Cleric

Clerics channel divine power to blast foes and heal allies. Able to wear chainmail and wield a heavy mace, clerics need not to be strangers to battle.

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Features

• Defense Bonus +2 Willpower
• Starting Hit Points 12 + Constitution (5 per level thereafter)
• Penalty: -2 Dexterity
• Class Feature:
  • Holy Symbol: +1 damage against undead when wielding a holy symbol

Powers

Clerics start with all three level 1 powers and then must choose one at each subsequent level.

Level 1 (Starting Powers)

1. Righteous Strike
   • Uses: At Will
   • Range: Melee
   • Attack Roll: STR vs. REF
   • Damage: 1[W]+STR, +3 vs. Undead
2. Healing Word
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: 20
   • Healing: 1d4+WIS
3. Cascade of Light
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: 10
   • Attack Roll: WIS vs. WILL
   • Damage: 2d6+WIS radiant, 1/2 damage on miss.
   • Effect: 5 vulnerability, -5 healing received
   • Duration: saving throw
4. Ranged Attack
   • Uses: At Will
   • Range: As per Ranged Weapon
   • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
   • Damage: 1[W]+DEX

Level 2

Players at Level 2 get to choose between Cure Light Wounds and Lance of Faith. Cure Light Wounds is the favoured choice, giving a cleric some much-needed extra healing ability, especially at early levels. However, some players prefer Lance of Faith, citing that clerics have enough healing power at end-game without Cure Light Wounds, and that the debuffs of Lance are very useful. Furthermore, Lance of Faith is an At will power, which means Clerics with High Wisdom have a well hitting free to use ranged attack power.

1. Cure Light Wounds
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: 20
   • Healing: 2d4+WIS
2. Lance of Faith
   • Uses: At will
   • Range: 5
   • Attack Roll: WIS vs REF
   • Damage: 1d8+WIS radiant
   • Updated note on Damage (11.21.11): Though after the patch the description no longer includes the "+WIS," it still is factored in, with an additional +6 damage against undead.
   • Effect: -1 AC, -1 REF
   • Duration: 1 turn

Level 3

Players at Level 3 get to choose between Daunting Light and Split the Sky. Daunting Light tends to be slightly more favoured, giving a cleric a much-needed ranged attack which can weaken the target, reducing the damage received in return. However, Split the Sky is a devastating attack at this level which can also knock the enemy prone, meaning if the cleric uses it against a melee enemy then moves away, the enemy will be unable to attack.

1. Daunting Light
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: 10
   • Attack Roll: WIS vs REF
   • Damage: 1d8+WIS radiant
   • Effect: weaken
   • Duration: 1 turn
2. Split the Sky
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: Melee
   • Attack Roll: STR vs. Fort
   • Damage: 2[W]+STR thunder
   • Effect: knock prone

Level 4

1. Choose two attributes to get +1 point each.

Level 5

Players at Level 5 get to choose between Raise Dead and Consecrated Burst. This is one of the few times I will urge players to listen to a suggestion and choose Raise Dead over Consecrated Burst. It is rare, although possible, that at endgame all the enemies will have their initiative order consecutively. In this situation, if they all attack a single target, it can be taken from full health to dead in a single round. This is rare, but extremely annoying when it happens, especially if you need to use a costly potion to raise them.

1. Raise Dead
   • Uses: Once per adventure (NOT a free action! You can't res and attack)
   • Range: 20
   • Healing: Resurrect and 20+WIS
2. Consecrated Burst
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: Burst 1
   • Attack Roll: CHA vs. WILL
   • Damage: 2d6+CHA Radiant
   • Healing: 1d4+CHA

Level 6

Players at Level 6 get to choose between Cure Serious Wounds and Bastion of Health. Clerics who concentrate on healing bonuses can capitalize on Cure Serious wounds with healing modifiers. "Cure serious" is a spike heal, which is great to pull a characters out of pinch situation. Clerics who concetrate on combat may find Bastion of Health useful for the innate healing. Smart clerics who focus on healing will understand instantly that if you activate the "bastion" "hot" in the turn before entering the next encounter, you will double the effective regeneration for the preceeding events. Either you will get twice the amount of regeneration turns, 3 turns to start, then 3 turns after (which helps full recovering from a tough battle), or will have two characters running regen for an encounter. You might find it useful to devide regen before combat for areas where you fight creature(s) that have a short range blast AOE`s or in rooms where "crowd control" is difficult . Preparing the turn before a hard encounter with "Bastion" will allow you 30 points of guaranteed healing to distribute for an encounter in two heals of garunteed "long range healing".

1. Cure Serious Wounds
   • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
   • Description: Heals an ally for a large amount of hit points.
   • Range: 20
   • Healing: 3d4+WIS
2. Bastion of Health
   • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
   • Description: Grants a single ally health regeneration for 3 turns.
   • Range: 10
   • Healing: +5 regeneration
   • Duration: 3 turns

Level 7

Players at Level 7 get to choose between Searing Light and Awe Strike. Both of these are strong choices, Searing Light adding a powerful ranged attack which will daze an opponent (and prevent melee characters from attacking for a turn). Awe Strike will however stun an opponent, allowing a cleric to pull a similar trick to a rogue using Stunning Blow.

1. Searing Light
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Description: A fierce light engulfs the target, burning and dazing it.
   • Attack Roll: WIS vs REF
   • Range: 10
   • Damage: 2d8+WIS radiant
   • Effect: daze
   • Duration: 1 turn
2. Awe Strike
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Description: An astonishing melee attack with an improved chance to hit leaves the target stunned.
   • Attack Roll: STR+4 vs. WILL
   • Range: Melee
   • Damage: 3[W]+STR
   • Effect: stun
   • Duration: 1 turn

Level 8

1. Choose two attributes to get +1 point each.

Level 9

Players at Level 9 get to choose between Flame Strike and Divine Power. Flame Strike tends to be the more common choice, giving clerics a strong ranged AoE and allowing them to support the wizard when there are a large number of minions tightly grouped together. Divine Power is also useful though, allowing a cleric to drop a template on an AoE slightly bolstering allies and hurting enemies.

1. Flame Strike
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: burst 2 within 10
   • Attack Roll: WIS vs REF
   • Damage: 2d10+WIS fire, 1/2 damage on miss.
   • Effect: 5+WIS ongoing fire
   • Duration: saving throw
2. Divine Power
   • Uses: Once per encounter
   • Range: burst 2
   • Attack Roll: STR vs. FORT
   • Damage: 2[W]+STR radiant
   • Healing: Regen 2 for 5 turns
   • Effect: +2 AC
   • Duration: AC lasts whole encounter

Level 10

Players at Level 10 get to choose between Mass Cure Light Wounds and Shielding Word. Mass Cure Light Wounds is by far the more common choice at this level, allowing the cleric to heal practically all the party members, and is often employed at the end of encounters to bolster health across the board. Shielding Word can also be useful though, giving all party members in the melee a significant AC boost for a turn which can potentially prevent more damage than Mass Cure Light Wounds could heal, although it is difficult to get the timing of Shielding Word right.

1. Mass Cure Light Wounds
   • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
   • Range: burst 5
   • Healing: 2d4+WIS
2. Shielding Word
   • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
   • Description: Grants a significant armor defense bonus to all nearby allies for 1 turn.
   • Range: burst 3
   • Effect: +5 AC
   • Duration: 1 turn

Designing a Cleric

Cleric Attributes

• Clerics are unusual in that they have two primary stats - Strength is used by all the Cleric MELEE powers and will directly affect their MELEE accuracy and damage as well as bolster his Fortitude Defence, and Wisdom is used by all the Cleric's ranged powers and will directly affect their accuracy and damage, as well as affect his heals and bolster his Will Defence.
• Constitution is as ever a useful stat, directly affecting the starting HPs of a cleric. However since most Clerics will have a decent Str score, Con won't give the added advantage of boosting the Fortitude Defence unless it is higher than their Str.
• Dexterity affects a Cleric's Initiative, as well as improving his Reflex Defence if it is higher than his Intelligence. However there are far better ways to improve Initiative end-game than spending points in Dexterity.
• Intelligence and Charisma have no noticable impact on the Cleric apart from improving his Reflex and Will defences if they are higher than his Dexterity and Wisdom respectively, with the exception of the Charisma powered Consecrated Burst ability. * certain off hand items and armors also provide heal modifiers or radiant damage based upon charisma.

Race Choice

• Human and Dragonborn both lend themselves almost equally to Clerics, both giving +2 to a primary attribute and the second +2 going to a non-important stat.
• Dragonborn receive a +2 to Str and Cha, and in addition get a very useful free action AoE encounter power. In itself it isn't very powerful, dealing damage in the high single figures or low double figures, but it is invaluable for taking the last couple of HPs off mobs, and when combined with Cascade of Light or targetting several enemies it can actually hit reasonably hard.
• Humans receive a +2 to Con and Wis, and in addition get +1 to most defences and +1 to saving throws, which is obviously difficult to gauge ingame, but will no doubt be helping the Cleric to avoid a few hits he would otherwise have taken.
• Eladrin offer an interesting alternative for a very aggressive Cleric: The Fey Step offers increased mobility while the bonus to Dex increases your initiative. This Cleric can jump into melee combat very well...but an Eladrin Cleric will never have WIS and/or STR as high as an Dragonborn or Human Cleric.

Equipment Choice

• It is important to factor in what equipment you plan to use at level 10.
• Fist of the North is currently one of the most powerful weapon a cleric can use, as testing has shown it outpowers every other weapon in the game. A corrupting mace can out-shine it with certain builds.
• The +3 Corrupting Mace is an interesting Alternative for a Str-Build: It raises your Str-Score by 5, while reducing your Wis-Score by 3.
• The +2 Acolyte's Mace is a good choice for those who take the Lance of Faith power and use no melee powers. However, the bonuses it provides does not stack with the bonus provided by a symbol. As such, when using the +3 Symbol of the True Believer, you wont see any benefit from the mace against undead targets.
• The +3 Symbol of the True Believer is a common Cleric offhand choice, being the only offhand implement that offers a Wisx2 bonus to healing, in addition to the normal Wis bonus, potentially giving Clerics an extra +4/6/8/10/12 to any healing spell they cast.
• The +2 Symbol of Victory is the Alternative for Str-Builds: it adds Str to healing and therefore has nice synergies with the Corrupting Mace.
• Clerics will want to pick up the Helm of Mending at around level 6. It is available from the shops, and gives a signficant bonus to heals, so much so that some players use it as their helm of choice at endgame.
• Though the Crown of Mastery offers less healing, it is probably the better choice as it also offers various other benefits.
• The +3 Tombforged Chainmail is surely a valid choice: +5 healing and +10 resist necrotic is something any Cleric con put to good use.
• The +2 Vanguard Chainmail might be an Alternative for melee-builds: the extra speed, initiative and resist all perfextly fit a Cleric who rushes into the fray.
• Various Rings can be useful, depending on your preferences. Ring of the Lantern Bearer is surely the standard healers ring. If you already have enough healing power, improving your magical accuracy with Ring of Projection or magical damage with Prismatic Ring might be a good idea. Melee Clerics might prefer the Ring of Battle or the Ring of Displacement, though.
• Ranged Weapon: As most Clerics have a low Dex they wont hit very often with any Ranged Weapon. Having one is surely a good idea for rare uses, but its probably the last piece of equipment to be purchased. * when considering one, opt for one with the most +hit due to lack of dexterity.

Build Choice

Melee (2 viable chioces)

• Str/Con: The "thinnest" melee build as you only have one decent save throw (Fort), this build will hit the hardest with a starting odd strength stat (19), final (21), and the +3 Corrupting Mace, as well as the Blacksmith's Band. The additional strength will somewhat offset the need for plus hit. Without a wisdom bonus, the +2 Symbol of Victory is a "strong" choice.
• Str/Cha: Another variation on the above, less starting HP, but more saves and stacks well with +3 Lightforged Chainmail as both consecrated burst and divine power do radiant damage. Cascade will also benefit, but it will be difficult to stick.

Hybrid

• Str/Wis: A cleric utility build. For those who lean toward the use of melee powers, try the Ring of Battle and use of the ever talked about Fist of the North. With a wisdom bonus, utilizing a +3 Symbol of the True Believer becomes a reasonable choice. Ranged spells (including at will) become useful again. There are many valid armor choices for this build.

Ranged (heals are basic parallels)

• Wis/Cha (Lazer): 1 shared save, go with +3 Lightforged Chainmail when you opt for a high charisma.
• Wis/Con (Lazer): split saves, more survival, same idea as a heal build stat wise, just pick your poisons in skills a bit different. LIkely stick with +2 Glorious Chainmail for swiss army knifing.

Battle Cleric-Undead Hunter

This is a build with a focus on STR instead of WIS.Is a melee build and not a standard healer build. Also is doing a lot of radiant damage with his high CHA score.

Race: Dragonborn

Starting Stats:

• 19 STR
• 12 CON
• 8 DEX
• 10 INT
• 13 WIS
• 16 CHA

Final Stats:

• 26 STR
• 12 CON
• 8 DEX
• 10 INT
• 10 WIS
• 18 CHA

Powers:

• Lvl 1: Righteous Strike, Healing Word, Cascade of Light, Dragon Breath
• Lvl 2: Cure Light Wounds
• Lvl 3: Split the Sky
• Lvl 4: + STR +CHA
• Lvl 5: Consecrated Burst
• Lvl 6: Bastion of Health
• Lvl 7: Awe Strike
• Lvl 8: + STR +CHA
• Lvl 9: Divine Power
• Lvl 10: Mass Cure Light Wounds

Equipment:​

• ​​Helm: Crown of Mastery
• Armor: +3 Lightforged Chainmail
• Weapon: +3 Corrupting Mace
• Implement: +2 Symbol of Victory
• Ring: Ring of Battle , Ring of Projection
• Ranged Weapon: +2 Hand Crossbow of Protection