cleric

[Perfectfourth]

Just started playing hardcore, and I'd like to build a cleric, anyone got any links to any good guides or tips for gear skills etc,?

[STINGER]

Kudos on wanting to make a nice party character, but you will need a party for him to get anything done in hell. If you have a party to run with and want to make this build I suggest looking at the Pally forum for the build. Its not that nobody here can make it or figure it out or suggest the build, but its already there in the Pally forum and it is not a popular build for HC unless in those groups that get organized.

[come back zinc]

20 prayer
20 holy bolt
20 FoH
1-10 Cleansing
1-10 Salvation

You get yourself an Insight Runeword polearm or staff (Ral-Tir-Tal-Sol) and then you run the aura of your choice (The insight gives Meditation which will also heal quickly because you have 20 pts in prayer).

Use Cleanising if you want the extra healing and poison protection; Salvation if you want the increased Resistances. 1 Point in most of the Defensive auras will help your party tremendously.

You can use Holy Bolt for quick healing (and synergize it if you feel the need). Holy bolt can also get your merc through a good part of the game, but it's very slow. Maybe a Might merc with a fast stick and good FHR, or a few points in Fanatacism. Either way, as Stinger mentioned, this is mainly a party build. If you're not in a party the build is tedious and potentional very dangerous.

Good luck.

EDIT: Equipment to shoot for (IMO) Guardian Angel (Plate with +1 Pally Skills and +15% max res to all) and lots of Resistances and Faster Cast Rate. The Insight prevents you from holding a shield, which is normally where a Paladin gets his resistance. To compensate, you'll either need to use Salvation or find a lot or +res items. The Fast Cast Rate you'll need so you can have a Holy Bolt Machine Gun.

[prion]

feel like trying something new Perfectforth?

I invented this but haven't had a chance to try it--I call it the Holy Mage
use these numbers to start:
15 prayer
10 holybolt
1 concentration
20 Blessed hammer
20 Blessed aim
1 in all the usually utility skills
holy sheild optional

uses insight when in full healing mode.

This is just to start and after you've played for awhile you can decide how you want to boost hammer damage. Rather than looking at it as a weak hammerdin i would see it as a way to add offensive capability to a cleric without compromising healing powers.

also look up the Abbot build which takes advantage of insight healing but gives you a choice of offensive capability

I agree with STINGER, and this is based on my own personal experience, that a pure Cleric is pointless in less than 3 player games.

[StoryOfReign]

feel like trying something new Perfectforth?

I invented this but haven't had a chance to try it--I call it the Holy Mage
use these numbers to start:
15 prayer
10 holybolt
1 concentration
20 Blessed hammer
20 Blessed aim
1 in all the usually utility skills
holy sheild optional

uses insight when in full healing mode.

This is just to start and after you've played for awhile you can decide how you want to boost hammer damage. Rather than looking at it as a weak hammerdin i would see it as a way to add offensive capability to a cleric without compromising healing powers.

also look up the Abbot build which takes advantage of insight healing but gives you a choice of offensive capability

I agree with STINGER, and this is based on my own personal experience, that a pure Cleric is pointless in less than 3 player games.

This char looks insanely fun. And will most def be my next char.

Although you can't be in heal mode while attacking. (Since obviously you want to have conc on) So is it... attack attack attack, switch back to heal mode?

Also... wouldn't vigor be a better option for the Synergy?

[STINGER]

That build would be fine in a Party and actually jsut as good as most focused Hammerdins as long as he can leech the Concentration from another Din.

When I make a hammerdin (before this imbalanced broken insight came along) i always put 1 point Med in so when with other Hammerdins I switch to it and leeched their Conc and just went nuts and the other casters loved me! i was praised, statues were made and holidays declared.....all in other peoples names and likenesses, but they were made!

[AgentMarth]

Equipment to shoot for (IMO) Guardian Angel (Plate with +1 Pally Skills and +15% max res to all) and lots of Resistances and Faster Cast Rate. The Insight prevents you from holding a shield, which is normally where a Paladin gets his resistance. To compensate, you'll either need to use Salvation or find a lot or +res items. The Fast Cast Rate you'll need so you can have a Holy Bolt Machine Gun.

Its Faster Block Rate of 30%. Not Faster Cast Rate.

Just wanted to point that out.


Kudos for wanting to try something oddball. But it will get you slowly through the game if solo. If multiplaying, people will enjoy your healing. Although I personally find one Insight/Prayer Merc enough. HolyBolt becomes a PITA to aim on a moving target. So hopefully you have a group planned, but if you plan to pub, don't.

I agree with the leeching Conc can help out alot, since alot of Baal runs tend to have a Hdin in a good chuck of the time, and therefore you can have decent hammer damage.

[StoryOfReign]

I'm putting this together. Just gunna try my best and make it work, and have fun with it.

[prion]

This char looks insanely fun. And will most def be my next char.
Glad you like it! Tho keep in mind I have not tested it yet, but it looks viable on paper, and based on my experiences with a pure healer and pure hammerdin, it should work.

Although you can't be in heal mode while attacking. (Since obviously you want to have conc on) So is it... attack attack attack, switch back to heal mode?
You have all kinds of options here.
-use insight+conc+holybolt to help your merc vs a nasty FELE
-insight+cleansing or salvation for large mixed parties, holy bolt or hammers as your attack
-necroskellies block holybolts so you would use hammers in this case, and let the party order up the aura
-no more arguing with other hammies about who has best conc, you know yours is weaker.
-higher level than normal holy bolt great for sniping undead hiding in corners

Max hammers+max just 1 synergy and +5 skills will have each hammer doing over 1000 damage to multiple targets. a 41 point hammer is comparable to a 59 point bone spear. At least in act 1 and 2 of hell, this weakened hammer is effective if you need to switch on Redemption or Salvation which I have had to do multiple times with my hammerdin.

This build is not really intended for soloing, the point is you can do it if you have too. Because of low or no Holy Sheild, physical ranged attackers will be the bane of this build.

The base build I laid out with 1 pt in all the usual skills will get you to level 68 at the end of nightmare.

Also... wouldn't vigor be a better option for the Synergy?
purely personal preference.

[Sasuke42]

you could use pride on merc for conc later in the game.

[AgentMarth]

you could use pride on merc for conc later in the game.

I don't know about you guys, but if I had a Pride, I would use it on something alot better than a Cleric. Say, Bowazon, Zealot, Kicker, or something that makes better use of it.

Also, chances are if you can get a Pride, you can get other things that can make the build stronger.

Thats just my opinion though.

[Sasuke42]

Guess after shelling out for last wish (3xjah,1sur,1ber) almost everything else seems cheap

[Perfectfourth]

I agree with STINGER, and this is based on my own personal experience, that a pure Cleric is pointless in less than 3 player games.

Yeah I agree, I wanted to build a pure cleric purely for team games and MF pindle runs, even though its impossible to find any friendly HC players on the europe server
who speak english! although that build does look like alot of fun may have to try it.

[STINGER]

Guess after shelling out for last wish (3xjah,1sur,1ber) almost everything else seems cheap

If I saw a player with this it would tempt me to get the TPPK hack just to remove it from the game!

[come back zinc]

Its Faster Block Rate of 30%. Not Faster Cast Rate.

Just wanted to point that out.

You're crazy. :smiley:

I was just listing things I'd aim for... GuardianA, Res, and FCR. TBH, GA doesn't really have any res except that which I bracketed.

Just wanted to point that out, mr OCD. :rolleyes: