Dwarf Cleric - Build for both Solo and Group
One good starting choice is a cleric: DDO clerics can be built with plenty of solo ability with only a marginal loss in ability to heal raids. Dwarf and Human are both good options, but I'm a fan of dwarves, so I'll present this one.
Stats:
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STR 15
DEX 8
CON 16 (14+2)
INT 9
WIS 17
CHA 6 (8-2)
You won't get any of the CHA-based stuff, but you have to focus to make a 28-point build work, and you'll want those enhancement points for other things anyway.
Skills:
The only skills for this build are jump and balance, despit both being cross-class. Diplomacy can be fun, but is more useful for chat options than combat, and I don't think it's ever required. Concentration becomes useless once you start using Quicken, which is must-have for Clerics in any case.
Mobility is your only real defense as a cleric, so it's important to make the most of it. Jump is very important for soloing - in case you get surrounded, you need to be able to jump over the critters surrounding you (and when soloing with Blade Barrier, this starts to be a big deal). Balance is a requirement for everyone, but is especially important for the healer. While NPC trip attacks have been significantly nerfed since release, you can still be tripped and unable to stand up before you die (or someone you're healing dies) unless you keep your balance skill up, with both skill points and items. One reason I like Dwarves is their inherent +5 balance.
Feats:
At low level you're mostly a fighter with wand healing, switching gradually to a potent spell caster as you level up. The feat choices here reflect that. Since you start with a good CON, there's no rush for Toughness.
- 1 - Proficiency: Greataxe
- 3 - Power Attack
- 6 - Heighten Spell
- 9 - Quicken Spell
- 12 - Maximize Spell
- 15 - Empower Spell, or Empower Healing
- 18 - The other Empower
Tactics:
Greataxe is the key to low-mid level. Keep your STR gear up, and use Power Attack. Once you have a BAB of +5, PA gives -5 to hit, +10 damage with a two-handed weapon. You 1.5x STR bonus damage with a two-hander. Take the Dwarf enhancements for Axe to-hit and damage (the damage bonus is doubled for a two-hander, so +2/+4). The annoyingly-short buffs Divine Favor (level 1) and Divine Power (level 4) are both must-have. Combine all of that with a good greataxe and you'll respectable melee damage output through the time you get Blade Barrier (not as good as an optimal fighter or barb, but better than a lot you'll group with).
At mid-high level, solo combat starts becoming more about spells than melee. Though at low-mid level, Heightened Soundburst is a great spell, if a bit costly, if you keep your WIS gear up. Useful combat spells generally start at level 5:
- Searing Light (Lvl 3): not that useful when you get it, except vs skellie archers, it will however remain a sometimes-useful spell forever. Light damage is possibly the best damage type endgame, and it's a ray so no save and no SR, so it will alway be there whe you need tap a distant foe for just a little more damage.
- Divine Punishment (lvl 5): this is your endgame boss-killer spell, and some very powerful endgame FvS build focus on this. You can wait a bit to take it, however, as Blade Barrer works on most bosses in the mid-game.
- Flame Strike (lvl 5): your first real AoE, and useful for a while. A good first choice as a level 5 combat spell.
- Greater Command (lvl 5): really overpowered when you first get it, much like soundbust was early on. Puts all enemies around you down for a long time. A real lifesaver when you get mobbed. Eventually fades in usefulness, but a great tool for a while.
- Blade Barrier (lvl 6): this is the primary Cleric combat spell. One of the best spells in the game vs non-bosses. Does a ton of damage, and only high-dex evade mobs are immune (and even they sometimes roll 1s). Even so, you might want to take Heal first.
- Cometfall (lvl 6): can evenually replace both Flame Strike and Greater Command, but take both BB and Heal before this. It's more of a panic spell than anything else, because BB is just so much better when you can set up the fight, but it can do wonders when you're cornered or surrounded, or there's a convenient clump of enemy casters.
- Destruction (lvl 7): this is your primary non-boss ranged attack spell. While not so useful at higher difficulties, because of good saves and high SRs, it's wonderfully useful solo for one-shotting those archers you can't get to, fire elementals, and plenty of other really annoying foes. Evenutally too many foes will have high SR, and it begins to be less useful, unless like Skorj you're built heavily around this spell (with 3 spell pen feats and lots of spell pen gear), but because the most annoying foes tend to be weak against it (except drow), it will always be nice.