cleric build

If you are full support, you want to be full int. and only having enough str. for equips. Dex is useless.

^^

Vitality is a personal preference.

not sure about full mag for support...
my reasoning,
I went full mag as a support cleric, then I realized..
my buffs are unaffected by it,
our main heal is a Heal over time, and is pretty much unaffected by it..

but what CAN be affected by it..
a light armor build.

It improves phys defense dramatically from our buffs, unlike the arcane build.
If you need more mag resists, throw on arcane gear for those fights (even on the fly), basically, you are damn hard to take down. (especially archers, they hate light armor support builds, it's like trying to kill a tank..that heals)

Also, since being support build, your damage takes quite the hit in regards to skill level, one of the nice perks I have found in light armor is my crits have increased dramatically, and I'm actually able to kill faster than I was as a full mag support build. (my revive, buffs, heals, regens are maxed to my level, but DDs are around rank 6)

The vit/arcane builds are nice I hear, but since we do not gain the full benefit from the extra vit as other classes do, and the added mag really doesn't affect our healing, I went with a more out-of-the-box thinking. So far it's paying off well.

bloodsaint,
To each his own, I always say.
But I believe if you want to wear the best weapon for your level, you need mag = 3 * level,
if you want to wear the best arcane gear, you need to give 1 str every 2 levels.

this is where you go either full mag (9mag, 1str every 2), or split to vitality/mag (6mag, 1str, 3vit every 2)..
or light armor build (3mag, 1 str, 1dex per level)

If you do find another method, would love to hear about it.

uhhh no...
Int means intelligence --> Magic

Nelae - Heavens Tear wrote: »

er no
int = initial
int mag is 5
int str is 5
int vit is 5
int dex is 5

So if some one says int vit and dex build. That means he only puts point to mag and str and leaves dex and vit on 5

Look at the context of the statement:

If you are full support, you want to be full int.

I've got to assume he didn't mean "If you are full support, you want to leave all your stats at 5..."

Also, I believe the Magic stat is/was called Int. (Intelligence) in the non-US versions of the game.

Intelligence is the classic term for the primary magic user stat.

From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_&_Dragons_game_mechanics#Ability_scores

Intelligence (INT): Intelligence is similar to IQ, but also includes mnemonic ability, reasoning and learning ability outside those measured by the written word. Intelligence dictates the number of languages a character can learn, and it influences the number of spells a preparation-based arcane spellcaster (like a Wizard) may cast per day, and the effectiveness of said spells. It also affects how many skill points a character gains per level, the Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Knowledge, Search, and Spellcraft skills, and bardic knowledge checks.

Int. = Mag.

Oishasan - Sanctuary wrote: »

not sure about full mag for support...
our main heal is a Heal over time, and is pretty much unaffected by it..

and the added mag really doesn't affect our healing

Let's look at level 70, when you can get a full set of TT gear.

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A full set of Arcane L70 armor requires a str of 39 and a mag of 108 (and gives a bonus mag of 5), so a full magic build would have stats:
str: 39
vit: 5
dex: 5
mag: 316 (+5 = 321) [+11 = 332]

I myself had:
str: 40
vit: 50
dex: 5
mag: 270 (+5 = 275) [+11 = 286]

Both of these builds can use the Akalantha Wand (requires magic 213), which gives MAtk+63 (and a magic of +11 reflected above)

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A full set of Light L70 armor requires a str of 74 and a dex of 74. Assuming minimums, this comes to:
str: 74
vit: 5
dex: 74
mag: 212 [+11 = 223]

You can't use the Akalantha Wand, but you can use Ashura's sword (requires magic 210), which gives the same MAtk and Magic bonuses

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this leads to these magic attack ratings. Iron-Heart uses 30% of your magic attack to heal, so (given minimum rolls):

Full Magic: 3348-3404 - 1004 heal
MidVit Magic: 2991-3041 - 897 heal
Light Armor: 2316-2732 - 694 heal

At full cast rate, the tank usually has like 3 iron-hearts stacked up on him, so he's getting 930 fewer hp per whatever-time-unit is relevant here when being healed by a light armor cleric.

(instant heal from wellspring or party heal uses 20% of magic attack, stream of rejuvenation uses 50%)

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At level 80, the difference will only get larger, and at the highest levels, the light armor cleric won't be able to use the best weapons anyway, which will further increase the difference.

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In any case: why does the light armor cleric need physical defense? In a support role, you shouldn't be taking hits -- if you are taking hits, it's almost always ranged, which 90% of the time means magic.
So clearly you want the physical defense for soloing - but if we look at those same magic attacks listed above, and start using 100%-200% of them for attack damage, we get back to the whole "I take 1 hit before the mob dies, while you take 3 hits. so I needed less physical defense, anyway" argument.

Anyway, it's up to you and your party if you consider those numbers to be "insignificant" differences in healing power or not, but I do know that my survival is almost never a problem, except from things that were going to nuke me utterly anyway (the only reason my vit is 50 is so I can survive soulbanisher's AoE while I have BB up)

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(P.S. it seems a little odd to call playing a light armor cleric "out of the box thinking" since the build has been in use all the way back to the game's first incarnation in china)

Personaly i dont see problem having full mag cleric.
Basicly +mag gear is hard to get (rare/expensive) and it come will lesser adition of mag then +Vit/HP gear.

Just try to build full mag cleric lets say lvl 70-80 on paper and give him more HP by gear and gems and try same vith mag/vit build and try get more mag by gear.
Full mag cleric will end up with better stats.

70-80 full mag cleric should be able get way over 4k hp buffed whitch is enough to survive phys aoe boss in TT 1-3.

int is intelligence...or in PW...MAGIC.

I am a level 58 Wizard that just made a new Cleric. Im level 20, and I am rolling with a hybrid build.. using Light Armor, and putting my stats as follows every level... 3 mag, 1 dex, 1str. There is absolutely no reason to ever put any stat points into Vit, as you can easily get Vit from armor buffs and stones at the higher levels. And you have your heal skills that take care of you as well. Using a hybrid build, you are able to heal very well and stay alive, and you can also handle yourself when doing quests....without dieing all the time.... Its working out good, but Im wondering how it will work out at the higher levels.

I suggest the full attack build, try looking it up, there should be guides to it.