Thinking about switching my type of pure

[nub]

Would this be wise? I am thinking about dropping my spell aiming and picking up more lores and more spells... here is what I have now...

(at level 39), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 40 8
Shield Use.........................| 141 41
Physical Fitness...................| 105 25
Arcane Symbols.....................| 78 17
Magic Item Use.....................| 96 22
Spell Aiming.......................| 182 82
Harness Power......................| 138 39
Spirit Mana Control................| 111 27
Spiritual Lore - Blessings.........| 25 5
Spiritual Lore - Religion..........| 82 18
Spiritual Lore - Summoning.........| 25 5
Climbing...........................| 70 15
Swimming...........................| 20 4
Spell Lists
Major Spirit.......................| 29
Spell Lists
Minor Spirit.......................| 31
Spell Lists
Cleric.............................| 42

Here is what I want to change to

(at level 39), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 40 8
Shield Use.........................| 141 41
Physical Fitness...................| 105 25
Arcane Symbols.....................| 78 17
Magic Item Use.....................| 96 17
Harness Power......................| 138 39
Spirit Mana Control................| 111 27
Spiritual Lore - Blessings.........| 25 10
Spiritual Lore - Religion..........| 82 25
Spiritual Lore - Summoning.........| 25 15
Climbing...........................| 70 15
Swimming...........................| 20 4

Spell Lists
Major Spirit.......................| 30
Spell Lists
Minor Spirit.......................| 30
Spell Lists
Cleric.............................| 51

Just wondering if I'll be that much better, having higher CS but no Spell AIM, I follow Ronan... bane etc. (After thinking, that's only about... 7 more CS or so right?, but also lores for chrisms)

[Vimp]

Firstly, if you're planning to be a pure why waste points in shield use?

You cannot dabble with being a pure otherwise you end up being a mediocre one. Dump the wastful shield points and put them into some kind of magic skills to increase your runestave effectiveness.

Personally, I like being able to bolt as well as use CS. Fire spirit bolstered by spirit summoning lore makes for a nice multiple target damage/crit dealing spell, especially if said target have already been immobilized with censure for example.

If anything, I would consider losing spell ranks to ensure you're 1x in each of arcane symbols, MIU, harness power and SMC, again for runestaff effectiveness. Gain the extra spell ranks at later levels when you're more likely to need them.

Ultimately go with how you like to play, but it makes for a more resourceful cleric that isn't just a one trick pony.

[nub]

Firstly, if you're planning to be a pure why waste points in shield use?

You cannot dabble with being a pure otherwise you end up being a mediocre one. Dump the wastful shield points and put them into some kind of magic skills to increase your runestave effectiveness.

Personally, I like being able to bolt as well as use CS. Fire spirit bolstered by spirit summoning lore makes for a nice multiple target damage/crit dealing spell, especially if said target have already been immobilized with censure for example.

If anything, I would consider losing spell ranks to ensure you're 1x in each of arcane symbols, MIU, harness power and SMC, again for runestaff effectiveness. Gain the extra spell ranks at later levels when you're more likely to need them.

Ultimately go with how you like to play, but it makes for a more resourceful cleric that isn't just a one trick pony.


Ah well from talks I had with Windi a while back, I heard shield is better than rune staff, that is why I 1x in it. (at least until I am old enough to 1x in brawl instead and go open handed). I don't use a rune staff and have one hand open.

I just heard shield DS is better.

[Vimp]

I still don't think you'll get the DS you want with shield on its own without a combat skill to augment it, it certainly won't compare to a fully trained runestave user of same age.

Personally I'll stick with my runestave and more rounded spell selection to call upon as I'll be able to bolt and all of which are augmented by fully 2x in lores. Sure my Ds might be lower in Offence than a shield and combat skill cleric, but the end product of my spell potentcy is that much better from tp's spent on lores and magic skills that boost spell effectiveness. I can reliably nulify any mass critter threat before going offensive that it becomes not an issue.

I still see you hovering between the two trains of thought but go with how you want to play your character ultimately.

[Xaerve]

Shield/brawling is the best way to go for a cleric, I would go 1x brawling, .5x shield if you have to.

Nothing beats those open handed 302s.

This debate was over a long time ago, runestaves suck.

[Rathain]

Runestaves are bad for a few reasons - until creatures start using sunder shield, a shield is much better. The only thing better than not using a shield, however, is having two empty hands. All channeled attack spells become much more effective. I used the double empty handed build from 60-100, and it was a pretty effective build.

[Parker]

Alright, I've been reading this over, and it applies fairly well to my (very young) cleric of 15.

I'm curious, though, as to what would be recommended for a cleric that low, given that the fully open-handed route seems to be for the later levels.

[100% Wool]

Runestaves are bad for a few reasons - until creatures start using sunder shield, a shield is much better. The only thing better than not using a shield, however, is having two empty hands. All channeled attack spells become much more effective. I used the double empty handed build from 60-100, and it was a pretty effective build.

What exactly is the empty hand build? Where do the extra tps go? into 100/200 spell circles?

Was 60-100 easy? self cast defense? or help from outside spells?
Did you use scrolls?

What did you do against bolt casters?

[Rathain]

What exactly is the empty hand build? Where do the extra tps go? into 100/200 spell circles?

Was 60-100 easy? self cast defense? or help from outside spells?
Did you use scrolls?

What did you do against bolt casters?

Pretty basic build:

2.75x spells (more if you have the TP's)
8 ranks of armor use (don't wear heavy armor)
.5x brawling
1x PT
.5x CM
.75x lores
1x HP
1x SMC
1x Perception
30 ranks of climbing
30 ranks of swimming

Spell Tanking (ie. this build can work in the rift, but you have to stance dance frequently and becomes risky on Plane 2):
1x MIU
1x AS

The build is central around killing quickly, and surviving non-cman maneuvers (special maneuvers, call wind, ewave and the like are pretty much negated). It's easier to form this build with a smaller race - elves and halflings work very well, because of the higher non-cman maneuver dodging bonus that is only trumped by burghal gnomes. It works poorly with giants and dwarves from what I've seen.

I never had any DS problems, even before nabbing a DB item - which was more for inflating numbers. My cleric doesn't get hit by a bolt unless he's been mass dispelled, prone, and something has spiritual guidance on it. That's happened a few times that I can remember. His bolt DS and generic DS, even at level 60, were never a problem.

Also, with two open hands, you can now cast from scrolls without a hitch. This allows one to ewave, lullabye, tangleweed, and etc with a simple macro. If you take advantage of it, use the training above and pay a bit of attention to the screen, it's not bad at all.