New Brawling / UAC Cleric

[0zymandius]

Oubar is up to level 24 currently, and since I've made somewhat of a commitment to keep this updated, I just wanted to check in.

The Good: Oubar is still a beast. I run with Dreavenings when I can, and at other times with a full set of wizard spells, and it's just easy mode. ;combo is fantastic, and he murdelates most things that the Adventurer's Guild sends him after without any real problem.

The Bad: I'm 1x in Combat Maneuvers, but still get hit/die by them with depressing regularity. Even at 24, hunting arch wights (level 20) is dangerous. They can easily mess me up with Boil Earth. Bandits are troublesome, but manageable (Symbol of Sleep is a lifesaver). I also have had almost no luck uphunting to any significant degree. I have to stay in my lane, as it were. Finding a consistent (non-Reim) source of undead for favor purposes is a challenge at times, but for now zombies are doing OK. I'd like to move on to pookas (because who needs treasure?) soon, but uphunting has proven to be a significant challenge.

Things I wish I'd done differently: I trained up to 2 ranks of SideBySide (since I hunt almost exclusively with my wife), expecting good things. So far, almost no result that I can see. I wish I'd have put those points into something else at this point.

[Viekn]

The Bad: I'm 1x in Combat Maneuvers, but still get hit/die by them with depressing regularity. Even at 24, hunting arch wights (level 20) is dangerous. They can easily mess me up with Boil Earth. Bandits are troublesome, but manageable (Symbol of Sleep is a lifesaver). I also have had almost no luck uphunting to any significant degree. I have to stay in my lane, as it were. Finding a consistent (non-Reim) source of undead for favor purposes is a challenge at times, but for now zombies are doing OK. I'd like to move on to pookas (because who needs treasure?) soon, but uphunting has proven to be a significant challenge.

Training in CM helps, but I don't think you should expect to see that big of a reduction from being only 1x in it. I believe training in Physical Fitness helps to a greater degree than CM. Also, it's not boil earth any more, it's earthen fury, which is a really tough spell to dodge. Supposedly Simu dialed down the effectiveness of the spell for creatures under level 30, but I imagine it's still a pretty tough maneuver to dodge. I think you have to take in to account all of the different ways that help guard against maneuvers if you really want to negate them as much as possible. You can read what all of those are here: https://gswiki.play.net/Standard_maneuver_roll

Also, from my experience, uphunting with a pure is usually 5-10 levels above. Uphunting with a square/semi, especially if you're not using a spell as a disabler first, is usually just 1-3 levels above.

[Maerit]

Also, from my experience, uphunting with a pure is usually 5-10 levels above. Uphunting with a square/semi, especially if you're not using a spell as a disabler first, is usually just 1-3 levels above.

Interesting experience. I always found it was easier to up-hunt with square/semi because they benefit massively from outside spells. I could easily pull 12-15 levels up-hunting on my paladin (in the 30s he was going after level 45s) because of the outside spells. On my old warrior, I used to consistently up-hunt 10+ levels in the 60s with a full wizard + sorcerer spellup. Plus with DFRedux and those spells, it didn't matter if I couldn't dodge maneuvers.

At the same time, I had trouble up-hunting on my Sorcerer because of CS training limitations, no outside spells can help boost your primary form of attack aside from quartz orbs, and you're incredibly susceptible to being disabled.

Different strokes it seems.

[Viekn]

Interesting experience. I always found it was easier to up-hunt with square/semi because they benefit massively from outside spells. I could easily pull 12-15 levels up-hunting on my paladin (in the 30s he was going after level 45s) because of the outside spells. On my old warrior, I used to consistently up-hunt 10+ levels in the 60s with a full wizard + sorcerer spellup. Plus with DFRedux and those spells, it didn't matter if I couldn't dodge maneuvers.

At the same time, I had trouble up-hunting on my Sorcerer because of CS training limitations, no outside spells can help boost your primary form of attack aside from quartz orbs, and you're incredibly susceptible to being disabled.

Different strokes it seems.

Indeed. I always found uphunting easier with pures because DS was typically a concern and with pures typically staying in either defensive or guarded stance to cast, it afforded more protection.

[Leafiara]

I also have had almost no luck uphunting to any significant degree. I have to stay in my lane, as it were. Finding a consistent (non-Reim) source of undead for favor purposes is a challenge at times, but for now zombies are doing OK. I'd like to move on to pookas (because who needs treasure?) soon, but uphunting has proven to be a significant challenge.

I pretty much guarantee you pookas won't be a challenge; they're actually less threatening than zombies relative to their level as long as you know to always stay in offensive stance. If you have a Dreavening, go try them right now and you'll probably be able to take them.

Things I wish I'd done differently: I trained up to 2 ranks of SideBySide (since I hunt almost exclusively with my wife), expecting good things. So far, almost no result that I can see. I wish I'd have put those points into something else at this point.

Cman points untrain very fast compared to untraining TPs, so it's not too late to change! If you're having trouble with bandits, I recommend a couple ranks of Subdual Strike since it's one of their more common and annoying maneuvers.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

Earthen Fury is just stupid. Monks even get killed by it and they can 2x CM, 3x dodge and 3x PF. No amount of training really stops it...it's just a really really stupid spell.

[0zymandius]

Question (with thoughts) about spell progression.

Oubar is currently level 25, and has 108, 225, and 318. Trying to decide where I should focus spell training next...

A) Go for 130. Oubar doesn't do a TON of rescues (and will be mastering Voln in the next month or so, with any luck), but it's a very nice utility spell all the same, and I pick up Web and 120 along the way. This would take me until level 35 to accomplish, with no progression in the other circles during that time. Not sure if that's a bad thing or not.
B) Go for 120, then 325. DS isn't too much trouble for me at this point, but more is always better, and I get Web along the way (though I don't know how useful it would be, really).
C) Go for 325. I realize I have a LONG way to go before I can do 100% chrisms, which is what the masses expect. I just buy them, as they're readily available in playershops, but would like to be able to make my own. I rarely use Cleric CS, except in cases where I'm extremely encumbered, and this would help that.
D) Tacos? Not sure what other course might be out there that makes more sense.

Any thoughts or input would be welcome. Thanks in advance!

Also, just for consistency's sake, will be moving to Pookas in a level or two, once the wife is clear of Sheer Fear, and will report on our success/failure at that point.

[Leafiara]

325 is easily the pick and it's not because of the ability to make junky 50% chrisms. It's because of:

1 - The cleric's best spell is arguably 319. Once you have it you'll wonder what you did without it.
2 - Cleric CS is helpful and you've been missing out, since with 301 (or 316 in a swarm) you had the perfect tool to stop arch wights from casting--and, on top of that, immobilizing significantly boosts your MM. Heading into pookas and onward, this will only be more and more true, as 301 and 316 will be amazing throughout Shadow Valley (33-43) and Bonespear Tower (48-55).
3 - With 25 cleric ranks, 318 upgrades to a version that only costs you 50% of the deader's spirit instead of 75%.


My advice:

Get to 325, then maintain 1x cleric ranks and slowly work toward 118 and 120.

130 shouldn't be needed for a while if you're in Voln, and anyway you'll get insane RT from it at early levels (...and at cap for that matter, but it's even crazier at early levels). Don't worry about it.

Leave Major Spiritual alone for a while, but you might want 230 by the time you get to eidolons (55) in Bonespear.

Never make a chrism that's less than, like, 90%. Maybe not even less than 100%. There are enough experienced clerics around the Landing/Icemule/Solhaven areas or in FWI that you shouldn't have to settle.

[Maerit]

I'm not sure why you rushed to 225, but I imagine it has to do with wanting to provide rescue services. If you can't run there in 20 seconds with ;go2, then you probably shouldn't be teleporting there with 225. As a cleric not dedicated to raising the dead, 225 should be much lower on your priority, and nothing above 215 is really vital for a brawling cleric.

I'd put those 10 points into a different circle. Either to get to 325 and boost cleric CS, or push for 120 and add better DS. Definitely should target 319 as highest priority spell for all combat clerics.

[0zymandius]

Hit 29 yesterday, and have successfully (for the most part) made the switch to pookas. They still catch me with their pity maneuver from time to time, and it's a matter of time before they kill me, but for now it's workable (even though the treasure is truly putrid).

I fixskilled him to rework the spells as advised. Currently at 29 ranks in cleric, 18 in minor, 15 in major, and it's pretty nice. I JUST got Web, so haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but I'm excited at the possibilities.

Rank 20 in Voln, currently trying to push for favor as hard as possible to finish it up.

I picked up some nice 5x knuckle-blades before realizing they were the wrong 'sort' of brawling weapons for UAC. Whoops. Also have been having fun with a 117-assisted kick. All in all, no real complaints about the build (aside from possibly how bad I still am at foraging... 2x in FA, 1x in Survival and I still need 80+ rolls to find most things. Blah.).