you had a few laughs on the way while learning what it is to be a cleric and how to play like one. There is much more information that I surely have forgotten, but maybe with time this guide can be complete!

Any questions or comments can be emailed to DDOSyndeo@Live.com

Here are some more useful Guides:

Syndeo's Guide to Being a Revered Ranger Syndeo's Guide to Being a Respected Rogue

Look for more guides Coming Soon!