Cleric tactics

=Playing a Cleric=

Clerics should bless the party (or other group buffs) before any major encounter. Rememeber that cleric buffs do not stack with Bard buffs, so if there is a bard in the group let them play their inspirational music rather than wasting your SP on bless or prayer. In the beginning, the cleric can join in the melee, but he should be attentive to his party members’ health. As the situation warrants, he should be prepared to drop back and start healing where necessary.

Please be aware that some cleric players don’t want to play healer and wish to concentrate on being melee combatants and buffs themselves (protection from evil, aid, and several more). When they do this, their spell buffs are generally only good for one or two melee encounters before their buff timers run out. In some dungeons, the rest spots are rare and few. So there will be periods where the cleric will run out of spell points and still have to melee, so it’s a good idea for him and everyone else to carry healing spell wands and potions.

Most people will put their Cleric in Heavy Armor. This is because they can, and clerics tend to be up front, so they can heal. However in DDO, you do not need to be upfront, as "touch" spells have a good range on them. Wisdom powers your spells, and Charisma your Turns, so you are free to mix the rest as you see fit. A Cleric in light armour using a Ranged weapon is perfectly feasible in DDO.

Self Buffs are generally not SP efficent. If a spell costs X sp, then it should make up for a cure that costs X sp. For example, if you cast resist fire, and it saves more damage than an equal amount of cures then, it was sp efficent. If you cast a buff, then you should do enough damage to mobs, that they die quickly enough to have saved you from casting some cures. Here is an example of why self buffs, generally, are not sp efficent. Divine Favor gives you a +1 to attacks and damage, it is a self buff. Bless is an AoE that gives a +1 to attacks only. They cost the same to cast. But the Bless will give 6 people a +1 to hit totaling +6, whereas the Divine Favour will only give 1 person any bonus, for a +2. Ask yourself which spell is going to bring down mobs quicker. This thought process should be employed on every non cure spell you cast. Rest points are not re-usable or in every quest!

Make the party you are playing with aware of your scheme for conditions. What I mean is, if someone is posioned in battle, what should they type? pppppppppp? It is not practicable for them to type: "I am posioned" in the middle of a fight.

The need for you to watch other people's health bars, and chat makes you less than ideal for the main tank. However, you do possess the class abilities to do so, so will take on that role from time to time.

Even though you have cure spells, keep enough cure scrolls or wands to fill yourself full. I would carry even more than that, but going from 1 to max hp off of items is a requirement for all characters.

I would start off with a 15 or 16 Wisdom. Charisma depends on how much you like Turn Undead (and remember that there are enhancements that allow you to exchange turns for additional healing power, or more spell points for members of your party). Decide if you want to go Ranged or Melee then figure out the rest.

Mind the Fleshies
You will likely - or rather, inevitably - run into a character who draws agro without the AC to take the hits. This includes Rogues, Two-Handed and Two-Weapon Fighters, Rangers, Sorcerers and Mages, and (occasionally) Clerics. The problem with these characters is that although they may be able to dish out more damage than your typical "sword and board" fighter, they also require significantly more Spell Points to keep alive, and will eventually drain you. Always pay attention to who is taking damage - if your Rogue thinks hes the "main tank", you might want to avoid healing him as much as possible - don't let him die, certainly, but make him aware of his Hit Points as well, and how much damage hes taking.

Be Yourself
A properly built Cleric can certainly be a competant fighter, however you must always keep in mind that when you are in a group, you primary purpose is to keep the group alive and healthy.

Some dungeons are more difficult than others - some parties, too. For some, your Sickle or Heavy Mace is sufficient, for others, you'll want to keep a wand in hand at all times.

Remember that when you're in combat, you are a less effective healer. If you get hit while casting a spell, you have to roll against a Concentration check to continue casting, and you might fail entirely. Additionally, if you are mid-swing you have to wait for your attack sequence to finish before you're able to cast a spell.

Be Efficient
As you level, you gain access to more powerful healing spells, as well as Resist Energy and Protection from Energy. The most effective way to keep your tanks alive is for them not to take damage at all - remeber, it takes the same amount of Spell Points to cast Resist Energy on someone as it does to cast just one Cure Moderate Wounds, and it lasts for several minutes.

Don't be in a hurry to clean up other people's messes. If your Sorcerer walks through a Poison trap and takes a couple points of Strength Damage, don't cast Restoration on him if you're low on Spell Points. A Sorcerer can live happily without Strength.

As a general rule, your highest level healing spells are your most efficient, but have the longest cooldown. Any Devotion items or enhancements can significantly change this, however. Check out the Healing Spells page to see which healing spell gives you the most return on your spell points.

Know Your Enemy
Roll a Fighter. Learn what you want the Cleric to be able to do. You'll never know exactly how painful Enfeeblement is until you've gotten hit by it a few times, but once you know what to look and listen for you'll be able to take it off right away. Also learn what to expect from your tanks, what they're able to do and what they aren't. Its not uncommon for the Cleric to be the leader of a party, so you'll need to know what your minions are capable of, and what they need from you.