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Does healing improve?
torridtemper
Member Posts: 15 Arc User
I'm not level 60 (33ish) yet. But healing's kinda stressful. It's not only getting attacked by all the mobs, struggling to target people to heal around all the enemies and companions and players, but my heals just don't seem that useful. I try to keep a seal on everything, and hopefully that makes a difference (I can't really tell). Healing Word though, while useful to keeping potion usage down while soloing, doesn't seem to heal much. The numbers are confusing too. Why does a potion that heals for 2,000 heal half my health, while I'm getting these huge numbers showing up for heal and it's barely bringing anything back? Then it's tough to choose what skill to use for attacking. I want forgemaster's because it has healing, but Daunting Light gives me some crowd control when I cast in divinity and does good damage. So which do I use? Finally, my daily. I know Hallowed Ground is supposed to be the best thing ever, I'm just not sure what it does (can't really notice much of a difference). It lasts for such little time and is hard to cast when people are running every which way doing their thing. I cast it because I know I'm supposed to. But I don't know...
I've seen people complaining about how tough it is to be a cleric. But how many of these are because I'm a lower level and how many are just issues and what should I do about this to improve my healing?
I've seen people complaining about how tough it is to be a cleric. But how many of these are because I'm a lower level and how many are just issues and what should I do about this to improve my healing?
Post edited by torridtemper on
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No, it's not like most other mmorpg's. The cleric is not the master of healing in this game. We have currently one skill which is great for healing called astral shield. It's about to go under the nerf scalpel so it won't be as effective, although it will probably be more effective than the other trash heals, some of which you are using. The good news is that the cleric is the only healer, so even though it's not very good at the job, it's better than anything else!
Basically the cleric in this game is like active bandaging. Many people don't understand that and will get upset with you for not fully healing them wherever they go. It's not your fault people die, they need to carry a lot of potions and use them liberally even if they have a cleric in the group. Does healing get less stressful? Absolutely not. Is it fun? That's for you to decide
Here is a video of what you can actually accomplish if you're specced/geared right. Ignore the 16k heals (that's the boss), but every other green number is mine.
That particular encounter spawns way more adds now (like most other encounters) and some of the tactics being used in the video are being nerfed out of existence soon, so take it as it comes.
AS will be getting a shorter duration. Knocking mobs over the side is going to change as well. They are "fixing" that.
Every boss encounter is just like the one in the video. Add after add after add after add spawns and goes for the cleric (currently) regardless of whether or not they have healed anyone, let alone themselves.
Lucky for deistik that he had a competent group. Most groups are PuGs and they are just awful. People leaving at random times without saying a word, people refusing to fight inside the blue/gold circle and then blame YOU for their deaths. It gets really old.
So either roll a class that isn't about to be nerfed when it doesn't need to be, or stick with it and the endless frustration which will come with it.
newbie rogue extraordinaire
Video is actually only from a week or two ago (hence the no knockoffs), but you're right - it won't be accurate once/if they patch what they plan on patching. I HAVE done spider on test with one cleric, but it's not as easy - you REALLY need a good GF to be able to handle the F'ing blademasters.
Dragon Guild
healing word is good when party members very split up such as dracolich. If you're just facerolling through ti while being close to the boss, I'd roll with forgemaster's flame when you get it.
Dragon Guild
For SOLO/QUESTING
Encounters
Sun Burst
Chains of Blazing Light
Daunting Light
Dailies
Flame Strike
Hallowed Ground
At Wills
Sacred Flame
Brand of the Sun
Class Abilities
Healers Lore or Foresight (I prefer Foresight)
Holy Fervor (action point gain)
Play style: There is no use having Healing word on your bar since Righteousness takes away 40% of your healing ability to yourself. You can get effective healing from sunburst, if you are having an issue swap it with Forgemasters Flame. When you roll up on a mob, cast regular chains, then hit them with a divine daunting light, this will kill almost the entire mob, or at least make them managable. If you are getting hammered then you can use a divine sunburst to throw everything back, when you do this hit them with a single brand of the son at least 1 or 2 targets more if you can. Try not to re-cast brand of the sun on the same target because if it is critting them the new one will over ride the old. When chains is off CD cast it again and follow up with a Divine Daunting light if you do not have Divine power then cast a regular, chains will hold the mob in place long enough for the regular daunting light. You should cast sunburst every time it is up and only use the divine sunburst if you need to throw the mob back so you can dot with brand of the sun. Of course when everything is on cd you should be single targeting with sacred flame. Between the healing from Sun burst and the temp hit points from sacred flame you should be in good shape and not require a ton of healing or potion drinking. FOr the dailies, I used Flame strike a lot on larger mobs, unless there were extended fights with some of bigger mobs, then I would use Hallowed ground (gives you a damage buff and damage resistance).
For Dungeon Runs
Encounters
Sun Burst or Daunting light (depends on group and Dungeon)
Astral Shield
Divine Glow or Break the Spirit
Dailies
Divine Armor
Hallowed Ground
At Wills
Sacred Flame
Astral Seal
Class Abilities
Foresight
Divine Favor (Divine Power Gain)
Playability : Drop A/S at the start of every fight, hit as many mobs with Astral Seal (which allows DPS to heal) drop Hallowed ground every time it is up, when mobs are grouped up hit them with divine glow, if melee and mobs are grouped use a divine divine glow. Use sunburst every time it is up, use divine glow everytime it is up and drop shield (in divine mode) every time it is up. Make sure you dot mobs with Astral seal, especially the ones that get pulled aside by rogues or GWF it will allow them to heal while you focus on the group. You should also be cassting Sacred Flame on the main mob or group as this will allow players to get temp HP, so you do not have to worry about healing as much. If peoples health bars are taking a hit, make sure you are in range when you use sunburst, if the fight is intense use a divine sunburst, this will throw the mobs back but the healing will be better giving the party some time for heals to tickl as well. This also gives you time to single target mobs with Astral seal.
If you are lower level and do not have A/S astral seal or D/G divine glow, you can use chains and daunting light. I have solo healed every dungeon i have ran and have never had an issue with party members dying do to lack of heals. This provides the group with added dps, which drops mobs faster and brings makes the utility of the class shine. If you don't like Divine Glow then use Break the Spirit. I love Break the Spirit Spell especially in dungeons with big adds and on boss fights; debuffs do make a difference.
I recall that baptism of fire particularly well, since I would say it's the first real challenging test for serious group content for PuGs through the Group Finder. I have only managed to complete it once in maybe 6 attempts over 2 characters (cleric & wizard) -- it's so unforgiving. And given that it's being 'amended' in the June 20th patch, probably a bit over-tuned at the moment. Believe me, almost all story mode dungeons after that one feel like a walk in the park after the Mad Dragon (maybe except Gray Wolf, but I managed to cope with that a whole lot better than the Mad Dragon...)
The previous posters have given a lot of good ideas and suggestions. The only other thing I would add is that most of the numbers for hots/dots will show as cumulative: so after 9-12 seconds worth of ticks, you will be seeing the total heals over the duration -- not what that current tick value was.